Foul weather and convoys

bert8for3 · 04-20-07, 10:17 AM

I've started looking/hoping for convoys in heavy weather. ... have had some great sessions with these recently.

It started the previous patrol with looking for a convoy but not seeing a thing, finally I was getting low on fuel and down to 3 torps when I picked up a convoy on hydrophones. Heavy rain/fog/seas.

I decided to have a go anyway to finish the patrol, figuring it was mainly a waste of time, but the patrol's done anyway, and after humming and hawing about it, decided to get a bit ahead of the main pack of the convoy and and then go in at 90deg relative to the convoy course as best as I could figure it out from listening.
So in I go from the convoy's portside at about 6-8 knots. Can't see a thing up on the bridge, I'm panning around continuously 'cause I know I can't rely on the crew seeing a ship in heavy fog before it's too close. Minutes pass and I'm wondering if I've somehow missed the convoy entirely, when all of a sudden I see the foggy outline of a ship off my starboard quarter, ... nuts it's an escort and he's getting closer fast (realative bearing/course -wise, he's only making convoy speed though). I kick my speed up and this succeeds in keeping me far enough away from him as he passes astern and disappears into the fog.

A minute or so later, a merchant looms out of the fog off my starboard bow. Bearing maybe a bit too much off to starboard to be sure he'll pass ahead for a good setup, I cut my speed right down. On he comes and I'm set up for a 10deg shot on his AoBport90, but thinking he's going to see me anytime. He doesn't and I get off the shot, down goes the merchant, and I zip off unseen into the fog.

So next patrol I picked up a convoy, same weather, but this time I've got plenty of fuel and haven't used any torpedoes. Same kind of thing but multiplied, with some good excitement. In a nutshell, I spent two days trailing the convoy and going in and out twice. All daytime attacks (night is a different kettle of fish, 'cause can't see a darned thing). I decided to come up on the convoy from astern to get a better handle on convoy course. So I overtook slowly until a merchie just loomed ahead, got directly behind him and on his course, from which I could get convoy's exact course. Then I would cruise ahead on the convoy course at a slow overtaking rate, see a target ahead, manoeuvre to overtake just out of sight and turn to a firing position, shoot, then run ahead etc. So I'd be in the middle of the convoy, but kind of in this surreal quiet since they couldn't see me. In fact at one point, I had used up all loaded torpedoes and had to reload. I just cruised on convoy course and speed in the middle of the convoy while the boys reloaded.

Had various incidents during all this. An escort appearing as before, speed up and alter course to get out of sight, etc. At one point, I'd just torpedoed a merchant, when an escort loomed into sight, saw me and put pedal to metal, and I had to dive, but otherwise I stayed on the surface all the time. During the night, I just trailed the convoy and submerged every hour or two to make sure I was keeping contact. In fact, the convoy did change course and the next morning I had to reacquire convoy course, then resumed my attack in the same way.

BTW, at one point early on, I took a shot at a merchie and missed. I know the setup was good and I'm positive the torpedo went under the merchant, as he was pitching so much. After that, I set my torpedoes to run at 1.5 metres and no problem.

So now I'm out of torpedoes (2 in deck storage but can't load them in this weather) and headed back home.

So having previously dismissed bad weather attacks as pretty much impossible, in fact there are good opportunities.

Vacillator · 04-20-07, 11:04 AM

Good stuff bert, you've done better than me.

On previous attempts in such weather I've had mixed success. No luck at all the first time. Sank one medium cargo the second and then gave up. Hit a cargo next time but it continued and disappeared before I could get another shot in, so gave up. Then the attempt described above.

Well done and good luck next time!

bert8for3 · 04-20-07, 11:18 AM

A good amount of luck helped. No wiz here

.

I do like this tactic of running through the convoy from astern, at a slow overtaking rate and keeping convoy course. I think it gives some good control, e.g. if you come up on an escort, you can just back off, alter course for a bit and come up again still on convoy course, but on a different track to avoid the escort. Even when in the middle of the convoy, I was finding that with the visibility so low, a small course and speed change would take me out of harm's way (most of the time). Give it a try

.

Brag · 04-20-07, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bert8for3

A good amount of luck helped. No wiz here

.

I do like this tactic of running through the convoy from astern, at a slow overtaking rate and keeping convoy course. I think it gives some good control, e.g. if you come up on an escort, you can just back off, alter course for a bit and come up again still on convoy course, but on a different track to avoid the escort. Even when in the middle of the convoy, I was finding that with the visibility so low, a small course and speed change would take me out of harm's way (most of the time). Give it a try

.

