Tips for '68 Campaign convoy attack?

[Shadrach]

Hey,
I've been playing the '68 campaign lately, and find it a lot more challenging and tense than the 84 campaign.

However really struggling with attacks on convoys with escorts, like landing party missions. What happens is the escorts go full ping and easily detect me after a while. Or they detect me once I fire a torp, maybe a bit too easily. Then the transports make a beeline for escape and my slower guided torps are not able to catch up. I've tried using the unguided ones but since they zig and zag as expected it's really hard.

What I've found works, is to take out the escorts (usually only two) with the guided torps first. But for instance the Poti and others are pretty easily able to escape going full steam ahead, unless they start circling which is a silly AI tactic.

Then I just follow the transports at high speed, match their bearing and course and fire a torp right up their rear :)

It works, but I think it's kind of "gamey" since I *know* there are no more enemies on the map, but as a commander I could also be vulnerable from something unexpected. Since it's a game, I *know* I'm totally safe once the escorts are knocked out.

I think maybe I have to stay far enough away to not be detected by the escorts and then use unguided torps but it's really hard as they also detect these really early and then the transports just turn around fast.

So - any tips for taking out the transports in a consistent way, without getting detected too early by the escorts and having to use "gamey" tactics?

[RED]

Close in to the convoy. Escort will surely try to intercept so fire Mk37, it will keep them occupied.

Then fire Mk37 (I hardly use Mk16s) at cargo ships. Make sure to activate them ASAP (key "4"), that will increase their speed from 17 to 26kn. No merchant is faster than that. Then make sure torp acquires and job is pretty much done.

[Safetypin]

IdeallyI like to try and find a gap and get inside the convoy. Once you are among the merchants, set up a plan to kill them. Activate your torps asap, like RED said, so they run at 26 knots in stead of 17. I prioritise Komsomols, since they can run at 20 knots. I also use my unwired tubes to get the merchants. And I fire at the ones furthest away first as to plan the strike of my four torps within as little time as possible because as soon as the first goes down, the rest wil make a beeline. Don't forget your exit strategy though. Load the tubes without the wires immediately after firing so you can act against escorts that come rushing in. After the inital strike, deal with the escorts. Once they are taken care of, you can pick off the remaining damaged merchants. If taking care of the escorts takes to long, make a mental note of the direction the merchants are running in so you can eventually get on that bearing after you dealt with the escorts. Use radar mast to find the running merchants if necessary.

But if you try to sneak in and get detected, than you have to engage the escorts earlier then anticipated, changeing your tactics. What also works is, send a Mk37 towards an escort, they then run away for quite a while. Make sure the Mk37 is following the escort with active sonar and usually the escort keeps running untill the Mk37 runs out of fuel. This gives you quite some time to engage other targets before the runnaway escort turns around and comes back. When you fire a passive Mk37, I've found that escorts sometimes turn around when they think your torp is not tracking anymore wich sometimes results in them running straight into them.

Once the escort comes racing back after being chased by your Mk37, they are doing so as a bull to a red flag. They're almost oblivious to what's going on around them. So you can have a follow up Mk37, on a leash, still unactivated, running to meet him. Time your activation correctly and they will not be able to avoid it.

If for some reason the escorts keep breaking off and turning a lot, I sometimes use the radar mast (make very sure that there are no airborne assets hunting you or escorts with SS-N missiles) to act as the red flag and surely, the bulls come running in like crazy. Just make sure your torp meets them outside RBU range, use reverse if necesarry to keep enough space. This is a daring tactic but has worked perfectly for me, as long as there are no helicopters or planes or missiles. I must say I've only done this with one escort remaining or two spaced apart by more than 20 KYDS so to engaged them one by one.

[Shadrach]

Thanks for the tips guys, appreciated.

I think my problem is I get detected by the escorts, and that's why I've tried to keep a distance, but it makes it impossibly to use the unguided torps and the guided ones often run out of fuel before they are able to catch up with the fleeing merchants - even when they are activated.

So not sure how I'd be able to sneak into a convoy at 5 knots and not be detected and them just not outrunning me since they tend to run at around 15 kts.

[Safetypin]

Well, the key is to monitor the sonar data of the nearest escorts and watch if you're being detected (any value over 10 and you can assume they know you're there). The escorts usually alters states of slow ahead with active pinging (they are looking for you) and flanking/repositioning without pinging. It is in that latter phase where you need to go to 20 or 25 knots and try to get closer to the convoy. Do this deep so you don't cavitate. If there is a layer, use it. You too have to alter flank running with gliding silent. At some point you'll be close enough to keep contact on the loudest merchant, even while running 20 knots. The key is patience (at least if you really want to try this tactic).

At some point, the escorts will leave a gap and than you go for it. If you don't see a gap from your current position, you could try to reposition yourself relative to the convoy. Say, if you find the convoy dead ahead but there are two escorts on either side of the head of the convoy, chances are that the rear is only protected by one escort. Take a wide arch around the convoy and reangage from a flank or the rear. This requires an awfull lot of time though and I wouldn't advise this if you have helicopters flying around. If so, be very carefull with time compression (better still, don't use it before the escorts are neutralised).