Ok, how do YOU attack convoys?

My first big convoy of my career was reported. I found it perfectly in the middle of the night. It had 2 escorts and some American sub surfaced. Ok my question is this. How do I shoot? I shot at the large merchant ( I messed up my speed calculation because I was excited, I was doing dead stop plotting ) but I had saved. So I send 2 torps to two different boats and haul ass? How many should I shoot at the same time before trying to escape? Should I let it pass over me and shoot it in the ass? I know I can't sink it all sadly, but what is the best way to maximize my damage?

Oh, and who is Bernard? People keep mentioning him.

[KeptinCranky]

Hmm, what to do with a convoy.... depends on how you like to handle it and more importantly, what year... early in the war you might get away with repeated attacks, later on you might just get away in one piece...

My prefered strategy between 1939 and 1941 * when faced with a convoy where I'm roughly 90 degrees off the outer lane of ships at 1km or so is to shoot as follows:

1 eel, magnetic, fast at the biggest ship in the center row, usually a tanker or some such

1 eel, impact fast at the lead ship of the 2nd row

1 eel each, impact fast at the 2nd and 1st ship in the closest row, in that order

If you're lucky and you timed it well this will result in 4 sunk or crippled ships

also, always try to sink the tankers and the largest merchants first, use two eels if you want to make sure..


*note: from 1941 onwards I switch to all electrics, even at night

This is 1939 December. I never though to ask such an obvious question until I got into the middle of the convoy.

[KeptinCranky]

December 39....take your shots, 2 eels per ship and 1 with the stern tube, onl;y use impact pistols, magnetics are too unreliable...if you're in the middle try not to shoot at the closest ships but the ones one row removed then drift out the back by going deep and silent, surface as soon as you feel its safe to do so, catch up with the convoy again while reloading your torpedos and begin another attack run... if you time it well you can do 3 attacks in one night...

if the weather is bad, say high winds, you might get away with reloading at periscope depth and doing a second attack right away, but that's a bit risky

[GoldenRivet]

depends on the year of the war... One method that has been working out for me lately is to get directly ahead of the convoy with the lead escort and I going nose to nose. I order 120 meters depth and rig for silent running at 1 or 2 knots... When the lead escort passes and I'm well within his baffels I blow ballast to about 40 meters and order periscope depth and turn left or right so that I'm now 80 - 100 degrees (near perpindicular) to the convoy.

By the tim I reach periscope depth I'm in a near perfect firing position with bow AND stern tubes ready to go! Once all shots are fired I turn toward the tail of the convoy and go deep and silent.

When the escorts give up and return to their stations I surface and reintercept the convoy. BTW my attacks almost always take place at night in fair weather... Even if I have to shadow them for several days to await a weather change

[Tobus]

What to do with convoy?
Why .... KILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKI LLKILLKILL!!! Ofcourse!

[Gezoes]

Originally Posted by Mikhayl

...play that das boot konvoy music...

[Brag]

You may want to visit my site, where you will find some articles that may be helpful

[melnibonian]

Early in the war (1939-40) I attack on the surface (at night) after I get through the escorts. Being inside the convoy offers you the chance to use the aft torpedoes as well, therefore maximising your chances. Usually I fire 5 (or 6 on a IX) torpedoes at different targets. I try to fire at the furthest targets first in order to minimise the period the convoy takes evasive action. I always use impact pistols and I set the depth between 1 and 3m to ensure a hit. After the first attack (and before the torpedoes hit) I dive to periscope depth reload and fire again (this time usually only one or two torpedoes as the escorts are alert by that time) and then go to silent running dive deep and creep away. Typical firing distances 400-2000m

In the middle years (1941-1943) I usually use the same tactics as before but I never attack on the surface and I try not to reload. Usually most of the attacks are conducted while in silent runnig. Typical aiming distances 1000-2500m

Later in the war (1944-45) I don't attack convoys. If I need to attack one I make sure I'm in silent running and I fire from outside the escort screen. After the torpedoes are fired I try to dive deep (130-150m) and get away as fast as possible. I never stay around to watch the fireworks. Typical aiming distances 4500-5000m.

[TomcatMVD]

Originally Posted by melnibonian

Later in the war (1944-45) I don't attack convoys.

I guess BdU is hugely proud of you

Just joking mate I'm yet to make it that far!

[Spray]

Playing late war I go and park my boat at about 100m infront of the convoys estimated path and turn my sub to face the same direction that the convoy will head. This means you wont pick them up on Hydrophones until they get up pretty close. I wait for the first 2 escorts to be right above me then I rig for silent running and slowly climb up. When I reach the surface im normally in the middle of the convoy right between all the ships which cant defend themselves and most of the time undetected. Positioning is middle/aft of the group. I set magnetics (my preferred method) and fire them so they go under the ships props and up the deck normally exploding at the engine room. I try to fire off all torpedoes at the best target/targets then I quickly dive down and escape and evade sometimes im not even detected. I normally go for 1 attack on a convoy each time unless it has a small escort or more targets of value. I return to the area where I first engaged and look for any crippled/immobilised ships I might scout further ahead in the last known direction.

I find this technique to have worked for me in a IXB up to 1944 using GWX.

[Stealth Hunter]

Who is Bernard?

Benard is the flotilla idiot that every U-boat contains (as in he's always in your crew... or so we like to think). We blame our mishaps as commanders on him, and he is always to receive blame whenever something fails to go the way you wanted it to. The British have Dinsdale and Curry (Dinsdale is normally in command of freighters and destroyers, Curry is his brother-in-law who is normally in command of tankers, land units, and passenger liners).

[Blacklight]

Okay, how do you attack convoys ?

LEEEEEEEEROY JENKINS !!!!!!!!!!!:rotfl:

[melnibonian]

Originally Posted by TomcatMVD

I guess BdU is hugely proud of you

Just joking mate I'm yet to make it that far!

:p
At the late stages of the war especially in GWX you play to survive the patrol and not to sink loads of ships. In any case any close attack to a convoy is virtually a death wish because a) The convoys are heavily escorted and b) the escorts have very good radars, sonars and ASDICs and once they got sonar contact you're as good as dead.

[trongey]

If, when you say "convoy", you mean groups of more than one ship sailing together then I would have to say that I don't attack them. That would be due to the fact that in all of my patrols I've seen dozens of single merchants and ONE pair of small cargo ships sailing together. I only had one stern eel left at the time, and in rough weather I could never get to a position to fire at either of them.
I think this whole convoy thing is just another urban legend perpetuated on the interwebs.

Tony

PS: There are highly detailed accounts of American skippers destroying entire Japanese convoys during the war. The general tactic was to make the first attack the biggest. They would calculate solutions for a different target for each forward tube. They would fire farthest to nearest with enough lag between shots that all torpedos would hit at approximately the same time. I used to have a nomograph for calculating the lag when I played SH1. They would then sprint out to the edge of visual range (or beyond once they got radar), and make course for a new intercept. At that point they could generally only get one or two shots per attack due to the convoy being allerted. In some cases the process went on for two or three days until all targets were sunk.