What's the best way to approach convoys post '43

[Tonnage_Ace]

Anyone have any ideas, so far I've been putting myself in front of the convoy's path at periscope depth and waiting till a ship gets close enough so I can get the heading and speed down, but DD's seem to pick me up with ASDIC even when I'm at a dead stop. 92% realism and I'm sporting a brand new IXD2. Maybe I shouldn't be right ahead of the convoy but rather on it's flank when I take my readings but when your in the convoy's path it you can take the heading/speed set up the TDC and fire a salvo then let the convoy pass and hit it again later, this is what I've been doing but after '43 it seems the enemies ASDIC kicks in even if your at a dead stop and under water. Love to hear from 'pros' on this issue.

[Dowly]

When you are ahead of the convoy, you expose your whole hull to the DD´s.

What I do is, I get slightly ahead of the convoy, periscope depth, and turn my bow to face the destroyers, so the sonar cant find me. Then when the convoy is closer, I hit ahead flank and rush to the middle of the convoy. DD´s never follow me there.

[Tonnage_Ace]

Well that's what I originally thought, because I had a type IXD2, was ahead of the convoy by about 3000m, periscope depth and was perpendicular to the convoy so that big hull was a great big underwater silhouette for the ASDIC. I'll try to stay 'slim'...

[Graafenstein]

This is my 1st campaign and only at 28% realism, so I'm far from a pro,
but at least until 1944 I have done like you do.
I put myself right in front, with my bow towards the convoy.
Silent running at 0 kts, 25 meters, scope+snorkel down,
and let the leading DD pass me, and then I get in position for the kill(s).
This has worked everytime until '44.

After Aprill '44 you get to buy the XXI which runs at 17 kts submerged,
so with that much speed I guess you can attack from any angle.

But I have no mods installed, so I guess that could be the difference.

[Einzelganger]

Even after 1943 i continue to lay waiting infront of each convoy but with a bit of a different approach.

I will stay somewhat on the side of the convoy. This will usually mean the lead DD will pas me by while he's somewhere between 1400 and 1700 meters infront of me. After he has passed i can creep to the middle of where the convoy will pass with silent running & slow ahead and the mayhem can start.

After that it usually gets intresting fast :roll:

[HW3]

Einzelganger, that's what I do also, works like a charm. I pick out 2 or 3 nice targets that I can shoot at without too much time spent turning, I fire then slip out the back of the convoy. Usually the escorts never find me.

[U-Dog]

I saved this text from the Ubi forum, forgot who the author was but will share it anyway:

edit this was posted by:AO1_AW_SW_USN


What I do is get right in the lane of the convoy (much like Otto Kretschmer)and I attack the very first ship in the middle lane. Then I turn my U-boat to run 180 degrees opposite of the convoys course at flank speed.. to get the escorts attention.

Since I hardly ever load my U-Boat with G7a Type I torpedoes, I stick with the electric torpedoes for one purpose... to nail warships without spooking them. When I get an escort’s attention he usually chases me running a "zigzag" pattern at 12 knots. The closure rate is just a mere 5 knots so I'm not going to panic if he gets too close. I just keep him at 180 degrees on my stern.

I open up a stern tube and set up a G7e Type II or Type III to function with magnetic pistol, running about 0.5m depth. When the escort gets within 700m he stops "zigzagging" and goes into a straight run. That’s when I launch the torpedo and dive to 140m.

With this tactic I get three things:

1. 95% chance of torpedo impact.
2. One or two less escort(s) which might lead towards gunnery actions against a defenceless convoy.
3. Less tonnage by using a torpedo against a DD, but you can always make it up with a deck gun massacre against the convoy.

Otherwise, if your hounded by a DD, always present the smallest profile towards the bow of the DD. When he's pointed at you and he's pinging away like mad, he may not acquire you because he's getting a weak return. Later on in the war this may be different because the DD's get nasty... but then again you have access to the G7e Type IV "Falke" and Type V "Gnat". :ping:

[malcymalc]

the only problem with that last approach is that in 1943 the deck gun massacre will be of your boat.

I am with the approach from one side let the lead destryer pass 1400m or so away and then creep forward so that you are inside the the first or second column. Select two or three targets as you do so + one behind you. Do not use silent running at this point so your crew starts to reload.

Pick the the most distant target first and then fire off the torpedos in order of time on target. Once the final torpedo has been fired go to four knots and dive to 90m + depth.

Listen at hydrophone station for escorts. But remember you are trying to put as much distance between you and your victims as possible - turning slows you down. Once you are starting to come clear of the merchants cut back on the speed.

Once you have heard the escorts quit or move away stop engines and come slowly to periscope depth. Do a full periscope check. You may well find one of your damaged but not sunk victims dead in the water - move in, finish it and get the hell out of Dodge.

Do not be tempted to stay in the convoy and take a second bite of the cherry - this way lies trouble.

[Tonnage_Ace]

Just wanted to give an update: the convoy had two T3's which was what I was interested in, I just sank the first one in line from the convoy's flank with one torpedo, electric, running at 11.5m, just in front of the smoke stack...at 4490m. Three cheers for me :arrgh!:

To be continued...

[don1reed]

Dez 1943

at periscope depth in front of convoy.

When lead DD is visual, dive to 60m at silent running. When DD is finally heard on either beam (GHG hydrophones), come to periscope depth, while turning 90° port or strb between column of ships and unload on them, fore 'n aft. The larger ships are usually in the middle of the convoy.

[Keelbuster]

I'm at Jan 45, with an XXI. I play with autotargeting/TMA. So, it's a bit cheap. Even still it's damn hard now. Asdic prevents me from doing the old 'pop-up in the middle of the convoy' because convoys are surrounded by 7 escorts who detect you if you are close and you can't get teh surprise. My new solution is to pick off any escort that is travelling in a straight line with a long range electric shot, first. This cracks a hole in the side of the convoy and i enter. I kill what i can, leave, and then the next time i ambush from the same side, there's a big hole in the cover, allowing me to pop up in the middle once again.

KB

[HEMISENT]

Pretty difficult normally. I'm playing a campaign in Sept 43. Luckily I found a thermal at around 110m and stayed there at SR until convoy approached within safe firing distance. Even then when I popped up for a shot I was pounced on.