Convoy Problems

PapaG39 · 12-26-07, 02:33 PM

Man, I don't know how you guys do this convoy thing...lol..

When I do finely find a convoy, usually by accident, I just can't sneek in for a shot.

I get discovered 99% of the time & spend all of my time trying to get away while one or more DD's just goes around & around me in tight little circles until the convoy sails merrily away.

Doesn't matter if it's night or day, nasty weather, submerged or on the surface...They get me way before I am close enough for a shot.

Ha...and as far as taking out the DD...forget it...I miss them 99.9% of the time.

Once they start "S" turning toward me my chanches of a hit are just about nil.

I think I'll go back in the army where I belong...lol..

I have read all the different scenarios on how to get into a convoy, and I have tried them all, but I still get discovered.
I think the computer hates me...

Blacklight · 12-26-07, 05:00 PM

I usually keep track of their courses (Make sure to make a mark on your map wherever you spot them. This will eventually give you an idea of their general course.. more about that later) and try to get directly in front of them. At that point, I go relatively deep, point my relatively toward the convoy, and go silent running at 1 knot. Then I watch on Hydrophone until the first bit of them pass over me. At that point, I creep to periscope depth. Usually by this time, half the convoy has passed over my head and I'm pretty much in the middle. The sound of all the engines will keep you masked pretty well so don't be afraid to burst your engine speed up a little too.
I then pick the closest targets to me and fire. This causes chaos in the convoy and ships will start going everywhere. You will probably have a couple more free minutes to fire at ships before the DD's come plowing through looking for you. What I do is try to just hit as many ships as I can with single torpedoes. Hopefully with a nice gaping hole in their sides, it will cause them to either sink outright or at least slow them down so they will drop out of the convoy where you can pick them off at your liesure.
Try to stay in the convoy until you shoot off all your eels (and get them shot at those ships as fast as you can target them) or the DD's find you. At that point, go deep and silent again and slowly start creeping away. Watch on your hydrophone where the ships are. A good technique is to point your Uboat at the ships directly and when they pass over you, gun your engine for a little bit and then go slow and silent again. Do this also after depth charges explode. Always try to keep the nose or tail of your boat facing either directly toward or away from the ships or as best as you can do if you have more than one DD on you. If you stay quiet, eventually you can get away (and sometimes.. you can't depending on how good their hearing and ASDIC is).
Also.. while you're doing this... mark on your map every few minutes where you hear the convoy itself.
After the DD's have receded, kind of follow the trail of the convoy in the direction of the marks that you made (You can also check out the Convoy map.. see if you can figure out what convoy rout it is and you will also have an idea of where they're going) and look for any of the damaged ships that didn't sink, but got left behind, and sink them.

That's how I usually try to do it. But like a lot of convoy tactics.. nothing is full proof and I've been sent to the bottom in a million pieces more times than I can count going in there. Don't give up. You'll have your moment of glory eventually and return a hero !

Brag · 12-26-07, 06:19 PM

Do you submerge well before convoy's arrival at ambush point?
Do you go to silent running?
Do you keep your speed down to 2 or less knots?

If you fail doing any one of the 3 basics above, you will be detected every time

joegrundman · 12-26-07, 08:40 PM

As above, but additionally, as you play GWX, you also need to pay attention to the following points

From the long range tracking and overhauling, you want a very good idea of speed, course and zig-zag plan. You may frequently be able to place yourself in anticipation of the next zigzag.

The escorts sonar systems should not be hitting you side on, therefore, lying in wait in front of the convoy sideways on is asking for trouble.

Also escort patterns vary throughout the war i think. In the early war, all escorts seem to move straight ahead, but later, the front escorts run a search pattern. Observe if this is the case and adjust your speed to make sure that as you pass the nearest escort his stern or flank is showing to you.

So in the long term you need to have a good idea of where the convoy will be and when, and make sure you are in a position to meet it and fight wihle never having to go faster than 2 or 3 knots, then in the medium term you need to get around the escort screen bearing in mind the above comments.

My typical approach plan looks like this:

Then you need to confirm your speed and AOB solution with the minumum of fuss.

