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Ducimus · 04-25-06, 11:15 PM

>>How do I get inside a convoy?

It's all about accurate plotting, and alot of breif periscope observations, and being able to accuratly place yourself ahead, and just to the side of a convoy.

Dont get DIRECTLY ahead of the convoy. The lead escort has a high likelyhood of detecting you. Try to get yourself about 3000 (give or take) meters ahead and to the side (or less, depending on situation and position of lead escort). Point your bow at aruond a 15 degre angle towards the convoy. Ive found that direct 90 degree shots are hard to make accuratly unless your at an extreme range - but extreme range means you have a high likleyhood of missing.

The reason for angling your bow towards the convoy instead of a stright 90 degree shot against the side of ships is because the gyro angle, and the speed of the targets, its hard to shoot a spread, and have them all impact around the same time frame. A long delay between your first two fish, and your second two fish, means that the second salvo will most likely miss because the targets have changed course when alerted by your first spread. So by angling your boat, you can shoot at two targets much quicker. Beward, too much angle and a contact pistol is useless, and you'll have to use magnetic, and if the seas are rough this isnt desierable, so you'll have to be be careful not to use too much angle.

Anyway, get 3000-4000 (or less, it dpends on the situation) meters from where you expect the convoy to pass, and let the lead escort cross your bow. The instant he's crossed your bow, hes a little more blind to you. Move at 2-3 kt, NOW, before the side escort catches up. You need to move quickly (but not loudly) if you expect to get in between two colums, or at the least, to get some distance from the side guarding escort before he reaches your vacinity.

Getting in the middle of a convoy is hard to do if theres a lead escort, but getting inbetween the first two columns of ships on the side of the convoy is much more feasible.

Angle the bow about 15 degrees (or less, give or take) towards the 2nd inner column, take your bow shots first, by now your stern tube should have a good gyro angle on the outter column, shoot those quickly. You wont have much time becuase your bow spreads are giving you away.

Then set your dive planes to normal dive and change course so you dont go under the ships from your first bow spreads. Avoid crash diving if you can, once escorts get that tip off in late war, its VERY hard to shake them.

On a side note, in a VII boat, i woudlnt try very hard to get inside a convoy if using manual targeting. Primarly because that 1 stern tube, to me, doesnt really make it worth the effort. Its great as a coup de grace shot, but your chances of sinking a ship with it arent as great as if you had two sterm tubes. All depends on you SOP really, i use manual targeting (hence no silver bullet torpedo's) , so my SOP is two fish per target if it's more then 2000-3000 tons. Your milage may vary.

04-25-06, 11:15 PM	#21
Ducimus Rear Admiral Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 12,987 Downloads: 67 Uploads: 2	>>How do I get inside a convoy? It's all about accurate plotting, and alot of breif periscope observations, and being able to accuratly place yourself ahead, and just to the side of a convoy. Dont get DIRECTLY ahead of the convoy. The lead escort has a high likelyhood of detecting you. Try to get yourself about 3000 (give or take) meters ahead and to the side (or less, depending on situation and position of lead escort). Point your bow at aruond a 15 degre angle towards the convoy. Ive found that direct 90 degree shots are hard to make accuratly unless your at an extreme range - but extreme range means you have a high likleyhood of missing. The reason for angling your bow towards the convoy instead of a stright 90 degree shot against the side of ships is because the gyro angle, and the speed of the targets, its hard to shoot a spread, and have them all impact around the same time frame. A long delay between your first two fish, and your second two fish, means that the second salvo will most likely miss because the targets have changed course when alerted by your first spread. So by angling your boat, you can shoot at two targets much quicker. Beward, too much angle and a contact pistol is useless, and you'll have to use magnetic, and if the seas are rough this isnt desierable, so you'll have to be be careful not to use too much angle. Anyway, get 3000-4000 (or less, it dpends on the situation) meters from where you expect the convoy to pass, and let the lead escort cross your bow. The instant he's crossed your bow, hes a little more blind to you. Move at 2-3 kt, NOW, before the side escort catches up. You need to move quickly (but not loudly) if you expect to get in between two colums, or at the least, to get some distance from the side guarding escort before he reaches your vacinity. Getting in the middle of a convoy is hard to do if theres a lead escort, but getting inbetween the first two columns of ships on the side of the convoy is much more feasible. Angle the bow about 15 degrees (or less, give or take) towards the 2nd inner column, take your bow shots first, by now your stern tube should have a good gyro angle on the outter column, shoot those quickly. You wont have much time becuase your bow spreads are giving you away. Then set your dive planes to normal dive and change course so you dont go under the ships from your first bow spreads. Avoid crash diving if you can, once escorts get that tip off in late war, its VERY hard to shake them. On a side note, in a VII boat, i woudlnt try very hard to get inside a convoy if using manual targeting. Primarly because that 1 stern tube, to me, doesnt really make it worth the effort. Its great as a coup de grace shot, but your chances of sinking a ship with it arent as great as if you had two sterm tubes. All depends on you SOP really, i use manual targeting (hence no silver bullet torpedo's) , so my SOP is two fish per target if it's more then 2000-3000 tons. Your milage may vary.