Need advice: Night Surface Attack for cowards.

[Freiwillige]

Originally Posted by Platapus

I started yet another career. 94% realism (still have to keep that fuel at unlimited). This is my first career with totally manual plotting and so far it has been a frustrating challenge, but that's what sims are supposed to be.

In the past, I have shunned night surface attacks because I am a craven coward (they don't call me the Joe Besser of Kaluens for nothing). But I would like to get into night surface attacks.

I play DiD for the most part so that makes me a little less heroic. There are old Kaluens, and bold Kaluens but very few old bold Kaluens.

Let's start out with a lone Merchant. In a Type VIIc, on a dark night clear with some moon, how close can you get before taking deck gun fire? Is it reasonable to get within 1,000 meters?

You can get very close usually But you must be cautious. Go decks awash first and keep your speed down for less wake, You can go a bit just not flank or ahead full. Under 1,500 meters it should be 1/3rd. Keep your nose relatively on them say 20 or so degrees off center.


Once you have launched your torpedoes, what is a good way to turn in such a way to avoid being spotted. Approaching a ship bow-on leaves a small silhouette but once I turn won't they see me and try to hurt me?

I just sit and wait for the torps to do their job

If they fail ahead flank and cut one way or another and keep turning to get your ass at them! Then zig zag at 20 left then 20 right always showing them your ass!

Using GWX and OLC do you use the periscope for surface night attacks or is it mostly eyeballing it through the Uzo?

Uzo or torpedo plotting map and do it from there!

If there is an escort, do you shoot the escort first or is a surface night attack not recommended if there is an escort?

If there is an escort ....only shoot if you have a sure shot! And it better be a convoy otherwise just do an undersurface attack.

I usually don't mess with escorted convoys but I would like to learn some techniques for attacking, but much more importantly, surviving convoys.

Get in front of convoy. Go decks awash, try to approach between lead escort and side escort. Use common sense go slow and don't panic!Manouver quietly into center of convoy then let all hell loose and crash dive!

[teg916]

Depends on how dark the night is. On really dark nights you can get real close. I have approached to less than 500 meters without being spotted at 1/3 speed. If it is not too dark (you can see stars or the moon is up) you are probably ok at 1000 meters but I would not try much closer.

I usually approach with decks awash, launch my torpedoes, then dive to periscope depth to watch them hit. You are taking a pretty big risk if there is an escort and you stay on the surface. I don't care how dark it is outside, once those star shells go up you are pretty easy to spot. The spot lights will get you too.