Hell, how I suck at this game... I really need help.

[Koranis]

Hello.

Before posting this I've read a lot of threads where more experienced captains described their battles. It seems so easy and cool. Well, cool it is, but it is not easy. I play at 100% realism. I have no problem with finding my targets. I have problems with:

1. Approching the escorted convoys.
2. Calculating firing solutions fast
3. Escaping the DS.


1. Now, how do you manage to get behind the DS screen and shadow the merchants? If I move at 3ks I'm to slow, and even at 3ks I'm being found. At higher speed I make more noise, so what the hell?... Is moving ahead far from the convoy and then waiting for them on the route is the only one way to get into the position?

2. When I reach the ideal position I have always little time left before the dogs smell my scent. Then I fail to calculate the optimal firing solution and thus I loose my good position. The only thing is then retreat and repeat the long approach...

3. When the DS are all around me, the only good tactic I found to be working is to pretend to be dead. But even then it takes an hour! I go deep (VIIB so I go at 175 meters) at 3ks but those buggers keep following me! (it's october 1940). I wait for the charges to explode, than I turn, go as deep as I can, at 3ks, but then those buggers keep following me, again!

What am I doing wrong?

Now, it's my third campaign and I've never reached 1941 before. This campaign is going nicely compared to the previous two, and I have good results: I got bombed but then I got out almost without scratch, I take out the targets and so on. But still I feel I'm not doing it right... The DS got me because of my incompetence at approaching the convoys, and because of my stupid courage, ergo not knowing when it's time to hide my ass. I know that even if my tonnage is high enough, I will get myself killed if I keep playing like this... several times so it's not the good way.

[Dekessey]

I'm not a veteran, but from what you wrote it seems you are not at silent running.

Crews will stop making noise. They shouldn't find you if you dive that deep in 1940.

Don't know what else to tell you.

[Deep-Six]

You should be at 2knots, silent running on, and dont have you periscope up too high. The DDs will see it and shoot at it, and will know where you are at.

Dont be afraid to take out DDs.

Silent running is your friend. Use it, breath it, etc.

[Dantenoc]

It's all about the setup.

You have to do things right from the start, because there is no good way to fix a bad situation.

As the people from Langley would say: "once somebody squeezes the toothpaste out of the tube, it's VERY HARD to get it back in"

So yes, you have to be in good position ahead of the convoy a little bit offset from it's proyected track, ready to slip in once the lead escort goes by or it's a no go altogether from the very start.

If things get messy, because you were detected to soon, weren't able to position yourself correctly or any other similar situation, there is no use in asking "how can I fix this?"... the question should be "How can I avoid messing up the next time?".

[Eagle Eye]

The best approach is to get out in front of the convoy

I use two methods, one is to go very deep, run silent, when the lead DD is close go all stop til he passes then come up to PD you'll usually be in position to hit the last two rows of a convoy. at least 80 meters and you still may be detected if he passes right over your boat
It's best to wait ahead of the convoy track the leading DD and two flanking DD's with marks on the chart . Watch their pattern develop then try to cut in diagonally between the lead DD and the flanker on the side you chose to attack.

Once inside the screen use your scope sparingly to plot you targets so they dont sight you and radio the DDs pick targets near the back of the convoy to give your self as much time as possible to gather youtr info until you get faster at it. There are usually pyro ammo ships in the back row which make great targetsthey explode so nice

To escape. If I'm within the convoy I try to turn in the direction the convoy is traveling to make it hard for the escorts to line up on me. If I'm confident I've not been detected I may try to slip out the back of the convoy instead.
175 isn't deep enough. If you've taken no or light damage go deeper. I've gone to 230 to escape in a type 7. 200-210 should get below their pings at your point in the war. Then make sure your running silent and don't exceed 2 knots. Also never turn at more then 10 degrees unless charges are falling. It makes noise and slows you down.

With plotting a solution quicker...can't help you there as I'm still learning maual firing myself

[Koranis]

I go silent, of course. I know the rules, but I have little experience. And how do I manage to cruise at 2ks? The slowest cruise mode is at 3ks!

Thank you everybody for help.

p.s. Eagle Eye, hell does VII really resist at 230 meters? I don't dare go deeper than 175...

[robbo180265]

Hi mate. Click on the little green circle thingie next to the telegraph and it'll change to a new dial which will alow you to set your speed, ie 1 kts upwards. Call me paranoid but I do 1kts when silent, sometimes they can still hear you at 2kts.

[robbo180265]

AAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH! Navy Dude!

[Koranis]

How cool! I finally managed to get out their grasps! Yuhuuu!

Wait a minute... that function was already there, I knew I could manipulate the speed and I didn't figure it out before posting...

[CruiseTorpedo]

In 1940 you should be trying to make surface attacks at night against convoys. The UZO is so much better than the parascope you'll like it a lot! Plus you get a great overall view of the ships so you can pick out the best ones to destroy.

Like the others said get ahead of the convoy but then try to slip into it not by sitting still at 80m depth but by going ahead 1/3 on the surface so your waves are not quite as big and by running towards the ships that are heading towards you your closure rate will be around 13 + knots anyway so you should be inside the escorts quickly. Just dont park yourself right next to an enemy ship and they wont see you. Finding the speed and heading can be done while overhauling the convoy to get ahead of it or just guessing once your in it as a close shot from 800 or less meters is very unlikely to miss unless you enter some really wild numbers into your TDC.

Once the fireworks start the destroyers will turn to come towards you but you still have time to try and escape on the surface or you can choose to dive. I prefer staying up as long as I can. I've had patrols where I've penetrated the same convoy two or three times in the same night on the surface in GWX in 1940. The escorts are few and widely seperated, the real challenge is after the first attack making successful follow ups! With GWX the convoys will begin swerving and really screw with ya once you start sinking ships!

[Koranis]

I tried it as well, but those bastards see me. The distance between the last frigate and me was 2 km and they saw me. It must be because of the weather: it was just a light fog.

[Eagle Eye]

Originally Posted by Koranis1979

I tried it as well, but those bastards see me. The distance between the last frigate and me was 2 km and they saw me. It must be because of the weather: it was just a light fog.

I've never had good luck with surface attacks

[Brag]

If you are not in a good position to begin the attack, don't even try.

[mookiemookie]

Wait until conditions are right. If you get obsessed with one target, more often than not you'll make stupid decisions that put your boat at risk and just generally make life hard on yourself. Dantenoc was right...there's no fixing a bad situation. Don't put yourself in one!

It's ok to let a ship or two go if conditions just aren't right.

[RawRecruit]

Attack on the surface only at night. It's all about the plan. You track the convoy from waaaay off during the day and get ahead of them for night fall. With careful planning you can then approach at low speed and decks awash if it's reasonably calm. I've got very close in GWX before being spotted, at which point it's too late for the poor old merchies as the eels are on their way! If you like playing historically, too, you can use the WO to calculate the solution which leaves you to pay more attention to speed, positioning and target selection.