Reverse Tactics

[Iron Budokan]

Having never lived much past June of '43 I am curious nonetheless about what tactics you use to help survive the onslaught of Allied weapons arrayed against you.

In '43 now that the Allies seemingly have radar even on their fishing smacks, does it benefit you to actually start running on the surface during the day so your watch can have a better chance of seeing a plane coming at you out of the sky from a greater distance? This would be a complete reversal of earlier in the war when U-boats pretty much did that they wanted (yes, even after the release of GWX) at night. At night, later in the war, aren't U-boats even more helpless then they might be during the day?

Just wonderin'....not that I expect I'll ever live to see it. :yep:

[Corsair]

Sorry can't help, am also a proud member of the "not past 43" club...:D

In fact just finished one of my shortest ones as my sub was lost with all hands on Jan 25 1940 (in real life yesterday, which comes handy as I had to install anyway the last 2.4 NYGM version) After a convoy attack, got too impatient to come back and finish a large merchant, was spotted by escorts, had to dive deep to escape and forgot my hull had been earlier damaged by airplanes... crushed at 140 m...:cry:
So it's back to Sept 39 with the new version installed.

[Brag]

Sorry can't help, am also a proud member of the "not past 43" club...:D

In fact just finished one of my shortest ones as my sub was lost with all hands on Jan 25 1940 (in real life yesterday, which comes handy as I had to install anyway the last 2.4 NYGM version) After a convoy attack, got too impatient to come back and finish a large merchant, was spotted by escorts, had to dive deep to escape and forgot my hull had been earlier damaged by airplanes... crushed at 140 m...:cry:
So it's back to Sept 39 with the new version installed.

Corsair, you succumbed to "target greed" and lack of patience :dead:. Better luck in your next career.

[Kruger]

Avoid the planes. Attack only submerged, even the lonely merchants, or try hitting them first with the dack gun, but only from great distances. In the case of convoys, avoid being detected by the escorts. Try to position yourself between the columns if possible, and launch bow and stern torpedos at the same time, against 3 merchants, at least cripple their engines. Then..dive. Dive deep...I allways go 200, 220 metres (if my hull is intact) and silent. Pray. Use your :ping:

[Jimbuna]

Never do whatever got you killed in the past!! :nope:

[Morts]

Never do whatever got you killed in the past!! :nope:

spot on !:up: :rotfl:

[Puster Bill]

The only real advice I can give you is to get a schnorkel as early as you can, and use it religiously.

It limits your vision and sonar ranges, and your speed. On the plus side, it also limits the ability for a plane or a destroyer to get a radar return on you, especially in bad weather.

Don't worry about tonnage. Worry about survival. Usually, you will get the opportunity to nail something in a convoy, but don't stick around. Fire from longer range, then go silent and deep. With some skill and some luck, you will be able to avoid the escorts.

Individual ships still sail, so those are easier to get. Don't try a surface attack, as they almost all have guns at this point. If you *ARE* surfaced, haul ahead of them before you are spotted, then submerge and wait for them to come to you.

Using these tactics, with a career started in January of 1943 I managed to last until December 1944, sailing out of Bergen in a Type VIIC. I was hoping to get a Type XXI, but there is no way you can get the 30,000 renown required, starting that late in the war.:damn:

I ended up getting hounded to death by Destroyer Escorts in fairly shallow water (100 meters deep). Should have known better, but I got fatally greedy.

[Hartmann]

The best way to survive is get a XXI boat past spring/ summer of 1944.
i´m not arrived yet, but i would change start dates of XXI if i can.

Perhaps not very real or historical, but it´s a new game with new tactics and very challenge.

[Corsair]

Avoid the planes. Attack only submerged, even the lonely merchants, or try hitting them first with the dack gun, but only from great distances. In the case of convoys, avoid being detected by the escorts. Try to position yourself between the columns if possible, and launch bow and stern torpedos at the same time, against 3 merchants, at least cripple their engines. Then..dive. Dive deep...I allways go 200, 220 metres (if my hull is intact) and silent. Pray. Use your :ping:

I usually avoid planes, this time it was sunrise, had to surface a few minutes for my sun fix ( I use manual navigation ) and thought I was far enough from land... a couple hurricanes strafed the boat no big damage but probably some loss of hull integrity.
This time I had made a submerged attack, sunk 1 troop transport and slowed down one large merchant. Got away undetected. Wanted to come back finish the merchant (greedy...) which was trailing behind. As daybreak was coming nearer, I made the mistake to come too close at high speed, got visually spotted and 3 escorts on me.:D

[bigboywooly]

If you have to surface late war do it in the daylight
Your crew stand more chance of spotting aircraft in the light
Surface at night and they will be on you in a flash
The snorkel is a must also

@Hartmann
Even having a XXI is no guarantee of survival

01JUL44 - 02JUL44 (2 days)4 (0/4)5490 (0/5490)U-Boat damaged (H.I. 72.47%)
07AUG44 - 09AUG44 (3 days)7 (0/7)31665 (0/31665)U-Boat damaged (H.I. 46.71%)