Manual targeting?

[bstanko6]

In my opinion, when dealing with "overtaking" a convoy, you need to be able to use the UZO correctly. As Von Due stated you need to know a general course of the convoy and speed.

You can't use nearest visual target as this usually is an escort, and the move around too much, and change speed often.

Pick a target as "reference" in the convoy, use the range lines on the UZO, and determine the range. This does not have to be entirely accurate as you want a general course. Mark it on your map and do this every so often.

Mast height X 1000 / (mils X 10) = range

[Jimbuna]

Welcome to SubSim Larry

[PettyOfficerLarry]

First let me thank everybody for the warm welcome they gave me into the community

What I meant was that the Type IIa has like a 5kt speed submerged and all the sound contacts seem to get away from me every time, I feel like a little dog chasing trucks.

Is there a way of intercepting targets that are moving away? I suppose that should have been the first question.

[bstanko6]

Only the type XXI has a chance of catching a surface ship Submerged. You need to surface and overtake your target!

[Pisces]

Originally Posted by PettyOfficerLarry

...
What I meant was that the Type IIa has like a 5kt speed submerged and all the sound contacts seem to get away from me every time, I feel like a little dog chasing trucks.

Is there a way of intercepting targets that are moving away? I suppose that should have been the first question.

With a Type 2 uboat your speed and endurance range is more limited than say a Type 7. So this will be harder, and you will not be able to chase or intercept all contacts you come across. But it is not impossible to get some. For sure you will not be able to get (m)any of them while submerged. You are far to slow unless you happen to be almost in front of them to begin with. To be successful with a Type II in overtaking a target you need to be surfaced running at highest possible speed (flank, best not recharging your batteries) and at a sufficient distance not to be spotted. Bad weather can slow you down which is another handicap (and nothing can be done about it). To lessen the detection probability the best time would be to do this late in the evening or into the night.

Since the Type 2 has a fairly low endurance, and interception at flank-speed consumes much fuel, you need to pay attention to fuel consumption during the rest of your patrol. Know the speed which results in the best mileage. And how far you can still go while at flank or full speed. Save as much as you can in transit to spend it while in chase. And don't forget to measure how many kilometers you need to get home. It's a shame to run out of fuel short of home-port.

If you cannot exceed the speed of the target by a few knots then there is simply no chance of overtaking it. No sense in wasting fuel there when the target is passed and only increasing range. (AOB larger than 90 degrees).

If the target has already passed you (AOB is beyond 90 degrees) then you should be careful of your range as you come alongside on a parallel course. You could trip the detection range without knowing it so you may need to veer of a bit.

If you happen to encounter the target while you are still in his front quarter (AOB less than 90 degrees) and are not yet sure of how fast it is going or his exact course, then the surest way of overtaking the target quickly is you turn until the target is at a bearing of 90 or 270 degrees. Then you use your limited speed to it's best effect in getting in front of the target. If the target speed is not too high eventually you should be crossing it's path. But it may not be perpendicular so it's best to use that time to plot it's course and speed.

[PettyOfficerLarry]

Thanks mate, I guess it´s my fault for picking the slowest boat in the game but it´s just so frustrating to watch them get away

[Pisces]

Well, in hardship you develop your best efforts. Don't give up. I started too in a type 2. It taught me to be mindful of my equipments limitations. And cherish the little things. I think the best thing is to learn to plot first. It doesn't matter if you loose them at first. Just consider them training drills. From that comes knowledge of where the target is going and what it is doing. Then you can use that to make choices in tactics, and know when it is pointless or just risky to venture on with them.

[Von Due]

Originally Posted by PettyOfficerLarry

Thanks mate, I guess it´s my fault for picking the slowest boat in the game but it´s just so frustrating to watch them get away

While these boats are often though of as submarines, they weren't really true submarines as we know them today. They were submersibles designed to spend the majority of time on the surface, only diving to avoid detection and to attack (many attacks did happen on the surface though, early in the war).

Only with the type XXI did the world see a true submarine designed to spend the majority of time submerged.

So for the type II, VII and IX, prepare to spend something like 90 percent of the patrol on the surface.