Surface Night Attack

[MantiBrutalis]

As I had to endure 2 hours of Czech train transportation today, I spent my time reading random articles about U-boats.

I always knew that these things happened, but never actually had any text to prove it. Today, I found some very interesting information on Wikipedia depicting wolfpack attacks on convoys SC-7 and HX-79.


Here goes the passages that caught my attention:
"They (the escort) never realised that the attacking submarines did not attack submerged or from outside the convoy, but were actually running surfaced between the ships inside the convoy."

"Undeterred by their (11 warship escort) presence however, the pack attacked as night fell; using the darkness to cover an approach on the surface, U-47 penetrated the escort screen from the south to attack from within the convoy, while U-46 did the same from the north."

Also: "Finally, the presence of an allied submarine was less than helpful; O-14 had no targets, and was twice attacked by mistake by other escorts." Pfff.

My question: Did anybody actually try to pull this stunt in the game? Is it possible, at least in bad weather?

[Wreford-Brown]

It's very possible, particularly if you run decks awash.

It's suicidal in daylight but is possible at night even in good weather. At night with fog it's a great tactic as long as you don't mind firing blind!

Fire off all torpedoes, crash dive to as deep as you can go then creep away from the convoy while the escorts try and dodge around the ships in the convoy.

[MantiBrutalis]

Also, escorts shouldn't hear your engines where you're under the convoy, how well is that included in the game?

[Jimbuna]

That depends on the crew status of the escort....novice, veteran, elite etc.

[RustySubmarine]

Although I have never actually had the chance to sail surfaced inside a convoy, I have often thought about it. Providing you can get close enough to get inside a convoy, which is not easy, I did have a similar close encounter on one patrol I did a few years ago, where I submerged under the convoy itself and ran 150 feet below to avoid depth charging after loosing a couple of torpedoes at one of the ships.

I used the external camera to guide me (although cheating I suppose) but I did manage to run with the convoy and escape the pursuing escorts by sliding off, away from the convoy whilst at this depth. After about an hour once clear, on, the other side of the convoy I remained submerged for a further half hour and finally managed to surface, to see the convoy sailing away in the distant, with the escorts out of my range. But this was just one lucky incident, where I happened to be quite close to the convoy before I attacked. I did manage to sink the ship I fired at, but out of about twenty ships in the convoy, I only managed to sink the one.

[sharkbit]

I've managed to get in between the escorts and the first column of merchants early war on the surface a couple of times. One of the most tense times I've had playing this game- watching the escort sail behind me while watching the merchants in front of me and aiming my eels. A real nail biter.

I would say it is probably the most satisfying experience I've had in this game. A sucessful night surface attack against a convoy and the escorts having no clue where you're at as you slip away on the surface, watching them shoot star shells in a totally different direction.

I've never tried actually penetrating inside the convoy at night and on the surface though. I've done it submerged a few times. That is a pretty tense situation.

Of course, late war, all bets are off whether submerged or on the surface and trying to penetrate a convoy.