What would you do?

Phobus · 05-21-09, 01:07 PM

Here’s the situation.

I’m trailing a convoy, waiting for nightfall, in which there are at least three large merchantmen worth c10,000T each. But there is also a Southampton class light cruiser. I have 3 torps forward and one plus two spares aft.

I’m opting to go for the Merchantmen because, realistically, they more directly affect the British war effort, apart from giving me a better tonnage in game. To go for the cruiser would however give me more kudos, but add nothing to my renown.

What would you do?

mw2000 · 05-21-09, 01:21 PM

Go for the merchants as your first priority. The cruiser is no threat to a submerged uboat and not a higher target.

Puster Bill · 05-21-09, 01:52 PM

I'll second that advice. Go for the merchants.

On second thought, are the merchants armed? If not, sink the cruiser and go after the merchants with your deck gun. Then you can have your cake and eat it too.

nikbear · 05-21-09, 02:37 PM

The merchant men may be the priority but,.....IF you can get in a favourable attack position one eel in the bow of the cruiser might be enough to take him down,use his forward momentum to plough onward to his watery grave so to speak

if you hit the merchant men and cripple them,and the weather is ok,you can surface later and finish them off with the DG even if they are armed,as long as you stay at a respectable distance

Best of luck

BulSoldier · 05-21-09, 02:46 PM

I personaly would go for the cruiser.It would strike british morale down to the floor.In any case if i meet convoy and there is naval unit bigger than DD i tend to attack them.
In RL however it certanly is more useful to destroy the merchants.

Bent Periscope · 05-21-09, 03:31 PM

What is the renown difference between the merchant ships and the cruiser?

BP

mookiemookie · 05-21-09, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bent Periscope

What is the renown difference between the merchant ships and the cruiser?

BP

Large Merchants are 300 each and the Southampton is 450. I'd personally go for the Southampton and one of the merchies because it's always so fulfilling to sink a big warship.

Brag · 05-21-09, 04:29 PM

The more renown, the better for you. Go for the renown!

melnibonian · 05-22-09, 02:00 AM

Go for the Merchants. With a bit of careful aiming you should be able to bring them all down with one torpedo each. (Just hit them under the first mast on the bow)

sharkbit · 05-22-09, 08:21 AM

According to Onkel Karl:
This a tonnage war.

Tonnage, tonnage, and more tonnage. Starve England into submission.

Go for the merchants!

Are these the only ships in the convoy?
I assume that there are others with other escorts.

kdv · 05-22-09, 11:34 AM

Renown in game may give you nothing - but the real life U-Boat captain who can claim a cruiser (as well as other sunk merchants from prior engagements) would garner more respect than not sinking the cruiser - but sinking 2 more ships.

Also, destroying a cruiser takes one more 'escort' away from future convoys, making them easier pickings for you and your fellow captains. It takes alot more resources and time to build a cruiser than a transport ship.

Just my humble opinion - I always go for anything bigger than a DD first, and have started to take out escorts before attacking convoys just to make my life easier.

But you're the captain of your boat - YOU do what you like

.

Jimbuna · 05-22-09, 02:50 PM

I agree with mookiemookie....tis always nice to bag a big hitter

BasilY · 05-29-09, 12:05 PM

I have been in similar situations many times west of Gibraltar. I will go after the Light Cruiser every time (even a 5000 ton Dido, and spend 2 torps for each). That what a real u-boat captain will do.

The tonnage war is about Destruction Vs. replacement. The objective is to sink more ships that the allies can replace. Two 10,000 ton merchants are easier to replace than One 10,000 cruiser, not to mention the 800 or so limeys on board compared to at most a hundred in any cargo ship.

Murr44 · 05-29-09, 12:36 PM

A few days ago in my present career we came across a "convoy" consisting of 5 DD's and DE's in CO42. It was after midnight, clear, calm with no moon & for a second I was tempted to have a go at one of them (hadn't seen any merchants up to that point in the patrol). Decided that it really wasn't worth the risk so we took off in the other direction. The next morning we sank an unescorted large merchant in the same grid square. Sometimes it pays to be little "cowardly"...

Kptlt. Siegmann · 05-29-09, 01:06 PM

For me, any warship CL or higher, I prioritize higher than freighters. If a convoy is lightly escorted (1 or 2 DE/DD) I may opt to sink the escorts to get free pickings, though that's something I would rarely do when in a Type II like I am right now, trying to go through the entire war in a canoe

05-21-09, 01:07 PM	#1
Phobus Gunner Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Poole. Dorset UK Posts: 93 Downloads: 13 Uploads: 0	What would you do? Here’s the situation. I’m trailing a convoy, waiting for nightfall, in which there are at least three large merchantmen worth c10,000T each. But there is also a Southampton class light cruiser. I have 3 torps forward and one plus two spares aft. I’m opting to go for the Merchantmen because, realistically, they more directly affect the British war effort, apart from giving me a better tonnage in game. To go for the cruiser would however give me more kudos, but add nothing to my renown. What would you do?