Congrats. Are you on GWX?

bert8for3 · 04-20-07, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brag

Quote:

Originally Posted by bert8for3

A good amount of luck helped. No wiz here

.

I do like this tactic of running through the convoy from astern, at a slow overtaking rate and keeping convoy course. I think it gives some good control, e.g. if you come up on an escort, you can just back off, alter course for a bit and come up again still on convoy course, but on a different track to avoid the escort. Even when in the middle of the convoy, I was finding that with the visibility so low, a small course and speed change would take me out of harm's way (most of the time). Give it a try

.

Congrats. Are you on GWX?

Yup, GWX.

Foghladh_mhara · 04-21-07, 03:13 AM

I ignore convoys in fog now. Wasted far too many eels on wounded ships I could never find again to finish off. Got a good screenshot on the pc at home of an escort that nearly collided with me.

I had set up an intercept from a contact report and was cruising on the surface at 5 knots in heavy fog. No reports from my bridge crew I just happened to hit the F4 key to have a look and theres this destroyer about 50m off my port beam on an opposite course, and I truly mean 50m! Never been so close to another ship before. He saw me cos soon as I dived he had already altered course but I think I was too close to shell. No dc's but scared the crap outta me!

Jimbuna · 04-21-07, 06:17 AM

In bad weather I use contacts only, set at a depth of 2 metres

Herr Russ · 04-20-07, 11:18 AM

Too bad you didn't have any FaT eels yet.. That's a great time to use them.. I've shot 3 using hydrophone & had them run just past the sound leads.. Got 2 hits from those 3 fish.. Congrats on the tonnage..

Good Hunting!

danurve · 04-20-07, 11:40 AM

Crap weather attacks are stinkers but have a plus side.
You have a hard time getting attack scope contacts, keeping depth and angle. No argument there. But Escort-DD's have a time too, just finding you in choppy sea. The hydrophone is the tool oh yes. If you can find the gap it is a good time to test the boats mettle and your navigation skill. You know there's probably a good dozen targets to pick from if you spot them. I've also found T3's large cargo & troop ships screened by other ships or tramp steamers. So, sometimes if I can position and get the boat in just right and avoid getting hit by another merchant I'll try to nail a nice fat ship or two and then maybe even sneek a stern shot on a coastal. I think, escape & evasion is a little easier to accomplish in the chops. For one the escorts are bouncing around and you have cover noise.

04-21-07, 03:13 AM	#6
Foghladh_mhara Commander Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Kent Posts: 473 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	I ignore convoys in fog now. Wasted far too many eels on wounded ships I could never find again to finish off. Got a good screenshot on the pc at home of an escort that nearly collided with me. I had set up an intercept from a contact report and was cruising on the surface at 5 knots in heavy fog. No reports from my bridge crew I just happened to hit the F4 key to have a look and theres this destroyer about 50m off my port beam on an opposite course, and I truly mean 50m! Never been so close to another ship before. He saw me cos soon as I dived he had already altered course but I think I was too close to shell. No dc's but scared the crap outta me! __________________ The beauty of not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise without any of the stress that might normally precede such a venture

04-21-07, 06:17 AM	#7
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 191,168 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	In bad weather I use contacts only, set at a depth of 2 metres __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

04-20-07, 11:40 AM	#9
danurve The Old Man Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Syracuse, NY Posts: 1,481 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 3	Crap weather attacks are stinkers but have a plus side. You have a hard time getting attack scope contacts, keeping depth and angle. No argument there. But Escort-DD's have a time too, just finding you in choppy sea. The hydrophone is the tool oh yes. If you can find the gap it is a good time to test the boats mettle and your navigation skill. You know there's probably a good dozen targets to pick from if you spot them. I've also found T3's large cargo & troop ships screened by other ships or tramp steamers. So, sometimes if I can position and get the boat in just right and avoid getting hit by another merchant I'll try to nail a nice fat ship or two and then maybe even sneek a stern shot on a coastal. I think, escape & evasion is a little easier to accomplish in the chops. For one the escorts are bouncing around and you have cover noise. __________________

