NYGM wolfpack attack

[John Pancoast]

I'm very late to the sh3 game, but not sub sims. Hats off to NYGM for getting these into the game. Don't have much interest in it without.
Quick report on one I'm in.

1940.
Intercepted a reported convoy at 1350, sent a contact report, told to shadow/report.
Do this on the hour until 0140, when I get the report "Pack is assembled, expect attack tonight..", etc.
Does that mean wait more, or should I attack ? It's been hard not to attack, shadowing this convoy all night; partly cloudy, lots of stars, light sea mist, 12m/s wind. Quick google tells me this message means I'm clear to attack. Only a twelve hour shadow, so not bad at all I don't think.
It's 2 am; I'm not waiting until the sun starts to come up/any ai attacks.
Escort only 3k away, bearing 180 degrees, but he's 90 degrees to my stern, with his bow pointed east (I'm heading north), so he hasn't found me yet. Had me worried as this escort had been trailing the convoy until this. But he came out of his original track at normal speed, so that was a good sign. He went from a 180 degree bearing on the convoy to an approx. 100 degree bearing. I was about 80.
Turn my bow to 315 bearing and start the attack. I'll have to go to standard to get into range (4.5 k out from nearest ship) before the convoy gets to far north, as I'm on their starboard beam. Wanted to stay off their starboard quarter, but the leading escort was a little close for my liking there. Probably could have in hindsight.
Get within 3k of the convoy, and that's as close as I'm going to get before they're gone. Longer than I care for, ok but not perfect solution but it can work and is all the chance I'm going to get.
Fire the bow four torpedoes at two targets, get one hit.
On the way out to reload now.

Few things I learned:

- save game works great for me; I saved the game last night before calling it a day, and it reloaded fine even with the convoy in sight, etc.

- contact reports don't go through unless your watch crew can see the contact. Only you seeing it doesn't matter; has to be them too.
I could see the convoy several thousand meters before them, so I'll change the visual fog setting from 1.02 to 1.01 per Hsie patch instructions and see how that does.
Bit anxious having to close the convoy just so I could get them to see it and be able to send a contact report update.

- I was surprised how close i could be and not be spotted, especially escort-wise. Weather wasn't terrible.

- what a blast. Even only getting one hit after all that work, still a great time.

- being retired is great for sub simming, ha !

Thanks NYGM !!