05-21-09, 01:52 PM	#3
Puster Bill Grey Wolf Join Date: May 2006 Location: BA8758, or FN33eh for my fellow hams. Posts: 833 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I'll second that advice. Go for the merchants. On second thought, are the merchants armed? If not, sink the cruiser and go after the merchants with your deck gun. Then you can have your cake and eat it too. __________________ The U-Boat Commander of Love

05-21-09, 02:37 PM	#4
nikbear Sea Lord Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Northampton,UK Posts: 1,859 Downloads: 86 Uploads: 0	The merchant men may be the priority but,.....IF you can get in a favourable attack position one eel in the bow of the cruiser might be enough to take him down,use his forward momentum to plough onward to his watery grave so to speakif you hit the merchant men and cripple them,and the weather is ok,you can surface later and finish them off with the DG even if they are armed,as long as you stay at a respectable distanceBest of luck __________________ 'It is not surely known when the grey wolf shall come upon the seat of the gods' Ericksmal.

05-21-09, 02:46 PM	#5
BulSoldier Samurai Navy Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Burgas/Bulgaria Posts: 550 Downloads: 40 Uploads: 0	I personaly would go for the cruiser.It would strike british morale down to the floor.In any case if i meet convoy and there is naval unit bigger than DD i tend to attack them. In RL however it certanly is more useful to destroy the merchants. __________________ By the hour !

05-21-09, 04:29 PM	#8
Brag Navy Seal Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Docked on a Russian pond Posts: 7,072 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	The more renown, the better for you. Go for the renown! __________________ Espionage, adventure, suspense, are just a click away Click here to look inside Brag's book: Amazon.com: Kingmaker: Alexey Braguine: Books Order Kingmaker here: http://www.subsim.com/store.html For Tactics visit:http://www.freewebs.com/kielman/

05-21-09, 01:21 PM	#2
mw2000 Seaman Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Plymouth, UK Posts: 41 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 0	Go for the merchants as your first priority. The cruiser is no threat to a submerged uboat and not a higher target.

05-21-09, 03:31 PM	#6
Bent Periscope Lieutenant Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Dry docks of Los Angeles, CA Posts: 250 Downloads: 46 Uploads: 0	What is the renown difference between the merchant ships and the cruiser? BP

05-22-09, 02:00 AM	#9
melnibonian Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Reading UK Posts: 3,473 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	Go for the Merchants. With a bit of careful aiming you should be able to bring them all down with one torpedo each. (Just hit them under the first mast on the bow) __________________ http://www.thegreywolves.com/ http://wolvesatwar.com/ Download GWX and other goodies: http://hosted.filefront.com/melnibonian

05-22-09, 08:21 AM	#10
sharkbit The Old Man Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 1,529 Downloads: 334 Uploads: 0	According to Onkel Karl: This a tonnage war. Tonnage, tonnage, and more tonnage. Starve England into submission. Go for the merchants! Are these the only ships in the convoy? I assume that there are others with other escorts. __________________ “Prejudice is blind. There will always be someone who says you aren’t welcome at the table. Stop apologizing for who you are and using all your energy trying to change their minds. Yes, you will lose friends, maybe even family. But you will gain your self-respect. You will know your worth. Once you have that, nothing can stop you.”

05-22-09, 11:34 AM	#11
kdv Loader Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 85 Downloads: 37 Uploads: 0	Renown in game may give you nothing - but the real life U-Boat captain who can claim a cruiser (as well as other sunk merchants from prior engagements) would garner more respect than not sinking the cruiser - but sinking 2 more ships. Also, destroying a cruiser takes one more 'escort' away from future convoys, making them easier pickings for you and your fellow captains. It takes alot more resources and time to build a cruiser than a transport ship. Just my humble opinion - I always go for anything bigger than a DD first, and have started to take out escorts before attacking convoys just to make my life easier. But you're the captain of your boat - YOU do what you like .

05-22-09, 02:50 PM	#12
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,525 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	I agree with mookiemookie....tis always nice to bag a big hitter __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

05-29-09, 12:05 PM	#13
BasilY Weps Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 359 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	I have been in similar situations many times west of Gibraltar. I will go after the Light Cruiser every time (even a 5000 ton Dido, and spend 2 torps for each). That what a real u-boat captain will do. The tonnage war is about Destruction Vs. replacement. The objective is to sink more ships that the allies can replace. Two 10,000 ton merchants are easier to replace than One 10,000 cruiser, not to mention the 800 or so limeys on board compared to at most a hundred in any cargo ship.

05-29-09, 12:36 PM	#14
Murr44 Grey Wolf Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 913 Downloads: 16 Uploads: 0	A few days ago in my present career we came across a "convoy" consisting of 5 DD's and DE's in CO42. It was after midnight, clear, calm with no moon & for a second I was tempted to have a go at one of them (hadn't seen any merchants up to that point in the patrol). Decided that it really wasn't worth the risk so we took off in the other direction. The next morning we sank an unescorted large merchant in the same grid square. Sometimes it pays to be little "cowardly"...

05-29-09, 01:06 PM	#15
Kptlt. Siegmann Machinist's Mate Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Docked at Kiel Posts: 128 Downloads: 23 Uploads: 0	For me, any warship CL or higher, I prioritize higher than freighters. If a convoy is lightly escorted (1 or 2 DE/DD) I may opt to sink the escorts to get free pickings, though that's something I would rarely do when in a Type II like I am right now, trying to go through the entire war in a canoe

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