Yeah, that's how I usually do it; I should probably stick to that. I wanted to try this way, though (well, partly I *had to* because I hadn't been able to get a good handle on the convoy's speed to plot an intercept course at any other angle), even with all the disadvantages you rightly pointed out.
It's not so much that I'm attached to approaching this way as a bit confused at the detection capabilities of the escorts. I mean, you would think it would be enough for them to detect me on the ascent, but I'm keeping down to ranges I wasn't even sure the sub could take and still getting caught by active sonar!
I ran the approach again a few times, and even running down to 500+ feet I'm still getting pinged and then they're sending depth charges close enough to rock the boat. And this is in January of 42.
Is that something that's intended in TMO? It makes it incredibly difficult--maybe even unrealistically so IMO. I remember reading that until later in the war the Japanese didn't even know subs could go below 150, and didn't ever set depth charges to go off below there---but I'm getting pinged at 500 feet and deeper, and then bombed accurately enough that it feels like they can see me.
So anyway, just how deep does their active sonar go, assuming best conditions (worst for the sub, that is)? Is it even possible to go deep enough to go "under" it if you don't have rough weather?
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