Amusing Escort behaviour

[storm-petrel]

When I was shadowing a large convoy ; grid AM46 on 30th. December 1940, I was chased down by the usual escorts.

Managed to sink 2 Black Swans, Flower Class and a V+W destroyer, all with stern torps. There was still a Dido class (never seen one before), with the convoy and so I went to safe distance and reloaded torps.

When I found the 20 ship convoy the Dido had put itself right in the middle of the convoy and completely ignored my attacks.

It was as if the Tommy Captain had said to his crew, 'Sod this, its New Years Eve tomorrow' ; 'just keep away from that U-Boat will you?'

Funniest thing I have ever seen in GWX3. :).

[Mittelwaechter]

Well, the Dido was a light cruiser, not an escort.

It was with the convoy to protect it from German raiders - auxiliary cruisers (or to fight off even real cruisers, like the Scharnhorst).
It was not equipped with anti-Uboat gear and didn't carry depth charges.

Not able to fight a submerged Uboat, not agile enough to outmanouver or ram it - what should the captain have done? Present himself as a target, to be sunk and leave the convoy totally unprotected?

You have sunk the whole escort screen, so do your job and sink the merchants and let the Dido captain tell the horror story at home. :yeah:

[storm-petrel]

Thanks for your reply Mittel. I still find it strange that a RN warship would hide itself right in the middle of a convoy.

I did do my job as a serving Kaleun and went right into the convoy finishing off the large targets I had hit with one torpedo earlier on.

The Dido just did not react and carried on at 3 knots going east. It continued in the same way, even after I
surfaced at the rear of the convoy, and started using the deck gun on the stragglers.

Not complaining mind. :)

Thanks again mate.