W.W.K.D?

[rudewarrior]

What Would a Kaleun Do?

I am playing NYGM, and I start firing torps at a little tramp steamer. He's the only one around. All of my torps are duds or running too deep. Don't know since I don't use external cam for realism factor. Could be all of my firing solutions are bad, but I really, really doubt it.

So what would a real Kaleun do? I ended up firing my entire stock of ordinance, all misses. Even the externals as I chased this boat around. I never fired at him while he was weaving.

I want some sort of idea as to what doctrine was for these guys. I mean if I fire at a target and "miss" were Kaleun's trained to follow a firing procedure over and over again, and would expending all of my ordiance on one measly target be realistic? Or did they have the liberty and/or initiative to finally say screw it after a few tries and go "surface runner?"

I've read a few Atlantic War books, but I can't glean any doctrine from them. It would seem that the Germans would have spotted the defect after some time and issued some order to deal with it. Is there any history on this?

[Hitman]

BDU wanted aggressive actions and to pursue any contact until its destruction. The U-Boot commander's HandBook explicitely asks to avoid letting lower importance targets go by in the confidence that bigger ones will come. It also says that destroying ships is the objective rather than damaging them, so it considers preferable to ensure the destruction of a smaller ship instead of the damage of a bigger one.

That's official tactical doctrine

Hope it helps

[rudewarrior]

Thanx Hitman,

Any chance I could get a link to that or a cited reference? I'm hoping that I could read it in context and maybe glean what kind of "realistic" decision making I would make given the circumstances of the times.

Thanx again.

[Schöneboom]

Moin moin, rudewarrior,

I can imagine your frustration; I get ticked off when even 1 or 2 eels miss! While I don't wish to make your job any more complex, one of the "realistic" things you can do that might help is writing a Schussmeldung (shot report) right after firing. (In RL this was usually the 1WO's job.) This could help you figure out how to improve your hit rate; variables such as the sea state, visibility, TDC settings, AOB, torpedo & pistol type, etc. Some factors you can alter, others you can't.

For ex. (& pardon me if this is obvious to you): in heavy seas, using impact pistols, your eels could be hitting but bouncing off the curved hull in 2 axes, vertical &/or horizontal; the former depending on depth (both the eel & your rising & falling target), the latter depending on AOB. By noting the torpedo settings & conditions for each shot, you create a body of data to analyze later.

Sometimes conditions are just not favorable for shooting; then it's wiser to just wait or move on. Nobody at BdU would fault you for that, provided you send at least a contact report.

Mach's gut!

[Hitman]

Thanx Hitman,

Any chance I could get a link to that or a cited reference? I'm hoping that I could read it in context and maybe glean what kind of "realistic" decision making I would make given the circumstances of the times.

Thanx again.

Here you go:

http://www.hnsa.org/doc/uboat/index.htm

If you live in the US, the printed book is available for a meager 9 USD. The contents is NOT copyrighted because it is an official document of the US Navy (Now declassified), but of course any copies of the published book are. What HNSA (Link I gave you above) publishes is just the text, so it is not copyrighted and the use is legitimate.

Happy reading

[bigboywooly]

Cool
Nice link Hitman

Section IX

Use (Expenditure) of Torpedoes.

391.) Every possibility of attack must be used quickly and resolutely. In most theaters of operation, the opportunities of hitting with a torpedo are rare. Do not, therefore, economize in torpedoes when attacking.

392.) The torpedo must always be ready for action at shortest notice. Always be prepared for unexpected opportunities of attack. A neglected opportunity will not recur.
In foggy weather and bad visibility, the tubes should be ready flooded. If necessary, they should be flooded via the mouth flaps.

393.) As far as the supply of torpedoes allows, several discharges, in the form of multiple shots (double or three-fold shots) should be directed against worthwhile targets, even at short range and when the aiming data are not in doubt. In this case, all the torpedoes should hit the mark, in order to ensure the annihilation of the enemy. This means that the torpedoes should be fired at different parts of the target.

394.) If the range is over 1,000 m, or if there is uncertainty as regards the aiming data (high speed of the enemy), several torpedoes (2, 3 or 4) should be released on the "fan" pattern. The idea is to make sure of one hit. It is better to score only one hit than to miss the target with each of several consecutive shots.
The target should therefore be covered by aiming at the boundaries of the area of dispersion on the target, i.e., the shots should be spread by the width of the dispersion area in relation to one shot aimed on the basis of the estimated data (if 2 or 4 shots are fired), in relation to an imaginary middle shot).

395.) If a final shot is necessary to sink the damaged ship, remember that the number of misses at the kill is proportionately greater than in firing during the attack.

a) At the kill, steer the submarine ahead of the stationary target, in position 90 at range 2,000 to 3,000 m, and approach slowly, carefully keeping the course, to find out whether the enemy is still making headway. When the change of bearing has been measured, the speed of the target should be set on the director angle of the computer, or the enemy should be finished off by the bow or stern torpedo attack proper. The speed of the enemy should be taken into account in determining the displacement of the marking point on the target.

b) Go in as close as possible, range under 1,000 m. On moonlit nights and during the daytime, submerge once more and attack underwater at 400 to 500 m.

c) If, in remote sea areas, an early arrival of enemy defence forces is not to be anticipated, the final shot should not be precipitated. Many ships sink only after 2 to 3 hours.

d) If enemy anti-submarine forces are sighted (naval or air), the final torpedo should be fired at once. e) In the circumstances described under c), it should be ascertained whether the target can be destroyed by gunfire, instead of by the final torpedo.

[rudewarrior]

@Hitman
@bigboywooly

Between your posts, I think you have answered my question for me. You guys rock.

Keep Rockin'



Out

P.S. Your info accidentally answered another doctrine question that I had been concerned about for some time. Serendipity!!!Thanx.