Late War Convoy Tactics

[Captain Birdseye]

Hi Guys,

What tactics did the Kreigsmarine use when attacking convoys in '43, '44 and '45. Because even silently bobbing below the surface attracts attention with the new ASDIC.

Thank you.

[Randomizer]

As I understand it, shots were at long range from outside the screen but most of the boats successfully hitting ships in late war convoys were swarmed by the escorts and lost soon after.

In late 1944 through '45 I try to position the boat at about the 10 o'clock or 2 o'clock positions relative to the convoy and 3000 or so metres from the nearest merchant column. Once on position I will fire a pair of FATs programmed to turn with the convoy at about 20-second intervals and then go deep. I use magnetic settings but keep the torpedo depth fairly shallow to cover all bets.

If done right this often results in at least one hit and if a sinking does not result it is possible to make a follow up attack on the cripple after the escorts have passed on.

There is no need for accurate target acquisition using this technique but a good range to the nearest column increases your chance for a hit and if you're lucky the FAT will hit from the opposite side drawing the escorts in that direction and facilitating your escape. I never use air torpedoes in daylight and seldom shoot straight-runners into convoys unless I have a solid range solution and overlapping targets. Too often exposing the scope to get good course and speed data results in counter-detection.

Without FATs or LUTs attacking late war convoys is frequently a good excuse to begin a new career because life in a U-Boat vs. late war escorts tends to be short and end violently.

Others probably have better solutions.

Good Hunting

[Dissaray]

I haven't goten that far into a campain just yet; seems I eather die on my first war time patrol at the start of the war or end up dead some time in '42. But I was over on the WAW bords looking for general tactics to avoid such a fate and came accross a rather blunt but seemingly effective convoy attack tactic that was biult for this kind of situation: Line up as near to perpandicular to the convoy's estamated course you can as time and escorts allow from a distance that puts you outside the escort ASDEC but inside torpido range. Next you set your TDC with apropriate speed, range and AOB and set for a full forward, or aft as the caise may be, battery shot with a spred angle that puts the eels about 500m apart at target range. Set for magnetic pistol, unless the weather is realy foul, to allow for any odd angle hits to still be sucseful. Set your depth to 20m and aim using your hydrophones. Once the lead elements of the convoy, excluding escorts unless you want to try and down one of them as well, are near the 0 mark on your TDC fire the whole spred. Make a 180 degree turn and get the hell out of there after the last eel is out of the tube. Dive deep and evaid any one who's attention your have gained.

If you are lucky some of them will strike home and you will gain a kill or criple a ship that can be finished off later at your leasure once the escorts have left if they found you. If no hits are made reload and reset for a second attack. There was some debate as to weather or not fireing from 90deg of convoy's course was best or if angling in 10 or 20, I asume they ment firing from 70 or 80 AOB, would be better as it gives a greater exposure to more coloms of the convoy. It seemed like a good tactic to me though sence I have studied it I haven't been able to locate a convoy to test it out on.

[Captain Birdseye]

Thanks chaps.

I started a career in late '43 as since i'm not such a good kaleun, that's probably the time i'd have been recruited :haha:

I'll try your ideas out next time I see a convoy, 10 days in to patrol and nothing but planes :x. Thanks again.

[ppk]

Haven't fought much in late war recently save for a few single missions but here's an idea. Something I often do to the determine the course of a convoy is to get ahead of it and note down the relative bearing at which columns appear to line up. Good weather is a prerequisite, but you could try long range keel shots straight at a column with magnetic detonators. No need for a solution, the challenge becomes to visually line up the smoke stacks. Fire a narrow spread and you have a solid chance to hit even with straight running torps. Might not be the best solution but it doesn't seem completely stupid to me either.

[Wulfmann]

I have found making these long range attacks are best done at periscope depth and after loosing the fish NOT to dive as it is easier to be detected deep than near the surface. Plus, late war if detected I am by then facing the enemy with my stern tube and have a chance of my Home boy taking him out allowing me further distance to any second antagonist .

I prefer not to fire spreads any longer but fire 4 in 20-30 second intervals on the same course.

Another tactic is to be angled so you fire from 60% which means it takes less time to be stern first and a smaller signature for detection. Again, I stay at periscope depth (albeit a deeper setting like 15 meters where the scope is constantly going under but enough to see generally where any enemy is coming from).

If he is tracking fast for me I have been found anyway and can do an emergency dive and be as deep as I can if I had already dove. However, I will have more Intel by staying at periscope depth and diving at the last minute and knowing makes for better planning.

You can win a battle maybe two with late war escorts but you will lose soon enough so being a sniper, an assassin not a brawler gives you a slim chance of returning to your burned out home in Germany after your nation's eventual defeat

Wulfmann