Convoy Problems

[PapaG39]

I can usually get the speed & course, but the zig zag plan I never can get right.

I followed a convoy all day once & it never varied its course once, but as soon as I raced ahead at night & got into position at 3000m from me it changed its course 90 degrees going away from me... The tail end DD's swung way out & ran right over the top of me...Then I spent the next hour or so getting blasted...

Right now I have a convoy in sight, but it is just getting light so I'll have to stay clear all day & maybe I can figure something out by dark..

There are about 14 ships & 8 DD's Plus one Dido class right in the center and an "S" sub (what ever that is) in line behind the last merchant..5000m behind him is another Black Swan.

There are a couple of Dd's inside of the first row of ships...

I took a 7500m shot just for grinns, they are only going 3kts in heavy seas, and danged if I didn't hit a Liberty Cargo just in front of the ships wheel house...it's burning like crazy & even had secondary explosions, but after 30 minutes it is just sailing along with no problems.

Perhaps I should just pass on this one..

[Koondawg]

My typical approach plan looks like this:

ditto for me...if needed Ill take out the one escort nearest me then try to make it into the convoy...normally if I make it into the majority of ships I can play cat and mouse with great success...then dive down to 120m and sneak out...reload and meet back up with whats left..

[Steeltrap]

The following describes my method for a submerged, daylight attack. At night I remain on the surface and approach from a different angle, but the principles of keeping slow and presenting narrow angles applies equally to both scenarios.

I try to approach from maybe 20 degrees off the base track of the convoy.

Make sure you dive early - a DD within about 10km will spot you in daylight, seemingly irrespective of the weather (not too happy about that aspect of the sensors).

Angle towards the point you have selected from which to fire. If you do silent running at 1.5kts DDs won't hear you (this means selecting the speed directly on the alternate engine telegraph display).

Try to keep DDs inside about a 30 deg angle on your bow - you are presenting a smaller target for a return echo from their ASDIC. As they get closer, start turning toward their direction of travel. The idea is to present an angle of less than 30 degrees until they cross your bow. After that you will be astern of them and you can turn back to the course you need for your shot.

I did this recently with the lead escort on a LARGE convoy. It closed within about 1300m at its closest, yet didn't detect me and sailed past. This left me at the front of the convoy with the lead escort behind me and heading away. In such a situation you can line up targets in the nearest column, waiting for them to come to point blank range (I think I was only 650m from track when I fired at the nearest target - the last I fired at, having fired at others further away first - and you don't miss at that range!).

You can then turn so that you are travelling along a reciprocal course as you dive, meaning the rest of the convoy heads over you, giving you excellent cover, both in terms of sound AND sheer physical presence (it's hard for a DD to DC you if you are under a freighter!).

One other thing - raise your periscope to the minimum height required to give you a view, and expose it for as brief a time as possible. In gathering firing data that should mean 5 seconds or less. For firing it can mean only a few seconds if everything is set before you shoot - as it should be.

Works for me.....

[Penelope_Grey]

Make sure you dive early - a DD within about 10km will spot you in daylight, seemingly irrespective of the weather (not too happy about that aspect of the sensors).

This depends entirely on positioning of the submarine.

In daylight while waiting for night, the best place to run is ahead of the convoy far out and showing them your backside.

So...

.................................................. ..............................Xthis is you.







Xthis is the convoy

It is not guaranteed to work, it depends a hell of lot on the weather conditions. So the clearer the weather, the further out you must be.

I'm not ashamed to admit to all the guys here, it was my older brother that taught me how to do a surface attack in GWX. It is not easy, then again, neither is anyhting worth doing, believe me a surface attack at night is a hell of a lot more effective than a submerged attack during the day. 9 times out of 10 submerged attacking will get you caught. and 10/10 for late war. Learn to surface attack it is worth it. Main reason being if you can stay on the surface you can keep pace with the convoy, reload, and attack again, obviously wait for it to stop zigzagging.

The secret is decks awash, and only as fast as you have to. As my brother said quite recently, "doing a a U-96" doesn't work. It just takes time.

[Jimbuna]

Some great advice here......you should be learning a lot.
Try and master the submerged approach before risking the surfaced option.
I particularly like joegrundman post
A step at a time Kaleun.....Aces were not made every day

[PapaG39]

Lots of good information here. I am drawing it out on paper & then I'll go try it.

One main point you all brought out is going to "silent running" when approaching.
I will definately correct that error and add it to my approach procedures manual...lol. It just never entered my mind to do in while approaching the target.

I am just ahead of the convoy at 0730 so I'll just stay here & watch how things work throughout the day & plan for tonights attack.

One thing I have going for me is that Liberty Cargo I hit with a single torpedo. It is blazing away & sending up a lot of smoke. That makes it easier to keep track of the convoys position from a distance..

Is in SH3 visual contact needed of ship sinking to claim the kill?
If that is true, if you attack ships in convoy and dive deep you will not see ships sinking and will not be credited with a kill or...?
Thanks.

[TarJak]

Originally Posted by PapaG39

Lots of good information here. I am drawing it out on paper & then I'll go try it.

One main point you all brought out is going to "silent running" when approaching.
I will definately correct that error and add it to my approach procedures manual...lol. It just never entered my mind to do in while approaching the target.

I am just ahead of the convoy at 0730 so I'll just stay here & watch how things work throughout the day & plan for tonights attack.

One thing I have going for me is that Liberty Cargo I hit with a single torpedo. It is blazing away & sending up a lot of smoke. That makes it easier to keep track of the convoys position from a distance..

One of the reasons you may be having problems with is the fact that you are being detected and therefore the convoy starts its defensive routine of zigzag maneuvering. If you go silent and stay stealthy you should not see the convoy zigzag until after you hit your first target. Surprise and stealth are your greatest assets as a UBoat commander.