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Originally Posted by Hondo314
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Originally Posted by robj250
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Originally Posted by Hondo314
Convoys and fog don't mix (pesky escorts ruin the fun), but hunting single merchants in the fog during Happy Times is a blast. Position yourself so the AOB is 0 while the merchant is closing, then keep it at 90 or 270 relative bearing to your boat with occasional ahead slow or back slow orders. Once the target is within 1000m (short range according to the hydrophone operator), keep your eyes peeled focused on the bearing to target. Order ahead full or back full the instant you see the ship to give enough distance between yourself and the target track for your eels to arm. Watching a merchant come bursting out of the fog at a few hundred meters always gets the blood pumping. If the target is moving fast, you may not be able to put enough distance between yourself and the target for the eels to arm though, but it still looks cool!
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Suppose a DD come bursting out of the fog doing 14 kts, 150m from you would make your heart skip a beat, maybe several beats.  Why doesn't your radar pick 'em up ahead of time giving you time to react? |
A DD would not surprise me out of the fog because like I said, I only do that for single merchants (determined by frequent hydrophone checks to keep the merchant on 90/270 relative bearing anyway). Radar is not available yet either. Once you have the merchant at 90/270, you could wait at periscope depth to screen for lone DDs continuously if you had ants in your pants. |
"A DD would not surprise me out of the fog" - you're wrong, mate.
As someone said yesterday, they'll get you when you are not expecting.
Short story. I was shadowing crippled merchant East of GB in shallow waters, waiting for it to sink. It was in my dark and almost forgotten times of playing stock SH3. Watched it submerged, through my periscope. So... something strange started to happen, water went weird and my periscope glass got wet every moment, although the weather was good and there were almost no waves. Before I managed to think about the strange water's behaviour, I heard KONTAAAKT! WARSHIP! VERY FAST! CLOSING! BEARING 169! I was close to a heart attack. Panic... I remember panic. I turned my scope right to the aft only to see a huge bow of (probably) a destroyer. Seconds later I was getting damage reports, seconds later my boat was dead, falling to the bottom with all hands lost. She rammed me out of nowhere. It was 30 seconds period between absolutely controllable situation and sudden death. I didn't spot the ship before, as she was coming in my buffles (bearing between 170-190, out of hydrophone range).
You must ALWAYS watch. Seconds can kill you or save your life.