An operational question

[Alycidon]

Hi,

This is a question relating more to immersion (or possibly submersion) in the game and I am wondering if anyone can give me some advice, or an insight, as to how a real U Boat Commander would have acted in this situation.

So far, I've completed 3 patrols in a Type IIa boat up and down the English East Coast and have now embarked on my first patrol on a Type VIIb. It is December 1939, my orders are to proceed to, and then patrol, grid CG11, which is off the Spanish Coast.

En route to this grid (still north of Ireland) I have spotted a convoy. So far my lookouts have identified 2 destroyers and a submarine escorting at least 9 merchants. In addition, unreported but visible to me, I can see a larger warship in the middle with another 3-4 merchants (possibly more) beyond. The warship looks like a cruiser but at this point I'm not certain, in any event, it is clearly a large convoy.

My question is this, given my orders to begin my patrol well to the south, should I engage? In real life would a U Boat Commander have done so? How happy would Doenitz be with me if I sank half the convoy (which could already have another boat or boats assigned to it) but returned to base before even reaching my patrol grid due to having fired all my torpedo's?

Engage (and damn it is tempting!) or just radio a contact report?

[don1reed]

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

Targets of opportunity are always appropriate.

And, as always, if it hasn't been done yet, Welcome aboard!


cheers,

In all likelihood and situation permitting, a situation report would be sent to BdU with your recommendations and new orders or repeat of your patrol orders would probably follow. Unfortunately SH3 does not allow this sort of interaction so you're on your own. In the meantime, you cannot go far wrong by shadowing and sending off a contact report to see what the game offers up in the way of a response. If you get something like "Be More Aggressive", you have your answer.

I would disagree that a convoy represents a target of opportunity since attacking one generally takes time and fuel, there were instances (as related in Blair and others) where boats were called off convoys to perform duties that had higher priority for U-Boat Command. For a single ship, sink it, sail on and enjoy...

In December '39, there were only a handful of U-Boats at sea and although the game randomizes patrol grids rather aimlessly, the Operations Section sent boats to their objectives with specific aims in mind and to achieve certain goals. In reality they would not have sent a boat to CG11 on a whim so there would have been some goal that they expected you to accomplish there.

From an immersion standpoint, only you can judge what seems "real" for you; SH3 will never penalize you for expending your torpedoes on a convoy but real life might have had somewhat different results. Particularly if your presence in CG11 was required by some big-picture mission authorized way above your pay grade like at OKM where Doenitz' bosses ruled.

[don1reed]

I was only responding only to "game play" aka fun. And he's not going out of his way to chase a blip on a chart, he has them in sight.

cheers

[Sailor Steve]

I never thought of it before, but Randomizer is probably right. In real life the kaleun would probably call it in and await orders. The game, however, doesn't know the difference.

But for me it's a new one for my 'Die Roll' list.

[VONHARRIS]

I agree with Sailor Steve.

For the game , I would have lined up a 3 torpedo shot at the capital warship and the other one at any other target so that all torpedoes hit at the same time. Meanwhile I would have dived to 100m to escape.