Foul weather and convoys

[Vacillator]

Somewhere off Portugal, July 1940, I intercepted a large convoy in really foul weather. I couldn't see any of the contacts until they were just about on me, and the second one was a Black Swan heading straight for me . Got away from that one and tried to get into position again, saw a large cargo but couldn't get a very good angle on it before it disappeared into the murk. Then another Black Swan (don't think it was the same one) appeared so I judiciously whacked the C key and after some time again made my escape. Deciding to give up and wait for better weather I bugged out.

Just wondered if that's what a veteran Kaleun would do, or would they shadow perhaps for days hoping for better weather? I guess that would depend on fuel, ammo etc.

Anyway happily for me a day later I found another convoy this time in good weather . On a single run in past the escorts and into the lanes I sank two large cargos and a whale factory ship with 5 torpedoes. Very nice 32,000+ tons! Attention from the said escorts then forced me deep and I decided to head elsewhere...

[Umfuld]

Yeah, I probably wouldn't go in if you can't see anything. You could shadow and wait for good weather, but my expirence is the weather changes too slowly for my liking.

Using the Hydrophone is always an option when you can't see. Use it yourself and listen for a bit and you'll have a good read on how the convoy is lined up.

[Brag]

Originally Posted by Umfuld

Yeah, I probably wouldn't go in if you can't see anything. You could shadow and wait for good weather, but my expirence is the weather changes too slowly for my liking.

Using the Hydrophone is always an option when you can't see. Use it yourself and listen for a bit and you'll have a good read on how the convoy is lined up.

In bad (heavy) weather, torpedoes have tendency to explode prematurely.

congrats on the tonnage.

[Vacillator]

I've yet to try DIY in the hydrophone department, must try it out tonight!

As for the weather, I think I'll avoid convoy insertion in future unless I can see a bit better. It was a great experience but like so many things in this sim would not have been pleasant IRL.

Brag, thanks for the encouraging words. If only I'd gone in for a second run there was another whaler and at least one large cargo left. No BBs though...

[bert8for3]

I've started looking/hoping for convoys in heavy weather. ... have had some great sessions with these recently.

It started the previous patrol with looking for a convoy but not seeing a thing, finally I was getting low on fuel and down to 3 torps when I picked up a convoy on hydrophones. Heavy rain/fog/seas.

I decided to have a go anyway to finish the patrol, figuring it was mainly a waste of time, but the patrol's done anyway, and after humming and hawing about it, decided to get a bit ahead of the main pack of the convoy and and then go in at 90deg relative to the convoy course as best as I could figure it out from listening.
So in I go from the convoy's portside at about 6-8 knots. Can't see a thing up on the bridge, I'm panning around continuously 'cause I know I can't rely on the crew seeing a ship in heavy fog before it's too close. Minutes pass and I'm wondering if I've somehow missed the convoy entirely, when all of a sudden I see the foggy outline of a ship off my starboard quarter, ... nuts it's an escort and he's getting closer fast (realative bearing/course -wise, he's only making convoy speed though). I kick my speed up and this succeeds in keeping me far enough away from him as he passes astern and disappears into the fog.

A minute or so later, a merchant looms out of the fog off my starboard bow. Bearing maybe a bit too much off to starboard to be sure he'll pass ahead for a good setup, I cut my speed right down. On he comes and I'm set up for a 10deg shot on his AoBport90, but thinking he's going to see me anytime. He doesn't and I get off the shot, down goes the merchant, and I zip off unseen into the fog.

So next patrol I picked up a convoy, same weather, but this time I've got plenty of fuel and haven't used any torpedoes. Same kind of thing but multiplied, with some good excitement. In a nutshell, I spent two days trailing the convoy and going in and out twice. All daytime attacks (night is a different kettle of fish, 'cause can't see a darned thing). I decided to come up on the convoy from astern to get a better handle on convoy course. So I overtook slowly until a merchie just loomed ahead, got directly behind him and on his course, from which I could get convoy's exact course. Then I would cruise ahead on the convoy course at a slow overtaking rate, see a target ahead, manoeuvre to overtake just out of sight and turn to a firing position, shoot, then run ahead etc. So I'd be in the middle of the convoy, but kind of in this surreal quiet since they couldn't see me. In fact at one point, I had used up all loaded torpedoes and had to reload. I just cruised on convoy course and speed in the middle of the convoy while the boys reloaded.

Had various incidents during all this. An escort appearing as before, speed up and alter course to get out of sight, etc. At one point, I'd just torpedoed a merchant, when an escort loomed into sight, saw me and put pedal to metal, and I had to dive, but otherwise I stayed on the surface all the time. During the night, I just trailed the convoy and submerged every hour or two to make sure I was keeping contact. In fact, the convoy did change course and the next morning I had to reacquire convoy course, then resumed my attack in the same way.

BTW, at one point early on, I took a shot at a merchie and missed. I know the setup was good and I'm positive the torpedo went under the merchant, as he was pitching so much. After that, I set my torpedoes to run at 1.5 metres and no problem.

So now I'm out of torpedoes (2 in deck storage but can't load them in this weather) and headed back home.

So having previously dismissed bad weather attacks as pretty much impossible, in fact there are good opportunities.

[Vacillator]

Good stuff bert, you've done better than me.

On previous attempts in such weather I've had mixed success. No luck at all the first time. Sank one medium cargo the second and then gave up. Hit a cargo next time but it continued and disappeared before I could get another shot in, so gave up. Then the attempt described above.

Well done and good luck next time!

[Canovaro]

Originally Posted by Vacillator

Somewhere off Portugal, July 1940, I intercepted a large convoy in really foul weather. I couldn't see any of the contacts until they were just about on me, and the second one was a Black Swan heading straight for me . Got away from that one and tried to get into position again, saw a large cargo but couldn't get a very good angle on it before it disappeared into the murk. Then another Black Swan (don't think it was the same one) appeared so I judiciously whacked the C key and after some time again made my escape. Deciding to give up and wait for better weather I bugged out.

Just wondered if that's what a veteran Kaleun would do, or would they shadow perhaps for days hoping for better weather? I guess that would depend on fuel, ammo etc.

Anyway happily for me a day later I found another convoy this time in good weather . On a single run in past the escorts and into the lanes I sank two large cargos and a whale factory ship with 5 torpedoes. Very nice 32,000+ tons! Attention from the said escorts then forced me deep and I decided to head elsewhere...

Read Raduz' hydrophone tutorial.
After a bit of practice you can do convoy attacks without seeing a single ship, because you will be able to plot bearing and range from listening to the hydrophone. You can even fire on hearing. Great stuff and just the thing you need I guess.

btw: Congrets! Good tonnage! Machen Sie weiter so!

[Vacillator]

Thanks Canovaro I really must give that a go. So far I've still not manually operated the hydrophone!

[Umfuld]

Is there a point when using magnetics becomes less of a risk? I've always thought that by late 1940 they stopped going off early in poor weather as often.
Anyone else find that to be the case or am I kidding myself?

[Jimbuna]

In RL it was not until Jan42 that the torpedo problems were resolved. I wait till at least then before I start trusting magnetics

[Umfuld]

Sounds good.

Now if I can only last that long.