Why bother attacking convoys???

[Hitman]

Attacking convoys is not something that anyone would like -including BDU- and it has lots of disadvantages (Concentration of escorts, many more lookouts all around, air cover when available, etc.). But it's something you are forced to when lone targets become scarce. You either engage them or you don't, and in the latter case if no other targets are available, you are doing little for the war effort. Which is the full point of convoying, actually ...

BDU shifted along the war frequently the patrol areas of the long range IXs to places where they would find unescorted traffic, and the fact they attacked the main northern atlantic convoy route is just because they had no other choice. If it had depended on BDU, they would have preferred to fight a submarine war like the golden days of WW1 (Not WW2), when Uboats found plenty of lone targets to hunt with their deck guns. But the allies had learnt their lessons, and knew that convoying was to have the upper hand sooner or later.

[nikimcbee]

What year are you playing in? Getting in the middle of the convoy is a rush. And there is always something cool to sink in the middle.

[4saken]

I just intercepted a convoy 3 torpedos launched to two cargos,2 hits.One large cargo and one Ore Carrier .There was a battleship in the middle of the convoy but I was like 2km away with 3 ships in front of it so ,as tempting as it was a 3 torpedo salvo, i concentrated in the cargo ships.

As soon as i launched the torpedoes i dived to 160 m and made sure i was under the convoy.The DD never found me, i waited a couple of hours and then shadowed the convoy to get the which wasn't sunk yet and was struggling a few km behind the convoy.

I decided to get it with the deck gun since i had only aft torpedoes and didn't want to waste them on it.I was spotted and chased by the DD but before i managed to get away i got a message from the crew that was finally sank.

Great thrill with more than 15k tonnage...

I guess I should be more aggresive (i am the topic starter btw)

ps: the sunk ships were grey instead of red...that means they were sunk by weather?I guess i get the renown since they are in my captains log.

[JEuler]

Originally Posted by 4saken

I just intercepted a convoy 3 torpedos launched to two cargos,2 hits.One large cargo and one Ore Carrier .There was a battleship in the middle of the convoy but I was like 2km away with 3 ships in front of it so ,as tempting as it was a 3 torpedo salvo, i concentrated in the cargo ships.

As soon as i launched the torpedoes i dived to 160 m and made sure i was under the convoy.The DD never found me, i waited a couple of hours and then shadowed the convoy to get the which wasn't sunk yet and was struggling a few km behind the convoy.

I decided to get it with the deck gun since i had only aft torpedoes and didn't want to waste them on it.I was spotted and chased by the DD but before i managed to get away i got a message from the crew that was finally sank.

Great thrill with more than 15k tonnage...

I think this is the best possible answer to your question.Now you know why bother attacking convoys.

ps: the sunk ships were grey instead of red...that means they were sunk by weather?I guess i get the renown since they are in my captains log.

You will get the renown.IIRC they were grey because the exact position of sinking is not known.

[Tessa]

Originally Posted by 4saken

I just intercepted a convoy 3 torpedos launched to two cargos,2 hits.One large cargo and one Ore Carrier .There was a battleship in the middle of the convoy but I was like 2km away with 3 ships in front of it so ,as tempting as it was a 3 torpedo salvo, i concentrated in the cargo ships.

As soon as i launched the torpedoes i dived to 160 m and made sure i was under the convoy.The DD never found me, i waited a couple of hours and then shadowed the convoy to get the which wasn't sunk yet and was struggling a few km behind the convoy.

I decided to get it with the deck gun since i had only aft torpedoes and didn't want to waste them on it.I was spotted and chased by the DD but before i managed to get away i got a message from the crew that was finally sank.

Great thrill with more than 15k tonnage...

I guess I should be more aggresive (i am the topic starter btw)

ps: the sunk ships were grey instead of red...that means they were sunk by weather?I guess i get the renown since they are in my captains log.

Battleships in a convoy are generous gifts we get from time to time, they should always be your first target. Be more aggressive!!

Really though, BB in a convoy make for easy targets, especially at night when you can use steam torpedoes where they are unlikely to spot it and change course to dodge them. Unless you've got large merchants/tankers in between you and them (which would be a good dilemma for once) most have drafts of at least 9 m to 11m, plenty deep enough for a magnetic shot that'll go under most of the ships on the edge of the convoy. Sinking a BB at sea is a lot easier than it is in a harbor (ironic that it can be harder to sink a stationary target) especially as the sea gets rougher.

A solid hit to the forecastle can cause them to sink themselves from flooding (since they've got forward propulsion and a lot of momentum they push water into themselves quite quickly), I've been shocked several times when I've hit the BB with the first eel and the second misfires/goes wide a hits a (seemingly) crappy spot only to get the message "she's going down" a few minutes later. Shot to the boilers/aft has the same kind of effect, without any propulsion they become as aerodynamic as a f-16 w/o engines and drop like a brick.

Renown wise BB's will generally be worth the same as 2 -3 Large Merchants/Large or Modern Tankers so you get a very high return value per eel when you sink one. As you found out convoy's that have capital ships in them tend to have very lazy escorts. Up till late 40' (when more merchants are frequently armed) if you can manage to take out the escort you can surface and proceed to sink the rest of the convoy (literally) with the deck gun and surface shots.

Ships that show up as grey/sunk means that they were sunk by "other means" (best way to phrase it) and you won't get credit for their sinking. When a ship rams another one or hits a wall hard enough/long enough to sink itself it shows up as grey, or if there is/was an airstrike I've seen grey ships pop up too. While you may have damaged it, the cause for its sinking was something external to what you did; thus giving you no credit.

[Schwieger]

Oh.. convoy attacks give me memories of flooding and then getting crushed by pressure...

[flag4]

Originally Posted by 4saken

I know its very exciting to get a report or even spot a convoy,the multiple hydrophone reports,the anticipation etc etc.
But once you decide to attack it its another story...

I usually get spotted by the DD but even if I don't, I manage to hit max 2 ships (usually 2 torps each) and then you have to deal with at least 2-3 escorts.
It will take some hours getting rid of them (if you ever do that is) and then get back to the convoy and attack again.

For me it seems a better option to attack single merchants than attack alone a big convoy.At least I can survive longer in the Atlantic.

On the other hand I always try to attack them if sea is deep enough (100 meters and more).Can't resist!

Maybe I am not good enough dunno...It's still March '40 and it looks difficult can't imagine how it will be in couple of years.

Regarding DD what's a safe distance when you are running in diesels?i usually try to be at around 8 km away...

the man to ask is Otto Kretchmar...........March '40, he was hitting his stride.

Jimbuna please.....

[4saken]

Be more aggresive?