SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - View Single Post - What's the best way to approach convoys post '43

U-Dog · 02-26-06, 02:31 PM

I saved this text from the Ubi forum, forgot who the author was but will share it anyway:

edit this was posted by:AO1_AW_SW_USN

What I do is get right in the lane of the convoy (much like Otto Kretschmer)and I attack the very first ship in the middle lane. Then I turn my U-boat to run 180 degrees opposite of the convoys course at flank speed.. to get the escorts attention.

Since I hardly ever load my U-Boat with G7a Type I torpedoes, I stick with the electric torpedoes for one purpose... to nail warships without spooking them. When I get an escort’s attention he usually chases me running a "zigzag" pattern at 12 knots. The closure rate is just a mere 5 knots so I'm not going to panic if he gets too close. I just keep him at 180 degrees on my stern.

I open up a stern tube and set up a G7e Type II or Type III to function with magnetic pistol, running about 0.5m depth. When the escort gets within 700m he stops "zigzagging" and goes into a straight run. That’s when I launch the torpedo and dive to 140m.

With this tactic I get three things:

1. 95% chance of torpedo impact.
2. One or two less escort(s) which might lead towards gunnery actions against a defenceless convoy.
3. Less tonnage by using a torpedo against a DD, but you can always make it up with a deck gun massacre against the convoy.

Otherwise, if your hounded by a DD, always present the smallest profile towards the bow of the DD. When he's pointed at you and he's pinging away like mad, he may not acquire you because he's getting a weak return. Later on in the war this may be different because the DD's get nasty... but then again you have access to the G7e Type IV "Falke" and Type V "Gnat".

02-26-06, 02:31 PM	#7
U-Dog Torpedoman Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 111 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	I saved this text from the Ubi forum, forgot who the author was but will share it anyway: edit this was posted by:AO1_AW_SW_USN What I do is get right in the lane of the convoy (much like Otto Kretschmer)and I attack the very first ship in the middle lane. Then I turn my U-boat to run 180 degrees opposite of the convoys course at flank speed.. to get the escorts attention. Since I hardly ever load my U-Boat with G7a Type I torpedoes, I stick with the electric torpedoes for one purpose... to nail warships without spooking them. When I get an escort’s attention he usually chases me running a "zigzag" pattern at 12 knots. The closure rate is just a mere 5 knots so I'm not going to panic if he gets too close. I just keep him at 180 degrees on my stern. I open up a stern tube and set up a G7e Type II or Type III to function with magnetic pistol, running about 0.5m depth. When the escort gets within 700m he stops "zigzagging" and goes into a straight run. That’s when I launch the torpedo and dive to 140m. With this tactic I get three things: 1. 95% chance of torpedo impact. 2. One or two less escort(s) which might lead towards gunnery actions against a defenceless convoy. 3. Less tonnage by using a torpedo against a DD, but you can always make it up with a deck gun massacre against the convoy. Otherwise, if your hounded by a DD, always present the smallest profile towards the bow of the DD. When he's pointed at you and he's pinging away like mad, he may not acquire you because he's getting a weak return. Later on in the war this may be different because the DD's get nasty... but then again you have access to the G7e Type IV "Falke" and Type V "Gnat".