first run in with a convoy

[panzermeyer]

First run in with a convoy…

So I am sailing with my VIIB round the British Home Isles, so I can get into open waters off the Irish West coast to hunt some convoys and unsuspecting lone merchants. However my plans are to be a little altered.

I am about 150km south east of Scapa Flow, I am about to go between it and the other island there so I can go around the British Isles, since going trough the English Channel is a no go!

As am I sailing, I get a report of a convoy heading in my direction, moving slowly. I am ecstatic, a convoy heading in my direction, I am basically in an intercept position already all I have to do is wait. However I immediately realize, the depth here is only 127m, a bit shallow. I contemplate avoiding the convoy as it is not deep enough for me to escape if I need too. But this is my 3rd patrol and first convoy encounter if I stick around. On top of that I am in a perfect position, or so I think.

I quickly decide to stay and risk it, or at least see what type of escorts this convoy has. Eventually the convoy comes into view; I order to dive to periscope depth. The convoy is going is at bearing 40 degrees to my boat and about 4000m away. I am looking for a juice target first and also looking for a ship with a good angle, something around 70-100 will do, to make sure my torpedo doesn’t just bounce off the hull.

I spot a large merchant and a tanker, perfect juice targets. While I am looking around I look for the escorts…OH SH*T! They spotted me already, and I am pretty sure I know why. I should of already been submerged when waiting for the convoy and it didn’t help I was 1345 hours, only a few clouds, clear day. So I got a V&D class destroyer coming straight at me, his range only 450m now off my bow. I quickly target him and let loose a torpedo hoping for a hit, at the same time I go to flank and order a dive to 80m with a change of course.

Not to my surprise to torpedo just bounces off the destroyers bow, so much for that. He drops his depth charges, luckily no where near where I am. I keep my depth, already running at silent and keep my rudder at 5 degrees port. I think to myself how plump and juice some of these targets in the convoy are and here I am, getting depth charges because my crew wanted some sunshine…ugh.

At this point I am not sure how many escorts the convoy has, I didn’t have chance to look. I need to check, since it’s been quite for a while with no depth charges, the destroyer must have lost me, so I order periscope depth. I look around and there is 1 destroyer and 2 armed trawlers, not much for an escort, if only I can sink that destroyer.

But it’s not to be, the destroyer seems my scope or hears me and makes a run at me, I dive at flank speed, setting the rudder at 10 degrees starboard and going to 90m. Before the last charge goes off I slow down to 1knt and just wait. I think the hunt of this convoy is over…sadly. I now wait, the destroyer keep dropping charges but no where near. I think about trying to sink it, but he keeps moving, too fast for me to try anything. A few hours (game time) go by and the convoy moves on and eventually so do the escorts. I surface, I suffered no damage and no crews lost and wasted 1 torpedo, I feel like I let the crew down, I feel like Bernard could have done a better job than me. I was in a perfect position, and instead of waiting submerged I was on the surface spotted before I could dive. So an entire convoy, which was lightly escorted, got away.

But live and learn I guess next time I will wait for it submerged and try to make sure it’s night. If could of easily sunk the destroyer if I didn’t spot me, and then it would have been a turkey shoot. Next time….next time.

[SmokinTep]

A couple of rookie mistakes during that first convoy sighting. Always get to periscope depth as soon as possible. Also, I usually keep a couple of magnetic torps just for destroyers. I like to let them come to me, then let loose with a torp right down their throat. I naturally try and avoid them as much as possibe.

Maybe next time.........

[Canovaro]

Not every convoy attack works out. Most important: you're "still alive". Time to put that Pearl Jam record on the gramophone, and continue patrol.

[Captain Nemo]

If you know the direction the convoy was travelling, why not try and plot an intercept course and have another go at it? I have made several attacks on the same convoy by doing this. Then you can get your revenge on that destroyer.

Nemo

[Brag]

Congratulations, you made it alive!
There's some good advice above. I always have a magnetic torp ready in case a DD comes for me while at PD.
Your thinking and tactics are the right ones.
When in doubt, ask your sound man to report on nearest warship contact. Good luck with your next convoy. There are plenty more!

[CapZap1970]

Panzermeyer:
i am glad you survived the experience, and next time I am sure you will be able to catch some big fish.
As Smoking Tep said, it's also a very good idea to keep a couple of extra magnetic torps, just in case.
CapZap

[Jimbuna]

As Captain Nemo said....keep going back and have a little nibble, then slink off and set up another attack. I often spend a week in game time harrassing a convoy

[panzermeyer]

I would have another go, but they are heading into port it seems, on the western side of England and it's getting shallower and shallower, so I don't want to risk it. I did think about pursuing and trying again, but when I checked the depth, since I did travel some ways south, the bottom was a mere 90m, from 127m before.

And since I am heading to the west coast of Ireland, heavy traffic there with convoy routes and deep waters, I'll stick to that plan.
However that first encounter was very thrilling.

[Maraz]

Originally Posted by panzermeyer

First run in with a convoy…

a convoy heading in my direction, I am basically in an intercept position already all I have to do is wait.

