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View Full Version : Revising tactics for 1941 RN ASW


UnterseeBoogeyMan
03-03-08, 07:22 PM
I am finding that if you are submerged within shortrange of the lead escort and he is a Black Swan, he starts pinging you.

I have found that staying 90 degrees, perpendicular to the path of the convoy is fine if you set up 2 kms away from the lead escort. One he reachs 10 degrees I can shift to 2 knots at Silent Running and make my approach to the convoy. As he keeps going, from bearing 350-->345 and so on he does not hear me. What's more, the corvette to port of the convoy arrives in the spot I left. I have a feeling, had I stayed the Corvette would have pinged me.

This attack was from the portside, flanked by the lead Swan and 3 corvettes, spaces 2000 meters apart.

The prior attack was done to starboard, guarded by a Swan in the lead and another Swan brought up the rear 6 kms back. I did the same approach at 2 knots, but when lead escort was about 3kms away, I surfaced, decks awash at ahead standard. This way I was an equidistant 3 kms between the two Black Swans. I pulled this off for a minute or two and went to periscope depth. It covered me some much needed distance so the firing range was 3,500 instead of 4,500 meters. I find at 4,000 meters and beyond, I have no confidence in my shooting.

I like the portside attack better, becuase if I penetrate, I can get to point blank of some very juicy targets. I can also use impact, which I trust more than magnetic. At this point I still trust the impacts the most. I had one premature detonation of a magnetic, so I am leary of them. I will keep trying to use them when the situation comes up, becuase I know later I will not have the luxury of a point-blank 90 aob shot. If Donald McIntyre hadn't captured Kretshmer, someone would have becuase that strategy was becoming obsolete.


That's all for now. I have 4 hours of darkness to burn, hopefully I get ahead of the convoy. From there, try a portside attack again. I will approach between the Swan and the Corvette, but this time at 50 meters depth. Once I estimate I will approach firing angle of the lead Large Merchant, I will go to periscope, do a rear shot on him and a forward shot on a Large Cargo. One the explosions happen the escorts still seem to not have a clue. They wander aimlessly with their search lights going. This is fairly calm sea with 5 knot winds. If you leave the scope up too long or get greedy sticking around for more targets they will find you. But if you know when to fold em
(Kenny Rogers must have played subsims) you dont have to get waxed.

Blacklight
03-03-08, 11:05 PM
My tactic is to directly in front of the convoy at a 30 degree angle facing toward them. I then go silent running and drop down to about 20 feet and shut off the engine. I then get on the hydrophone and listen. When I hear the first ships start to pass over me, I creep up to periscope depth at three knots silent running and fire everything I have at everything that's moving. This is followed by a crash dive and a silent run of 2 or 3 knots accross the direction of travel of the convoy so i emerge out the other side and get away nice and safe. So far this tactic has worked well for me (knocks wood). :up:

UnterseeBoogeyMan
03-03-08, 11:35 PM
My tactic is to directly in front of the convoy at a 30 degree angle facing toward them. I then go silent running and drop down to about 20 feet and shut off the engine. I then get on the hydrophone and listen. When I hear the first ships start to pass over me, I creep up to periscope depth at three knots silent running and fire everything I have at everything that's moving. This is followed by a crash dive and a silent run of 2 or 3 knots accross the direction of travel of the convoy so i emerge out the other side and get away nice and safe. So far this tactic has worked well for me (knocks wood). :up:

That seems like where I am going later in the war. I have to get better with the magnetic torpedoes before trying the 30 degree angle. It seems for magnetic, that works as long as you are shooting at an oncoming target, I have not had success shooting behind a target moving away. What are the ranges you find your targets at? Whats the max limit you would go before its a risky shot? The other thing I'm looking at is gyro angle. Do you try to keep it in the green or do you have success in the yellow too?

Avatar
03-07-08, 01:32 PM
Usually, by the time a target is moving away from me there are burning ships nearby and the target is zigzagging frantically. So if I fire at a target thats moving away, I aim for its midsection and fire very close >500m. Or I use the Falke to shoot at the stern. Firing at a atrget moving away you really need to fire at the bow or midsection.
My crew will find targets at about 8-15km, depending on the weather, sometimes less. I have 16km visability enabled.
My max limit is the max distance of my torpedoes. Depending on whether the target has a large AOB, firing while the marker is yellow is a gamble, depending on where you aim. When attacking 2 targets, fire at teh furthest first, then fire at the closest after a few seconds. Normally this turns out to be about 1200m(furthest) and 500m (closest).