Attacking a Convoy Tip please

[Thilo]

I just experianced my first career convoy (yea sorry I know) and here what I did: I set a intercept coarse to the convoy while trying to achieve a good 90 degree angle on them. Seas were kinda heavy with light fog so I thought I'd try and get in close before going to PD. Dumb idea becuase a black swan spotted me and when I saw him coming torwards me I dove to 120 and started doing evasive manuevers. 10 min later my boat goes down with all hands lost What could I do better next time?

[kiwi_2005]

What year was it? early yrs you can pretty much attack on the surface providing its dark that is. Otherwise try to get in front of the convoy with them just in site as your speeding ahead to your course - keeping an eye on the escorts, be just out of there range so they dont detect you. Then once your in position lay in wait like a wolf ready to pounce!

[Thilo]

year was 1940

[MobyGrape]

"Press the Attack."

Think you were unlucky 1940..destroyers weren't to good..tho in my first 2 career campaigns with greywolves mod..I was sunk in my 2 and 3rd missions..I was surprised at the new damage model..excuses..
When attacking a convoy i like to approach from there sides..unless i can get in early and fairly deep,and remain patient and very quite.. right in their path.i love storms and night attacks..helps to hide periscope from radar..I think also sonar should have a little more trouble detecting you..The main key is don't get seem or heard, have your repair crew refreshed and ready, get repair qualified Petty officers asap especially a officer..I also like to have my best sonar man reporting nearest warship when at periscope debth, and setting my shots on merchies.
i am now in my 3rd career, 13 mission 250k at present..good luck..

[Qairyl]

Convoys are pretty much the bane of my existence. Whenever I attack them, no matter what I do, the destroyers always know exactly where I am at all times, stormy or not, even in the dead of night. Complete with anti-sonar coatings and dummies. It's for that reason that I never touch a convoy 40-nm stick unless it's a small one in 39-40.

-Qairyl

[P_Funk]

One of SH3's big drawbacks is that the way that escorts detect your boat isn't as accurate to historical standards and there isn't much that the modders can do without a dev released tool. So its not very easy to do what Kretchmer did, zipping in and out of convoys though getting close can be done, however it does require about as much attention to your position as the real kaleuns needed. Just keep plodding on. The benefits of being an armchair Kaleun is that there's always next time.

[andy_311]

Have you tried attacking from the front? .Track the convoy just out of range get to about 25-30km and then try and place your boat dead centre to the approching convoy,go to pd and head towards the convoy at about 2knts.
I normally take out the lead escort out just in case I mess thing up and you have then 1 less escort to worry about.

[bigboywooly]

I like to sit out in front about 6km and get a good heading for convoy - unless there are anyescorts sweeping out front - then sit at PD and aim to get myself on a 90 AOB between two columns
That way I get a good bow and stern shot off at a good angle before they all start moving about after the hits
Good thing is as long as they dont move too much you are still in a good position to take out the 2nd ship in both columns with another bow and stern shot
If the first ships you hit slow down its even better as the following ships in the column slow also making them easier to hit
And of course as your in the middle of the convoy is harder for the escorts to find you - they are normally looking to the flanks - and easier to get away by diving under the convoy
You just have to be quiet - stay on slow speed so the ships dont detect you
And if the weathers bad so much the better

[grottewoord]

I'm on my 10th patrol (August 1940) in a VIIB for 1st flotilla (I got a transfer from 7th because I was tired of the long winding way from Kiel) and I've had contact with 7 or 8 convoys so far, several times 2 of them on the same patrol. Now I go to AM51 or 52 and I wait for them to appear.

Recently I've attacked convoys beginning with escorts and always at night. I have observed that although they go often snaking before or around the convoy, sometimes they take long winding excursions 5-7 km away from it. When they return they do it always following a straight course. This is the moment to catch them!

When I sink an escort another comes usually to see what's the matter on a straight fast course, so it's easy to get it too.

When I'm done with the 2-3 escorts (this may take some time) and it's dark enough I surface and sink the ships with the deck gun to spare torpedoes. If I use all the ammo I resort to torpedoes then.

Once I found a troop transport that began shooting at my U-boot! I submerged and sunk it with just 1 torpedo so I could surface and finish with the rest of ships. I'm just annoyed when there are neutral ships in the convoy because I must be careful no to get negative renown points.

[bigboywooly]

Originally Posted by grottewoord

I'm on my 10th patrol (August 1940) in a VIIB for 1st flotilla (I got a transfer from 7th because I was tired of the long winding way from Kiel) and I've had contact with 7 or 8 convoys so far, several times 2 of them on the same patrol. Now I go to AM51 or 52 and I wait for them to appear.

