Submarine as convoy escort?

[Maraz]

Hi, I am playing GWX 1.03, and in May 1940, west of Ireland, I met a convoy with a British S-Class submarine in it. Apparently it was operating as tail escort for the convoy.

Was this a historical practice, having submarines as convoy escort (I doubt it) or simply a bug in the convoy composition?

Cheers

Maraz

[von Zelda]

GWX with 1.03, due west of Biscay Bay in June 1941, and I also ran into a Gilbraltar - UK convoy with a submerged British sub.

Once before I saw a British sub patrolling the shallow area of Biscay Bay but it was surfaced and alone.

I don't believe I've ever read anything about British subs escorting convoys.

[PhantomLord]

Same here. I´ve met several convoys with submerged or surfaced S-class-boats.

I really want those british batteries! I´ve shadowed a convoy with a submerged S-class in it for 36 hours.....with 8 knots. He never surfaces! Try this with you VII... :doh:

[siber]

I've seen three convoys with surfaced subs escorting, and one of those had HMS Rodney stuffed in the middle!

I'm sure you can guess how I used my last three torps! The first two went off to hole her broadside and knock off her propellers. This stopped her, but I got pounced on by escort DDs. But knowing she was crippled (I admit - used external camera), I went deep and stayed there for half an hour. The only problem was that I only had 1 torp remaining in my stern tube. Thinking this would have to suffice, I set it to run at 12m and enabled the magnetic pistol. Upon firing, it ran straight for the 500m between us and sailed clean under without detonating... I couldn't believe my eyes!!! :dead:

I wasn't brave enough to surface and get the deck crew onto the 88mm while facing the huge guns on Rodney. The crew would probably have mutinied if I'd even suggested it... I skulked off submerged to return to base... :shifty:

[PhantomLord]

Yeah i had the Rodney too. Aimed i big tanker in the middle of the convoy with 2 torps. The second torp misses and hitted the Rodney (i didn´t saw her before, she was covered by tankers silhouette). Surfaced after 4 hours of DC....and there she was.....laying there without any speed and helping destroyers

3 eels later she was history :D

There are numerous warships in normal convoys since GWX 1.03. So far i saw Fiji´s, Rodney´s, light cruisers....

[Captain Nemo]

Was this a historical practice, having submarines as convoy escort (I doubt it) or simply a bug in the convoy composition?

I seem to recall that RN subs were used on occassion to guard against the breakout of Germany's capital ships that were holed up in Norway and in a good position to attack the Arctic convoys, but this wouldn't have required their presence in the convoy itself. Perhaps other can comment.

Nemo

[Hitman]

Submarines as convoy escorts is historically accurate :up:

[bigboywooly]

Subs would normally escort a convoy so far then leave for patrol but due to game limitations if a sub starts in a convoy it stays till the very end

[ichso]

That sounds more reasonable.
The S-Class was a smaller type of submarine as I remember from SH1.
Seems a little strange that a small sub crosses the Atlantik guarding a convoy. Perhaps it could get refuled at sea, but still the above version sounds more realistic. That they escorted the convoy a while and then got off to their own patrol area.

[wireman]

Yes, I have read that in the early part of the war Brit subs were used to a limited extent as convoy escorts. If I remember correctly, the subs were to remained surfaced and left the convoy at dusk and returned to position after dawn so as to avoid problems as much as possible. I think I read this in " No Place to linger", a Kiwi's naval memoir.

[Puster Bill]

That sounds more reasonable.
The S-Class was a smaller type of submarine as I remember from SH1.
Seems a little strange that a small sub crosses the Atlantik guarding a convoy. Perhaps it could get refuled at sea, but still the above version sounds more realistic. That they escorted the convoy a while and then got off to their own patrol area.

Well, I think you could cross the Atlantic in a Type IID, you just wouldn't have enough fuel to get home...

I'll have to test that theory sometime.