Annoyed that you can't get a Type XXI? Don't be!

[jymbur]

Well thx to the renown points hack provided by Bell End I am wrapping up a career in a Type XXI. It isn't the best boat in my opinion.

It's terrific underwater for five reasons. It loads torpedoes really fast. All torpedoes are stored internally. It's very fast when submerged, low speed of 7 nts and a high speed of 16 nts. It's very quiet and stealth. 6 forward tubes, no more choosing between the troop transport and the tanker on convoy intercepts as you can just fire three torpedoes on both right away.

There aren't any aft tubes but the boats exceptional speed and performance while submerged largely offset that liability.

It however is not a good boat on the surface for three reasons. It's actually slower on the surface or while snorkeling than it is on electric battery with a top speed of only 12 nts. It only has two light flack guns which are brilliantly armored turrets so that your gunners are protected but not as much firepower. I was out of flack after shooting down only 17 aircraft. There is no deck gun.

The Type IX DII is the best boat in my opinion. It actually has a few more torpedoes than the Type XXI, a better submerged range, better anti aircraft defense and it has a deck gun. Although the Type XXI is clearly better in some departments I feel that the Type IX DII is a more effective and better boat overall.

Also, you can actually attain a Type IX DII if you play well without needing to hack the config file.

[USS Midway veteran]

Good to hear. If I ever get to it. I'll have to try the hack.

[jymbur]

Raid Scapa Flow from the west on patrol 6 next time. I won't spoil it for you but it's full of high value targets. I sunk 109,000 tons on that patrol in a Type VII B. It's much less difficult to access from the west as opposed to the south.

[USS Midway veteran]

Originally posted by jamesburrelltx:

Raid Scapa Flow from the west on patrol 6 next time. I won't spoil it for you but it's full of high value targets. I sunk 109,000 tons on that patrol in a Type VII B. It's much less difficult to access from the west as opposed to the south.

I remember doing that once a couple of years ago, too, James. I got a battleship, two cruisers and a few destroyers. Forgot the tonnage. I have attacked Scapa Flow all three ways: East, West and South. Look out for that submarine net if you go in from the south. It got me the first time.

[jymbur]

That time I found an Illustrious Fleet Carrier and a pair of Auxiliary Cruisers. It was one of the rare patrols where everything just went well. I even got 9 ships with the deck gun before leaving Norwegian waters.

I think I've raided nearly every port now. Scapa and Loch are the only ones where I've ever found a combatant bigger than a destroyer. I've even found Casablanca which doesn't show up on the in game map but is indeed there (DJ25), it was empty and not even protected but had lots of aircraft.

Overall I've come to the conclusion that raiding ports is a mistake. It's better to just hang out in the approaches to the ports because it's safer and you get more tonnage. Whenever I can't seem to use up my ordnance I head to either the approach to Gibraltar or the approach to Merthyr/Bristol. The approach to Merthyr/Bristol has become my favorite place to hunt. It's a narrow inlet with only one way in and out and it's a very contact rich environment.

[USS Midway veteran]

Originally posted by jamesburrelltx:

That time I found an Illustrious Fleet Carrier and a pair of Auxiliary Cruisers. It was one of the rare patrols where everything just went well. I even got 9 ships with the deck gun before leaving Norwegian waters.

I think I've raided nearly every port now. Scapa and Loch are the only ones where I've ever found a combatant bigger than a destroyer. I've even found Casablanca which doesn't show up on the in game map but is indeed there (DJ25), it was empty and not even protected but had lots of aircraft.

Overall I've come to the conclusion that raiding ports is a mistake. It's better to just hang out in the approaches to the ports because it's safer and you get more tonnage. Whenever I can't seem to use up my ordnance I head to either the approach to Gibraltar or the approach to Merthyr/Bristol. The approach to Merthyr/Bristol has become my favorite place to hunt. It's a narrow inlet with only one way in and out and it's a very contact rich environment.

I agree. It's best to just stay at sea close to large and active ports. I have found that raiding ports isn't really worth the effort. My only objective has been to obtain a Type IX boat. I used the Type 18 (or was it XX1) in Silent Hunter III Uboat Missions and I was not impressed with the effectiveness of 16 forward torpedoes, but no deck gun. I'm going to try the renown hack the other guy told us about, get a Type IX and just have fun with it next time around.

[jymbur]

The renown point hack is nice but it's not needed to get a IX. Just go to Lorient after your transfer to the Atlantic so it's available to you. I think the IX B is 7500 points. Later in the war you can get a IX D II which has a couple/few more external stores. The IX C isn't worth it. It offers nothing that the IX B doesn't already have and if you've done the upgrades it actually turns out to be a downgrade.

[USS Midway veteran]

Thanks James.