What intel did uboat commanders have? And should it be in SH5? | Forums

[yngvef]

I just wondered about the level of intel the uboat commanders had access to during the war. We know the germans had spies in all important allied ports and reported ship sailings, size and type of escort ships etc.

Was this information available to the guys at sea?

If it was, it would be a very neat thing to have in the game. Imagine getting a report that a large five-column convoy with several large tankers and light escort left Boston harbor three days ago with the western approaches as the likely destination. From this you could start calculating and guessing where that convoy would be at this moment and maybe position yourself for a good attack.

Another thing that could be nice to get reports about was targets of opportunity. Let's say that a sub running low on fuel or weapons has spotted a damaged freighter running very slowly behind its convoy. If you could get a radio report about it, you could intercept it... and the convoy

I know that the random reports about convoys in older games was supposed to mimick this, but it feels so "gamey" to get a convoy report automatically printed on your map. Also, it never said anything about convoy size or composition. All the description you got was "large" or "small" along with speed and course.

Anything to force us to think in these simulations is a good thing

[yngvef]

I just wondered about the level of intel the uboat commanders had access to during the war. We know the germans had spies in all important allied ports and reported ship sailings, size and type of escort ships etc.

Was this information available to the guys at sea?

If it was, it would be a very neat thing to have in the game. Imagine getting a report that a large five-column convoy with several large tankers and light escort left Boston harbor three days ago with the western approaches as the likely destination. From this you could start calculating and guessing where that convoy would be at this moment and maybe position yourself for a good attack.

Another thing that could be nice to get reports about was targets of opportunity. Let's say that a sub running low on fuel or weapons has spotted a damaged freighter running very slowly behind its convoy. If you could get a radio report about it, you could intercept it... and the convoy

I know that the random reports about convoys in older games was supposed to mimick this, but it feels so "gamey" to get a convoy report automatically printed on your map. Also, it never said anything about convoy size or composition. All the description you got was "large" or "small" along with speed and course.

Anything to force us to think in these simulations is a good thing

[AleksandarVasic]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by yngvef:
Was this information available to the guys at sea?
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Don't forget the Luftwaffe. They were the strongest air force in the world early in the war and if it wasn't for that maniac Goering who was more concerned about deers in Bavarian woods than war Allies would have much more headache. Recon planes provided "eyes in the sky" for U-boats. And it was much easier for the planes stationed in France or Belgium than in the Pacific where they had to be launched from carriers (especially Allies early in the war).

[Pacific_Ace]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">And it was much easier for the planes stationed in France or Belgium than in the Pacific where they had to be launched from carriers (especially Allies early in the war). </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
The Japanese had a lot of islands to fly from in addition to their carriers. Also the BB's, CA's and CL's had scout planes. The Americans in the PTO I would have to say had it the easiest because they were reading most of the Japanese coded messages and didn't need aircraft recon. There are many noted instances of US submarines being vectored to intercept Japanese convoys and TF's at very specific spots and times. Sometimes the sub skippers would 'complain' because the Japanese were 5 minutes late in arriving.

[WernherVonTrapp]

The Germans had fairly reliable intel on allied convoys and from a number of corroborating sources. They had spies near the major harbors and picket-subs stationed at various points (and at various times) in the Atlantic. Then there were the long range Focke-Wulf Condors that would intercept and verify the alleged convoys. Add to this, the fact that Admiral Karl Doenitz maintained nearly fanatical and often negligent levels of radio contact with his subs and you get a pretty good idea of the intel network they ran. As in any case, sometimes the intel was false or unable to be verified/updated.