Convoy woes . . .

Aras · 12-09-13, 06:37 AM

Your hydrophone operator should also report Warships. You have 3 options for the hydrophone (I am not playing the same since some time so I do not remember exactly the names) like "general scan", "report closest warship", "report closest target" (merchant or warship doesn’t matter). Also keep in mind that visual reports override hydrophone reports meaning if your scope is up and the target is in visual range the hydrophone operator won’t be reporting targets.

If you have watched Das Boot, then you should know you have to keep away from Gibraltar !

GJO · 12-09-13, 08:29 AM

I have tried a suicide approach with the scope up to see what this formidable escort is - it is a 'Black Swan' class sloop and a little research reveals that they were one of the more successful ASW vessels of WW2 - so I shall keep clear of them in future.

Up until now, my tactic is to keep down and quiet until the first ships of the convoy have passed over, then come up to periscope depth in the middle of the convoy and wreak as much damage as possible before diving deep and exiting out from the back of the convoy to reload and return. This doesn't work so well with a particularly fast and vigilant escort leading the convoy.

GoldenRivet · 12-09-13, 09:59 AM

1940 should more or less be a cake walk, even against a black swan frigate.

something isnt right, either you are moving faster than 2 knots or you are waiting it out right in front of the convoy and the frigate is detecting you as he passes over. In my most recent run through a career in SH3 i didnt really start having problems with escorts in til early 1943, for the most part, earlier years they are pretty inexperienced.

i suggest approaching the convoy from ahead and from the port or starboard side about 1500 meters abeam the lead escort ship.

If you spend a lot of time watching the lead escort you will notice he is sailing a zig zag course ahead of the convoy searching for u-boats. but if you pay close attention - you will notice that he will periodically come to a dead stop. when he does this, his hydrophone receivers are functioning as close to 100% as possible.

if you are close when he stops, or turning more than a knot or two... he WILL find you. the further from him you are the better off you will be. but i would say 1500 to 2000 meters should be plenty of space. once he has passed by and you are in his baffles or nearly so... you can proceed with your attack against the convoy.

I recommend attacking the 2-3 largest ships you can and then diving deep when the fish leave the tubes. big tankers always are sent a spread of two from my boat. but if i am low on torpedoes then i will not target the big guys, i will go for the small merchants that are more likely to sink when they are hit with one torpedo.

good luck out there

Ghost Dog · 12-09-13, 10:28 AM

its not the convoys that are tough, but the escorts! Since installing GWX, I find the escorts are much tougher. Here are some tips.

1. Try to get ahead of the convoy and let them sail over you, while you lie in wait.

2. get deep and creep into position, then come up to PD, loose your fish and 'clear datum'. Don't expect to re-attack, you'll likely not get your torpedoes reloaded in time espescially if you're at silent running.

3. sometimes you cannot avoid being detected, just make it count! If you're going to make a submerged 'run' into a convoy, get the timing right.

4. escorts generally do not ping without a reason. Either they have heard you on hydrophones, or a convoy ship has seen your mast and radioed the escorts. If you hear pinging, its time to shoot or dive.

Aktungbby · 12-09-13, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GJO

I have tried a suicide approach with the scope up to see what this formidable escort is - it is a 'Black Swan' class sloop and a little research reveals that they were one of the more successful ASW vessels of WW2 - so I shall keep clear of them in future.

Up until now, my tactic is to keep down and quiet until the first ships of the convoy have passed over, then come up to periscope depth in the middle of the convoy and wreak as much damage as possible before diving deep and exiting out from the back of the convoy to reload and return. This doesn't work so well with a particularly fast and vigilant escort leading the convoy.