Luckily confirming AOB/ target course is a piece of cake when you are inside a convoy, especially if you have a KM whiz wheel or the U-jagd tools mod.

You simply upscope at a time when one of the columns of the convoy is pointing right at you. Their course is then the reciprocal of the periscope bearing added to your course!

Mush Martin · 12-26-07, 10:26 PM

Working on the edge of range helps a lot also even in 2.0 if you master
the long shot your sub is a lot safer for you and more dangerous for
them.

M

PapaG39 · 12-27-07, 01:46 AM

I can usually get the speed & course, but the zig zag plan I never can get right.

I followed a convoy all day once & it never varied its course once, but as soon as I raced ahead at night & got into position at 3000m from me it changed its course 90 degrees going away from me... The tail end DD's swung way out & ran right over the top of me...Then I spent the next hour or so getting blasted...

Right now I have a convoy in sight, but it is just getting light so I'll have to stay clear all day & maybe I can figure something out by dark..

There are about 14 ships & 8 DD's Plus one Dido class right in the center and an "S" sub (what ever that is) in line behind the last merchant..5000m behind him is another Black Swan.

There are a couple of Dd's inside of the first row of ships...

I took a 7500m shot just for grinns, they are only going 3kts in heavy seas, and danged if I didn't hit a Liberty Cargo just in front of the ships wheel house...it's burning like crazy & even had secondary explosions, but after 30 minutes it is just sailing along with no problems.

Perhaps I should just pass on this one..

12-26-07, 02:33 PM	#1
PapaG39 Frogman Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Phoenix, Arizona Posts: 297 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	Convoy Problems Man, I don't know how you guys do this convoy thing...lol.. When I do finely find a convoy, usually by accident, I just can't sneek in for a shot. I get discovered 99% of the time & spend all of my time trying to get away while one or more DD's just goes around & around me in tight little circles until the convoy sails merrily away. Doesn't matter if it's night or day, nasty weather, submerged or on the surface...They get me way before I am close enough for a shot. Ha...and as far as taking out the DD...forget it...I miss them 99.9% of the time. Once they start "S" turning toward me my chanches of a hit are just about nil. I think I'll go back in the army where I belong...lol.. I have read all the different scenarios on how to get into a convoy, and I have tried them all, but I still get discovered. I think the computer hates me...

12-26-07, 05:00 PM	#2
Blacklight Ocean Warrior Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Connecticut Posts: 2,507 Downloads: 145 Uploads: 0	I usually keep track of their courses (Make sure to make a mark on your map wherever you spot them. This will eventually give you an idea of their general course.. more about that later) and try to get directly in front of them. At that point, I go relatively deep, point my relatively toward the convoy, and go silent running at 1 knot. Then I watch on Hydrophone until the first bit of them pass over me. At that point, I creep to periscope depth. Usually by this time, half the convoy has passed over my head and I'm pretty much in the middle. The sound of all the engines will keep you masked pretty well so don't be afraid to burst your engine speed up a little too. I then pick the closest targets to me and fire. This causes chaos in the convoy and ships will start going everywhere. You will probably have a couple more free minutes to fire at ships before the DD's come plowing through looking for you. What I do is try to just hit as many ships as I can with single torpedoes. Hopefully with a nice gaping hole in their sides, it will cause them to either sink outright or at least slow them down so they will drop out of the convoy where you can pick them off at your liesure. Try to stay in the convoy until you shoot off all your eels (and get them shot at those ships as fast as you can target them) or the DD's find you. At that point, go deep and silent again and slowly start creeping away. Watch on your hydrophone where the ships are. A good technique is to point your Uboat at the ships directly and when they pass over you, gun your engine for a little bit and then go slow and silent again. Do this also after depth charges explode. Always try to keep the nose or tail of your boat facing either directly toward or away from the ships or as best as you can do if you have more than one DD on you. If you stay quiet, eventually you can get away (and sometimes.. you can't depending on how good their hearing and ASDIC is). Also.. while you're doing this... mark on your map every few minutes where you hear the convoy itself. After the DD's have receded, kind of follow the trail of the convoy in the direction of the marks that you made (You can also check out the Convoy map.. see if you can figure out what convoy rout it is and you will also have an idea of where they're going) and look for any of the damaged ships that didn't sink, but got left behind, and sink them. That's how I usually try to do it. But like a lot of convoy tactics.. nothing is full proof and I've been sent to the bottom in a million pieces more times than I can count going in there. Don't give up. You'll have your moment of glory eventually and return a hero ! __________________ Be my friend or be a mushroom cloud. "I am coming at you. You will explode in a couple of minutes !"

