Found a large convoy but...

Radio Message
14/05/1940 08:20
From: U-99
To: All U-boats
Large enemy convoy sighted in AN76.
Est speed 5 kts, est course 6 degrees.
BdU orders individual attack.
Surrounding waters extremely shallow (25-30 m).
Requesting advice and instructions.

[aj906]

Be more aggressive!

[aj906]

In all seriousness, what is the escort and weather conditions? Assuming you're in a typ VIII or IX boat:

Shadow the convoy till dusk and then track ahead of it and set up an attack that comes from an angle close to 90 Deg. AoB for best chance detonation, but at the same time furthest from the escort.

If the convoy has DD and ASW escort, then pick the latter as the lesser of two evils. If you can get a crew on the gun and sit hove too in an ambush position, so much the better in the dark (Better calculation option with the option of immediate defence.)

I always find in these scenarios that a range of not more than 2700m will have better than 90% hit-ratio (premmies do my head in!) and seems far enough away from search lights that you can stay on the surface for better speed. Once the eels are in the water head parrallel to the convoy at silent speed and once hits register then blast it and reset.

[unterseemann]

The main problem won't be about the attack but escaping escorts.
Several factors are important here:
-The year: 1940 is a good point for you. Year after 1941 would be a no-go
-Your type of uboot: A type II is better than a IXD2
-Your type of playing: If you play DID then you may think twice about losing everything
-The weather: 15m/s and storm conditions are better for you. Attack may be more tedious but escape will be far more easier
-The force of the escort: more than 5 escorts you should abort attack

But wth are you doing in AN76??? You should choose better hunting grounds...(heavy asw patrols, mines, shallow waters...)

So with an horrendous weather in a tiny type II with three escorts i would go. Otherwise i would abort...
Hope it will help!

[Pisces]

AN76, that is almost inside Der Kanal. I'd say trail the convoy at the extreme of visual range, until you have at least 150 meters below you. You could have a look at an empty mission editor map to see where the North Sea is deep(er). Iirc the game map doesn't show this as well. I guess you're way to close to Lowestoft at the moment. Find out where the DDs are in relation to the convoy while underway. It's best to do this at night.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by unterseemann

-Your type of playing: If you play DID then you may think twice about losing everything

Best advice of all.

I always tell myself that if I die I'll put the game away and not play it for a year. I've never done that, but it helps make me very cautious. Shallow water attacks can get you and your crew killed. A working boat that can do more damage to the enemy is far better than going out in a blaze of glory.

[marioh99]

if i were you (and if you're using gwx3), i'd plot a course to get ahead of the convoy, go into silent running, position the uboat to around 400-500m from the convoy line closest to your uboat at periscope depth, and pick the juiciest target to torpedo. very important to use the electric eels in this scenario to maintain stealth, very important to be in position well before the convoy reaches you, and very important to keep the periscope just barely above the surface. the front and escort on your side will usually do some wacky search pattern which may force you either a bit closer or a bit farther than the 400-500m distance, so adjust accordingly if needed. as soon as you fire off your electric torps at the juiciest target, ahead slow right at the convoy, and eventually dive to 20-23m. once the torps hit, i've found with gwx3 that the escort on your side will typically goto 1000-1500m from the convoy line closest to you, and do their typical circle hunt. since you should ideally be at 90 AOB to the convoy line, and you should be anywhere from 100-300m away from the convoy line by the time the escort gets into position, it's difficult for the escort to find you due to their distance away from you. once you pass under the closest convoy line, go another 100 or so meters past, and then turn 90 degrees in the direction away from the convoy so you're running parallel but the other direction of the convoy's route.

using this method, you should be able to escape undetected (be prepared to evade any escort that may be following the convoy), but the down side is you'll only be able to sink 1 merchant ship. it's best of both worlds, IMO. you stay alive, and still manage to sink at least 1 merchant. if the merchant doesn't sink (and you put at least 2 eels into it), chances are it'll start to slow down as it takes on water, which will result in the convoy leaving it in the dust, and once the escort that was hunting you gives up, it'll typically rejoin the convoy allowing you time to finish off the wounded merchant if needed, either with deck gun or another eel.

this is my typical kill 1 merchant in convoy strategy in GWX3. i've rarely been detected using this method in the earlier stages of the war and when there's only 1 escort on each side of the convoy. i wouldn't use this strategy if you're playing with any other mods that make escorts "smarter" nor if you're not using GWX3 or playing vanilla SH3. also don't use against enemy task forces, lol.

good luck !

Thanks for the useful hints. Eventually I decided to have a try according to the methods you suggested. If I manage to make it in one piece, I'll send a patrol report next time.

Radio Message
14/06/1940 05:14
From: U-99
To: BdU
Night surface attack against convoy.
4 torpedoes fired, 2 hit, 1 missed, 1 detonated prematurely.
1 Granville sunk, 1 Empire damaged.
Successful evasion. Requesting permission for further attack.

[TheRoadTrain]

Originally Posted by allievo

Radio Message
14/05/1940 08:20
From: U-99
To: All U-boats
Large enemy convoy sighted in AN76.
Est speed 5 kts, est course 6 degrees.
BdU orders individual attack.
Surrounding waters extremely shallow (25-30 m).
Requesting advice and instructions.

Hey dude, is that a mod your using to bring up convoy details when u get a message?

lol This message was written by me just for fun. By the way, you randomly receive messages of convoys, task forces or battleships during patrol that will appear on the navigation map, too. These messages include heading and speed.