WTF??? He knew I was there!!

[ddiplock]

Detected a convoy near Scapa heading towards me, I move to intercept. I dove to 30mtrs and listnted to them to get an idea of their course. Then i ran the batteries to flank and surfaced.

By the time I made visual contact on the convoy about 2 and a half hours later.....the lead destroyer appeared to already be heading in MY direction,and opened fire on me!!!!!!

How did he know I was there?? Surely I must have been too far out at the time my batteries for briefly on flank for him to hear me????

Since installing GWX....i've not sunk a single enemy merch travelling in convoy...they've all been loners!!!. .....i'm beginning to hate convoys!!!!

[rb4door]

its possible the escort was just performing a standard zig zag pattern infront of the convoy, it hadnt detected you, and its zig zag just coincidentally at the time meant he was headed straight for you.

I've had this happen to me before aswell when approaching to intercept a convoy. It is very un-nerving. But if you'd done it right, and got in there silent - just watch and see what he does, more than likely he will turn off at some point and start heading across the front of the convoy again at the opposite angle.

There are 2 other things that negate the above however =

a) he hadnt heard but was headed for you and has NOW heard you, or
b) he did hear you on your approach

This is what makes intercepting convoys so fun in GWX - it is like playing with fire hehe

[GoldenRivet]

What year?

might have had radar.

If it is early in the war he probably got lucky on a standard zig zag search pattern.

the lead, rear, and side escorts are known to break away and go a couple of miles away from the convoy in long zig zags hoping to catch a u-boat coming.

[ddiplock]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

What year?

might have had radar.

If it is early in the war he probably got lucky on a standard zig zag search pattern.

the lead, rear, and side escorts are known to break away and go a couple of miles away from the convoy in long zig zags hoping to catch a u-boat coming.

It was Feb 1940, and I was running on the surface at flank speed

[Kpt. Lehmann]

When you hit flank... you awoke the DD's hydrophone man...

I imagine this was followed by "BATTLESTATIONS!!!" in a matter of seconds.

Had you kept at 2 kts or less... He might not have heard you.

Editing... didn't realize you were surfaced.... brb

[Kpt. Lehmann]

You have to place yourself in the shoes of the spotter. If you are sitting still... you are less noticeable... part of the background.

Now when you kick it to flank speed and start spraying wake and wave everywhere... suddenly he sees you.

Also, your aspect angle to the spotter comes into play here. Bow or stern pointing at the spotter leaves him with less to spot... Side-on... you are much easier to spot.

Read the GWX manual: Reference to gunnery and appendix C.

I'm not just saying that to shine you on... It's really good stuff.

Convoys should be tough to crack... even in early war it shouldn't be as easy as just charging in.

[Ducimus]

ddiplock, if your playing GWX - if the weather is clear and calm, do not surface anywhere within 30KM of an enemy unit. If you have some wave action generated by 6-7kt winds or so to hide in, you should be ok. Otherwise, stay in the cellar.

[GoldenRivet]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

ddiplock, if your playing GWX - if the weather is clear and calm, do not surface anywhere within 30KM of an enemy unit. If you have some wave action generated by 6-7kt winds or so to hide in, you should be ok. Otherwise, stay in the cellar.

This is true - though i think 30 KM is a bit excessive at least for my taste... and that depends on the year.

I have closed right in on an escorted convoy to within about 800 meters of the merchants without being detected, but it was night, i was moving very slowly and it was fairly heavy seas.

You can get away with the surfaced attacks early on in the war but its not too easy. Intercept the convoy down range and be aware that these escorts will be listening for you so dont expect to sit at 25 meters depth and let the escorts pass over you then pop up to periscope depth... that didnt work in real life and it shouldnt work in the game.

If you were running at flank speed thats a dead give away, even in the default SH3.

[HunterICX]

IRL
you can see 30 KM away, so yes if you go flank speed on the surface you're crealy putting a sign above your head ''I,m Here''

[Brag]

Capt. Lehman is right,

If we can hear a ship 30 kilometers away, so can the Brits. Going flank you make a lot of noise, The moment you hear a convoy, consider they can hear you, too.

Go to silent running, reduce speed to 2 kts. Stay a periscope depth by ordering 14 meters.

Once you identified where the lead escort is, plot her position by hydrophone. Keep your scope down (in daytime) until ready to start firing.

Read "Das Buch" and the articles on convoy attack, evasion, and survival on my webbie.
Good hunting

[joea]

Originally Posted by ddiplock

Then i ran the batteries to flank and surfaced.

Running flank is risky anytime, but just to be sure, the above phrase leads me to think you started running at flank, then surfaced. Bad news mate I've been detected at 1/3 let alone anything faster. Creep like a ninja, don't charge like a samurai in full battle dress.

[Jimbuna]

As stated earlier....you've relly given the hydrophone guy a 'wake up' call by opening your throttles whilst submerged.
Work out the convoys course and steer a wide berth towards it's predicted path and lie in wait

[Crazy Ian]

What year were you in? And what was the sea state? You may have been painted on his Radar..

[ddiplock]

Started another career. lol.

I ran into a convoy in the northern approaches to the Irish Sea. There was heavy rain, heavy fog, but reletivly calm seas. I landed right in the middle of the convoy and had their searchlights trained on me.


I crash dove to 120mtrs and rigged for silent running. All the while evading the escorts and maneuvering to keep following the convoy.

The weather is still the same, and I have now surfaced. A radio contact came in reporting of a convoy directly in front of me heading away from me....the exact convoy i'd come into contact with previously.

Should I try and shadow the convoy and hope for a break in the weather? And then when i've got more sea to maneuver in, take a wide track and try to race ahead of them?

[Foghladh_mhara]

Originally Posted by ddiplock

Started another career. lol.

I ran into a convoy in the northern approaches to the Irish Sea. There was heavy rain, heavy fog, but reletivly calm seas. I landed right in the middle of the convoy and had their searchlights trained on me.


I crash dove to 120mtrs and rigged for silent running. All the while evading the escorts and maneuvering to keep following the convoy.

The weather is still the same, and I have now surfaced. A radio contact came in reporting of a convoy directly in front of me heading away from me....the exact convoy i'd come into contact with previously.

Should I try and shadow the convoy and hope for a break in the weather? And then when i've got more sea to maneuver in, take a wide track and try to race ahead of them?

I'd try to get around them now. I would normally run down whichever flank I'm expecting them to make a course change on and then dive to periscope depth every 10km or so to make sure I'm still in contact with them. Nothing worse than racing ahead and then sitting well past the predicted intercept time and then finding through another contact report that they changed course before they reached your ambush.
Of course it depends on how much room you have to start with And I dont have the patience to shadow in low TC