Night surface attacks

[Javigato]

I am playing SH3 plus patches. One question, has any one tried night time surface attacks on convoys ala Silent Otto? I am wondering how realistic the game is in regards to this. I fear that the escorts are pretty good and will detect me if I am in the surface (including early in the war, 39-41). I just don't think I can sneak into the lanes of a convoy in the surface without being detected... haven't tried yet though... what say you?

[Hitman]

I think that in the stock game you can't do that unless visibility conditions are really really bad, but I have not played the stock game a along ago:hmm:

Yes,that's possible,but only in years 1939- Mid 1941,and only against convoys guarded by slow escorts (Armed Trowlers,Flower Corvettes).After Mid 1941 expect fierce resistance from already armed cargo ships-they are armed like warships,with cannon towers.

[maillemaker]

I've never seen the use of a surface attack, day or night, against any ship when there are armed escorts.

Why risk blowing a great convoy setup by having your cover blown? It's hard enough to move into a good strike position when you are hidden! Or worse, fire your torpedo and then be spotted, causing your targets to start zig-zagging and your torpedo to miss.

Sure, you have better speed and maneuverability on the surface, but if you've made a good approach, what good is it? With a good approach, you've got 4 or 5 torpedoes and then you get to cool your heels while they reload - you might as well be submerged then anyway.

I make every attack approach submerged, unless it's an unarmed ship with seas calm enough for the deck gun.

Main principle there is actually to overrun tail or lead escort,so you must compare your,convoy's and escort's courses.If there's a "gap" between positions,there is a chance for a surface attack.But,this is more an exception than a rule in game.

[Brag]

In stock escorts have X ray vision. Not worth bothering with surface attacks

This is my recipe,if you want to attack on surface.Approach and maneuver to zero gyro angle surfaced,launch 2 fishes from approx. 2200m and submerge immediately after launch.You will be 100 percent stealthy with guaranteed kill.

Maillemaker,are there any unarmed ships after mid 1941?They are all armed,as far as I have seen.

[KeptinCranky]

convoy surface attacks can work,
I've done it in GWX as late as december 1940 I did the same sort of approach I normally do, go in from one of the forward corners, keep an eye on the nearest escorts, usually the lead and 1 of the flankers, you can start your run when the lead escort moves away from you on a sweep in front of the convoy, Ideally you should also have the flank escort moving away from the convoy in one of its periodic sweeps. if there's more than one flanking escort, don't try it'll give you 3 escorts to keep track of...that's real tough

Important note, I never try this in anything less than light fog, overcast, no moon and at least 7meters/sec of windspeed also do not use any sort of timecompression, you wont have enough response time

go in at 4 to 6 knts, decks awash, once you're in a position about 4km away from the flank escort, which ideally should be around your 120 to 180 position (and he hasn't detected you (obviously)) and about 2.5km away from the lead merchant start picking your targets, ignore the lead escort he should be well away by now...

fire at your targets and then make a sharp turn towards the rear of the convoy, go parallel to the convoy and increase speed, lots! you want to be at least 2km away from the point you fired at, ideally it should be 5km or more, if you succeed in getting this far, head away from the convoy and also away from the nearest escorts, still decks awash and about 8knts

once your torpedoes hit the nearest 1 or 2 escorts to the impact point will immediately head towards the firing point, ideally they are now moving away from your sub so you can just sort of sneak away, do not get caught in a searchlight or you're toast. If at any point the escort looks like coming closer than 4km try to match his speed and keep a narrow profile towards him

if detected at any point I'd suggest crash-diving, turning into and under the convoy and getting religious real quick

also I've never tried this when I've detected any sort of warship in the middle of the convoy on hydrophones, these are usually some sort of cruiser or possibly worse, even a humble auxiliary cruiser packs enough punch to ruin your entire day in one salvo

so yes, it can be done, it's bad for the nerves, I had to pause the game afterwards and step outside for a quiet smoke and cooldown but what a rush

Good luck mate

[Frenssen]

KeptinCranky`s doctrine is very similar to mine and it works like a charm.

[ReallyDedPoet]

Originally Posted by Hitman

I think that in the stock game you can't do that unless visibility conditions are really really bad, but I have not played the stock game a along ago:hmm:

Same here for stock . It would be like journeying into the abyss

RDP

[KeptinCranky]

woops, did I forget to mention I'm using GWX

In stock you can still do night surface attacks on lone merchants, just don't get too close say 2km max

Never done a night surface attack on a convoy in stock, now I'm sorta glad I didn't

[maillemaker]

Maillemaker,are there any unarmed ships after mid 1941?They are all armed,as far as I have seen.

I think you may be right. Once I got far enough along to see armed merchants I don't think I ever came across one that wasn't armed.