Newbie wants advice on convoy attack (also to waffle)

[mike2R]

tl;dr - This turned into an essay, sorry. Turns out I didn't want to just ask a question, but rather tell everyone about my experiences in the game to date. Anyone who does plough through it has my sincere thanks

I've had this game for ages, but I've always kind of bounced off it. This time I think I'm getting over the learning curve - I've actually hit something with a torpedo on manual targeting!

Ok I've fired a lot of torpedoes... and I still haven't sunk anything without finishing it off with my deck gun. But I'm getting there, and let me tell you, there isn't a sampan within 5000nm that feels safe when I'm at sea

Anyway, my situation is that I spotted a convoy. I've been steering well clear of things that actually shoot back, so I planned to let it go on its way but I radioed in a contact report in the hope that a more competent skipper might take it on. However the message I got back cheerfully told me to go right ahead and aim for the tankers...

I know I can just ignore missions, but I'm kind of trying to role play and while my guy is the cautious type, I don't think he'd ignore that kind of order. So I spent all day overhauling and getting ahead of them, sticking a little over 5nm away. I'm pretty sure I've not been spotted (on the basis that no destroyer has come to kill me) and, despite the fact the sneaky sods changed course on me I am now about 5nm ahead of them with night fallen.

This was actually really quite fun. I'm decidedly nervous about the engagement ahead, so I was running on low time compression, and frequently going up on deck to peer at the smokestacks on the horizon like a cat at a goldfish bowl. Tension has been building - the atmosphere of this game is amazing.

But time has run on, and I can't put it off any longer. I'm playing 1.4, with the 1.4 compatible versions of TMO and RSRDC (I'll upgrade if I end up properly getting into the game, feels very polished as it is though) Hard Realism apart form external camera is on, but I'm trying not to abuse that. The convoy seems a very small one with only 2 escorts, one ahead and one behind, with 6 or 8 merchant ships in 2 columns with about 600yds separation (I try not to abuse the external camera, but have not always succeeded). Speed (according to the contact report I sent) 11 knots. This is my first patrol (I restarted after installing RSRDC), I have a full load of torpedoes due to my preference for the deck gun with 4 front and 4 rear tubes. It is a flat calm with no cloud and visibility is excellent even though night has fallen.

So I want advice on my attack. I'm really quite nervous about it - I'll reload if I die, but I won't try the attack again, and the amount of real time I spent setting this up means I feel I've got a lot invested in this working... I probably won't get a chance to play until tomorrow evening, so any advice will be taken on board.

My tentative plan is to set up shop about 500 - 800yds from the nearest column's projected course and feed the TDC with range, AOB and speed manually for my pre-planned firing position with PK off. Dive below the layer (I can dive and surface stationary right?) with silent running, and let the lead escort get beyond me (how far?). Then surface to periscope depth, send the men to quarters, and id ships as they approach until I spot a tanker.

Once I find one, wait until it gets to the pre-planned position, then salvo all 4 torpedoes (fast, shallow, contact only) over a spread of either 4 or 8 degrees (so 1 or 2 degree intervals) as quickly as possible - I don't want to faff around and be economical, I want to very definitely kill at least one ship. Then (and this may be a BAD idea) surface and charge through the 2 columns at flank speed and get some hits in with my deck gun, and try and to set up a snap shot with my rear tubes once I'm beyond 300yds of the far side. Then crash dive, drop a decoy, engage silent running and creep away - with the hopeful intention of being able to surface reasonably quickly and get ahead of them again for another run at them before morning.

So comments? Refinements? Totally different plans because mine sucks? Sarcastic comments about this huge wall of text? All gratefully received

[Armistead]

TMO and RSRD for 1.4 still play very well and overall the realism is about the same as recent versions.

I wouldn't plow through shooting and tooting, all the ships will open up on you.

They're so many attack methods, one I perfer on clear nights is night surface from long distance, about 7000 yards, but my goal on my first attack is just to lure the escorts away. I'll line up a stern shot, that way I don't have to turn and shoot a few torps and take off, by the time the escorts see the torps, I'm long gone from that position, but they will go look near where the torps came from. Why the escorts are now searching, I'll be setting up another shot much closer on the exposed flank, submerged if water is deep, surfaced {decks awash} if shallow, attack and haul arse again. If you get ships slowed down or dead in the water, you can finish them later with your deckgun.


Wait until you run into the large convoys or TF, 20-50 ships.

Do searches on "attack tactics" and "evasion", using right tactics you shouldn't worry about a few escorts, most are easy to evade.

[Soviet Creeper]

If theres only two escorts, you should be able to go to periscope depth, and just shoot at the middle ships from ~1600 yards and then get out of dodge (That means dive as deep as your boat can, go to silent running and stay under 3 knots speed)


This works for me. Atleast during the earlier parts of the war.

[boonie]

erm personally i think 500yard is abit too close to setup shop, usually i try to stay at least 1000m away from the path of the escorts. If u are too close they can detect you even if u are stationary with silent running and battlestation on.

for escorts they have a front cone of 180 degree-ish area where they are pretty deadly on detection, radius of this cone range from 500 to 1km. once you avoid that its probably all clear.

[mike2R]

Thanks for the replies!

The reason for wanting to be close is that my shooting is abysmal Hopefully if I set it all up in advance I can improve on that since it will avoid my appalling range estimates, but I tend to panic when the time comes to take a shot...

I'll take the advice that 500yds is too close though, but the idea of me hitting anything at 1600 seems fanciful based on previous experience.

I thought the surface dash was probably risky, I'll shelve that idea. And I like the idea of incorporating a long shot at the lead destroyer as a distraction, although I may decide to keep things simple - just because I know if I try to do to much I'll just end up confusing myself.

[Pisces]

Don't worry. By shelving that idea you've shown that you are not fit enough to deserve the Darwin Award. You'll stay and live to tell about it.

[Armistead]

Main thing is to plan your attack as much in your favor as possible. Calm waters are very dangerous. The other issue is how the game is coded, sonar is always on in the sonars cone area, you only hear it when you're caught... They're many factors how sonar catches you, mainly your depth and angle, never leave your broadside open to an escort. I come in and keep helming my nose at the nearest escort.

Larger convoys are really easier to attack, even though they have more escorts. You can come in at narrow angles deep, let the escorts pass and come up in the middle of the group and have at it.

With TMO, calm waters, often if you get close enough to attack, you're gonna get caught, the goal is to get off your attack before the escorts
attack you, the game becomes one of evading the counter attack. Most go deep and silent, then when a escort makes a run, hit flank with a mild turn, the charges will almost always fall behind you, then back to slow speeds, rinse and repeat...It's dang near suicide to stay at slow speeds when they drop charges, with depth and speed you can outrun them.
Much depends on the escorts crew rating status how well they attack.

In time, you'll want to learn how to do a night surface attack, moreso for later war with RSRD, because the best shipping lanes are often in shallow water. Most of the best skippers I know use the night surface attack and dash method, you do it properly you'll leave escorts searching for you why your long gone setting up another attack. You can take out entire convoys and never worry about getting depth charged. I bet 80% of my attacks are night surface, never have to worry about evading escorts. Doe's get a lil tricky once they have radar, but you can use that against them too...

Don't be afraid to shoot spreads to insure hits.