Atacking escorts

[Petr]

Hi, how do you attack escorts? I tried it, but they are zig zaging not only when I am detected. Is possible to "aim" them? What is your tactics?

[Torplexed]

Escorts are tough and wily prey. Not much in the way of tonnage points either. I've come across them motionless sometimes after a convoy battle and crept in for a close range shot. At the last second they seem to 'hear' the torpedo and scamper out of it's way. If you do aim for one make sure the torpedo is set for shallow as they don't have much of a draft.

The 'cutie' homing torpedoes which come late in the war are ideal for shooting and maybe crippling escorts. Cuties don't have much of a warhead so they're not ideal for much else.

[old_tex]

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=146572 :up: Old_tex

[JonB]

Hi, how do you attack escorts? I tried it, but they are zig zaging not only when I am detected. Is possible to "aim" them? What is your tactics?

Yes, they are allways zig-zaging ahead of the rest of the convoy but when they are done, they do a 180 degree turn, heads back to the convoy and just cruises ahead of it for a few minutes. That´s your window of opportunity...

The only problem is thou, when you are done with the one up fron of the convoy, you usually have 2 (or more) escorts left to deal with. You might wanna consider however the escorts are worth dealing with or if you should just go for the merchants and then hide...



Talking of wich, I actually came across a convoy today containing 4 merchants and 5 (five!) escorts to go with it. Not very big merchants either... :o


Happy hunting, m8.

[Rockin Robbins]

In general there is one word of advice for attacking escorts: don't. But if you must, take a look at the thread referenced above.

[gimpy117]

unless they're on to you don't do it...

[peabody]

Everything that is commented above plus an addition. When I first started, I thought it would be a good idea to try to take out the lead escort, but realized rather quickly that if you are lucky enough to get it, the explosion alerts the convoy, now EVERYONE is zig-zagging, and all the escorts are headed your way.

Peabody

[rifleman13]

If they're really a threat, you could always aim and fire either the aft or fore while they're coming at you at 0 degrees AOB, preferably with a Mk 18 or a 27...

It usually works... if I'm lucky! :dead:

[Petr]

Problem is, that I received an order to attack escorts. and I dont know, how to do that.

[rifleman13]

Order to attack escorts? :huh:

Maybe the order was meant for what are the escorts are escorting:
Capital ships and merchant ships.

Those are the primary targets, sink the escorts if you have to: use Mk 27 Cutie if possible.

[Petr]

I reported contact with convoy and I get new task to my tasklist "Attack escorts".

[Rockin Robbins]

If you're going to purposely attack escorts before detection, I'd target them from the side, just like a merchant. Down the throat shots are not very accurate and are basically creatures of survival. They aren't a primary attack method.

Once you're detected, hopefully by very loud booms, you can think about using the down the throat angle.

[tomoose]

"Attack escorts"?? I don't think I've received that message before. I'm using 1.4 with TMO and RSRD.

Personally I'd ignore that message and concentrate on the merchants. As RR stated above escorts should be avoided if possible (sometimes easier said than done, LOL).

[JonB]

Well, attacking escorts is working best during the night. The escorts are fast and can accelerate away from incoming torpedos wich they will spot early in daylight.

I usually set the torp about 0,5 metres below the draft and break them. I know some people have experienced problems with it but it has allways worked for me.


Orders or no orders, however I attack the escorts or not depends on how many they are comparing to the merchants.

A week ago a came across a convoy with about 9 merchants and only two escorts. I took the escorts out before surficing and then sunk the rest by deckgun and torps.
Compared to the 5 escorts and 4 merchants - situation I meantioned earlier in this thread...

[AngronIsAngry]

I am still one of the new guys around here and from what little I have seen, the best way to take down escorts is by Deck Gun (:oops: at least in Stock 1.4 and given that you can avoid getting ganged up by the escorts).
The Natural Sinking Mod [NSM] has now cured me of such follies.

If you want to take a more "serious" approach than the Deck Gun, I consider stealth and decoys the most valuable tools and zero gyro torpedo shots the most helpful technique.

