I did 3 missions in a type IIA and averaged 4.8 tons per mission. I fire at whatever comes across first and don't hold out for large tonnage targets. I started in 1939 when you have to let some neutrals go. I sunk 6 ships in the 3 missions. All except one were 2 tons or less. One ship was 5 tons. I fired 12 torps. Last mission weather was heavy rain for two weeks and only fired two torps. All torps I fired hit but 2 were duds. Tonnage per torpedo fired was 1.25
On one mission when I only had 1 torp left I finnaly encounterd a ship that weighed 9 tons. I knew my best shot to sink it with 1 torp was a magnetic. Set depth .2m below keel and hot below stack. Engines stopped and it looked like a gonner, even the stearn was partly below water in rough seas. I waited 4 hours and it didn't sink. I think it did later in the storm but I didn't get the credit. ah well.
The AN grids in early war are mostly sm merchants. Due to smaller range of the typeII you can't get to the better patrol areas. The larger ships tend to travel NNE to scandanavia but in 1939 and early 1940 Norway is still netreul and thats what many of the higher ton ships are.
|