Second Attack on Convoy
 

What is the best strategy for a second, manual targeting attack on an escorted merchant convoy? While the remaining targets seem to more-or-less follow their initial course, they do so somewhat chaotically; some might be zig-zagging at regular intervals, others just act weird. Sometimes two of them are within yards of each other.

I did find in a previous, campaign before my computer died, that an attack on a zig-zagging target planned as follows had a fair chance of success:
Sub within 800 yds or so of torpedo imact point.
Zero-gyro, ninety degree attack.
Calculated lead angle same as for target moving in a straight line.

I also did a graphical analysis of the net course and speed of a zig-zagging target. I'll post that in a separate thread.

I’m playing the vanila campaign with Webster’s all-in-one mod.

Cy

What I have done with some success is, after initial attack, pull back and shadow the convoy until they "settle down". While they are zig-zagging, they lose some speed so it can be a little easier to leap ahead. Once I get ahead of the convoy again, I attack from the opposite side, if able. This gives me time to rearm.

The most success I have had with this is at night time and with relatively calm seas. The only problem is getting away from the escorts in a timely fashion if they have a good crew that can run ASW.

When conditions are right I like to use Admiral Fluckey's method of night surface attack. It is very satisfying to use, it is easily adaptable if you find that you need to pull the plug, and is described here on Tom Martin's SH1 site:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~tlm/silent/barb_report.html

Happy Hunting!