Tips for taking out large, protected convoys?

[John]

I find it hard to be successful against taking out more than a couple trade ships when sneaking on those 12-19+ size groups protected by cruisers and corvettes. Any tips on taking out more ships?

[athenian]

Lately I have taken to attacking from either port or starboard front corner, entering the formation at about 45 degrees to their direction of moving. That was Schepke's favorite position to attack and I can see why. The four corners of the convoy are usually unprotected and they present an ideal place to get past the escorts and slip inside the formation, but attacking from the rear presents an endless game of trying to catch up with the forward moving convoy. While you have a multitude of targets for your forward tubes, the port of starboard line of freighters will eventually come into range of your stern tube. I use U-96 with 7 officers, 3 of whom are leaders. All my leaders are targeting different targets, including one behind me. This way I'm able to fire quickly on multiple targets, and utilize the difficult stern tube. I've had beautiful moments when I sank freighters with a single shot from the stern tube. Note: I play on 'Entertaining' (i.e. easy) level, convoy defenses get tougher on harder levels so you'll have to adjust your tactics.

[Davinci]

When going against a large formation of ships, I try to save the game right before the ships appear within the sight radius, and then save it again, when they are within sight radius.

This gives me two saves to practice on the best approach to attack the cargo ships, and avoid the destroyers.

I will only attack a destroyer if they just happen to present a perfect angle to my submarine.

Once, I feel like that is the best that I can do with this particular save, I will restart the game and do the same thing all over again.

As of the latest updates, the ships appear to be spread out more, which is good, so sinking between four and six ships without surfacing is a lot harder than before.

[Wyzard]

at most you can probable stop 4 ships by hitting the engine area - the escort's will stay for a while then leave

[DaddyJokee]

Well, I haven't got more than one experience to draw upon in this respect, but the best way I can think of is to get 4 ships set up, 4 torpedos fired. Then GTFO before you get whooped. A fun thing I like to do is get out by turning around and firing the aft torpedo as well for a 5th shot. But I have to confess that at most I've hit 4 targets in a convoy, and expended all my torpedos trying.

[Urfisch]

Originally posted by Davinci:

When going against a large formation of ships, I try to save the game right before the ships appear within the sight radius, and then save it again, when they are within sight radius.

This gives me two saves to practice on the best approach to attack the cargo ships, and avoid the destroyers.

I will only attack a destroyer if they just happen to present a perfect angle to my submarine.

Once, I feel like that is the best that I can do with this particular save, I will restart the game and do the same thing all over again.

As of the latest updates, the ships appear to be spread out more, which is good, so sinking between four and six ships without surfacing is a lot harder than before.

Cheater! :D only save in harbors! ;)

[Davinci]

Originally posted by Freekoly (🎨+🔧):

Originally posted by Davinci:

When going against a large formation of ships, I try to save the game right before the ships appear within the sight radius, and then save it again, when they are within sight radius.

This gives me two saves to practice on the best approach to attack the cargo ships, and avoid the destroyers.

I will only attack a destroyer if they just happen to present a perfect angle to my submarine.

Once, I feel like that is the best that I can do with this particular save, I will restart the game and do the same thing all over again.

As of the latest updates, the ships appear to be spread out more, which is good, so sinking between four and six ships without surfacing is a lot harder than before.

Cheater! :D only save in harbors! ;)

Hey "Freekoly" - How is everything going, Great Contribution on your "Mod", I'm sure you will not stop there and continue on making more Mods for this game!

Cheating is sometimes a great way of getting better by trying different approaches to get into the center of the convoy.

The picture below is a small well defended convoy that has protection in the front, rear, and along both flanks. So, I am using this as a "Custom Scenario" to hone my skills while trying to sink all of the freighters. I am probably on my ( tenth attempt ) without success.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2124422231

[El Rushbo]

You'll ideally want to shadow the convoy and wait for nightfall. U-boats were notoriously difficult to see on the surface due to their low profile, and at night they were practically invisible. The majority of U-boat attacks were done on the surface at night. While ASDIC was a powerful tool to detect submarines, it was useless against targets running on the surface. So in the case of night time or bad weather, it was actually harder to detect a U-boat running on the surface. At least until the development of radar that is.

Don't feel as if you're limited to a single attack either. You can sneak in, fire your torpedoes, get clear, then move around the convoy from a distance and get in position for another attack. It's not uncommon to spend several days stalking a convoy and whittling it down.

[Urfisch]

Originally posted by Davinci:

Originally posted by Freekoly (🎨+🔧):

Cheater! :D only save in harbors! ;)

Hey "Freekoly" - How is everything going, Great Contribution on your "Mod", I'm sure you will not stop there and continue on making more Mods for this game!

Cheating is sometimes a great way of getting better by trying different approaches to get into the center of the convoy.

The picture below is a small well defended convoy that has protection in the front, rear, and along both flanks. So, I am using this as a "Custom Scenario" to hone my skills while trying to sink all of the freighters. I am probably on my ( tenth attempt ) without success.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2124422231

Thx! I understand, it's training! Nice idea ;)

[ждун]

Originally posted by El Rushbo:

You'll ideally want to shadow the convoy and wait for nightfall. U-boats were notoriously difficult to see on the surface due to their low profile, and at night they were practically invisible. The majority of U-boat attacks were done on the surface at night. While ASDIC was a powerful tool to detect submarines, it was useless against targets running on the surface. So in the case of night time or bad weather, it was actually harder to detect a U-boat running on the surface. At least until the development of radar that is.