This worked for me in Stock 1.4 with NSM and Mk 14 Torps
Lets say you managed to take down the first escort with your method of choice(hint, from the side you might even be able to score on one or two additional merchies). With the first BOOOOOM! deploy a decoy and fix your speed at 1kn. If you haven't Rigged for Silence, do so now. Slowly creep away from the decoy as very soon, there'll be some hostiles circling it.
Try getting some 700-1000 yards of water filled space between yourself and the circlers. Get your TDC to think of a target with 0kn(speed dial) at either 000 or 180 bearing (stadimeter or sonar station).
Now the catch or tricky or fun part (depending on persnal opinion): Deciding on the Lead Angle
For me it is pretty much just guessing as you have to estimate the speed of a circling target and your relative position to it. Usually at a roughly 90° approach, a lead around 15° works (give or take 5°)
Once that worked you can repeat form "deploy a decoy" atop.

Staying at Periscope Depth or sink.... sry.... dive beneath the thermal layer is kinda a touch-and-go thing. For reloading I tend to leave a decoy just above the thermal layer and dive beneath it. Everytime the escorts get close, I drop a decoy and do a turn.

hope that helps
have fun

[Berinhardt]

I've had really good luck attacking escorts, although I'll try to limit the strategy to even the odds on heavily defended convoys, or a large merchant convoy with a few escorts traveling at night.

The typical escort pattern is one lead escort, one on each side and one pulling up the rear. When I get the initial sonar contact, I try to position my boat so that the convoy will roll right over me. My objective is to get the lead escort as close to my boat as possible (between 500-1000m) and cripple or sink him with the first torp.

Some caveats for the first escort:

Position your boat, Turn off engines, rig for silent running. Set your topedoes to high speed, depth to shallow, and open your torpedo tubes early, as the esocrt will hear them open at the close range. Aim for the bow, as the escort will speed up as soon as you fire.
Use the sonar to determine when the escort is in the right position, raise periscope, and fire 1-2 torps)
Go to Battlestations, secure from silent running, turn in the direction the convoy was heading, so your aft tubes face the oncoming convoy.
As soon as the torpedo hits the lead escort, the convoy will scatter, turing Left and Right, with their broadsides to you. The advantage is, they are right on top of you and should now be within 1,000 yards, with limited room to manuever.
Fire all aft tubes at target(s) of your choice. The side escorts will be heading for you full steam at the area where you fired your topedoes from. Head for the thermal layer and move forward at 2-3 knots while the crew reloads the tubes.
The scattered convoy will start to overtake you while the ecorts circle the last known area. The propellor wash from the convoy ships should help mask your subs noise as well as limite their mobility.
Once the convoy is slightly ahead of you, Use sonar contacts to position your boat.
Once the first half of convoy is a few hundered meters ahead of you, start a rise to periscope depth. On the way, set all fore torps to high speed, depth appropriate for expected targets (15ft). If aft tubes are loaded, set depth to 0-5 feet
Once at periscope depth, open all tube doors to enable rapid firing.
Raise scope, aim quickly and fire forward tubes. Once fired, launch decoys and increase speed.
The side escorts will race directly towards your location. when they are within 800 yards, lauch aft torpedoes at the bow. The toprs will arm at 300m and the escorts will have covered 300-400m in that time. At flank speed thay will run right into them.
The rear escort will now start coming into range. The center and tail of the convoy should be right over the top of you. As forward tubes reload, you can decide to turn and face the last escort and use the same strategy as above, or fire at the remaining convoy members and evade him. At night, I find it more efficient to kill the last escort and finish off the convoy stragglers and wounded with the deck gun.Happy hunting

[Soundman]

I've had really good luck attacking escorts, although I'll try to limit the strategy to even the odds on heavily defended convoys, or a large merchant convoy with a few escorts traveling at night.

The typical escort pattern is one lead escort, one on each side and one pulling up the rear. When I get the initial sonar contact, I try to position my boat so that the convoy will roll right over me. My objective is to get the lead escort as close to my boat as possible (between 500-1000m) and cripple or sink him with the first torp.

