U-Boot Escort Sinking

[John W. Howard]

Hello Gents:
I very seldom hear of any policy on the part of U-Boots in Wolfpacks designating one or more of their number to launch an attack on the escort ships in a convoy. Granted, first priority was to destroy merchant ships, but it seems odd in a multi U-Boot attack not to attempt to sink an escort or two and try to divert their attention and lessen the odds against the U-Boots. Without a doubt attacking an escort was dangerous business, especially Destroyers, but a Corvette was not such a daunting task. What was Kriegsmarine official policy on this and were there any instances of attacks on convoy escorts as part of an organized strategy?? Any help would be appreciated. Best wishes.

[phylo_roadking]

Without a doubt attacking an escort was dangerous business, especially Destroyers, but a Corvette was not such a daunting task

Not necessarily smaller, to a degree more nimble (to the point of being bouncy, unstable and vomit inducing!) and rode quite high in the water IIRC. Almopst impossible to hit with a single torpedo, and equally easy to miss in the "forks" of a spread. Plus, like destroyers, a 24-hour deck watch

[John W. Howard]

Hi Phylo:
Hadn't thought about the 24hr. deck-watch. It just seems that it might have been wise to, on occasion, remind the escorts that they could be targets too and put the grain of self-preservation into their minds. As you point out, I suppose the U-Boot command did not want to waste torpedoes and attack time on escorts given the limited number of Boots and torpedoes they carried. Best wishes.

[redcoat]

Hi Phylo:
It just seems that it might have been wise to, on occasion, remind the escorts that they could be targets too and put the grain of self-preservation into their minds. .

Isn't an even more alert crew on an escort ship the last thing a U-boat crew would want ?

[John W. Howard]

Perhaps I should have been clearer; sending an escort to the bottom on occasion couldn't help but distract escorts from their assigned task of U-Boot hunting, but for the reasons listed above, it wasn't as practical as it seemed for the Germans to do so. One assumes the deck-watch of an escort to be at peak alert regardless of circumstances. Best wishes.