roger, stay low till then :yeah:

This is sort of how I do it. Cut cams and contacts on, but I play with cams off with contacts on. If I play with contacts off, I use the radar mod to plot. Just started a new career with a Tambor out of Pearl and went to where I knew a TF would be coming. I got the lag and checked sonar. The speed for it is usually 19. A few planes came by, so I let them spot me before I dived. The SS's suck as I'm using an old card now.

But here I am dived after the planes, that sent a group of DD's towards me, which is fine. I don't have radar, so harder to explain since you can't see the contacts.
http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/u...163725_471.jpg

I came up so they would see me. Still don't have lines for the main TF, but I know it's coming on sonar and general direction. I figured the DD's coming put the group in a zig and slowed it down. Here is the DD's coming as I go into a dive, almost got too close.
http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/u...164003_221.jpg



I alway mark where I dive so I know where the DD's should head, I flank the heck out of there needing to get out of their sonar range, I plot towards the TF. Course if this was night I would've shot a torp to get attention and probably never dived.
A sonar line for the main group shows up. DD's are falling behind me.

http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/u...164241_596.jpg

Come up to scope to check, big group still far, ID a carrier. I can see he slowed down going into zigs, basically WSW. The DD's are behind me searching where I dived and dropping charges on fish, so 3 out of the way, flank is exposed. The main circle line is just a line I set earlier as a guess, so pay it no attention. The group is going 14kts. That's why you need to dive no more than 3-5000 yards from where you think you will attack or you may not have time to get to a shooting position. If I have radar, obviously I can figure speed and course and get in a better postion before being found out., but with me going 9kts, I was able to shoot.

http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/u...164629_111.jpg

Shaping up. Course I was at flank to get there, just slow at scope.
http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/u...165405_564.jpg

Farily decent set up, still out of 6 fired, 3 failures, one dang circle runner, only one hit.

http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/u...170308_893.jpg

Carrier was listing, Here I am evading to the SE
http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/u...171328_439.jpg

Skip some time, I come up and give chase. Dang if a storm didn't come up so I chased right through the group. Being a big group, took some time to figure by sonar where the wounded carrier was. It was almost dark, I tracked speed by running with it, got close and did my usual guessing and got two hits, it sunk...
http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/u...175710_158.jpg

http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/u...180146_033.jpg

I then went to tracking by sonar what sounded like a carrier and shot at it scoring hits...not for sure what it was, cept big.

http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/u...180758_283.jpg

Slowly it fell behind. Watching on sonar it was barely moving, so I head towards it. I get close enough to see it, on it and it cut it's lights on, I was running decks awash so I could get under. I dive under it and come back on the other side, figure it's barely moving, set up and shoot.
http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/u...181233_877.jpg

http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/u...182333_158.jpg

Where I was when I shot.
http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/u...182359_893.jpg

Hopefully the beginning somewhat explains how I pull the escorts away. Main thing if the group is fast is to slow it down by somehow being found out. Sometimes you can't pull of the attack the first time or get in firing position, but DD's shouldn't find you. Just evade and do another end around, hopefully the group will stay in zigs. Even at 19 kts you can eventually catch a zigging group. Another way to slow a group down of warships is to keep pinging it why far away. This group actually went back to some fast speed during the storm. Running flank it seemed I could barely catch them. I plotted 17 kts.

I've used the method Armistead models, successfully. A variation is to set up a high deflection, long range, aft Mk14 (set to slow) to draw the DDs off on the same course that will allow you to then dash across their bow and set up a 200-215deg (or 155-140deg) aft Cromwell to keep your profile slim. Shooting aft/center/bow is a must at that angle to keep them from juking out of the way. The advantage here is that your escape route is in front of you, and an end around is just a couple of thousand of yards away.

armistead and north beach
 

armistead, that was impressive.

north beach - an aft cromwell shot is quite imaginative.

My best was hiding in a jap boat slip on truk to escape depth charges. It worked!

Well described armistead. You always make this game look very versatile. Two questions...

1. Were you using Dick O'Kane or the position keeper when you fired? I'm guessing the PK based on the angles you fired at.

2. What mods?

In storms, I really just watch sonar and try to hold it on a fixed bearing to match speed and get a basic course, then get about 600 yards so have a much better chance. I'll ping before my shot just to check distance as they're ususally closer than the sonar lines.

This group lights were off. I consider it more of a cheat, but you can pop a ship a few times with the deckgun and the flashing light will often come on, giving you something to aim at, but it's funner not knowing.

I never use O'Kane, in that setting it up to put me on a fixed course, but after manual targeting, I will unlock, set a bearing in front of the target and shoot by the wire as it passes. In a storm where I can't see it, I use the spread wheel.

armistead
 

It's time to start teaching at the war college when you think an attack run on a TF in TMO2.1/RSRDC is "funner."

Maybe I should've said more challenging

Well said! The IJN destroyers were pretty savvy at detecting subs and many skippers were frustrated time and again having to break away from even favorable shots because the DD's were bearing down. However, there were magic moments when the convoys size dictated that the escorts be a good distance away from their benefactors because they couldn't hear the subs from the immense amount of prop wash from the convoy. These left precious holes in the defence. Much of the sub Skippers frustrations were from patrols that would sneak up seemingly out of nowhere and force the subs to dive deep.
As TorpX said, there were not a lot of successful attacks from lone fleet subs, however there were a few by U.S Wolfpacks of two to three subs that would harrass the hell out of convoys for miles.
Keep it up, you'll find it, Good Hunting.:salute:
D40

That was sure worst case conditions: no wind, calm seas and lots of escorts. You can't guarantee success or even survival in those conditions. The best you can hope for is to slow the convoy and hope they make a mistake. The end around to the unguarded side is absolutely crucial. If they force you down and get on top of you your chances are not good.

In similar conditions with shallow water I've just let to convoy go sometimes. You get a feeling about what's up and that is a good thing to listen to.:D