Battleship Attack Advice

[Reinhard Dietz]

So I'm limping home to Surabaya in late December 1941 after taking a pair of small-caliber hits to my boat courtesy of a watch crew that didn't quite understand the meaning implicit in a crash dive. Hull integrity's down by a third and I'm trying to avoid contact.

Meanwhile, I stumble into a surface action group consisting of two pagoda-masted vessels, several smaller vessels and what looks like a minimum of 4-5 destroyers heading NNW away from Borneo in the middle of the South China Sea. I haven't seen the far side of the group, so I'm assuming that there's more over there for a total of 6-8.

Given the damage to my boat, I'm inclined to run away. However, I'm an old U-boat hand, so the motto Angriff ran Versenken is nagging at me. I am therefore going in. My usual approach would be to boldly wade in and eliminate the destroyers one by one and then engage the capital ships while submerged. However, I don't have enough in the torpedo budget to do this, so I'm going to have to get clever.

I presume I can sneak into the group undetected by racing ahead on the surface---they're doing about 10-11 knots---and submerging upon a perpendicular course at a couple of knots and running silent. I'm intending to aim for the magazines with magnetic pistols---which have been strangely reliable thus far---and hope for the best on the battleships. Since they're Japanese, I presume I've got three primary magazines to shoot at. Is this true as far as the game is concerned?

Ideally, I can expend 4-6 torpedoes sinking the battleships and have 7-9 torpedoes left to pick off cruisers or pesky destroyers. I'm also assuming that I can kiss my ~250' safe depth goodbye courtesy of prior hull damage.

Wish me luck---or even better, advice on how to pull this off. I'd be a lot less concerned without the prior damage---totally worth it; there's a large European liner on the bottom due to that engagement---or if I had a VII or IX, but I don't, so anything's appreciated. Especially appreciated: What's the equivalent of the old 100RPM or less maneuver in a VII?

(To cheat the objectives system, I'm going to get in firing position, save and then call the SAG in; if it comes back with a feasible objective, I'll go forward; if not, it's reload time.)

[Armistead]

If you normally take out all the DD's first...you don't need our advice....

[Diopos]

For all practical purposes I think it boils down to if your damage allows you to go under the thermal layer.




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[Jan Kyster]

Sorry, no advice except the one you don't want to hear... but the boys composed a little song for you!





In Memory of Reinhard Dietz and His Brave Men...

[Admiral8Q]

It would depend on your damage. I may take a long range shot at one of the battleships then withdraw. It would depend on the weather. Time of day is important too.

From what you explained, I'd probably go for one battleship with most of my torpedoes then pull out immediately.

[Reinhard Dietz]

Thanks for the song; we'll sing it in a special live performance when we get to Surabaya.

Meanwhile, I think a surfaced nighttime attack is absolutely out of the question; 20+ 14" or greater guns that can be brought to bear on a single damaged Sargo is more than I'm willing to risk. Ain't no way I'm going after that SAG in daylight on the surface, so it's a submerged daylight attack (and if that don't work, a reload and shadowing until nightfall) as the way to go.

Armistead, I'd love to pick the DDs off first, especially since there's no BdU nagging me about it, but I've got 13 torpedoes left so they're in short supply.

Off we go to test the diving capabilities.

[magic452]

I'd go for the night attack right off. Double your chances of success.
A little heavy weather wouldn't hurt.

Given the damage to your boat,
I go for a long range vector analysis attack form 3000 yards with an approach angle of about 70°, that should get you clear of the escorts for a clean shot.
You should have a lead angle of about 12 or so degrees.

Given the state of the torpedoes use at least one extra, shoot at or in front of the bow, that will force her to hold speed, aim the rest at the magazines.

Get out of Dodge and do a run around and repeat. At 10 Kt. should have plenty of time to do a end run. Should be able to get both BB's

Magic