Tactic's Question

[Packlife]

Ok I've heard about how U boat commanders would get up in the convoy columns between the ships, an even in one of the load screens it says to do that too. My question is it is actually possible to do that? I've tried it a couple times i was behind the convoy an I can only get so close before the escorts an armed merchants open fire on me, an this was well after midnight not really cloudy an I was running decks awash at 7m deep.

[Fregattenkapitän]

Ok I've heard about how U boat commanders would get up in the convoy columns between the ships, an even in one of the load screens it says to do that too. My question is it is actually possible to do that? I've tried it a couple times i was behind the convoy an I can only get so close before the escorts an armed merchants open fire on me, an this was well after midnight not really cloudy an I was running decks awash at 7m deep.

Its possible the convoy didn't see you
i think its because they heart your engine noise, when your even on silent speed and you are just about 500m away, the escorts still hear you
(you using your Diesel engines, what makes more noise than elektric)

Its because of that i think they know your there,
even when you are at 15m or 40m depth, they still hear you. Perhaps you can go to periscope depth, and try to get closer to a freighter
and try to stay as far away from any destroyer's.


Yesterday i attacked a convoy, i was about 700m away from the nearest destroyer.
i changed to silent speed, and i saw he spotted me the nanosecond after that :)

Are you using the IRAI mod ? because with this one used
escorts and freighters are much ''smarter" in game.

[vanjast]

Get out in front of the convoy.. submerge to max depth, silent running and as the escorts pass over you, start surfacing. Use the hydrophone to position yourself between the ships... Get you know your ship engine noise signatures, and pick out the 'big one'.. usually in the middle and at the back.

If the sea conditions are rough, sky is pitch black and no moon - surface and switch over to diesel, otherwise stay at scope depth. If on the surface pick a target a few lanes down - you don't want to 'illuminate' yourself.

After firing your torps get the hell outa there at +- 160-200 bearing of convoy course.. and again dive to max depth if necessary. Don't max your speed as sea spray, or engine noise turns you into a 'honey pot for the bees'.
:D

[Packlife]

Thnks guys, an no I dont have that mod, and i wasnt actually close to the destroyers if you picture a square an each point was a destroyer i was halfway between both of them. But yeah the idea of being in front of them submerged an if conditions are right then raise up by a merchant ship thats louder than me. Thats my goal at the moment I'm aiming to pull that off, I think that'd be sweet to be inside the columns destroyers cpts loosin their minds tryna find me lol.

[Fifi]

Only wise advice i could give, either for SH4 an 5 BTW, is if you had the chance to fire torps VS a convoy, the first thing to do is to run as fast as possible from your firing area!
You have only few minutes before all escorts around will head exactly toward your first firing position.
Get the greater distance you can from this area, giving them your thinest submarine shape, otherwise you're dead...
Heading directly under the convoy boats could help giving destroyers bad time to manoeuvre among them, and to lost your signal.
If you manage to put enough distance from your firing area, you will see the destroyers circling over this place, while you keep on going quitely laughing at them :haha:
With some chance, you could even plan a second attack coming back at periscope depth if convoy is still around...and full speed again for short moment once done!

[TheDarkWraith]

Thnks guys, an no I dont have that mod, and i wasnt actually close to the destroyers if you picture a square an each point was a destroyer i was halfway between both of them. But yeah the idea of being in front of them submerged an if conditions are right then raise up by a merchant ship thats louder than me. Thats my goal at the moment I'm aiming to pull that off, I think that'd be sweet to be inside the columns destroyers cpts loosin their minds tryna find me lol.

Try doing what you did with my IRAI mod installed. See if you live :D

[LemonA]

Only wise advice i could give, either for SH4 an 5 BTW, is if you had the chance to fire torps VS a convoy, the first thing to do is to run as fast as possible from your firing area!
You have only few minutes before all escorts around will head exactly toward your first firing position.


True is that a destroyer at slow (or medium speed) and medium range should pick up a torpedo runner with his hydrophone ("Sir, torpedo noise at 130 relative" and calculate a direction , namely 130° relative of the destroyer's act. course. If he picked up the noise very early he has the exact direction(!) towards you.


In theory a WII destroyer can calculate a roughly torpedo course at any time by monitoring the torpedo sounddirection every 30 sec. while turning the ship and calculate the course then with the 3 bearing method.
But a torpedo course is not always the u-boot course and the short timeintervalls between the bearings results in a very high imprecision.