Zaunkoenig tactics

[gordonmull]

I've been playing this game since it came out and never really made it past 1942 since I kept on playing DID. Now I'm throwing realism to the wind, taking a leaf out of WeiBpinguin's book and going for a XXI in '39.

If anyone has some experience of using zaunkoenig's I'd like to hear their tuppence. I attacked a cvy the first time out and had 6 ZK's on the boot. I took out one escort and crippled another. I had one Zk left for the last and missed. So that's a 2/6 hit rate.

Anyone had better results?

[Lt.Fillipidis]

Actually there are some requirements to effectively use those torps.
The first one is that the target ship is moving faster than 10knots.
You can also use a Zaunkoening to slower ships but you have to aim somewhat carefully so the torp will pass near the ship and lock to the sound.

The second is that you must allow the torp to run at least meters so it can arm and lock to the nearest, loudest sound.

Just remember to treat those torps like normal TIII ones if the target is sailing to less than 6knots. With the exception that the Zaunkoening will lock on when they're about 300m away.

[Weiss Pinguin]

It's catching on! Soon we shall have nuclear-powered Type II's cruising around the atlantic

The Zaunkonig is a very useful weapon, but it has its limitations. It's far easier to use in hydrophone-only attacks, although a good solution is necessary to point it in the right direction. Remember, it's not a modern 'fire and forget' weapon.

BTW, I'd recommend downgrading from the Zaunkonig II to the Zaunkonig I/Falke, as the later model is just too efficient for 1939.

Oh, also, be sure to cut down on noise levels as much as possible to ensure your shiny new acoustic torpedo doesn't come knocking on your door.

[Lt.Fillipidis]

Speaking of personal experience, i always kept my precautions but on some suicidal-mood moments i just had my boat running at full speed and reloading at the same time. I made more noise than a whole battleship task force but the torp never came back on me.
Only on shallow waters i have problems, where the torps just come back, even at silent running...

[bigboywooly]

[Weiss Pinguin]

That won't end well

[Faamecanic]

Daaammmmmnnn Wooly.... not just one but TWO came back at you. Lucky you survived.

My guess is the next order was "RIG FOR SILENT RUNNING!!!"

[gordonmull]

__________________

Arrgh!!!

My new shiny elektrobboot is not dying like that!!!!

Think I see where I've been going wrong here, then. Need to wait until they're moving fast and still get a decent solution. I was just launching in the general direction at 5m and hoping for kaboom!

It's catching on! Soon we shall have nuclear-powered Type II's cruising around the atlantic

Hmmm...Oh yes!!

[gordonmull]

My guess is the next order was "RIG FOR SILENT RUNNING!!!"

Nearly "BLOW BALLAST, PREPARE TO ABANDON SHIP!"

Flipping heck I'm being careful with these.

[Weiss Pinguin]

With great capability comes great responsibility.

You don't necessarily need the target traveling at a certain RPM, but it certainly helps. If you can launch the torpedo close enough, the hydrophones will pick up the noise from the target and will home in as well as it can. If it can't acquire the target, then a good solution will raise the chances of it scoring a hit anyways.

Also, if you can't identify a contact (Say you're submerged at 40 meters), and consequently don't know the depth of the target's keel, setting the torpedoes to run at 1 meter will prevent them from bouncing off the curved sides of an enemy ship. (Or, somewhat rarely, its propeller ) In that case, two or more torpedoes may be necessary, although two usually does it for me.

[gordonmull]

My basic plan is to use the ZKs to relieve the escorts from duty before absolutely ripping the cvy to bits, so I'm not worrying about keel depths. Just set to 5m and kill is the idea. Thinking maybe down the throat shots might be the order of the day...
Man, I almost feel an evil laugh coming on!

[Balle Klorin]

There's only one problem with this torpedo, namely the speed. It's slow, very slow.

But I guess the listening part of it can't cope with higher speed, and a small adjustment of tactics takes care of the problem.

I have a XXI skipper with 39 missions now, it's january 42 and he's got 2.8 mill tons on the scoreboard :rotfl:

Allways move in behind the convoy, check out the fat targets and launch torps from 800-1200m.

But I can't seem to get a one shot kill on those pesky old Clemson destroyers, not once. All the rest dies to a King up theire ass, but not the Clemson.

[Puster Bill]

Originally Posted by Weiß Pinguin

It's catching on! Soon we shall have nuclear-powered Type II's cruising around the atlantic

Having a Type XXI or XXIII in 1939 isn't out of the question. The technology was there to build subs with comparable performance.

The British built 12 R Class subs in 1918 or so. They had a submerged speed of 14 knots, a bit slower than a Type XXI but faster than a Type XXIII. The technology needed to build a submarine with the submerged performance of a Type XXI was readily available in the 1930's. It was doctrine and inertia that prevented it from being implemented earlier.

Kriegsmarine doctrine, formulated by Doenitz himself, was that the preferred attack mode of submarines was a night surface attack, and that submerging was a way to escape, or for the occasional daylight attack. Therefore, performance while surfaced was emphasized.

Likewise, design inertia was also in play: The engineers that built U-boats in WWI basically designed the boats used through most of WWII as evolutionary improvements over their previous designs, instead of starting from scratch with different assumptions.

So starting with a Type XXI in 1939 is an interesting "what if" kind of thing that could have happened, if not for a lack of imagination on the part of the Germans. I'd ditch the homing torpedos, though.

[Weiss Pinguin]

Yeah, I've swapped out my Zaunkonig II's for several Falke's and TII electrics. That should make things more interesting. :hmm:


But I think next I really will try out a nuclear-powered Canoe-boat.

[Pvt. Public]

Originally Posted by bigboywooly

img:OH GOD THEY TURNED BACK

i had something like this happen in SH4 while in a type 9, i had just fired on a convoy sinking a tanker when the nearest escort picked up my position and came my way. so i dove deep and went silent hoping i could find a thermal and leave him dropping barrels on ghosts. it didnt work, so i came shallow enough to fire a torpedo. i shot off a T11 from the aft tube that ended up passing well off its bow when it made a hard turn. so turned hard diving at flank with the destroyer making its merry way over top my head when i notice the torpedo somehow locked onto me! i cut engine power and went silent hoping i would be deep enough to not trigger the magnet. it passed over my head in a path straight into the destroyer after it had run full speed past me. hit the escort right in the rear and sunk it. none of the other escorts bothered me :rotfl: