Thread: Convoy Help.
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Old 12-22-10, 11:04 PM   #9
Falkirion
Ace of the Deep
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Melbourne, AUS
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My usual interception and attacks come in two stages.

Stage 1) Preperation: Get the base course and speed of the convoy, once I have those I'll mark off the distances on the course line as to where they'll be in an hour, two hours, etc. Once I have that information the engagement takes place on my terms.

Stage 2) Engagement: Head to the intercept point, 90 degree to the course and wait, and wait and wait. I usually submerge about an hour ahead of when I expect the convoy to arrive. I'll sit at periscope depth waiting. As soon as I see the first escort go by (remember you're at 0 knots, odds on making no noise) I'll start in at 1-2 knots, manually set. Doing my target selection with the external cam/periscope. Once I have my targets I'll set the torpedos and wait until I have firing solutions. Fire off my ordinance, dive deep, go silent and reverse course away from where my torps were. With a bit of luck you'll be past 100m by the time the impacts start and the convoy lights up trying to find you.

Watch out hitting the throttle too soon, I've had convoys start to zig zag when an escorts picked me up on hydrophones before the torpedos make the targets. Usually doesnt save em, but the more oblivious you can keep them to your presence the better.

Then just standard evasion tactics and I usually get away scot free, no damage. I'll come up to periscope depth about an hour after the DD's break off. Check for stragglers that were wounded, finish them off with the Deck gun or another torp, then motor ahead becuase the convoy wont have changed course and I can pick another engagement point further along my plot. I once tracked a convoy for 3 days, attacking at night until all my forward torps were expended. They entered port with all the low tonnage ships floating, down all their heavies because my boat had sunk em.
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