It's been awhile since I played in earnest, but have been playing the last week. I decided to not use RSRD and try TMO's traffic, while not historic as RSRD, has better zig patterns, speed and overall AI reaction. I decided to play a serious career, only base saves, 93%, no cams, contacts on.
I did go into TMO traffic and add about 16 extra ships, more traffic and tweaked the settings, some harder some just a tad easier.
I will say the second convoy attack was probably the longest and most difficult convoy attack I haveever played.
I started a career in 43, moved to Fremantle and decided to go through Java to the Palawan. I picked up a large convoy in overcast weather of nine merchants, 4 escorts, APR showed no escorts with radar. Water depth was only 89 ft. With TMO groups zigs about every 10nms, it was hard to set up. I had high winds, but didn't want to get caught in shallow water, so decided to track until dark, but a nice storm came in so I decided to slip in the convoy and take them out with the deckgun and 40 bofar.
I came in the convoy and used the guns by radar, taking them out one at a time, while sonar tracked the escorts. I did make one mistake, one merchant ran up on me while I was on the deckgun shooting another and used it's machine guns and killed two men and 4 others health below 20. I used all my ammo and had to shoot one torp by radar to finish the last one off, sunk all 9 merchants and slipped out under the cover of the storm.
I then headed towards Palawan, but some hours later ran into another large convoy. several escorts, one having radar. I was still in a heavy storm. I had no gun ammo, so decided to attack with torps by radar and sonar.
Several times I tried to set up, but the convoy zigged or I got picked up on radar and had to run or dive to lose radar contact and plot again. Having no cams on, I wasn't paying much attention to outside, mostly at the attack map, but did check weather which stayed stormy. Finally the group took a radical zig south. I got on the port flank some miles ahead and got picked up on radar, 3 escorts came hauling arse my way. The plan was when they got within a few miles to dive and then turn into the convoy at flank while the escorts searched where I once was. I was able
to stay 6000 yards from the escorts and with stormy seas wasn't worried about their sonar at that distance.
I came up to radar depth in the storm, the escorts were about 8000 yards behind me as planned searching where I dived. Water depth was now about 65ft. With a good storm, I figured I would set up, shoot and run away on the surface to deeper water, dive and use flank to haul off again if the escort radar got me. There was one escort way off on the other flank. I didn't load better SS's, this one is at the attack map and only shows the one lead merchant of the group, the others are barely off the screen. At radar depth, I had a fairly good fix on my first target, I would shoot at the others more guessing hoping overlap would get some hits.
Mistake number two...I looked in the scope and was in one of those rare moments in game as weather changes. I was shocked to see light rain, clearer skies and ships...damn it. Weather transitions in game happen fast as you will notice. Now I couldn't get on the surface, the merchants would blow me out of the water and the escorts could probably see me and give chase and I'm stuck in 65ft of water, some deeper water a mile or so SE. Got lucky I got to scope depth instead of radar depth before the merchants saw me.
So what to do. I still had high wind, so good rough seas, so I take my stad measurements, The 3 escorts were almost 5nms away still searching. I decided to shoot and turn and flank to deeper water. With the escorts far away, rough seas, I should be about to put enough space so they couldn't
find me when they returned. I set up, convoy has seen my scope, started mild zigs, I shoot at a longer range than I wanted all bow, turn all sterns hoping for hits. I sunk only two due to the zigs, but notice
in minutes how much more the weather has cleared.
The following SS shows how it played out. I ran south. The escorts are NE of me now coming back to the convoy, one escort on my pointer. I was going to use flank and attack the escort from the port side as the group was going slow, but I was afraid the returning escorts would come over me heading back. Wasn't sure it they would go to the sinkings or return to the group, so I held back in 80 ft of water.
Again, the group zigged headed east, like going in a big circle. Again, one radar ship, clear skies,and shallow water, what to do. Very hard to get in close, radar gets you, you dive, then have to use speed to get in shooting range, possibly they could hear you. Only fools attack in 60-80 ft of water.
I tracked, got a full battery charge and let dark roll in. Then another group appears on radar, it's a small TF. I thought about attacking it, but couldn't ID it yet. I got within 5nms of it and the groups escorts got me on radar and headed my way fast. I turned and ran and heard shell splashes, dived and stayed flank and was able to put enough distance, they started searching where I dived. It was one of TMO's sub killer groups containing 6 DD's. I bet they dropped 100 charges where they thought I was, but I had enough distance and heavy seas proably saved me. Finally I surfaced, by now lost the convoy on radar, but had them on sonar and went back to tracking.
I tracked them to attack in the deepest water, 120ft. After that it was shallow for another 100nms. I still had rough water. I would come bewteen the lead and starboard escort that was fairly far on the starboad side, with rough seas I should be able to get between them without being heard,
attack and escape with rough seas, risky, but either that or let it go.
Things looked good as the group approached, I then noticed another weather transition, wind was calming down....fast. I would click weather and every ten secs or so wind dropped another kt. I was too close to run away. Within two minutes winds went from 15 to 0....I knew I was probably dead. I kept my bow pointed at the lead escort at all times. He finally passed by me at about 1000 yards. How he didn't get me...don't know. Here is the setup, the group heading NE.
I came up to scope depth. The lead escort you can see NE by sonar line, but not in scope view. Obvious other escorts close. I either traced wrong, but feel the group zigged again. I was too close and the merchants saw my scope and went evasive, but all I could do is shoot. I already heard
soft sonar pinging me from a distance.. I shot 10 torps, fast, had to guess somewhat. I got four duds that hit a ship that got close that I wasn't shooting at, the rest missed. I bungled the attack, now stuck
in 120 ft of water with 0 wind and 4 escorts coming, including one I ID'ed as the dreaded DE Matsu....I had played this probably 6 hours, no saves, I knew I was dead.
Then something that has never happened happened. I was gonna come up and fight it out and try to sink one or two escorts and try to escape or dive again, but I had no gun ammo from the first convoy attack. All I could do is stay at 110 depth and helm and pour on speed. I can't explain this.
The escorts ping was fast and loud. They came from every direction, they dropped 100's of charges and not once did they get close. It almost seemed if they were doing circles around me, but no runs over me . Yea, I pulled every trick I knew, but never have I escaped 4 TMO escorts in shallow water with 0 wind, being pinged on fast scale. This went on for 3 hours playing in real time. I couldn't figure it.
I escaped with no damage and went back to base with a total of 11 merchants sunk for about 31K tons, most were small merchants. How we lived, I'll never understand it.