This is all true, however in this game this doesn't work yet. You seem to have no any advantage when surfaced at night. The AI will see you visually miles away even at darkest night, there is not much difference, if any at all.

I tried many times, surface runs at night just don't work as well as it worked in reality. Performing much better submerged. Also i figured for myself out its just not worth waiting for the next night. The difference is minimal, i didn't notice it.

[ждун]

Originally posted by napalm:

I find it hard to be successful against taking out more than a couple trade ships when sneaking on those 12-19+ size groups protected by cruisers and corvettes. Any tips on taking out more ships?

for me works well sitting silent in front of the convoi deep and then, when its right above you attack the convoi from inside out. The escorts have big trouble locating and attacking you there.

Also sniping from great range (like > 5km) worked sometimes well for me, but this has to be well practised.

A lame, but effective tactic is to abuse decoys. Escorts often drop all their charges on decoys quickly and become harmless so you can do what you want.

[Davinci]

Originally posted by El Rushbo:

You'll ideally want to shadow the convoy and wait for nightfall. U-boats were notoriously difficult to see on the surface due to their low profile, and at night they were practically invisible. The majority of U-boat attacks were done on the surface at night. While ASDIC was a powerful tool to detect submarines, it was useless against targets running on the surface. So in the case of night time or bad weather, it was actually harder to detect a U-boat running on the surface. At least until the development of radar that is.

Originally posted by ждун:

This is all true, however in this game this doesn't work yet. You seem to have no any advantage when surfaced at night. The AI will see you visually miles away even at darkest night, there is not much difference, if any at all.

I tried many times, surface runs at night just don't work as well as it worked in reality. Performing much better submerged. Also i figured for myself out its just not worth waiting for the next night. The difference is minimal, i didn't notice it.

This appears to be controlled by three separate lines in two of the [ xlsx ] files.

The problem will probably be ( does ) the games code have separate settings for the day and the night cycles. I don't think that this is programmed as of now, haven't tested this yet.

At, night, moving to within a mile of a Destroyer on the surface without detection.

The second picture is once I submerge, the Destroyer and a Corvette start to move in my direction. I need to test this in the daytime to see if the same thing happens, if it does then this is really not that good!
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2126489128
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2126492403

[Airplayn]

I wait until night in front of the convoy and stay submerged using my sonar man and pop up in the middle of the convoys. In the darkness with all the propeller noise from the ships the destroyers and corvettes really have a problem finding you. Then I literally shoot fish in a barrel. If they do locate you and close in with direct pinging then dive under one of the cargo ships and match their speed. Another trick is to submerge under life boats. They don't depth charge an area with life boats. I did that to wait out the convoy and a corvette just kept circling but couldn't attack even with my periscope raised surrounded by life boats. In a convoy of over twenty ships I used a single torpedoes for each ship to disable them. After the convoy passes surface and finish them off with the 88 mm. I sank six ships in less than an hour (game time) starting with a full load of torpedoes. And that's with normal misses and duds. When going after 1-3 unarmed ships or stragglers I just follow them and pump 88 mm into their stern. 10-15 88 shells close at range and they start to settle down by the stern pretty fast. To actually SINK the ship it might take 20 more shells or a single torpedo (easier to hit non-moving target). But don't get too close to tankers with this method. They explode and kill your gun crew. This is with medium AI difficulty.

[Albert]

take out the escort!

[gerald2]

Originally posted by ждун:

Originally posted by El Rushbo:

You'll ideally want to shadow the convoy and wait for nightfall. U-boats were notoriously difficult to see on the surface due to their low profile, and at night they were practically invisible. The majority of U-boat attacks were done on the surface at night. While ASDIC was a powerful tool to detect submarines, it was useless against targets running on the surface. So in the case of night time or bad weather, it was actually harder to detect a U-boat running on the surface. At least until the development of radar that is.

This is all true, however in this game this doesn't work yet. You seem to have no any advantage when surfaced at night. The AI will see you visually miles away even at darkest night, there is not much difference, if any at all.

I tried many times, surface runs at night just don't work as well as it worked in reality. Performing much better submerged. Also i figured for myself out its just not worth waiting for the next night. The difference is minimal, i didn't notice it.

same here its practically impossible to approach on reasonable distance while surfaced.

[Grumpy Old Dude]

Tactic I started with DECADES ago in SS II: shadow the convoy to get it's track, then steam ahead of it and to its flank. Take up a position roughly 4000-5000 meters from my estimated line of attack and intercept. (T2 I believe has a 5k range, so those you need to be 3000-4000 meters. You want some fudge range in case of a miss. You might get lucky and hit something else)
I try and ambush some of the defensive ships. Paying attention to target ranges, and knowing torpedo speeds, I can pretty well target 2 different destroyers with 2 fish ea, and get fairly close to simultaneous torp impacts. If I take out 2 defensive destroyers, I can create a very nice gap in the defenses for me to exploit.
Then as soon as the 4 fish are fired, dive and turn ahead of the convoy on the same course as it. Dive deep, flank speed, while the torps reload. Paying attention to your screen...sometimes I get away with it, and sometimes I have to stop the reloading and slow down to reduce noise. Manual steering, gyro off, etc etc)

IF I got a pair of DD on my 1st go, AND I was able to reload the fwd tubes, AND I evaded and got back out in front of the convoy....then I rinse and repeat. 2nd approach, I'm looking for Liberty ships as primary targets. Take those out, take the DDs out...now I can clean up the entire convoy with my deck gun. Have in the past, sunk close to 4 dz ships from one convoy. Expending all torps, all 88 rounds, all AA rounds.