When to dive? Visibility range?

[Mukai]

Hey everyone, just wondering whats a good range to get within before diving? And how close can you get to a convoy while submerged before being detected? Just having a bit of difficulty setting up my attacks properly. Thanks

[Jabrwock]

Depends on a bunch of factors. Keep an eye on your visibility UI, it will tell you how visible you are, hover over it for details about what is making you more visible. Escorted convoys will also be a lot more alert.

[MrCanoeHead]

Get ahead of them and wait submerged to attack as they come by, run away, race ahead, dive and repeat

[Jabrwock]

Originally posted by Stonhed:

Get ahead of them and wait submerged to attack as they come by, run away, race ahead, dive and repeat

Especially useful when they have escorts. They won't generally have ASDIC going at all times, relying more on hydrophone and visuals.

Make sure discipline is high, as at low discipline crew panic which can be heard over hydrophone, alerting them to your presence.

[Mukai]

Originally posted by Jabrwock:

Originally posted by Stonhed:

Get ahead of them and wait submerged to attack as they come by, run away, race ahead, dive and repeat

Especially useful when they have escorts. They won't generally have ASDIC going at all times, relying more on hydrophone and visuals.

Make sure discipline is high, as at low discipline crew panic which can be heard over hydrophone, alerting them to your presence.

So keep them at the edge of my visible range and plot their route jump ahead and attack?

What about o2, as a rule of thumb how far away shud the contacts be before diving (just to maximise o2 levels) Also I'm assuming that ventilation systems can be heard over hydrophone?

[AoD_lexandro]

Originally posted by Mukai:

So keep them at the edge of my visible range and pot their route jump ahead and attack?

Bingo. Just be aware that they could change course so don't try to go too far ahead so you do not lose them completely. Basically you want to ambush them every time by waiting on them coming to you, rather than try to chase them.

[Zerat_KJ]

You can get to a transport about 600m with persicope no problem, Corvets at this distance will get a 20% detection. Personally rarely get closer ten 1.5k

[MrCanoeHead]

I'm a maniac when attacking, I shoot from 700m - 1km usually with manual targeting, so much fun.

[Jabrwock]

Originally posted by Mukai:

What about o2, as a rule of thumb how far away shud the contacts be before diving (just to maximise o2 levels) Also I'm assuming that ventilation systems can be heard over hydrophone?

Yes, ventilation can be heard when it's recycling the air. Canned air on blue light will last you 90 minutes. Ventilation to replenish takes about 5-8 minutes, but you make a huge racket during that time and could be noticed, so back away from the convoy several kilometres before firing it up.

[danbey]

I would say if you see them - they see you, so dive to a periscope depth once you have a visual contact. Corvettes locked me at 1 km distance while my machines were stopped - this means they saw my periscopes. With presicopes down I feel quite safe if the escort is not alarmed yet. When start seeking for you they are quite sesitive.

[Menace]

Originally posted by Stonhed:

I'm a maniac when attacking, I shoot from 700m - 1km usually with manual targeting, so much fun.

I like doing this too. Wait until you can see the whites of their eyes...

[El Rushbo]

The low profile of your U-boat helps to make it difficult to see, especially at night. The majority of torpedo attacks were done at night on the surface. ASDIC and hydrophones were useless detecting a sub on the surface so in some cases you're harder to detect on the surface than under water. As mentioned above getting within 1 km is ideal for torpedo attacks for several reasons, ultimate being less time for the enemy to react.

[Dewgle]

If you're REALLY close, consider lowering your periscopes and finish your target plotting with just the hydrophone officer