Convoys are too large

[daft]

One of the things I'd like to see modded is the size and composition of convoys. They are unrealistically large and almost always have DD's as escorts. Early in the war I'd like to see smaller convoys of up to three merchants escorted by 1-3 warships (PC's, and if possible DC-equipped merchants, should be way more frequent than in the stock version). Combined with a lessening of Japanese merchant traffic this game would be that much closer to perfection.

[Thilo]

Originally Posted by daft

One of the things I'd like to see modded is the size and composition of convoys. They are unrealistically large and almost always have DD's as escorts. Early in the war I'd like to see smaller convoys of up to three merchants escorted by 1-3 warships (PC's, and if possible DC-equipped merchants, should be way more frequent than in the stock version). Combined with a lessening of Japanese merchant traffic this game would be that much closer to perfection.

DC equipped merchants? would merchants trying to get get to their destination stop halfway to do a few circles trying to depth charge a submarine??

[daft]

Originally Posted by Thilo

DC equipped merchants? would merchants trying to get get to their destination stop halfway to do a few circles trying to depth charge a submarine??

The Japanese used merchant type ships as stop gap escorts at times. Some even had the capability to drop DC's on detected submarines in order to keep them down while the rest of the convoy escaped.

[Thilo]

Originally Posted by daft

The Japanese used merchant type ships as stop gap escorts at times. Some even had the capability to drop DC's on detected submarines in order to keep them down while the rest of the convoy escaped.

So they would be ESCORTS not the cargo carrying merchants themselves carrying depth charges.

[daft]

Originally Posted by Thilo

So they would be ESCORTS not the cargo carrying merchants themselves carrying depth charges.

Exactly, that's what I meant.

[-Pv-]

After playing for a while a patrolling various regions, you will discover a greater variety of convoy. They are not all large and heavily escorted. I've seen some with no escorts at all.
-Pv-

[daft]

Originally Posted by -Pv-

After playing for a while a patrolling various regions, you will discover a greater variety of convoy. They are not all large and heavily escorted. I've seen some with no escorts at all.
-Pv-

I've been in pretty much every place that the US submarine service conducts war patrols, and most of the time I either find large convoys with a few DD's or a pair of unescorted merchs. Never anything in between. I don't think I've ever encountered a small convoy of say three merchs escorted by one or two PC's for example.

[nattydread]

Some merchants were like US Q-ahips, in fact the japanese purchased some US Q-ships between wars. Ive read of one report of a merchant avoiding a US sub's torp shot, run down the wakes and as the sub dived it recieved a small, but close depth charging. The skipper deduced that the merchant had dropped the charges since their were no other vessels in the area and there was no aircraft spotted.

The idea of having DCs on a merchant isnt totally unreasonable, perhaps not very effective, but who cares how effective it really is if it can possibly get you home alive...no matter how unlikly.

You figure a small convoy with one merchant with DCs could at the very least hope to send that merchant at flank speed toward the firing point of the submerged sub and drop a small spread of DCs in an attempt to force the sub down and out of firing position. If your really desperate the merchant can just drop DCs blindly at the first sign of sub attack. Considering the sub will likly be within 1000yds of the convoy, the relativly close proximityt of the DC explosions would likly be enough to bluff the sub into thinking it had been found and trick it into disengaging and diving...even if its only temporary.

[Horst Mikaelis]

I started my first career in December '41. It's now November '42. Most of the ships I've encountered have been either lone or sets (2-3) of merchants without escorts. I even sank a lone troopship in the Marianas.

I think as lot has to do with where you're patrolling. Off the Japanese coast I did see mostly escorted convoys. But in the Carolines and Marianas the escorts are often non-existent.

Horst

[tater]

That's because there is almost no traffic at all in the Marshalls.