Questions about Hydrophones and Convoy Attacks

[AngronIsAngry]

Hydrophones
I heard that greater depths would be favorable for picking up contacts on the hydrophones, but I don't know how the thermal layer would affect my subs hydrophone. Is it better to stay at periscope depth, just over the thermal layer or just over critical depth for hydrophone contacts?

Convoy
Order - attack merchants
I can make one merchant vanish with only the usual torp-tech difficulties. A second in the initial attack run is also within possibilities. Then, the merchants captains break out the sake kegs (as seen in their driving/shipping?) and I can basically forget about using torps.
Do they ever sober up again? Until now i was only able to get additional kills with the deck gun.:oops:

Order - attack escort
I consider this somewhat of an order to go kamikaze myself. As long as I don't get detected, the first kill is no big deal, but from then on, I just waste my torps as I don't manage to hit circling destroyers and those stationary just jump to ~20kn before they'd get hit. Again I only manage to get additional kills thanks to the deck gun, but I don't like the holes I get in return. Seriously, if I wanted to pimp my sub with holes & bits & pieces, I would do so in the docks!:roll:
Advise would be highly welcome.

Small Task Forces
It happened to my twice to have encountered a small task force of 1 subchaser and 2 destroyers or 1 destroyer and 2 subchasers. When I reported them, I got orderd to inflicht heavy casualties, but having sunk all 3 ships (a.k.a. the whole task force), doesn't seem to count as "heavy casualty".:hmm:
Advise is hihgly welcome as I hate retruning with "Incomplete" entries just as much as not reporting intercepted convoys or task forces.

[Rockin Robbins]

Hydrophones--I don't think you get much improvement in hydrophone reception below about 70 or 80 feet. I do most of my hydrophone observations from periscope depth and don't worry about it. When you have radar, the hydrophones just become less important anyway for acquiring targets.

Convoy--Yes, after a certain time around 15 or 30 minutes of not spotting you the convoy will regroup and resume steaming in formation again. It's a good time to pull out, end around to the other side of the convoy and renew the attack.

Escorts--LukeFF is working on a new surface ship physics model so that escorts actually have some inertia. What you're encountering is the secret Japanese helium escorts, which had no mass whatever and accelerate from zero to 20 knots in one second. That will change in the future.

Small Task Forces--Patient: Doctor, it hurts when I do this.... Doctor: Then don't do that!

[cleverusername]

I think most convoys stop swerving about 1-2 hours after your attack. Unless they have damaged ships among them, in which case they'll swerve indefinitely. At least that's been my observation.

If you have them, use Mk 18's against convoy escorts. The warships keep a sharper watch, and will detect your incoming torpedoes trails father away than merchants, allowing them to turn on their rocket-assisted propellers and avoid your shots. The Mk 27 is also a good idea, but it's really slow (10 kts), and tends to disable ships instead of sinking them outright.