When attacking a convoy..

[Aviv]

When you're attacking a convoy and there's a big choice of ships there (ranging from 1.500 tonnes to over 15.000) do you prefer to use your torpedoes to sink one or two larger tankers or at maybe 4 smaller ships. I had the choice today and I put two towards a big tanker and two more at some coastal merchants and managed to sink them all. But I didn't know whether to fire more torpedoes at a second tanker or at these merchants.

What do you guys go for?

[Bosje]

tonnage

a convoy like that, i go for one eel per big ship, preferably under the forward mast.

with a bit of luck, they all sink or at least slow down so you can catch them later.

[Raptor]

Depends on the war year.

Early war: sink the lone escort then expend all eels and deck gun ammo sinking the mercs. Watch out for an unexpected heavy escort like a SouthHampton Light Cruiser (rare), an Auxxillary Cruiser, or during 1939, a battleship - usually HMS Nelson or HMS Rodney. Surprisingly, sinking the escort fails to evoke a response from the heavy escort (if you're submerged). They just sail on with the convoy, which may or may not start zig-zagging.

Once the mercs are armed - by start of 1941 - and multiple escorts appear, I'll go into the convoy for 2 large ships (large merc or large tanker) then take the 1st thing that comes astern of me with stern tube. If I have 2 stern tubes, I'll go for another biggie before crash diving and trying to evade.

Late war (1942 and later) and heavy (5-6) escorts are common, I'll fire as many eels as I think I'll need for a sinking from well outside the convoy at whatever ship I think I can hit.

To be truthful, with GWX, there are so many lone ships running around, I really don't have to go after convoys. And if the weather is rain and poor visibility, I won't attack a convoy at all, even it it is right nearby. I'll dive and evade. It's too easy for a ship to come out of the mist 100-200 meters away. You get rammed and any ship you do see will be too close for a torpedo to arm or it's an escort and you're dead. Start gunning one and the next ship you see at close range will be an escort.

[Kapt Z]

Just depends on circumstances. If I'm on the surface, at night, early in the war I usually have time to get into position and really pick my targets. If I am making a submerged attack then it comes down to what are the best targets in my scope.

I do try and sink outright whatever I aim at though. If that means multiple torpedoes for one ship then that's what I shoot. I used to try and damage the most ships and then finish them off, but if the escorts are tough and determined they can keep me down long enough that even damaged ships often escape. Even more so when the escorts have radar.

Better one or two ships sunk than multiple damaged ones that make it to port.

[Missing Name]

Go for tankers or troopships. They're good sources of renown. Battleships and cruisers make nice points too...