Quote:
Originally Posted by PettyOfficerLarry
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What I meant was that the Type IIa has like a 5kt speed submerged and all the sound contacts seem to get away from me every time, I feel like a little dog chasing trucks.
Is there a way of intercepting targets that are moving away? I suppose that should have been the first question.
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With a Type 2 uboat your speed and endurance range is more limited than say a Type 7. So this will be harder, and you will not be able to chase or intercept all contacts you come across. But it is not impossible to get some. For sure you will not be able to get (m)any of them while submerged. You are far to slow unless you happen to be almost in front of them to begin with. To be successful with a Type II in overtaking a target you need to be surfaced running at highest possible speed (flank, best not recharging your batteries) and at a sufficient distance not to be spotted. Bad weather can slow you down which is another handicap (and nothing can be done about it). To lessen the detection probability the best time would be to do this late in the evening or into the night.
Since the Type 2 has a fairly low endurance, and interception at flank-speed consumes much fuel, you need to pay attention to fuel consumption during the rest of your patrol. Know the speed which results in the best mileage. And how far you can still go while at flank or full speed. Save as much as you can in transit to spend it while in chase. And don't forget to measure how many kilometers you need to get home. It's a shame to run out of fuel short of home-port.
If you cannot exceed the speed of the target by a few knots then there is simply no chance of overtaking it. No sense in wasting fuel there when the target is passed and only increasing range. (AOB larger than 90 degrees).
If the target has already passed you (AOB is beyond 90 degrees) then you should be careful of your range as you come alongside on a parallel course. You could trip the detection range without knowing it so you may need to veer of a bit.
If you happen to encounter the target while you are still in his front quarter (AOB less than 90 degrees) and are not yet sure of how fast it is going or his exact course, then the surest way of overtaking the target quickly is you turn until the target is at a bearing of 90 or 270 degrees. Then you use your limited speed to it's best effect in getting in front of the target. If the target speed is not too high eventually you should be crossing it's path. But it may not be perpendicular so it's best to use that time to plot it's course and speed.