Air Attack on the North Africa Run

Your ship is on escort duty on the Britain to North Africa run. Your convoy carries supplies and reinforcements for the Allied invasion of Italy. The escorts have three concerns: u-boats, German surface attack boats, and air attacks. Your main detection systems are Asdic and radar. On your third day, as the convoy is passing the north coast of Spain, your radar picks up approaching aircraft. Allied escort planes do not have the range to fly here, so these must be enemy aircraft. The shapes have flown within firing range. The aircraft are lining up to make bomb runs. Your captain has to decide what to do.

Which choice should he follow?

A. Create a smoke screen. Warships can burn fuel oil in their funnels to create a heavy black oil smoke. This could blind attacking aircraft.

B. Try to outrun the attacks. Push the engines to full speed. A 30 knot warship is much harder to hit than a 15 knot merchant ship

C. Sail straight and steady to allow your ship's guns to fire more accurately. Use the main 4.7 inch cannons and the short range anti-aircraft guns to shoot down the enemy.

D. Have the convoy change course more often. Use a rapid zig-zag pattern to make your ships a more difficult target to hit.