ASW tactic: Baiting

Avatar · 02-11-08, 03:11 PM

I've found that when youre attacking a convoy from abeam, it's best not to do it from outside the convoy. Why? Because that's where the flank escorts go when ships start sinking! I use the electric torpedo, so the wake has nothing to do with this ASW tactic. It's almost as if they bait you in attacking from outside the convoys forward beam and then pounce on you.
Instead, see if you can get within the midst of the convoy before you start shooting at the flank columns. I call this the Pump-fake, after the novel Red Storm Rising. Get as close to the lead escort as you can, between 2km and 1.5km. As he goes by, get even closer to the middle of the convoy(assuming there are no biggies in the middle) Then turn towards the outer flanks and hit them that way.
I did this by firing from the middle of the convoy at the starboard flank escort and a 12kton Merchant, sinking them both and the lead escort took station where the stbd. flank escort would have been. Asside from burning ships, no one knew I was there!
The reason there were no big targets in the middle of the convoy was because they were sunk after a previous attack.

See if this works for you and if you have any other tactics, feel free to post.
thanks

02-11-08, 03:11 PM	#1
Avatar Commodore Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Way out there Posts: 603 Downloads: 24 Uploads: 0	ASW tactic: Baiting I've found that when youre attacking a convoy from abeam, it's best not to do it from outside the convoy. Why? Because that's where the flank escorts go when ships start sinking! I use the electric torpedo, so the wake has nothing to do with this ASW tactic. It's almost as if they bait you in attacking from outside the convoys forward beam and then pounce on you. Instead, see if you can get within the midst of the convoy before you start shooting at the flank columns. I call this the Pump-fake, after the novel Red Storm Rising. Get as close to the lead escort as you can, between 2km and 1.5km. As he goes by, get even closer to the middle of the convoy(assuming there are no biggies in the middle) Then turn towards the outer flanks and hit them that way. I did this by firing from the middle of the convoy at the starboard flank escort and a 12kton Merchant, sinking them both and the lead escort took station where the stbd. flank escort would have been. Asside from burning ships, no one knew I was there! The reason there were no big targets in the middle of the convoy was because they were sunk after a previous attack. See if this works for you and if you have any other tactics, feel free to post. thanks