A black swan sloop eh laddie. You're probably up against the feared Johnny Walker himself...time for a little submersible judo-using your opponent's momentum against himself. Lure him directly onto you by revealing your scope. Using a 1 meter depth steam eel at 500-600 meters do a Bungo Straight down-the-throat shot, set at highest speed. Get to 20-25 meters depth and proceed directly under him at top speed,(risky) still viewing thru a lowered scope; his cans should be set too deep and will not get all of you. Rise as he passes and take him with rear tube(s) before he turns to regain his now lost contact. If all fails at this point, head, at speed,( do not crash dive you'll need all your air later) to 200+ meters, the cellar, and prepare to have your 'lily gilded' for a while on silent running. good luck

GoldenRivet · 12-09-13, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

A black swan sloop eh laddie. You're probably up against the feared Johnny Walker himself...time for a little submersible judo-using your opponent's momentum against himself. Lure him directly onto you by revealing your scope. Using a 1 meter depth steam eel at 500-600 meters do a Bungo Straight down-the-throat shot, set at highest speed. Get to 20-25 meters depth and proceed directly under him at top speed,(risky) still viewing thru a lowered scope; his cans should be set too deep and will not get all of you. Rise as he passes and take him with rear tube(s) before he turns to regain his now lost contact. If all fails at this point, head, at speed,( do not crash dive you'll need all your air later) to 200+ meters, the cellar, and prepare to have your 'lily gilded' for a while on silent running. good luck

Quite an unrealistic approach - however, it is doable in game depending on your realism settings and mods.

Aktungbby · 12-09-13, 12:49 PM

Full realism; no mods: Works in SHII and V, haven't played SHIII...too scared. In SH II it is Johnny Walker in Tay off Greenland and is brutal as the scenario is in total fog, high seas and radar and two FATS, set long-12,500 meters and slow, are indispensable. The approach from snorkel depth to surface repeatedly to reconnect the radar sweep (1 turn only) and a swift resubmerge from gun fire is the only way to close the convoy targets in that one. Even at 200+ meters on 1 knot silent approach, the Tay can find me. The way to avoid there is to rise as he passes with blow ballast(really fast) when sonar hears the cans coming and race into the convoy in the fog surfaced before he can turn, regain and chase you down. The difficulty makes it one of my favorites, especially as the air cover back to Lorient is severe too.

Aktungbby · 12-09-13, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

Quite an unrealistic approach - however, it is doable in game depending on your realism settings and mods.

"L'dace L'dace"- mein Kamerad! (check out my album you ol' warbird! those are at nearby Paso Robles; )

GJO · 12-11-13, 04:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

A black swan sloop eh laddie. You're probably up against the feared Johnny Walker himself...time for a little submersible judo-using your opponent's momentum against himself. Lure him directly onto you by revealing your scope. Using a 1 meter depth steam eel at 500-600 meters do a Bungo Straight down-the-throat shot, set at highest speed. Get to 20-25 meters depth and proceed directly under him at top speed,(risky) still viewing thru a lowered scope; his cans should be set too deep and will not get all of you. Rise as he passes and take him with rear tube(s) before he turns to regain his now lost contact. If all fails at this point, head, at speed,( do not crash dive you'll need all your air later) to 200+ meters, the cellar, and prepare to have your 'lily gilded' for a while on silent running. good luck

A most formidable opponent indeed!

http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/News-and-Events/Special-Events/Battle-Of-The-Atlantic/Special-Features/Capt-Johnnie-Walker

Jimbuna · 12-11-13, 06:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GJO

A most formidable opponent indeed!

http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/News-and-Events/Special-Events/Battle-Of-The-Atlantic/Special-Features/Capt-Johnnie-Walker

Never bettered IMHO

12-09-13, 06:37 AM	#1
Aras Helmsman Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Istanbul, Turkey Posts: 102 Downloads: 48 Uploads: 0	Your hydrophone operator should also report Warships. You have 3 options for the hydrophone (I am not playing the same since some time so I do not remember exactly the names) like "general scan", "report closest warship", "report closest target" (merchant or warship doesn’t matter). Also keep in mind that visual reports override hydrophone reports meaning if your scope is up and the target is in visual range the hydrophone operator won’t be reporting targets. If you have watched Das Boot, then you should know you have to keep away from Gibraltar ! __________________ "Though I'm past 240 meters, I'm feeling very still and I think my u-boot knows which way to go ..."