Recently I've attacked convoys beginning with escorts and always at night. I have observed that although they go often snaking before or around the convoy, sometimes they take long winding excursions 5-7 km away from it. When they return they do it always following a straight course. This is the moment to catch them!

When I sink an escort another comes usually to see what's the matter on a straight fast course, so it's easy to get it too.

When I'm done with the 2-3 escorts (this may take some time) and it's dark enough I surface and sink the ships with the deck gun to spare torpedoes. If I use all the ammo I resort to torpedoes then.

Once I found a troop transport that began shooting at my U-boot! I submerged and sunk it with just 1 torpedo so I could surface and finish with the rest of ships. I'm just annoyed when there are neutral ships in the convoy because I must be careful no to get negative renown points.

Well with Anvarts lighted ships any that you do find in a convoy ( which there shouldnt be ) are lit up
IIRC uboat orders were if a neutral ship was in an armed convoy it was fair game for sinking

[tbarak]

I haven't read all the other replies so apologies if I repeat.

I'm not insinuating anything, but, there are many posts on these forums with great tactics on how to attack convoys. If you want a good account search these and I'm sure you'll find all the information that a new Kaleun needs. There are also tutorials and there's a sticky up top on the forums with instructions. You may have not known about these so there it is.

A couple of quick tips:

1. Don't be afraid to sink the DEs. They're worth nothing in terms of tonnage and renown, but if one is rushing at you, sinking them makes your job on the convoy easier. You can either shoot straight ahead or turn so your stern is facing him. Keep your periscope up to present an inviting target. Ready your fish to magnetic trigger set about 1 - 2 metres deeper than his keel. Wait until he's close, like 700 - 500 metres, then let loose. Electric fish work best since they don't leave a wake. 99% of the time you'll sink them with one shot. Then you can return to the convoy.

2. Attack at night and/or in bad weather. Best is when you have radar and the visibility is at 500 metres. Although these conditions make it hard, you can actually get inside the convoy and do massive damage. Don't get greedy though, attack, break off, and return. This takes some skill and nerves of steel since collisions are a hazard.

3. I shoot at tankers only, usually T3s, so I bee-line it to them first. Shoot and dive. If you wound the tanker you can submerge and steam directly under it. The DEs will circle but they won't be able to touch you. In time they'll leave and you can finish the tanker at your leisure.

4. Get way ahead of the convoy and submerge right in their path. Shut everything off and stay quiet. As the convoy passes over head, pop up behind them and let loose with the acoustic homing eels. They're pretty cool and I've seen them do full circles then race toward the propellers of enemy ships. The ships have to be going at least 12 knots but I've seen the eels home in on slower vessels. Point is you can shoot them from far away without having to aim them precisely, and although they don't always destroy the ships, very often they'll destroy their props. Mark their position on the map and keep after the convoy. You can later return and polish off the wounded one.

5. When setting up, only break the surface with your periscope intermittently. Don't just leave it up. I've found that's one of the best ways to attract DEs.

[Thilo]

Thats nice and all tbarak but with NYGM you just can't sit submerged without moving because ovr time you will sink lower and lower into the water.

[tbarak]

You being a new guy and all, I wrongly assumed you were running the vanilla version. Well you still have nice advise in that response.

[NIGHTFIGHTER]

Well Thilo, ive joined your club , yes i met my first convoy, i was on the surface and when the searchlight hit me it was the first i knew i was in deep trouble with the cry "weve been spoted sir"( boy was that an understatement!!!) the frigate had a sixth sence, i did manage to sink two of the convoy, then with a resounding BING!!! and 4 splashs my sub went into a death dive and yes that was the end of U-47 having completed only 3 missions. OH HUM

[tycho102]

I have never conducted a surface attack against a convoy. That, to me, flat out gives up one of the main strengths of having a sub in the first place. With regards to SH3, I am completely against convoy surface attacks under any conditions.

The "dead stick" approach works really outstanding all the way up through 1942. Starting in 1943, you'll have to modify it a bit to be able to use it, but it's still a sound tactic (at least as far as the SH3 model goes). You can cruise at 1knot, and as far as I can tell, you don't make any appreciable noise over a full stop.


Tiptoe in, tiptoe out. Like a cat one would say.
Run an end-around, and tiptoe right back in and out. It's completely possible to hit a convoy twice per day, and if you're a bit lunacidal about it, three times.