Large convoy

Falkirion · 10-26-09, 04:26 AM

Boy was this fun. Came across a massive convoy 2 days after Germany declared war on Britain and they counter declared us. It was morning, the sun just climbing up into the sky giving the single DD escort a good visibility, that is if you dont factor in the huge atlantic waves pounding the convoy hampered his effort to track me.

I submerged well ahead of the convoys position, and waited for the escort to swing over the top of me which he did without detecting my presence. Sitting right smack bang in the middle of this convoy was the Nelson. I cant believe my luck. But I botched my attack. 3 eels fired for 2 hits. One on a large merchant and the other on the Nelson's bow.

Had to break off my engagement there and exit SH3 due to real world commitments. I'm going to take another crack at the convoy when I get a bit more time.

As for advice can anyone point me to some good plotting tools/tutorials. Most of my intercepts are just guesswork to put myself into a rough firing position.

U2222 · 10-26-09, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Falkirion

Most of my intercepts are just guesswork to put myself into a rough firing position.

Probably not unlike real life on a WW2 Uboat

As for advice on plotting tools/tutorials.
I used 'Wazoo's Manual Charting and Targeting Tutorial' when I first decided to up the realism. It is pretty comprehensive.

Freiwillige · 10-26-09, 01:27 PM

England then France 24 hours later declared war on Germany. Just a minor historical note.

Falkirion · 10-29-09, 07:37 PM

Finally got another crack at the convoy last night. 4 hours later I slipped away.

After reading over Wazoos charting and targeting tutorial I loaded up a save from the beginning. After tracking the single destroyer escort for about 1/2 an hour got their base course established as 077, and their speed at 6 knots. The seas were churning making it tough to maintain sight with the convoy, but I did and so cranked up the engines to full and motored ahead. Dawn was upon us and I wanted to have the Nelson sunk by lunch time. We made good time to the interception point and slunk beneath the waves to make our initial approach to the firing point.

As we approached the firing point we were arriving too far ahead of schedule so I swung us around in a 360 turn to port to chew up time. After the turn we were right on schedule to make contact so with engines set to silent running at 1 knot at periscope depth we stuck it up for a look. The first line of the convoy was sliding past blissfully unaware of our presence. After waiting a couple more minutes my target slipped into sight and range.

10:25am. The HMS Nelson was steaming along, completely unaware that in a mere 5 minutes it would be dead in the water. Soon as I could I took the shot. 3 eels fired, one into the bow, one into the keel and another aimed at the stack. Just for good measure I swung the periscope around and fired off tube 5 at a medium cargo off my stern. Periscope down, ahead standard, down to 100 feet. While we did that I switched over to external view to watch the results of my handiwork. The eels I fired at Nelson hit about 30 seconds after the one I put into the medium cargo. The mid cargo went up in smoke, the eel hit right around the engine room. She was on fire and sinking within 5 minutes. The Nelson after taking 3 torpedo hits was dead in the water, my goal was to get underneath her before the A&B class DD caught me out. As soon as I was down to around 40 feet I had to cut back to ahead 1/3 as the escort was within range. He was poking around my firing position but must've picked up on us somehow. I guess the ahead standard gave me away. I heard one ping. One became two, two three, four, five coming faster and faster. I cut the engines just to get my hydrophones pointed at him coming off my stern. Screws roaring, yep he knows I'm here.

Ahead flank to build up some speed, and we could hear him coming on hard thanks to him hammering on the ADSIC. As soon as he was over my head hard starboard towards the Nelson. Splashes, DC's in the water. Keep the engines churning. They exploded astern of us as the sounds of explosions stop, I cut the engines back to 1/3 and up to 80m from 100m. Still edging towards the Nelson. After a second run at us this time all missing astern and no need to turn we were under the Nelson and so I began a slow circular climb up to 30m, safely underneath the wounded British BB. As we slunk in underneath our wounded target the DD outside continued to hammer his pings. Deciding that one torpedo wasnt going to be enough to down the wounded BB I filled the bow torpedo compartment with crewmen and secured from silent running to reload. We were in danger. Unless the BB got moving and after the 3 good hits I saw it wasn't going anywhere in a hurry.

