A Matter Of Tactics

[cdrsubron7]

I'm sailing in the USS Apogon out of Saipan and the date is October 22, 1944. I've made contact with the Northern Force coming from Japan to take part in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

The Apogon is currently lying submerged dead ahead of the oncoming task force at about 6000 yds, as of yet undetected. The task force shapes up like this (going from my port to starboard), two light cruisers in the outside port column, the inner port column consists of an Ise-class BB/CV followed by a Taiyo-class CVE. The inner starboard consists of a Shokaku-class CV followed by a Ise-class BB/CV and an Agano-class CL. The outside starboard column consists of two Taiyo-class CVE.

There are 5 to 6 escorts scattered around the parimeter of the task force. Here is the problem I'm having, in front of the task force is a Matsu class DE and no matter what tactic I try I can't get past this escort without being detected. I've tried deep submergance running silently the same at PS and still I've been discovered.

I'm playing TMO 2.0/RSRDC.

So what would you guys suggest, how do I get around this boy without being detected? Or is it impossilbe?

[Ducimus]

Something i scribbled into MS Paint some years ago:


Come in from ahead, and at an oblique angle. Gives you overlapping targets, and you stay out of the lead Tin Can's way. Only problem is your showing your broadsides to the flanking escort. So when the lead escort crosses your bow, move in before the flanking escort reach's you. Try not to get any closer then 2200 yards from escorts if possible.


Flanking escort will be the problem, If you can get inside him, you've bought yourself more time. Or you can fire before he reach's your position if you don't think you can make the speed to get to the inside. If your forced to do that, you won't have much time to fire, but you'll still have the opportunity to make the shot if your focused. Either way the lead escort doesn't become a problem until later.


Whatever you do, don't do this.


EDIT:

What you may have to do (considering theres 6 escorts) is come in at an angle to the convoy, and then run a parrell course to the escort screen to minimize your profile. If you can pull that off, what will happen is you'll get to the inside, will have to make a sharp 90 degree turn, and fire. You won't have much time, so you'll ahve to put extra turns on your screws, which will make you rather noisy. So, once you've made it inside, your basically unzipping your fly, and dropping your pants the instant you start making your hard turn to port or starboard, so be quick with your shot, and start heading for the cellar before the fish hit.

[cdrsubron7]

Thanks for the suggestions, Duci. I'll give this a try after I get home from work tonight.

[Rockin Robbins]

I would add that you should make your target the longest of all the ships in the convoy. That will make you more likely to get hits. Don't waste your time shooting at multiple targets--take out the big one for sure! You're out there risking your life. Make some of them pay with theirs!

[Armistead]

Tried and true, but flank escort is a pain. I actually will turn at an angle from him towards the lead escort and usually can shoot with bows and sterns at the convoy. Not realistic in reality, but works great in game....I always try to shoot multiples if not spotted. Gonna get driven down anyway and hate doing more end arounds.

[Diopos]

Here is a thought concerning convoys. Needs verification from the moding crew or people who have "played around" with the mission editor.

A. Convoy speed is based on the speed of their slowest members.

B. If you take out the "slow movers" the convoy speed increases (based on the speed of remaining set of "slow movers").

C. If you are planning on multiple attacks on the convoy, you'd prefer a "slow" rather a "fast" moving convoy, as it will be more easy to reposition your sub for a subsequent attack.

D. Based on the above, the highest priority targets would be ships with high maximum speeds so as to ensure that the convoy speed won't increase.

E. From the above ''''''analysis'''''' exclude escorts.

Personally I shoot whtever seems a probable hit and get the hell outa there!


.

[Stealhead]

I agree with Rockin Robbins go for the largest/longest vessel might as well try and let one prime target have it.If you get him good and even if he evades if it is a large convoy or fleet there is a good chance a smaller vessel or two might go down in the confusion and sail directly into the path of a torpedo that was evaded by its intended target I have seen it many times.

Everyone has their own tactics but I prefer to go for one high value target especially when it is a battle fleet.That way I increase my odds of hitting my selected target if I miss then I can always evade, slink away, surface, pursue and come back around again.If it turns out to be a bad day for me and nothing hits I like to think that at least I am delaying the enemy from achieving their goal.But odds are high that something is going down in that process.

For approach I generally do what Ducimus illustrated although sometimes if I have a good radar picture of the targets heading I will set my boat so that I am on the flank on the flanking escort it depends on how the escorts and fleet/convoy are formed up.

Anyway try every tactic you can find and use the one that gives you the best results and that you like the best.

[cdrsubron7]

Well, I've tried a few of the suggestions presented here but that lead escort still kept getting in my way plus he pissed me off at the same time. So I took him out with a shot from the bow tubes, turned hard to port rang up flank speed and when within decent range put the last five bow tubes into the hybrid Ise class BB/CV in the inner port column and then pulled the plug and headed deep. I was able to ride out the ensuing DC attack. After that I found out that those five torpedoes had not sunk the hybrid BB but stopped her dead in the water. I found her drifting not far from the original point of attack and finished her off with my stern tubes.

Origionally I had wanted to get both the Shokaku and one of the the BB/CVs but those escorts would not give me the time to shoot for the carrier. So I took what was offered and got the heck out of there.

[Admiral8Q]

That's the way ya do it!

There is no such thing as a static "perfect" way every time. Each situation calls for you to think out how to solve unexpected problems that mess up you're original plan. Very rarely do things go the way you'd hoped. (Sometimes they go better) If it was the exact same thing every time, the game would quickly get very dull.

[cdrsubron7]

Originally Posted by Admiral8Q

That's the way ya do it!

There is no such thing as a static "perfect" way every time. Each situation calls for you to think out how to solve unexpected problems that mess up you're original plan. Very rarely do things go the way you'd hoped. (Sometimes they go better) If it was the exact same thing every time, the game would quickly get very dull.

There is much truth in what you say, Adm8Q.

[TwinStackPete379]

First thing I'd try is my variation of the vector analysis. As long as I have reliable, long range fish and favorable nighttime/weather. Until I have the ammo I'm not tangling with convoys.