Strange air activity June'43

[Flippo84]

First I have to say hello to everybody. I'am new to this forum. I've read it for a while now, but this is my first post. I hope you'll excuse my - ähm moderate - english

The facts:

Last night I startet a patrol from La Rochelle in early June 1943. I just equipped the VIIC/4 tower with two heavy 4x 20mm and one 32mm flak to gain a bit safty from air attacks.

I left La Rochelle with a small convoy of small tankers and a few german escort ships. I felt a bit frightened because it would be a good reason for an allied air attack and i sailed parallel to it. But nothing happend. So I went out the costal area into the Biskaya. During the biskaya cruise, the only thing that bombed me were radio messages from other u-boats wich sufferd heavy damagte to they're subs ore even were sunk by allied planes. I was ordered to turn off my Metox by the BDU in between, because the allied air force is able to bear my postition via its radiation. As you know, I wasn't able to turn off Metox. As I reached the north atlantic to advance in direction of my patrol area, which I chose in the greenland air gap, no aircraft was spotted or picked me up on radar. I started to feel comfortable but a bit disappointed in addition.

When I reached my patrol area, several enemy task forces were reported in the area. Also heavy fog came up. I decided to turn on my radar at very low speed instead of diving away from the fog, which might have been like a signal fire to the allied task groups with it's planes from the support carriers. Again nothing happend.

Weather went clear again and I spotted two merchants, traveling without escorts. I decided to attack the large one. When my eel's hit and destroyed the ship, I dashed away on the surface, without being recognized by the other ship.

Now the horror began. First I receved Metox warning of enemy radar. Two Hurricane planes went after me. I crash dived and decided to stay down for two hours at silent running. While waiting for the planes to leave, multiple warships were picked up by my hydrophone. Then I made a mistake. I decided to surface and leave the area befor I am in the radar range of the AWS Group. Two aircrafts were spotted again. This time they damaged my pressure hull, after I manned the flak system and performed surface evasion maneuvers, down to 74%. I crash dived again. The noise of the electro engines was heared by one of the destroyer's from a distance I've never seen before. I wasn't able to dive deeper than 210m because of the damage from the aircrafts. I was just able to finish my testament, when I was completly surrunded by five destroyers, throwing hedgehogs on me, constantly pinging me via ASDIC and I was able to listen to the aircraft circling above my position. I survived a couple of hours. All but two destroyers and a periodicly appearing aircraft patrol had left. It was hard to find anything working on my sub. Damage control was a large red plain. Batteries and O² were low, bolts have all gone. I had no chance to escape from the ASDIC, if I would have been able, as soon as I would reach the surface aircraft would have picked me up again. So I blew ballast and surrendered in the end.

Anyone else recognised such a difference in difficulty? No aircraft, AWS vessel or anything else during my voyage in the north atlantic, even with radar turned on! But after sinking one ship, hell broke out.

I'am playing the late war part of the carrier for the first time in GWX 3.0. Can anybody give me a hint, if biscaya will remain a playground to pass on surface, or becomes a little bit harder?

Edit: GWX 3.0 gold (outstanding Mod)

Gute Jagd und fette Beute!

[BulSoldier]

THe ASW task force could have been close by and when you fired on the ship they could call any allied units. Atleast i think how it works, they report you so this could be the case.
Howeever i think the best thing to do when you were attacked by aircrafts was to dive imidiatly.Unless the aircrafts are swordfishes, you can anhilate them

[Sailor Steve]

WELCOME ABOARD!

Rule #1: Always come to periscope depth before surfacing. Use the observation scope to do a sweep. Don't forget to look up. Only surface once you're absolutely sure it's safe.

[Letum]

If you where using high time compression, you will see few aircraft.

[Hanomag]

Welcome Aboard Herr Kaluen!!!

[tomfon]

@Flippo84
Try to avoid attacking a ship or a convoy when a task force is nearby. Instead, surface the boat and follow the ship at the edge of visual range. Plot its course and then outflank it. Move to an attack position and go to periscope depth. Launch two torpedoes to guarantee the sinking of the ship and then leave immediately. Thats what i sometimes used to do but it didn't always work, unfortunately. And as in real life, things n SH3 don't always go as planned. That, may be the only similarity the simulator has with real life. Welcome.

[meduza]

Welcome aboard, Her Kaleun!

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Better luck next time!

[Jimbuna]

Welcome aboard Flippo84

[Flippo84]

Thanks for the warm entry

Just freed myself out of war captivity and set sail to La Rochelle to assume a new command
Just want to become a feeling of '43 - '45 with GWX 3.0, before starting a new carrier when being sunk. However, this was the first boat I lost during this carieer. Everybody should be given a 2nd chance.

This time I didn't touch a ship when a task group was close. Radar on the enemy escorts was quite hard. Just tryed to get ahead of the convoy, wich failed serveral times - thanks to very nice weather and radar. When I tryed to catch a look at the convoy's formation and juicy targets on surface, they got me anytime with radar (moderate visibility ~10km with 16k mod). Perhaps it's better while good visibility. The radar seem to have a radius of 8-9km, more for aircraft.

After arriving at the convoy's top I went down to 240m and sacked(?) into the convoy, but ended up in a bad position and was able to fire only one eel. Luckly I hit the tanker and he was forced to stop. Then I finished him in an end run but was catched up by a plane again after the sinking (91% pressure hull). Decided to carry on.

Sunk two more ore carriers after managing to slip twords one of the lead escorts and the side guard during heavy fog. It was very close, nearly the complete front of the convoy was ASDIC shielded. Even my only acustic eel wich sunk the lead escort didn't prevent them from building a new line of defense. I stopped penetrating the convoy at about 200 km to the canadian cost in expectation of more air support for the convoy defense. Went home and again had a peace and joyful little summer cruise in the biscaya without any allied aircraft

I forced me to observe the air above me before surfacing, this time. Safed my men after finishing the tanker. Good piece of advice

Has anybody developed a tactic to get information about the convoy's formation and the desireable targets in it without getting picked up by destroyers radar? Observing it via attack scope while submerged didn't work good for me, because of speed and noise issues.

[Lt.Fillipidis]

What the heck?!
Im mid to late '43 and i only saw 13planes till now.
I actually SEEK them but i find none...

[Telgriff]

Originally Posted by Lt.Fillipidis

I actually SEEK them but i find none...

Enjoy the peace and quiet. When those buzzards with bombs are about more frequently, it makes things far less pleasant!

[meduza]

Originally Posted by Flippo84

Has anybody developed a tactic to get information about the convoy's formation and the desireable targets in it without getting picked up by destroyers radar? Observing it via attack scope while submerged didn't work good for me, because of speed and noise issues.

Observing through the periscope is the only safe way late in the war. As you mentioned, the radar range is almost 10km ,which is the same as your visual range at moderate visibility. So if you can see them, their radar can see you. The same goes for their hydrophones if you're making a noise. In 1943 and later, detection usualy means death.

With unlimited visibility you may have a chance to observe the merchants without being detected, especially during the night. But even then it's not easy because the escorts cover a lot of area around the convoy.

I'm currently playing in mid 1944, in Med, where the single merchants are very rare. So most of my sinkings are escorted. To survive I attack from long distance (6-8km), using T1 torpedoes, preferably during the night. The obvious downside of this approach is low accuracy. But practice makes perfection, and I'm able to achieve around 50-75% hits.

The positive side of this is, if done properly, that you are very safe. If you are not detected before, once the torpedoes impact, most the escorts will rush towards the hit ships. Their sweet spot seams to be about 2km from the nearest ship, along the torpedo's track. You can stay at periscope depth and watch the fireworks.