Log in

View Full Version : Convoys in 1939

BladeHeart
08-10-05, 04:33 PM
Could a history buff please tell me what the average number of escorts a convoy would get in 1939; September to November to be precise.

Thanks

Have played out 3 patrols in 2 careers recently and every convoy had at least 3 esorts, and 2 each had 3 Destroyers and a Corvette. My understanding of events is such that I thought that was a lot for 39.
Ula Jolly
08-10-05, 04:43 PM
Convoys seem to have really few escorts... would be a lot more difficult if there were summore. :D
But then, who am I to talk of difficulties, at 51% realism? :roll:
Nopileo
08-10-05, 05:22 PM
Well it seems that the number of escorts are quite random. I've come across convoys with only 1 escort, but my last convoy encounter had 6 escorts (Oct 1944).

So it probably won't help to ask any 'history buffs' regarding this, as the game is not doing a good job of recreating the correct number of convoy escorts - historically.
Gunfighter34
08-10-05, 05:28 PM
Just started a new career with RUb so I'm in the same time period you are, and so far both convoys I've encountered have been pretty heavily escorted, too. In fact, they were both pretty much identical in composition, with a Dido cruiser in the center, a Flower corvette trailing, and a pair of Black Swan corvettes. I thought this was supposed to be "happy times", too? :)
Damo1977
08-10-05, 06:00 PM
Just started a new career with RUb so I'm in the same time period you are, and so far both convoys I've encountered have been pretty heavily escorted, too. In fact, they were both pretty much identical in composition, with a Dido cruiser in the center, a Flower corvette trailing, and a pair of Black Swan corvettes. I thought this was supposed to be "happy times", too? :)

Bah!!! You complain about corvettes. Off western SOG in Dec'39 I had a Fiji, 2dd and a corvette patrolling a convoy and the worst of it was I had to listen to the SH3 stock ingame music for the whole patrol which is pyschological warfare at its best.
Salvadoreno
08-10-05, 06:28 PM
Convoys with escorts in 1939 are slim.. They escorted convoys for the majority of the leg but broke off for fuel and other repairs. You should find a few convoys without escort as you draw near to britian..
jasonb885
08-10-05, 10:32 PM
Convoys with escorts in 1939 are slim.. They escorted convoys for the majority of the leg but broke off for fuel and other repairs. You should find a few convoys without escort as you draw near to britian..

It's a shame I couldn't model that in IC, but you're stuck with the notion that any escorts for a convoy are close escorts.
jasonb885
08-10-05, 10:35 PM
Just started a new career with RUb so I'm in the same time period you are, and so far both convoys I've encountered have been pretty heavily escorted, too. In fact, they were both pretty much identical in composition, with a Dido cruiser in the center, a Flower corvette trailing, and a pair of Black Swan corvettes. I thought this was supposed to be "happy times", too? :)

Which convoys and what dates?

Such information is useful for tuning ImprovedConvoys.

In '39 you should find very few convoys and all with light escort, except for OB and HG/OG.

In '40 for most convoys escort should be relatively light.

Escorts are mostly competent with only a few veteran until '43 and '44, then mostly veteran.

The convoy you described was probably either OB headed to North American or possibly SL, OG, or HG if it was off the coast of Spain.
Gammel
08-10-05, 11:48 PM
Hy Jasaon,

yesterday i found a convoy in the channel in dec 1939!!
It was reported to me by BDU at midnight. My uboat was near calais that time i guess.
I calculated a course and the convoy was only 7 hours away on half ahead.
So i spotted it early morning.
Escorts were a single corvette circling around and an aux cruiser as last ship an steady course.
I´ll post some screenshots later.
It was a cool channel crossing with my type IIa!
Gammel
08-11-05, 05:43 AM
Here are some screenshots...Dec 1939 somewhere in the english channel:

http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/7017/convoy12kg.th.jpg (http://img362.imageshack.us/my.php?image=convoy12kg.jpg)


My sub (typeIIa) at 30 meters, silent running:

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/5161/sh3exe01209373ys.th.jpg (http://img5.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sh3exe01209373ys.jpg)


The lone guard (The aux cruiser was already sunk).
He gave quite a good fight, i was too nasty and became detected. After several runs and heavy deptcharging he lost me. Then he dropped all his charges on my last known position before he went off. Not bad for an improved fishingboat that captain had under his command. With better equipment he surley had killed me. He also called in air support, but the RAF sent only a single fighter. The pilot dropt his bombs far away from me and was not seen again...

Maybe we´ll see that corvette skipper again. This war will be going on much longer...Perhaps next time he´s the captain of a DE and I´m fighting his convoy near the polar circle...who knows...

http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/3187/guard4bw.th.jpg (http://img352.imageshack.us/my.php?image=guard4bw.jpg)


I´m out of torpedos and the convoy is moving further west. In the background you can see a tanker hit by one of my torpedos. But those british are tough sailors and don´t gave up the ship. Perhaps they´ll make it to the french coast..good luck for them!

http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/2396/sh3exe01210170ei.th.jpg (http://img352.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sh3exe01210170ei.jpg)
SmokinTep
08-11-05, 06:37 AM
I've seen anywhere from 0 to 6 escorts.
BladeHeart
08-11-05, 06:53 AM
Was Improved Convoys introduced through RUB 1.42, RUB 1.43 or SH3Comm 1.43?
Gammel
08-11-05, 07:41 AM
wow, another one in the channel,

just 1 day later! Unforunately i´m out of torpedos...

http://img363.imageshack.us/img363/3457/sh3exe00232162qd.th.jpg (http://img363.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sh3exe00232162qd.jpg)

Damn and i have to go further west, BDU has sent me to AM89, Southern Ireland! With a Type IIa. :nope:
I´m at 1/3 all the time, hope to make it back the long but safer route.
Abraham
08-11-05, 07:51 AM
Most convoys in the first year of the war had only a token protection, usually three ships at the maximum, a mix of corvettes, minesweepers and usually an armed trawler. These escorts could - obviously - not cross the Atlantic and turned back after reaching their range limits.

Usually the only protection left - if any - was an auxilary cruiser against surface threats.

Primitive attempts were made - and were sometimes succesful - to replenish escorts at sea from tankers.