Hitting a Convoy with Low Torp Count

[croatoan]

Hey folks!

I'm a bit new to these forums and to the game, but let me open by saying that out of all the sims I've ever played, this game has by far THE MOST supportive, informative, and resourcefull community of players that I have ever seen. Within weeks of buying the game and playing, I had tons of questions and wonders, which were all answered by this very forum. In short, I am VERY impressed!

Now for my dilemma. I am currently in mid 1940 in my career, and I'm skipperin' the good old VIIB. I was on patrol last night and after sinking about 40000 tons worth of Allied goods, I stumbled across a large convoy of tankers and C3s....at least 20 of them. The only escorts are a Flower Corvette and a DD.

I didn't have vis immediately, so I hydrophoned these guys and compressed a bit and ended up about 120 deg off their port, a little over 3000m away. Weather is good. Seas are calm. My dilemma? I only have one friggin' torp left in bow tube 2 and a full reserve aft. My question is, given the situation with the escorts(DD is in front, Corvette trails the rear and does search patterns every 8 minutes, both are quite agressive), how should I approach interception and engagement? The escorts pick me right up the second I break 4 knots. If I wait till dark(first sighting at 19:40) then their distance increases which means when I surface to close in, the Corvette is between me and the convoy. I have very limited attack potential towards bow targets, so sinking the Corvette with my last remaining bow torp would mean engaging the convoy(and possibly the DD) in an aft approach - with only 3 torps left in the AFT of the boat.

Deck gun is an idea, as I am well within range to pick off a few, get them slow, and pull in front for an aft shot. And I have sunk Corvettes before with the 88mm......but I bet that DD is looking over his shoulder soon as he hears the resounding crack of my deck mounted boomstick......

So if it were you're boat, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

[VonHelsching]

Silent running...

Line up to unleash three torpedoes. Pick up the most juicy targets. Setting to magnetic, under the keel. One torp per shil. All you want to do is cripple them.

Los.

Silent running. Deepest you can go.

Wait. Follow with hydrophone.

Surface after some hours and take any crippled ship with DG.

[jasondef]

Hmm, tough decision between the two ideas mentioned above, those would be my two recommendations.

First idea would be to sink the destroyer with a torp, then the corvette with DG, then you'd be free to pick off the juiciest merchants at your leisure with remaining torps and the deck gun.

Second idea is cripple as many fat merchants with remaining torps, then surface after the escorts leave and finish them. Assuming four torps left, your maximum merchant kills using this method would be four merchants, assuming everything goes perfect with your targetting, which is unlikely given a bow shot then swinging around with the stern tubes, when the merchants will start to zigzag as soon as the first torp hits something. And it's very hard to cripple four large vessels with one torp each, odds are at least one or two will take the torp and be able to keep going.

So I'd go with the first idea, as it has the potential to yield the most tonnage.

[VonHelsching]

The key point is being able or not to line up for shooting three torpedoes that will reach their target at almost the same time...

[jasondef]

True, then the maximum yield would be three merchants at best. I'd still go with the first idea. Although I've been known myself to go with the second idea, either way its pretty close to a toss up, and those are the two best possible options as I see it!
:/\chop

[rls669]

He can't fire 3 torps, he's got one each bow and stern, one stern reload and 1 stern external storage. He's got one shot at a time basically.

That early in the war the escorts should be dumb. I'd take the corvette with the stern tube, then turn to engage the DD as the stern reloads. If he misses the DD on the first shot (shouldn't, in 1940 it should come straight in) he can evade for the few minutes left until the stern is reloaded then try again.

Once the DD is gone it's time to surface, load that external torp and have a deck gun turkey shoot (weather permitting). Even if he totally misses the DD it will go back to the front of the convoy and he can trail with ample time to pick off a few merchants at a time before the DD can make its way back through the convoy.

[croatoan]

Well here's how it all played out.....

The DD went crazy after I sank the Vette with my deckgun(he was the dumb one). DD did several attack runs on me, causing mainly minor damage, although he got my compressor and my forward deck pretty badly. So to avoid a bottom collision, I said "What the hell, I'll blow ballast". My timing was pretty damn good as just as I was surfacing, my con tower caught his underbelly and I heard a single sweet "YEAH" from my crew.

I had sank the DD with my conning tower.

I managed to get a good bow shot on a T3.....crippled him. Managed to finish him off with my deck gun(60rnds HE, 2 AP remaining). Then I turned on the convoy and began blasting away with my deck gun. I sank two more T3s and a final C2 before scooting away on the surface to avoid another approaching DD.

I am currently RTB to Willhelmshaven - all crew alive and well.

Hull Integrity 97 percent.

I have one torp left because I couldn't stick around on the surface long enough to move it into the stern reserve. Perhaps I'll catch a big' un on the way back.....

Thanx for the help guys!

[jasondef]

Originally Posted by rls669

He can't fire 3 torps, he's got one each bow and stern, one stern reload and 1 stern external storage. He's got one shot at a time basically.

You're right of course!! Heh heh, forgot which U-Boat he was using. In that case, I still think the best course of action is use one torp on the DD, use the DG on the 'vet, then run and gun down the rest of the now unprotected convoy using DG and that last torp or two for a couple of the biggun merchants!