Rudewarrior is correct - the AI U-boats fire submerged guns at a convoy.
The effects of a pack attack on a convoy in normal career mode are truly exciting. As you close the convoy, after the pack has started its attack, you see repeated flashes of what are actually shell hits on the ships of the convoy closest to the firing U-boats - usually the escorts. Meanwhile, the convoy has started zig-zagging.
By the time you arrive, some of the escorts and a few of the merchant-ships will be ablaze or already sunk - the net effect depends on the size of the convoy and the number of U-boats in the pack. The escorts will be depth-charging any underwater U-boats they have located. So you can approach close to the convoy usually unobserved (but stay alert!).
This is one of the best additions to SH3 around - courtesy of LGN1 and H.sie.
Tip 1: don't attempt to shadow a convoy in daylight and wind-speeds lower than 5 m/s. The escorts sight you too easily.
Tip 2: Remember, later in the war, the convoys carry their own air protection. You may suffer sudden air attack at any time.
Tip 3: Do use the 'Less (=fewer) contacts' option in the Options Selector, especially in 1943-44. You don't have to make so many contact reports before the pack attacks. Try to give hourly contact reports. The pack reacts to each report.
Tip 4: It is essential to give the best guess of convoy course and speed that you can. The pack steers towards your U-boat position after each contact report, adjusted for the direction and speed of the convoy that you have reported.
Edit:
Forgot to mention that, in the NYGM super-mod, one or two U-boats are also attached to a few of the convoys. These too become activated and start firing at the convoy when the convoy is spawned by your approach. Thus, with NYGM, you may also see similar attacks on the convoys without a wolf-pack attack. Or you may even get a pack attack as well as locally spawned U-boats!
Stiebler.
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