12-26-07, 06:19 PM	#3
Brag Navy Seal Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Docked on a Russian pond Posts: 7,072 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Do you submerge well before convoy's arrival at ambush point? Do you go to silent running? Do you keep your speed down to 2 or less knots? If you fail doing any one of the 3 basics above, you will be detected every time __________________ Espionage, adventure, suspense, are just a click away Click here to look inside Brag's book: Amazon.com: Kingmaker: Alexey Braguine: Books Order Kingmaker here: http://www.subsim.com/store.html For Tactics visit:http://www.freewebs.com/kielman/

12-26-07, 08:40 PM	#4
joegrundman Ocean Warrior Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 2,689 Downloads: 34 Uploads: 0	As above, but additionally, as you play GWX, you also need to pay attention to the following points From the long range tracking and overhauling, you want a very good idea of speed, course and zig-zag plan. You may frequently be able to place yourself in anticipation of the next zigzag. The escorts sonar systems should not be hitting you side on, therefore, lying in wait in front of the convoy sideways on is asking for trouble. Also escort patterns vary throughout the war i think. In the early war, all escorts seem to move straight ahead, but later, the front escorts run a search pattern. Observe if this is the case and adjust your speed to make sure that as you pass the nearest escort his stern or flank is showing to you. So in the long term you need to have a good idea of where the convoy will be and when, and make sure you are in a position to meet it and fight wihle never having to go faster than 2 or 3 knots, then in the medium term you need to get around the escort screen bearing in mind the above comments. My typical approach plan looks like this: Then you need to confirm your speed and AOB solution with the minumum of fuss. Luckily confirming AOB/ target course is a piece of cake when you are inside a convoy, especially if you have a KM whiz wheel or the U-jagd tools mod. You simply upscope at a time when one of the columns of the convoy is pointing right at you. Their course is then the reciprocal of the periscope bearing added to your course! __________________ "Enemy submarines are to be called U-Boats. The term submarine is to be reserved for Allied under water vessels. U-Boats are those dastardly villains who sink our ships, while submarines are those gallant and noble craft which sink theirs." Winston Churchill

12-26-07, 10:26 PM	#5
Mush Martin Eternal Patrol Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 4,398 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	Working on the edge of range helps a lot also even in 2.0 if you master the long shot your sub is a lot safer for you and more dangerous for them. M __________________ RIP Mush Tutorial

12-27-07, 01:46 AM	#6
PapaG39 Frogman Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Phoenix, Arizona Posts: 297 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	I can usually get the speed & course, but the zig zag plan I never can get right. I followed a convoy all day once & it never varied its course once, but as soon as I raced ahead at night & got into position at 3000m from me it changed its course 90 degrees going away from me... The tail end DD's swung way out & ran right over the top of me...Then I spent the next hour or so getting blasted... Right now I have a convoy in sight, but it is just getting light so I'll have to stay clear all day & maybe I can figure something out by dark.. There are about 14 ships & 8 DD's Plus one Dido class right in the center and an "S" sub (what ever that is) in line behind the last merchant..5000m behind him is another Black Swan. There are a couple of Dd's inside of the first row of ships... I took a 7500m shot just for grinns, they are only going 3kts in heavy seas, and danged if I didn't hit a Liberty Cargo just in front of the ships wheel house...it's burning like crazy & even had secondary explosions, but after 30 minutes it is just sailing along with no problems. Perhaps I should just pass on this one.. Last edited by PapaG39; 12-27-07 at 03:14 AM.