Effective use of the Mk27 Cutie

Hoss1193 · 11-18-08, 04:47 PM

These became available for me about 4 patrols ago, and am yet unable to find a comfortable way to employ them. Seems to me a Catch-22 to use the things. Can only fire them at <100ft depth (i.e., almost always above the thermocline...where I DON'T like to hang out with escorts around). And even then, I need a firing solution...and the one thing I like less than being above the layer is going up to PD.

I can accept having to sneak up to <100 ft to open the tube doors. But having to go up to PD to sneak a look and get a solution just seems suicidal. And moreover...am not 100% sure *why* I have to do that. If I have an aft-tending bearing on a DD, I don't quite understand why I can't just fire the Mk27 from stern tube as I'm diving and hope that it locks onto and homes to the target.

The critical point of engagement to me where Mk27 would be most helpful is during convoy attack as I'm beginning evasion. Just torped a merchant a two, going deep now now now. As I'm diving through 80 ft or so, pop out the Cutie just to give the escort something else to worry about besides finding ME.

I've tried delaying my dive to a) swing periscope around and lock onto pursuing DD, then b) turning stern toward the escort and firing the Cutie when within about 20degrees, c) THEN diving below the layer.

I generally find that this procedure just delays my dive too long. The DD is almost always too close at the point for the Cutie to arm, home, and impact on first pass; now the 12-knot Mk27 is slowly following around the DD while the escort is running around pinging me, dropping DCs, etc. End result: Cutie runs out of juice and sinks. Meanwhile, the time I gave up to shoot the Cutie is time that I gave the DD to get a ping on me, and now it's a lot tougher to shake him.

A secondary problem I've found with the Cutie is that once it begins homing...it can just as easily home on ME as it can the DD. More than once, I've been trying to avoid DC drops with a few seconds of flank bell, but had to come to all-stop to keep my Cutie from running right into my screws.

I did have one good success with them, but was in the middle of a rather chancy convoy scrape that I'd rather not repeat as a matter of my own standing tactical practice.

Bottom line...when I have the opportunity to use them, they're not really needed...and when they're really needed, not much opportunity to use them.

I'm just about ready to abandon the Mk27 (not to mention keep the 500 renown apiece in the bank) and go back to filling those two tubes with Mk23's (I've been deploying with Mk27's in Tubes 7 and 8 in my Balao).

What am I missing in how to use these things?

11-18-08, 04:47 PM	#1
Hoss1193 Watch Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Washington State Posts: 17 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Effective use of the Mk27 Cutie These became available for me about 4 patrols ago, and am yet unable to find a comfortable way to employ them. Seems to me a Catch-22 to use the things. Can only fire them at <100ft depth (i.e., almost always above the thermocline...where I DON'T like to hang out with escorts around). And even then, I need a firing solution...and the one thing I like less than being above the layer is going up to PD. I can accept having to sneak up to <100 ft to open the tube doors. But having to go up to PD to sneak a look and get a solution just seems suicidal. And moreover...am not 100% sure why I have to do that. If I have an aft-tending bearing on a DD, I don't quite understand why I can't just fire the Mk27 from stern tube as I'm diving and hope that it locks onto and homes to the target. The critical point of engagement to me where Mk27 would be most helpful is during convoy attack as I'm beginning evasion. Just torped a merchant a two, going deep now now now. As I'm diving through 80 ft or so, pop out the Cutie just to give the escort something else to worry about besides finding ME. I've tried delaying my dive to a) swing periscope around and lock onto pursuing DD, then b) turning stern toward the escort and firing the Cutie when within about 20degrees, c) THEN diving below the layer. I generally find that this procedure just delays my dive too long. The DD is almost always too close at the point for the Cutie to arm, home, and impact on first pass; now the 12-knot Mk27 is slowly following around the DD while the escort is running around pinging me, dropping DCs, etc. End result: Cutie runs out of juice and sinks. Meanwhile, the time I gave up to shoot the Cutie is time that I gave the DD to get a ping on me, and now it's a lot tougher to shake him. A secondary problem I've found with the Cutie is that once it begins homing...it can just as easily home on ME as it can the DD. More than once, I've been trying to avoid DC drops with a few seconds of flank bell, but had to come to all-stop to keep my Cutie from running right into my screws. I did have one good success with them, but was in the middle of a rather chancy convoy scrape that I'd rather not repeat as a matter of my own standing tactical practice. Bottom line...when I have the opportunity to use them, they're not really needed...and when they're really needed, not much opportunity to use them. I'm just about ready to abandon the Mk27 (not to mention keep the 500 renown apiece in the bank) and go back to filling those two tubes with Mk23's (I've been deploying with Mk27's in Tubes 7 and 8 in my Balao). What am I missing in how to use these things?