How do you sink your enemy convoys ?

[VolvicCH]

perpendicular to convoy course, pick 4 targets, wait for front escort to pass, fire 2 steamers at targets farthest away then 2 electric at 2 closest ones. Wait for detonation, go to flank and 40 meters. when at 30 meters go slow and execute 45/90 degree turn and stay submerged untill im sure there noone on my tail.




Have a nice day

[Kaleu. Jochen Mohr]

i go between the convoy line's and fire all tube's. then dive to reload.
when reloaded and the escorts havnt spot me i repeat the same procedure

[Hitman]

If I have conducted the correct approach I should be between the lines and moving in the same direction of the convoy, albeit slowly (Let them catch me). So I can shoot two salvoes of two torpedos at a 90º and 270º Gyro Angle and hit two targets. Rear torpedo tube comes not in question because with manual targeting it is too difficult to compensate the parallax without an accurate range reading so I follow UBoat Commander's Handbook advice and don't use it in running fights

If I failed in my approach or the convoy zigged, I tend to look for the 90º AOB and shoot a salvo at two ships.

P.S. I wish convoys had a bit more separation between lines and escrots were farther away to allow more real-life tactics, but as they are in SH3 (Specially the escorts, because GWX corrects very well the spacing for large convoys ) you usually find that browning shots from outside the escrot screen work reasonably well :hmm:

[Canovaro]

Originally Posted by Hitman

If I have conducted the correct approach I should be between the lines and moving in the same direction of the convoy, albeit slowly (Let them catch me). So I can shoot two salvoes of two torpedos at a 90º and 270º Gyro Angle and hit two targets. Rear torpedo tube comes not in question because with manual targeting it is too difficult to compensate the parallax without an accurate range reading so I follow UBoat Commander's Handbook advice and don't use it in running fights

Sounds interesting. You sure have more time to take a shot this way. What do you do after you have launched the torpedoes? Dive in the same direction? Or take a turn and get out of the direction?

[Jimbuna]

From ahead and perpendicular

[Hitman]

Sounds interesting. You sure have more time to take a shot this way. What do you do after you have launched the torpedoes? Dive in the same direction? Or take a turn and get out of the direction?

According to BDU doctrine, you should dive in the same direction as the convoy goes or at most head out in a 45º angle for two reasons: 1) Staying inside it makes it more difficult for the DDs to locate you by passive sound, and also maneuvering to throw depth charges is critical (A DD must go fast if he doesn't want to blow his own stern...and doing so in the middle of a scared convoy is a risky affair) 2) That way you will not loose ground and can surface outside, gain position again in a quick run and make another attack.

According to official US doctrine, heading in the opposite direction is better for evasion after the attack

Choose which one you prefer I personally make that depend on wether I can have reasonable chances of doing another attack (If I have torpedoes and fuel left to keep the chase, if it is late or early war and such...)

P.S: I forgot to add: IN real life Kaleuns would normally head for the convoy submerged, diving deep between periscope exposures (Speed and heading of the convoy should have been determined during the overhaul manouver) and then turn 180º after trespassing the escort screen. Reason: Heading opposite direction of the convoy gets you faster past the screen, plus your heading is better for a quick turn into the blind spot of the DD's baffles if you are located. Then going to peri depth and letting the convoy catch you makes it the easies way to apply corrections in course to ensure proper firing location, plus confirm current convoy speed (By measuring change in bearing of the merchants that go by on your flanks, either by periscope or hydrophones). If the escort is closer and you can't do a 180º turn, or if you want to shoot with better Gyro Angles, then a 90º turn puts you perpendicular to the colums and gives you good shot. I don't like it much however, as the danger of being rammed and the little time you have to set up well your shot is not easy to manage.

[onelifecrisis]

90 degree angle, middle of the convoy, fire both fore and aft torps... now, is that the first option in the poll or the last?

[Canovaro]

Originally Posted by Hitman

According to BDU doctrine, you should dive in the same direction as the convoy goes or at most head out in a 45º angle for two reasons: 1) Staying inside it makes it more difficult for the DDs to locate you by passive sound, and also maneuvering to throw depth charges is critical (A DD must go fast if he doesn't want to blow his own stern...and doing so in the middle of a scared convoy is a risky affair) 2) That way you will not loose ground and can surface outside, gain position again in a quick run and make another attack.

According to official US doctrine, heading in the opposite direction is better for evasion after the attack

Choose which one you prefer I personally make that depend on wether I can have reasonable chances of doing another attack (If I have torpedoes and fuel left to keep the chase, if it is late or early war and such...)

P.S: I forgot to add: IN real life Kaleuns would normally head for the convoy submerged, diving deep between periscope exposures (Speed and heading of the convoy should have been determined during the overhaul manouver) and then turn 180º after trespassing the escort screen. Reason: Heading opposite direction of the convoy gets you faster past the screen, plus your heading is better for a quick turn into the blind spot of the DD's baffles if you are located. Then going to peri depth and letting the convoy catch you makes it the easies way to apply corrections in course to ensure proper firing location, plus confirm current convoy speed (By measuring change in bearing of the merchants that go by on your flanks, either by periscope or hydrophones). If the escort is closer and you can't do a 180º turn, or if you want to shoot with better Gyro Angles, then a 90º turn puts you perpendicular to the colums and gives you good shot. I don't like it much however, as the danger of being rammed and the little time you have to set up well your shot is not easy to manage.

Thanks for the info and your thoughts Hitman, I will play with this a little

[Maraz]

Originally Posted by Hitman

If I have conducted the correct approach I should be between the lines and moving in the same direction of the convoy, albeit slowly (Let them catch me). So I can shoot two salvoes of two torpedos at a 90º and 270º Gyro Angle and hit two targets.

Thanks Hitman, great information from you, as usual. Actually I would not feel very confortable firing with this large gyro angles, I even read (somewhere in SHIII documentation) that in early war gyro angle should be smaller than +- 60. Did you try this kind of shooting in SH3?

Thanks

Maraz