Don't lie waiting a convoy, it might change its course before coming to you. Go towards it !

The same thing when targeting a ship: even if she is coming towards you, always try to close distance, things that now are favourable might change in few minutes. The ship can alter course, etc.

(This is a thing I learnt from the U-Boot commander's manual).

Anyway your decision not to pursue the convoy in shallower waters was very wise, so you will live to meet another convoy!

Maraz

[Puster Bill]

Originally Posted by Maraz

Don't lie waiting a convoy, it might change its course before coming to you. Go towards it !

The same thing when targeting a ship: even if she is coming towards you, always try to close distance, things that now are favourable might change in few minutes. The ship can alter course, etc.

(This is a thing I learnt from the U-Boot commander's manual).

I've never had that happen to me in the game. I once had a single individual ship hit a waypoint and turn, screwing up a perfect setup, but I've never had a convoy do that (although I suppose it is possible, though it has to be rare).

[Jimbuna]

Your lucky....follow one for long enough and you'll find they do occasionally change course

[GoldenRivet]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

As Captain Nemo said....keep going back and have a little nibble, then slink off and set up another attack. I often spend a week in game time harrassing a convoy

thats exatly right... take little nibbles not big bites.

some of my best convoy attacks have been spread out over the course of 4 to 6 days of attack - evade - shadow - intercept - attack - evade - shadow - intercept - attack -. . . . etc.

by the final day when im running out of torpedoes, most of the heavy tonnage has been sunk leaving only a hand full of passenger/cargo and tramp steamers escorted by a bunch of dumbfounded DDs that can expect a severe tongue lashing upon their arrival to port.

make like a sniper. dont rush in and attak the minute you spot a convoy... you might just be patient and observe them for a day... answer some questions abou the convoy - are they changing course every 10 -15 hours? Do the flanking destroyers frequently split off from the group leaving a gap? does the lead destroyer speed out ahead of the convoy and then sit silently just listening? all throughout these observations - if you are close enough to make out masts - decide what your targets will be many hours before you attack... dont pick the targets the first time you raise the scope because sure enough when you shoot at that medium cargo - a large tanker will roll right by you and you wont have any fish loaded.

hang in there - learn from experience - and sink them all!

Being a U-boat commander is a tricky thing... you start out with two bags... a full "luck bag" and an empty "experience bag" the idea is to fill up the experience bag befor the luck bag runs out!!

[Schöneboom]

"Prepare to be surprised" -- I should put that on a sign over my bunk! Case in point: Last night I did my second attack on a convoy 300 mi. west of the Continental Shelf. The convoy was originally heading east (prob. to Liverpool), but turned south after my first attack. It took forever to find them again in the dark, partly because at first I refused to believe they made such a sharp turn.

Eventually we caught up with them. Suddenly (it's always suddenly), a DD came out of the darkness, heading North -- & passed by without seeing us (WHEW!). We pressed on and made a good attack on the merchants despite stormy seas & lousy visibility -- sending slow torpedoes to the ships farther away, to give us enough time to flee.

We escaped east at flank speed; we were all watching the fires far behind us, and a distant star shell, thinking, Yes, we made it! Then I glanced to starboard and EEEK!!! Another DD, coming out of the east, heading west towards the convoy! Or was it the same DD that passed us earlier, coming back in a loop? It was like 800 meters away from us! Heilige Scheisse!

On instinct I ordered a crash dive, but cancelled that when I realized the DD didn't see us -- no searchlights, no star shells. I speculate they must've thought we'd attacked from the other side of the convoy. But that taught me -- don't assume you're safe -- if you haven't accounted for all the escorts, there might still be one out there, heading your way!

Mach's gut!

[waits]

This is an excellent discussion, especially for a rookie like i am.

So my question is: What is better for an attack on a convoy surfaced or submerged?
In late war it is relativly clear to me that submerged would be better, but in early war i am not so sure, because without radar they would rather hear than see me.

Am i right?:hmm:

[GoldenRivet]

waits... for surface attacks:

In rough seas, on a dark and even moonless night, while moving slowly you can find yourself nearly inside the convoy lanes on the surface without being detected. though that is a little close for comfort.

best tactic IMHO is to start from at least 2000 meters from your intended target. plot your solution for a spread of two torpedoes with shallow or no spread angle at two different ships with the bow tubes. when youre last shot leaves the tube come about hard and fast and put the convoy behind you and make good speed out of there.

when the first impacts occur searchlights and starshells will fill the sky so you better be moving at a good rate of speed to get out of there. with any luck you are by now so far away from the convoy that the starshells and search lights are nowhere near where you are.

the advantage of this method is that it negates any advantage of early war sensors. the enemy pretty much has to see you to attack you - active sonar pinging isnt going to do the DD's any good since it really wont pick you up on the surface. and the passive sonar (listening) would likely not reveal your position either.

best conditions for surface attack: at night (obviously) - rough seas, overcast sky (or no moon) the full moon is nice to help you see your targets but it is also helping them to see you - espeically if the outline of a u-boat slices through the reflection of the moon on the water.

keep your speed down - you cut a huge wake at higher speed - go at it slowly and they will be less likely to see you