Getting Inside a Convoy

[RustySubmarine]

At the moment, I am on my seventh patrol, in charge of a Type VIIB. Based at St Nazaire, Started my career Oct 1940. To date (January 1942) I have managed to sink 15 merchants and 1 Black Swan Class. Several of the merchants and the corvette, were sunk from within escorted convoys.

My first convoy encounter on my second patrol, proved to be a near disaster, as I received quite a bit of hull damage after depth charging. However, by managing to shake off two attacking destroyers, I manage to eventually get back to base, with three dead crew and just 40% hull vulnerability showing when I reached St Nazaire.

So I decided to change my tactics for dealing with my next convoy encounter. I decided to try and approach at the head of a convoy by waiting for the convoy to get within range. I remained on the surface, until I decided to submerge to periscope depth and rig for silent running. When any destroyers were getting a bit close for comfort, I went deeper to 40 meters and lay in wait until the destroyers had passed over, and I was getting very close to the merchants which were within easy targeting range. Still on silent running, I came to periscope depth, chose three targets and launched my torpedoes.

All three were hits, causing damage to a Medium Freighter, and eventually sinking a Large Tanker and an Ore Carrier.
After launching my first 3 torpedoes, I went back down to 40 meters and listened to the carnage caused by my action. I remained below the convoy for quite a few hours, until it was out of range. Then after several hours, came back to periscope depth, to access the situation. Most of the convoy had gone off into the distance, and I could see several of them burning in the distance. There was just one Black Swan Class sweeper, still within range and approaching, were a couple of straddlers approaching me about 5000 yards away, that had got left behind of the main convoy. Call it luck if you like, I managed to sink the Black Swan with my aft torpedo, then wait for the straddlers.

I waited until they were in range. A Tramp Steamer and a Small Merchant. I managed to sink the Tramp Steamer with tube 4. Having no available torpedoes left (due to silent running) I then headed away from the scene, still submerged at half ahead.

When I was at a safe distance, with the Tramp Steamer going through its death throws, I surfaced; and with joys of jubilation from the crew, we managed to live another day.
I managed to sink 6 ships on that last patrol with over 35,000 gross tonnes under my belt.

As the war progresses, it is doubtful that this method will prove successful, as this was, because more advanced detection from the enemy will be available and the range of aircraft patrols will increase.

But it is a method worth trying in the early part of the war. It takes quite a bit of time and careful planing, but it is possible, to avoid the escorting destroyers, by lying low and keeping quiet during the process and to get inside a convoy.