12-09-13, 09:59 AM	#3
GoldenRivet Subsim Aviator Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 8,726 Downloads: 146 Uploads: 0	1940 should more or less be a cake walk, even against a black swan frigate. something isnt right, either you are moving faster than 2 knots or you are waiting it out right in front of the convoy and the frigate is detecting you as he passes over. In my most recent run through a career in SH3 i didnt really start having problems with escorts in til early 1943, for the most part, earlier years they are pretty inexperienced. i suggest approaching the convoy from ahead and from the port or starboard side about 1500 meters abeam the lead escort ship. If you spend a lot of time watching the lead escort you will notice he is sailing a zig zag course ahead of the convoy searching for u-boats. but if you pay close attention - you will notice that he will periodically come to a dead stop. when he does this, his hydrophone receivers are functioning as close to 100% as possible. if you are close when he stops, or turning more than a knot or two... he WILL find you. the further from him you are the better off you will be. but i would say 1500 to 2000 meters should be plenty of space. once he has passed by and you are in his baffles or nearly so... you can proceed with your attack against the convoy. I recommend attacking the 2-3 largest ships you can and then diving deep when the fish leave the tubes. big tankers always are sent a spread of two from my boat. but if i am low on torpedoes then i will not target the big guys, i will go for the small merchants that are more likely to sink when they are hit with one torpedo. good luck out there __________________

12-09-13, 12:49 PM	#7
Aktungbby Gefallen Engel U-666 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: On a tilted, overheated, overpopulated spinning mudball on Collision course with Andromeda Galaxy Posts: 30,006 Downloads: 24 Uploads: 0	Full realism; no mods: Works in SHII and V, haven't played SHIII...too scared. In SH II it is Johnny Walker in Tay off Greenland and is brutal as the scenario is in total fog, high seas and radar and two FATS, set long-12,500 meters and slow, are indispensable. The approach from snorkel depth to surface repeatedly to reconnect the radar sweep (1 turn only) and a swift resubmerge from gun fire is the only way to close the convoy targets in that one. Even at 200+ meters on 1 knot silent approach, the Tay can find me. The way to avoid there is to rise as he passes with blow ballast(really fast) when sonar hears the cans coming and race into the convoy in the fog surfaced before he can turn, regain and chase you down. The difficulty makes it one of my favorites, especially as the air cover back to Lorient is severe too. __________________ "Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness?!!

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12-09-13, 08:29 AM	#2
GJO Engineer Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: On the Oxford Canal in England Posts: 202 Downloads: 40 Uploads: 0	I have tried a suicide approach with the scope up to see what this formidable escort is - it is a 'Black Swan' class sloop and a little research reveals that they were one of the more successful ASW vessels of WW2 - so I shall keep clear of them in future. Up until now, my tactic is to keep down and quiet until the first ships of the convoy have passed over, then come up to periscope depth in the middle of the convoy and wreak as much damage as possible before diving deep and exiting out from the back of the convoy to reload and return. This doesn't work so well with a particularly fast and vigilant escort leading the convoy.

12-09-13, 10:28 AM	#4
Ghost Dog Planesman Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Olympus Mons, Mars Posts: 184 Downloads: 115 Uploads: 0	its not the convoys that are tough, but the escorts! Since installing GWX, I find the escorts are much tougher. Here are some tips. 1. Try to get ahead of the convoy and let them sail over you, while you lie in wait. 2. get deep and creep into position, then come up to PD, loose your fish and 'clear datum'. Don't expect to re-attack, you'll likely not get your torpedoes reloaded in time espescially if you're at silent running. 3. sometimes you cannot avoid being detected, just make it count! If you're going to make a submerged 'run' into a convoy, get the timing right. 4. escorts generally do not ping without a reason. Either they have heard you on hydrophones, or a convoy ship has seen your mast and radioed the escorts. If you hear pinging, its time to shoot or dive.