We managed to get the 3 bow tubes loaded. Now all we needed to do was get away from the Nelson and into a firing position to put her under. As the DD was swinging around from our starboard, and near our bow crash dive down to 100m with full starboard rudder. I wasn't going to give him a chance to nail us with DC's as we slunk from protective cover. Of course that didn't stop him trying. I counted five DC explosions before I cut back to one knot and waited. After getting down low and dodging a couple more runs the DD lost us. So we landed up about 2kms away around the site of our Medium cargo friend. As the DD dropped his next load down onto my last known position, I blew ballast and came up to PD. Running flank when the charges were going off so he wouldn't get a fix on my new position.

Finally the periscope broke the waves and we saw the DD drop another pattern down on a position roughly 1.5kms astern. End around to get my bow pointed back at Nelson. Wait until the DD's passing her bow, fire off another pair. Aimed at the foward turret and another at the stack. Back down to 20m to wait. Another pair of impacts, another DC run over my last known. Boy are those poms stupid. Nelson was now sitting low by the stern, waves lapping up over her superstructure. She was gone. And still the DD dropped charges down onto my last known. We swung around to the South west and vacated the area at 100m silent running. At 12pm, high noon we return to periscope depth. After a pair of scans of the immediate area we surface. Finally fresh air again. With the crew happy we keep heading south west, aiming to get clear of the shelf before we swing around to the north to transit back to Wilhelmshaven. Hopefully a couple more convoys between us and home.

Thats the closest I've come to being blown out of the water. Nearly all of my SH4 attacks have been against single targets and the times I have had DD's on top of me they've been nailing a spot well astern of me while I snuck away. Maybe I should've passed on Nelson who knows. All I know is that I'm now 39000 tons up, and I've nailed one of the biggest threats to the Kreigsmarine surface forces.

psykopatsak · 10-30-09, 06:14 AM

where do everyone finds the nelson :O

Philipp_Thomsen · 10-30-09, 11:39 AM

In SH3 Mission Editor.

Jimbuna · 10-30-09, 01:00 PM

Not bad...a Nelson BB so close into the war

Laufen zum Ziel · 10-30-09, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by U2222

Probably not unlike real life on a WW2 Uboat

As for advice on plotting tools/tutorials.
I used 'Wazoo's Manual Charting and Targeting Tutorial' when I first decided to up the realism. It is pretty comprehensive.

I also use Wazoo's method. It works great & can be downloaded from Subsim's DL.

Laufen zum Ziel · 10-30-09, 01:31 PM

Nice read.

10-26-09, 04:26 AM	#1
Falkirion Ace of the Deep Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Melbourne, AUS Posts: 1,043 Downloads: 34 Uploads: 0	Large convoy Boy was this fun. Came across a massive convoy 2 days after Germany declared war on Britain and they counter declared us. It was morning, the sun just climbing up into the sky giving the single DD escort a good visibility, that is if you dont factor in the huge atlantic waves pounding the convoy hampered his effort to track me. I submerged well ahead of the convoys position, and waited for the escort to swing over the top of me which he did without detecting my presence. Sitting right smack bang in the middle of this convoy was the Nelson. I cant believe my luck. But I botched my attack. 3 eels fired for 2 hits. One on a large merchant and the other on the Nelson's bow. Had to break off my engagement there and exit SH3 due to real world commitments. I'm going to take another crack at the convoy when I get a bit more time. As for advice can anyone point me to some good plotting tools/tutorials. Most of my intercepts are just guesswork to put myself into a rough firing position.

10-30-09, 11:39 AM	#6
Philipp_Thomsen Old Gang Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Drunk at the whorehouse Posts: 2,278 Downloads: 146 Uploads: 0	In SH3 Mission Editor. __________________ To each his own

10-30-09, 01:00 PM	#7
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,500 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	Not bad...a Nelson BB so close into the war __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

10-30-09, 01:31 PM	#9
Laufen zum Ziel Eternal Patrol Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Hiding on the bottom Posts: 1,783 Downloads: 853 Uploads: 457	Nice read. __________________ RIP Laufen zum Ziel

10-26-09, 01:27 PM	#3
Freiwillige The Old Man Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Phx. Az Posts: 1,458 Downloads: 24 Uploads: 0	England then France 24 hours later declared war on Germany. Just a minor historical note.