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04-20-07, 10:17 AM	#1
bert8for3 Ace of the Deep Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 1,124 Downloads: 110 Uploads: 0	I've started looking/hoping for convoys in heavy weather. ... have had some great sessions with these recently. It started the previous patrol with looking for a convoy but not seeing a thing, finally I was getting low on fuel and down to 3 torps when I picked up a convoy on hydrophones. Heavy rain/fog/seas. I decided to have a go anyway to finish the patrol, figuring it was mainly a waste of time, but the patrol's done anyway, and after humming and hawing about it, decided to get a bit ahead of the main pack of the convoy and and then go in at 90deg relative to the convoy course as best as I could figure it out from listening. So in I go from the convoy's portside at about 6-8 knots. Can't see a thing up on the bridge, I'm panning around continuously 'cause I know I can't rely on the crew seeing a ship in heavy fog before it's too close. Minutes pass and I'm wondering if I've somehow missed the convoy entirely, when all of a sudden I see the foggy outline of a ship off my starboard quarter, ... nuts it's an escort and he's getting closer fast (realative bearing/course -wise, he's only making convoy speed though). I kick my speed up and this succeeds in keeping me far enough away from him as he passes astern and disappears into the fog. A minute or so later, a merchant looms out of the fog off my starboard bow. Bearing maybe a bit too much off to starboard to be sure he'll pass ahead for a good setup, I cut my speed right down. On he comes and I'm set up for a 10deg shot on his AoBport90, but thinking he's going to see me anytime. He doesn't and I get off the shot, down goes the merchant, and I zip off unseen into the fog. So next patrol I picked up a convoy, same weather, but this time I've got plenty of fuel and haven't used any torpedoes. Same kind of thing but multiplied, with some good excitement. In a nutshell, I spent two days trailing the convoy and going in and out twice. All daytime attacks (night is a different kettle of fish, 'cause can't see a darned thing). I decided to come up on the convoy from astern to get a better handle on convoy course. So I overtook slowly until a merchie just loomed ahead, got directly behind him and on his course, from which I could get convoy's exact course. Then I would cruise ahead on the convoy course at a slow overtaking rate, see a target ahead, manoeuvre to overtake just out of sight and turn to a firing position, shoot, then run ahead etc. So I'd be in the middle of the convoy, but kind of in this surreal quiet since they couldn't see me. In fact at one point, I had used up all loaded torpedoes and had to reload. I just cruised on convoy course and speed in the middle of the convoy while the boys reloaded. Had various incidents during all this. An escort appearing as before, speed up and alter course to get out of sight, etc. At one point, I'd just torpedoed a merchant, when an escort loomed into sight, saw me and put pedal to metal, and I had to dive, but otherwise I stayed on the surface all the time. During the night, I just trailed the convoy and submerged every hour or two to make sure I was keeping contact. In fact, the convoy did change course and the next morning I had to reacquire convoy course, then resumed my attack in the same way. BTW, at one point early on, I took a shot at a merchie and missed. I know the setup was good and I'm positive the torpedo went under the merchant, as he was pitching so much. After that, I set my torpedoes to run at 1.5 metres and no problem. So now I'm out of torpedoes (2 in deck storage but can't load them in this weather) and headed back home. So having previously dismissed bad weather attacks as pretty much impossible, in fact there are good opportunities.

04-20-07, 11:04 AM	#2
Vacillator Frogman Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: UK Posts: 307 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Good stuff bert, you've done better than me. On previous attempts in such weather I've had mixed success. No luck at all the first time. Sank one medium cargo the second and then gave up. Hit a cargo next time but it continued and disappeared before I could get another shot in, so gave up. Then the attempt described above. Well done and good luck next time!

04-20-07, 11:18 AM	#3
bert8for3 Ace of the Deep Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 1,124 Downloads: 110 Uploads: 0	A good amount of luck helped. No wiz here . I do like this tactic of running through the convoy from astern, at a slow overtaking rate and keeping convoy course. I think it gives some good control, e.g. if you come up on an escort, you can just back off, alter course for a bit and come up again still on convoy course, but on a different track to avoid the escort. Even when in the middle of the convoy, I was finding that with the visibility so low, a small course and speed change would take me out of harm's way (most of the time). Give it a try .

04-20-07, 11:18 AM	#8
Herr Russ Officer Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: San Diego, CA. Posts: 246 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Too bad you didn't have any FaT eels yet.. That's a great time to use them.. I've shot 3 using hydrophone & had them run just past the sound leads.. Got 2 hits from those 3 fish.. Congrats on the tonnage.. Good Hunting!