Some caveats for the first escort:

Position your boat, Turn off engines, rig for silent running. Set your topedoes to high speed, depth to shallow, and open your torpedo tubes early, as the esocrt will hear them open at the close range. Aim for the bow, as the escort will speed up as soon as you fire.
Use the sonar to determine when the escort is in the right position, raise periscope, and fire 1-2 torps)
Go to Battlestations, secure from silent running, turn in the direction the convoy was heading, so your aft tubes face the oncoming convoy.
As soon as the torpedo hits the lead escort, the convoy will scatter, turing Left and Right, with their broadsides to you. The advantage is, they are right on top of you and should now be within 1,000 yards, with limited room to manuever.
Fire all aft tubes at target(s) of your choice. The side escorts will be heading for you full steam at the area where you fired your topedoes from. Head for the thermal layer and move forward at 2-3 knots while the crew reloads the tubes.
The scattered convoy will start to overtake you while the ecorts circle the last known area. The propellor wash from the convoy ships should help mask your subs noise as well as limite their mobility.
Once the convoy is slightly ahead of you, Use sonar contacts to position your boat.
Once the first half of convoy is a few hundered meters ahead of you, start a rise to periscope depth. On the way, set all fore torps to high speed, depth appropriate for expected targets (15ft). If aft tubes are loaded, set depth to 0-5 feet
Once at periscope depth, open all tube doors to enable rapid firing.
Raise scope, aim quickly and fire forward tubes. Once fired, launch decoys and increase speed.
The side escorts will race directly towards your location. when they are within 800 yards, lauch aft torpedoes at the bow. The toprs will arm at 300m and the escorts will have covered 300-400m in that time. At flank speed thay will run right into them.
The rear escort will now start coming into range. The center and tail of the convoy should be right over the top of you. As forward tubes reload, you can decide to turn and face the last escort and use the same strategy as above, or fire at the remaining convoy members and evade him. At night, I find it more efficient to kill the last escort and finish off the convoy stragglers and wounded with the deck gun.Happy hunting


That sounds like a daring, yet interesting approach. I think I may give it a try next time. I have often headed underneath a convoy to mask detection, just as you mention, but I've never really thought of positioning myself for them to come on top of me. :hmm: This should work well for me, as I often use a "down the throat" attack on the DDs anyway. :up:

[Red Lord of Chaos]

I reported contact with convoy and I get new task to my tasklist "Attack escorts".
I've had that message also, In a Porpoise out of Manilla during the invasion of the Phillipenes. I wound up ignoring them because you can always find unescorted merchants elsewhere.

[Munchausen]

I reported contact with convoy and I get new task to my tasklist "Attack escorts".
I've had that message also, In a Porpoise out of Manilla during the invasion of the Phillipenes. I wound up ignoring them because you can always find unescorted merchants elsewhere.

I, too, received that message ... after reporting a convoy of three and three. Luckily for me, they were moving fast and already out of range by the time I got the message.

[FIREWALL]

Sorry I didn't read all the posts.:yep:

When I have Escorts comeing after me I use a sure fire tactic.

I use my stern tubes as I'm getting to hell away from them.:p :rotfl:

[jason210]

I also received an attack escorts order, in RFB 1.4. The second patrol of the Historical Campaign you're told to do it.

That's as far as I've got with RFB 1.4! So hard!

[fishfood]

I just got my first 'Engage Escorts' order after radioing in a convoy contact report near Hokkaido. I was in the middle of completing my primary task, a 48 hour patrol, caught the convoy on radar and slunk in for a closer look. After reporting and getting the order in the response from HQ, the engage escort order showed up as a mission priority, with credit given for completing the task after I sank the lead escort.




[Edit: Stock 1.5]

[Xapp696]

"Engaging Escorts"? DON'T! :lol: I use RSRD and TMO, and I have no use for shooting escorts. Amount of fish expended + amount of tonnage recieved = Meh at best. I fire at targets, submerge, and run like a (semi)-dignified chicken****. No, I dont get the entire convoy like I did in vanilla (1 or 2, sometimes 3), but who cares if you live to fight another day? I have a 90% success ratio doing this, and IMHO escorts aren't worth the trouble.

[JonB]

Words....

But I must admit, a 1000 tonnes of escorts on the oceanfloor feels better than 3000 tonnes of merchants :arrgh!: