First convoy engagement advice

[jwolf4]

I was notified of a convoy so I intercepted it. I took account of the ships I saw and there were 2 corvettes, 1 destroyer, and tons of cargo ships. I've never seen so many ships at once before and I need advice what to do. Should I try to take out the destroyer up front and then cargo ships? Should I just shoot at cargo ships and run? Which cargo ships are the best to destroy? I saw some new ones that are really big. Some have cranes on them. Some have stacks of barrels (it looks like).

What do you think someone should do in this situation to score as many kills as possible and make it out alive? I have 7 torpedos left up front.

Thanks

[Gargamel]

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...ghlight=bother

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...ghlight=bother

PLus numerous other threads will help you get the info you want. Also the GWX manual contains a whole section on convoy tactics.

[Pisces]

7 torpedoes isn't that much for a convoy. I'd limit myself to the big ones. Rely on the element of surprise, so don't start a fight with the destroyer or the corvettes. It's never worth risking hull damage by direct gunfire. Try to set up along the sides during the night and shoot one row at a time with 0 gyro angle. Rinse and repeat.

[Gargamel]

Originally Posted by Pisces

7 torpedoes isn't that much for a convoy. I'd limit myself to the big ones. Rely on the element of surprise, so don't start a fight with the destroyer or the corvettes. It's never worth risking hull damage by direct gunfire. Try to set up along the sides during the night and shoot one row at a time with 0 gyro angle. Rinse and repeat.

Well, excluding the stern tubes, if you ever get to use anything more than 4, they're doing something wrong. You don't get a chance to reload in fire again in a convoy battle. At least in that iteration.

You can attack the escorts, but ONLY if doing so gives you a huge advantage. If theres one, maybe a second escort, and taking them allows you to attack the convoy with your deck gun, then go for it. But don't miss. Even a single pissed off escort will ruin your day. Better to wait and ambush the prime targets in a convoy.

[Fish In The Water]

Originally Posted by Pisces

7 torpedoes isn't that much for a convoy. I'd limit myself to the big ones. Rely on the element of surprise, so don't start a fight with the destroyer or the corvettes. It's never worth risking hull damage by direct gunfire. Try to set up along the sides during the night and shoot one row at a time with 0 gyro angle. Rinse and repeat.

Good advice...

Determine the convoys' route, skirt around the perimeter and lay in the weeds along their projected path. Let them run over top of you and then feast on the largest ships near the middle of the formation.

The advantage here is you can use the convoy (i.e. traffic and wake streams) as cover and make it trickier for the escorts to get a good fix. Happy hunting!

[desirableroasted]

1) Don't be greedy. The beauty of a convoy is that you can go after single targets several times over several days --don't be tempted to take several down at once. Pick one target each approach and concentrate; forget the rest.

2) Stop doing that 90AOB impact shot 700meters Academy stuff. Use your magnetics. Yes, once in a while, one will go off early. But your bang for the buck is still better.

3) Dive. Don't wait around for the impact. If you are on the surface, or periscope depth, when your target is hit, you really can't complain if you are sunk later.

Good hunting!

[Pisces]

Originally Posted by desirableroasted

1) Don't be greedy. The beauty of a convoy is that you can go after single targets several times over several days --don't be tempted to take several down at once. Pick one target each approach and concentrate; forget the rest.

He's not kidding here!!! Do not underestimate the stress-level you're in. More than one, or maybe two in the same row, and you'll start to notice the limit of your brain's ability to do it right under stress. Greed kills!!! ... or at best wastes torpedoes.

[jwolf4]

Thanks for your replies. I will try my best at this convoy later tonight after work. Let me add some more details to this situation.

It's 12 noon. The sun is high and the day is bright.

Waters are fairly calm.

My torpedoes are the early propelled kind. The year is 1939.

Does this change anything that you advised? Should I follow the convoy until night fall?

[sharkbit]

Originally Posted by desirableroasted

1) 3) Dive. Don't wait around for the impact. If you are on the surface, or periscope depth, when your target is hit, you really can't complain if you are sunk later.

Early war, pre-radar, I have to disagree with this. Attack at night on the surface with decks awash, stay on the surface to evade after you let loose your eels. Don't ring up flank or full until after the eels start hitting and then pour the coals on, but only if you need to. By diving, you give up way to much mobility and flexibility. You totally lose the initiative.
One of the most satisfying moments you will have in this game is when you launch a sucessful night surface attack, your eels hit, and you are still on the surface watching the escorts searchlights and starshells off in the distance and they have no clue where you are while you are repositioning for a second surface attack.
Remember....Be More Agressive!

Now, if you make a submerged daylight attack, diving and getting the hell out of there before the eels hit is a wise choice of action. The escorts will be heading your way after the eels hit and the deeper you are and the further away. You are too slow to get too far away.

Later in the war when radar is prevalent and improved sonar is on the horizon and improved weapons(like hedgehogs <shudder>) start appearing, surface attacks become extremely difficult, if not impossible. Daylight submerged attacks become the lesser of the evils. Then the fire and dive to evade thing becomes even more important.

[sharkbit]

Originally Posted by jwolf4

Thanks for your replies. I will try my best at this convoy later tonight after work. Let me add some more details to this situation.

It's 12 noon. The sun is high and the day is bright.

Waters are fairly calm.

My torpedoes are the early propelled kind. The year is 1939.

Does this change anything that you advised? Should I follow the convoy until night fall?

Escorts?

A lot depends on your position. If you are ahead of the convoy on their track, a daylight submerged attack will work. Just be careful slipping past the lead escort, if any. After you attack, drop back, reload, and work your way around again to a favorable position.

If you are out of position, get just out of visual range and do the classic end around. Then attack from ahead from on the surface or submerged, depending on the time and visibility.

Rememeer a couple of things:
1. Patience.
2. Anybody can shoot torpedoes to hit. The hard part is getting in front of your target in good position to shoot.
3. Patience.

[desirableroasted]

Originally Posted by jwolf4

Thanks for your replies. I will try my best at this convoy later tonight after work. Let me add some more details to this situation.

It's 12 noon. The sun is high and the day is bright.

Waters are fairly calm.

My torpedoes are the early propelled kind. The year is 1939.

Does this change anything that you advised? Should I follow the convoy until night fall?

If you have never attacked a convoy before, I would certainly wait until night. Clear skies and calm seas do not add up to good weather in the game.

If you have T1 torpedoes, they will leave a steam trail. Merchants do not notice this (cue Gargamel), but the escorts might -- and if they do, all merchants start zig-zagging. I wouldn't worry too much, just don't send one right across an escort's path.

With calm seas, you are in the lucky position of being able to disable a merchant with your torpedo, letting the convoy move on, and finishing her off with the deck gun.

[Gargamel]

Originally Posted by desirableroasted

If you have T1 torpedoes, they will leave a steam trail. Merchants do not notice this (cue Gargamel), .

In best David Attenborough voice:

"Merchants in the wild are a stupid and cattle like creature. While they have never been observed exhibiting this behavior in the wild, merchants that have been bred in captivity have been known, on occasion, to be actually become aware of predatory threats, and react accordingly. In the wild, only the keen and alert watchfulness of their symbiotic life partner, painindassus destroyus, has ever been observed alerting the merchants to the presence of a threat. These nimble and aggressive shepherds of the marine world quickly pounce on any perceived threat."

[jwolf4]

It took some restarts and saves, but I did it. I felt like I was cheating a bit with all the redos but it was so awesome. Here's what I did:

At ~12:00 I fired my only Type IIIGe torpedo at the destroyer escort up front. One torpedo sunk it. I then hurried more so ahead of the convoy so that when they finally came across me again, it was ~19:00 and dark. I fired 2 torpedoes at a C2 Cargo and a T2 Tanker in the front line. Sunk em both. (I think one torpedo may have sufficed for each, but it may just be a random probability) I was out of front torpedoes, so I cut across in front of the convoy and was greeted by a Flower Corvette. It followed me so I blew it up, firing a stern torpedo at 900m and closing. Then I surfaced an started engaging ships with my deck gun until the other Corvette came over from the other side of the convoy. I duked it out with it and was only hit twice I think. Anyways I sunk it and I think that was the most fun. Going head to head on the surface exchanging lead. My deck crew was very good though. I then emptied my ammo holds on the defenseless ships until I realized I had one more stern torpedo left. I lined up and fired away but didn't sink the ship I aimed at. In the end I sunk 3 warships and 8/16 of the merchants. One of which was a Tanker. I've never seen ships carrying trucks, tanks, and planes before. But I sunk some. It was a good night.

Are tankers better to sink than cargo ships? Some ships appeared orange on my map. What does that mean? Thanks for all your advice. I learned a lot.

[Gargamel]

No idea what orange is... never seen it before. It thought it was just red/green/blue/grey.

Anyways, I play with those colors turned off so I have to manually identify the nationality of each ship.

Now go install one of the super mods and see what happens when you try that approach tactic. . Or are you Missing Name?

Very good.

Now try the same attack with 100% realism.
Map contacts Off (Nothing on the sea chart but you).
And Manual Targetting.

I'de be willing to bet that the results will look much different.