An operational question

Alycidon · 08-29-11, 04:41 PM

Hi,

This is a question relating more to immersion (or possibly submersion) in the game and I am wondering if anyone can give me some advice, or an insight, as to how a real U Boat Commander would have acted in this situation.

So far, I've completed 3 patrols in a Type IIa boat up and down the English East Coast and have now embarked on my first patrol on a Type VIIb. It is December 1939, my orders are to proceed to, and then patrol, grid CG11, which is off the Spanish Coast.

En route to this grid (still north of Ireland) I have spotted a convoy. So far my lookouts have identified 2 destroyers and a submarine escorting at least 9 merchants. In addition, unreported but visible to me, I can see a larger warship in the middle with another 3-4 merchants (possibly more) beyond. The warship looks like a cruiser but at this point I'm not certain, in any event, it is clearly a large convoy.

My question is this, given my orders to begin my patrol well to the south, should I engage? In real life would a U Boat Commander have done so? How happy would Doenitz be with me if I sank half the convoy (which could already have another boat or boats assigned to it) but returned to base before even reaching my patrol grid due to having fired all my torpedo's?

Engage (and damn it is tempting!) or just radio a contact report?

08-29-11, 04:41 PM	#1
Alycidon Swabbie Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 9 Downloads: 16 Uploads: 0	An operational question Hi, This is a question relating more to immersion (or possibly submersion) in the game and I am wondering if anyone can give me some advice, or an insight, as to how a real U Boat Commander would have acted in this situation. So far, I've completed 3 patrols in a Type IIa boat up and down the English East Coast and have now embarked on my first patrol on a Type VIIb. It is December 1939, my orders are to proceed to, and then patrol, grid CG11, which is off the Spanish Coast. En route to this grid (still north of Ireland) I have spotted a convoy. So far my lookouts have identified 2 destroyers and a submarine escorting at least 9 merchants. In addition, unreported but visible to me, I can see a larger warship in the middle with another 3-4 merchants (possibly more) beyond. The warship looks like a cruiser but at this point I'm not certain, in any event, it is clearly a large convoy. My question is this, given my orders to begin my patrol well to the south, should I engage? In real life would a U Boat Commander have done so? How happy would Doenitz be with me if I sank half the convoy (which could already have another boat or boats assigned to it) but returned to base before even reaching my patrol grid due to having fired all my torpedo's? Engage (and damn it is tempting!) or just radio a contact report?