Battleship in 1939 cargo convoy?!

[Tontoman]

Hello, is this a GWX addition, hadn't seen it before but then hadn't played much 1939? This going to happen all the years, or is this just an early war thing due to lack of destroyers and/or protection against capital ships while Germany still had some going around?

Just curious. A nice suprise for Nov 1939.
Scouting the convoy out picking targets.....
Tankers... lets see.. gimmie some tankers.... small merch... another... bah.... passenger..... OMG! :o

Say hello to my four little friends :)

Cheers, loving GWX more and more :rock:
T.

[GoldenRivet]

yep occasionally BBS travelled with convoys in real life.

GWX mods this.

Try and sink her if you can :)

[headcase]

I've fed a more than a few eel's a BB on convoy duty. I've found most of them on the convoy routes SW of Irelnd. Mostly the Rodney, and always to be greeted with extreme prejudice. :rock:

[Tontoman]

Cool, only one destroyer in front and it's night, so I'm thinking good thoughts :p
And yep, SW Iin the BE area.

Muahahaha
T.

[jazman]

I think they occasionally escorted convoys mainly due to the threat of German surface raiders, some of which were fairly heavy.

[papa_smurf]

Yup, i've seen HMS Nelson in a convoy in 39, around Grid AM 01. Didn't get to sink her though - too well defended by 4 J&K escorts:damn: .

[drussxx]

in 39. you should have been able to sneak up to her and get away.afterwards. running deep ,silent.and changing course.would have put the escorts away from you. in 1943/44. it will be vastly different (fish food city).

[JackSparrow]

in 39. you should have been able to sneak up to her and get away.afterwards. running deep ,silent.and changing course.would have put the escorts away from you. in 1943/44. it will be vastly different (fish food city).

haha

[Brag]

In my 1st & 2nd GWX careers been running into BB escorted convoys on nearly each 39-40 patrol and sinking several of them :D. One torpedo close to the stern can be fatal. A salvo of two will usually sink 'em.

Gute jagd!

[UnterseeBoogeyMan]

I've read that Battleships in convoy was something the Royal Navy tried early in the war and went away from it. They were there mainly as a deterent to German surface raiders and their own capital ships. It was found that more of the threat was from the U-Boats and the capitol ships weren't effective ASW weapons. Furthermore, I've read Raeder spent more energy trying to hide the Tirpitz and some of his other prize capitol ships from the RAF than actually using them.This happened alot in the strikes on convoys bound for Murmansk later in the war; they would commit their cruisers or battleships to a fight only to withdraw them later. Several times the Tirpitz was out of action because there wasn't enough fuel to go around. This lead to Hitler benching Raeder and Doenitz stepping up as head of the entire Kriegsmarine. Ecort carriers didnt enter the war for the U.S until around 44. They were projected to come on line in 43 but production couldnt meet the demand.

Anyways, get in your licks on the battlewagons while you can. Otherwise you could pull a Kobiashi Maru into Scapa Flow and see what you find.

[EZeemering]

I had a really bad going on a small convoy between Ireland and the UK. Most torps missed and decided to go home. Than I came across a large convoy and sailing in the middle of it the HMS Royal Sovereign. Despite the bad luck earlier I managed to sank that fat one with 2 torps :rock:

Seems those fat boys are easier to get down than speedy small merchants haha

[JU_88]

Now the real trouble starts when you have a carrier in a convoy (late war)... You just try stalking a convoy with Avengers stomping on you every time you poke your head out of the water. :nope:

[bigboywooly]

Ecort carriers didnt enter the war for the U.S until around 44. They were projected to come on line in 43 but production couldnt meet the demand.


Oh you will see aircraft carriers a lot sooner than 44


Bogue set out on 5 March, 1943 with 12 F4F-4 Wildcats and 8 TBF-1 Avengers aboard, screened by the old destroyers USS Belknap and George E. Badger, and joined UK-bound convoy HX-228 the next day. There was no combat action until 10 March, when Bogue aircraft first sighted and attacked a U-boat.


http://uboat.net/articles/index.html?article=28


Originally completed as a USS Bouge class carrier, modified by having petrol stowage reduced to 50,000 gallons (ballasted in compensation with about 1,000 tons) and US 4 inch guns instead of the original US 5 inch. In 1943 this vessel was obtained through the United States lend lease programme.
In May 1943 HMS Fencer was tasked to supply air escort for the North Atlantic convoys. In September she was a member of the 8th Search Support Group deployed in escorting a special convoy that was transporting the personnel and installations for number 247 Royal Air Force group on the Azores Islands of Fayal and Terceira. By October she was again in the North Atlantic on convoy duties.


http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3268.html

Noteable events involving Core include:
13 Jul, 1943
The German submarine U-487 (http://uboat.net/boats/u487.htm) was sunk in the central Atlantic in position 27º15'N, 38º05'W by five Avenger and Wildcat aircraft of the American escort carrier USS Core.

http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/2489.html