10-29-09, 07:37 PM	#4
Falkirion Ace of the Deep Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Melbourne, AUS Posts: 1,043 Downloads: 34 Uploads: 0	Finally got another crack at the convoy last night. 4 hours later I slipped away. After reading over Wazoos charting and targeting tutorial I loaded up a save from the beginning. After tracking the single destroyer escort for about 1/2 an hour got their base course established as 077, and their speed at 6 knots. The seas were churning making it tough to maintain sight with the convoy, but I did and so cranked up the engines to full and motored ahead. Dawn was upon us and I wanted to have the Nelson sunk by lunch time. We made good time to the interception point and slunk beneath the waves to make our initial approach to the firing point. As we approached the firing point we were arriving too far ahead of schedule so I swung us around in a 360 turn to port to chew up time. After the turn we were right on schedule to make contact so with engines set to silent running at 1 knot at periscope depth we stuck it up for a look. The first line of the convoy was sliding past blissfully unaware of our presence. After waiting a couple more minutes my target slipped into sight and range. 10:25am. The HMS Nelson was steaming along, completely unaware that in a mere 5 minutes it would be dead in the water. Soon as I could I took the shot. 3 eels fired, one into the bow, one into the keel and another aimed at the stack. Just for good measure I swung the periscope around and fired off tube 5 at a medium cargo off my stern. Periscope down, ahead standard, down to 100 feet. While we did that I switched over to external view to watch the results of my handiwork. The eels I fired at Nelson hit about 30 seconds after the one I put into the medium cargo. The mid cargo went up in smoke, the eel hit right around the engine room. She was on fire and sinking within 5 minutes. The Nelson after taking 3 torpedo hits was dead in the water, my goal was to get underneath her before the A&B class DD caught me out. As soon as I was down to around 40 feet I had to cut back to ahead 1/3 as the escort was within range. He was poking around my firing position but must've picked up on us somehow. I guess the ahead standard gave me away. I heard one ping. One became two, two three, four, five coming faster and faster. I cut the engines just to get my hydrophones pointed at him coming off my stern. Screws roaring, yep he knows I'm here. Ahead flank to build up some speed, and we could hear him coming on hard thanks to him hammering on the ADSIC. As soon as he was over my head hard starboard towards the Nelson. Splashes, DC's in the water. Keep the engines churning. They exploded astern of us as the sounds of explosions stop, I cut the engines back to 1/3 and up to 80m from 100m. Still edging towards the Nelson. After a second run at us this time all missing astern and no need to turn we were under the Nelson and so I began a slow circular climb up to 30m, safely underneath the wounded British BB. As we slunk in underneath our wounded target the DD outside continued to hammer his pings. Deciding that one torpedo wasnt going to be enough to down the wounded BB I filled the bow torpedo compartment with crewmen and secured from silent running to reload. We were in danger. Unless the BB got moving and after the 3 good hits I saw it wasn't going anywhere in a hurry. We managed to get the 3 bow tubes loaded. Now all we needed to do was get away from the Nelson and into a firing position to put her under. As the DD was swinging around from our starboard, and near our bow crash dive down to 100m with full starboard rudder. I wasn't going to give him a chance to nail us with DC's as we slunk from protective cover. Of course that didn't stop him trying. I counted five DC explosions before I cut back to one knot and waited. After getting down low and dodging a couple more runs the DD lost us. So we landed up about 2kms away around the site of our Medium cargo friend. As the DD dropped his next load down onto my last known position, I blew ballast and came up to PD. Running flank when the charges were going off so he wouldn't get a fix on my new position. Finally the periscope broke the waves and we saw the DD drop another pattern down on a position roughly 1.5kms astern. End around to get my bow pointed back at Nelson. Wait until the DD's passing her bow, fire off another pair. Aimed at the foward turret and another at the stack. Back down to 20m to wait. Another pair of impacts, another DC run over my last known. Boy are those poms stupid. Nelson was now sitting low by the stern, waves lapping up over her superstructure. She was gone. And still the DD dropped charges down onto my last known. We swung around to the South west and vacated the area at 100m silent running. At 12pm, high noon we return to periscope depth. After a pair of scans of the immediate area we surface. Finally fresh air again. With the crew happy we keep heading south west, aiming to get clear of the shelf before we swing around to the north to transit back to Wilhelmshaven. Hopefully a couple more convoys between us and home. Thats the closest I've come to being blown out of the water. Nearly all of my SH4 attacks have been against single targets and the times I have had DD's on top of me they've been nailing a spot well astern of me while I snuck away. Maybe I should've passed on Nelson who knows. All I know is that I'm now 39000 tons up, and I've nailed one of the biggest threats to the Kreigsmarine surface forces.

10-30-09, 06:14 AM	#5
psykopatsak Medic Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Grid AO27 Posts: 161 Downloads: 27 Uploads: 0	where do everyone finds the nelson :O