Battleship Attack Advice

[Reinhard Dietz]

So I'm limping home to Surabaya in late December 1941 after taking a pair of small-caliber hits to my boat courtesy of a watch crew that didn't quite understand the meaning implicit in a crash dive. Hull integrity's down by a third and I'm trying to avoid contact.

Meanwhile, I stumble into a surface action group consisting of two pagoda-masted vessels, several smaller vessels and what looks like a minimum of 4-5 destroyers heading NNW away from Borneo in the middle of the South China Sea. I haven't seen the far side of the group, so I'm assuming that there's more over there for a total of 6-8.

Given the damage to my boat, I'm inclined to run away. However, I'm an old U-boat hand, so the motto Angriff ran Versenken is nagging at me. I am therefore going in. My usual approach would be to boldly wade in and eliminate the destroyers one by one and then engage the capital ships while submerged. However, I don't have enough in the torpedo budget to do this, so I'm going to have to get clever.

I presume I can sneak into the group undetected by racing ahead on the surface---they're doing about 10-11 knots---and submerging upon a perpendicular course at a couple of knots and running silent. I'm intending to aim for the magazines with magnetic pistols---which have been strangely reliable thus far---and hope for the best on the battleships. Since they're Japanese, I presume I've got three primary magazines to shoot at. Is this true as far as the game is concerned?

Ideally, I can expend 4-6 torpedoes sinking the battleships and have 7-9 torpedoes left to pick off cruisers or pesky destroyers. I'm also assuming that I can kiss my ~250' safe depth goodbye courtesy of prior hull damage.

Wish me luck---or even better, advice on how to pull this off. I'd be a lot less concerned without the prior damage---totally worth it; there's a large European liner on the bottom due to that engagement---or if I had a VII or IX, but I don't, so anything's appreciated. Especially appreciated: What's the equivalent of the old 100RPM or less maneuver in a VII?

(To cheat the objectives system, I'm going to get in firing position, save and then call the SAG in; if it comes back with a feasible objective, I'll go forward; if not, it's reload time.)

[Armistead]

If you normally take out all the DD's first...you don't need our advice....:haha:

[Diopos]

For all practical purposes I think it boils down to if your damage allows you to go under the thermal layer.
:hmmm:



.

[Jan Kyster]

Sorry, no advice except the one you don't want to hear... but the boys composed a little song for you!

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z15/subject_rod/smilies/choir.gif



In Memory of Reinhard Dietz and His Brave Men... http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z15/subject_rod/smilies/tombstone.gif

[Admiral8Q]

It would depend on your damage. I may take a long range shot at one of the battleships then withdraw. It would depend on the weather. Time of day is important too.

From what you explained, I'd probably go for one battleship with most of my torpedoes then pull out immediately.:salute:

[Reinhard Dietz]

Thanks for the song; we'll sing it in a special live performance when we get to Surabaya. :woot:

Meanwhile, I think a surfaced nighttime attack is absolutely out of the question; 20+ 14" or greater guns that can be brought to bear on a single damaged Sargo is more than I'm willing to risk. Ain't no way I'm going after that SAG in daylight on the surface, so it's a submerged daylight attack (and if that don't work, a reload and shadowing until nightfall) as the way to go.

Armistead, I'd love to pick the DDs off first, especially since there's no BdU nagging me about it, but I've got 13 torpedoes left so they're in short supply. :nope:

Off we go to test the diving capabilities.

[magic452]

I'd go for the night attack right off. Double your chances of success.
A little heavy weather wouldn't hurt.

Given the damage to your boat,
I go for a long range vector analysis attack form 3000 yards with an approach angle of about 70°, that should get you clear of the escorts for a clean shot.
You should have a lead angle of about 12 or so degrees.

Given the state of the torpedoes use at least one extra, shoot at or in front of the bow, that will force her to hold speed, aim the rest at the magazines.

Get out of Dodge and do a run around and repeat. At 10 Kt. should have plenty of time to do a end run. Should be able to get both BB's

Magic

[Chubster]

Whats a "end run" ?

[mookiemookie]

Whats a "end run" ?

Where you slip away from the convoy/task force and race ahead of them in order to attack again.

[Mauser KAR98K]

Or you can do what I did the other night (damaged boat pending). Race ahead of them, plot their course, and draw a line with the ruler to get an estimation of distance they will travel and heading. Plot a course parallel to that heading, and try to get about 3 to 4 nautical miles ahead. Then plot an interception course and keep you watch stations frosty. As soon as the enemy task force is about 1 to 2 nautical miles out, dive below the thermals and watch them through sonar. Periodically measure distance from you to the task force, and intersection course. Your goal is to get 3800 to 3000 meter (yards), close enough for a fast torpedo spread. This should also get you into a dead spot the destroyers don't screen, which is about a 45 degree section from lead destroyer to flank-lead destroyer. You should be behind the lead DD, and ahead enough of the flank DD's to not be detected.

Once you estimate that you are 4000 yards from intersection, or targets, ascend to periscope depth, get visuals with periscope, plot, and adjust for a torpedo spread with fast fish. Mark depth of keel levels about half to a full meter above, and switch to contact pistols.

Now here is the tricky part. Once your first torpedo makes contact with the battle ship, it is going to start zig-zagging and slowing down right off. Many times on SHIII and here my second and third shots over shoot. So, here is a simple solution: 1). mark first torpedo like you normally would. 2). second torpedo should be marked for a Half to 2 degree angle spread shot. 3). Third torpedo 1 additional angle.

I did this to a battleship with three fish, and all hit the battleship IN THE SAME SPOT...but it didn't sink her. I did it again, but offset the first shot to impact ahead of center of keel, and the second torp impacted after of center. Capsized in five minutes.

All in all, sank 2 battleships and 1 heavy cruiser with 9 torpedoes. That was all I had left after sinking 3 heavy cruisers the previous night (yes, sank two battleships--around 1200 hrs--broad daylight and calm seas).

In other words, leave all DD's alone unless you have a torp to spare and add injury to insult. But also be ready to fire your stern tubes, and have all tubes that are being set up for the shot flooded.

Not bad for my second day out in patrol off the Philippine Coast. (Dec. 11-12, 1941). I did over 100,000 tons in the U.S.S. Sargo. It took my four patrols in a U-boat to sink three battleships at the Straits of Gibraltar.

Standard SHIV 1.4.

Happy Hunting.

[Frumpkis]

Like the others said, it depends hugely on what (if any) mods you're using, but for what it's worth... I'm using the RFB mod, and I'd do this as a submerged attack, trying to position ahead of the battleship's track. I'd ignore the DD's (except for postitioning more-or-less bow on during their pass, to reduce my signature), and try to sneak in for a good shot at the battleship after the main DD threat was past.

I'd unload all my forward tubes at one battleship, usiing the "Dick O'Kane" method of spacing out the hits. That's a big ship, and with the RFB mod I'd need to hit multiple compartments (additional hits in the same compartment don't count). I'd want to allow for possible duds too. With all six fish in the water, I'd do a crash dive and quick 46 degree turn in the direction the battleship was headed, to try and get underneath it (if it doesn't sink) and on the other side for a stern tube attack, if I can shake the escorts. Or I might try a quick 180 degree turn and unload the stern tubes... it would depend on how close the DD's were.

However it played out, with something as juicy as a battleship or a flattop, I'd focus all my efforts on that one ship and ignore everything else as a potential target. I don't like wounded ducks in SH4 that make it back to home port, burning all the way. Seen too many of those. If I go after a prize ship like that, it's going DOWN or I'll die trying.
:salute: