Would someone try this?

[commandosolo2009]

Hello skippers,

Hell of a title up there, yeah.. Well, thing is, I wanted to help new guys and of course those unfortunate enough to have a standard attack plan, which will help them in the IJN busting service. This is for people still wondering what to do by the time a hydrophone contact is heard, or more importantly, when a HVT is caught up on the line.

A



B



C



D



E



F



G

So, there are a few points extra for me to add:

Operating range: under 35 km

Timing: Track morning and evening, attack at night around midnight, bad weather helps, also, keep your crew up at all times.

Course: Start with 30 degree away (diverging) and close in 2 degree increments every 10 minutes, rinse and repeat as necessary, this should put you ahead by 2 hours if you floor it.

Special Precaution: DoNOT radio in contact report. This is the very thing those tin cans are after. Alot of good music to follow ULTRA's "Redirect assets, break contact and rtb". Dont get an itch, in real life there would've been a pack, but in this game, pack-et of cigs is what you'll need.

And please, spare me mr. obvious comments. Happy hunting.

[Nangleator]

I don't understand the consecutive, abortive 90° approaches.

I use my first couple contacts to determine general course, draw out a long line, do the end around as an L-shape, and wait to hear them come. At that point, I re-estimate their course and put myself on the correct point of attack, as at the end of your end-around.

[commandosolo2009]

Originally Posted by Nangleator

I don't understand the consecutive, abortive 90° approaches.

I use my first couple contacts to determine general course, draw out a long line, do the end around as an L-shape, and wait to hear them come. At that point, I re-estimate their course and put myself on the correct point of attack, as at the end of your end-around.

Its not a perfect 90 as you would think. This only reflects the general course, but if I plot it as a line converging on the convoy would be against what I intended, besides, the L would put you on either too ahead or too behind if they zig. this ensures that the course is covered if they zig. Also, in case you were detected, you may break off easily... And not to mention presenting broadside to enemy sonar gives them better chance of detecting you. Maybe I'm too imaginative?

[Armistead]

I'm also an L type as far as plotting, I intend to be far ahead waiting, not slowly chasing. If they zig, I have the option of turning towards the zig, not being hung out on the wrong flank should they not zig towards me. The L has never put me to where I couldn't react to a zig, worse case they turn totally around, so you just start over. Being in front you have a much better chance to react.

The issue for those that use harder mods is this type of approach doesn't really work. They can see, hear and radar is very effective at long range, trying to flare in from a flank would get you caught.

Now, once I'm in front, dived or night surface, I will helm as needed to keep a narrow profile towards the nearest escort. Once past escorts, I may be somewhere between 45/90 degrees, but I never attempt to set up such attacks from the start, by drawing lines and putting myself on a fixed course to shoot an attack by the wire. Almost always it leaves your flank exposed and you'll get pinged. I find the only way to defeat TMO's escort is to deal with each escort, always turning towards to keep a narrow profile, with cams off, by watching sonar, trying to pop up in the middle of a convoy shooting at close range.

[commandosolo2009]

Originally Posted by Armistead

I'm also an L type as far as plotting, I intend to be far ahead waiting, not slowly chasing. If they zig, I have the option of turning towards the zig, not being hung out on the wrong flank should they not zig towards me. The L has never put me to where I couldn't react to a zig, worse case they turn totally around, so you just start over. Being in front you have a much better chance to react.

The issue for those that use harder mods is this type of approach doesn't really work. They can see, hear and radar is very effective at long range, trying to flare in from a flank would get you caught.

Now, once I'm in front, dived or night surface, I will helm as needed to keep a narrow profile towards the nearest escort. Once past escorts, I may be somewhere between 45/90 degrees, but I never attempt to set up such attacks from the start, by drawing lines and putting myself on a fixed course to shoot an attack by the wire. Almost always it leaves your flank exposed and you'll get pinged. I find the only way to defeat TMO's escort is to deal with each escort, always turning towards to keep a narrow profile, with cams off, by watching sonar, trying to pop up in the middle of a convoy shooting at close range.

well, it seems that we agree about shadowing convoys. I guess the game doesnt allow one to estimate course based on port calls as did some skippers. In reading clear the bridge, o'kanes first patrol, he actually shadowed a convoy which zigged but he knew they were bound to Saipan. If only they did it in game...


Anyways an L is not different from continuous approach, but the aspect presented to sonar maybe less in the method I thought of. I'll try modifying the attack with an L and see how it goes. But skippers, please try it my way and give feedback.

[Bilge_Rat]

It is a sensible tactic, basically what I use as well.

On convoy zigzagging, if you use RSRDC, all convoys zigzag and vary speeds. If you are spotted, the merchants will also zig away from your position, but will eventually return to the base course.

You may have to track the convoy over a long period to establish its true base course. I do this by gathering as much info as possible: initial spotting report (if any), radar, sonar and visual reports, all the while plotting all the estimated ranges and directions on the map. Much easier to figure out what is going on when everything is marked out on the map, even if you are just using guesstimates.

[Armistead]

Originally Posted by commandosolo2009

well, it seems that we agree about shadowing convoys. I guess the game doesnt allow one to estimate course based on port calls as did some skippers. In reading clear the bridge, o'kanes first patrol, he actually shadowed a convoy which zigged but he knew they were bound to Saipan. If only they did it in game...


Anyways an L is not different from continuous approach, but the aspect presented to sonar maybe less in the method I thought of. I'll try modifying the attack with an L and see how it goes. But skippers, please try it my way and give feedback.

That's the good thing about RSRD, often you can guess what port they're headed towards. Always he has them headed somewhere, usually a port in the general direction they're headed. If the group is capital ships, not headed for battle, usually they're headed where warships docked in the war. Course the hard thing is when they have a few choices, so you pick one. With convoys you can guess the same, but obvious more places they will port.

I recently caught a TF headed SE 100 nms from the Bungo. It was a Yamato TF. Why plotting it I picked up a seperate TF on sonar. I was in the middle of both. I could barely see carriers in the other. I took on the Yamato first, but long battle, took all night, 3 end arounds. By the time I had sunk it, the other TF long gone out of my contact zone. I figured it had to be headed towards Saipan or Truk, so I went that way flank. I finally caught it about 100nms headed to Truk two days later. By the time I got in front of it, it was almost pulling into Truk's SW entry. Got one attack off and hit it with 6. By then it pulled into the shallow entry. I figured it would despawn, but I chased it in barely able to stay at scope depth and shot M14's at it's butt from 4000 yards, it was going slow. Got a few hits in it's butt. It finally turned and I let loose my remaining 4. Why they were on the way, it despawned...