You are sunk most by....
 

Trying to create a poll to see what's the most effective weapon the AI uses:

- What weapon sinks your sub most frequently?

Honestly, when I first got this game, it was the surface launched ASW missiles, but now that I know what I'm doing a bit, it's the ASW helos dropping fish that sink me the most. Although it's rare that they'll sink me outright, usually I just accumulate small leaks until I can't stay buoyant anymore. The second most common killer for me is my own torpedoes.

Interesting. So far seems to be torp dropped right on top whether by air or missile.
For me i can knuckle out all torpedoes but it's always the depth charges by fixed wing. There is little to no room of evading them.

Torpedo
 

Russian torpedoes fired by either surface or sub seem to always find me no matter what I do to evade them Are they that good ?

Air-dropped depth charges for sure.

Torpedoes are easy to evade. If you're close enough to get depth charged by a ship, you screwed up somewhere.

More specifically, it's the depth charges dropped from fixed-wing aircraft that are a threat. Helicopters have difficulty pinpointing you if you're not near periscope depth.

My own impatience most of the time. Get something dropped on my head (whether ship or air dropped torps) while I'm focused in on the objective. My own fault most of the time but I usually find the game too easy to remain relatively undetected and still get my attacks off and objectives complete

Ummmm

All of the above

Generally at once. LMAO:D

Depth charges from MPAs, by a combination of 2 factors:
1. Torpedoes are just too easy to evade by knuckling. Keep your ass on the torpedo and knuckle away, and even an ADCAP won't hit you. Also air-dropped torps take so long to get down to depth that even when they're dropped ahead of you they end up in a tail-chase.
2. MPAs have unreasonably good aim with depth bombs. You may have made a 15 degree course change since his last overflight, but he'll still drop a perfect pattern to intercept your 35kn boat at 1600ft.

For me it's those sub-launched fish that get me most. Air-dropped and missile-borne torpedoes never have enough punch to sink me unless I'm already heavily damaged, and depth charges and ASW rockets are avoided easily enough. But it's those submarine launched torpedoes. Enough of a hit to sink you in one shot most of the time, and good luck evading one when it's on the wire and has the other guy actively guiding it.

I - finally - bought the game on Thursday, I cannot even tell where the torpedo that eventually kills me came from, there are just too many...

Not on the list, but ASW mortars like the RBU-6000 are almost 100% deadly. I have never once been engaged by ASW mortars and come out of it with anything less than heavy damage.

As for the list, air dropped DC's and wire guided torps tied for first. I believe Bears can drop passive sonobouys as well, which you can't detect, and they can then track you easily. Just about no warning of the attack, and little chance of evasion. With wire guided torps your only chance is to sink the vessel guiding it, or be a very long way off when you start running.

That was my M.O. initially - shoot at everything, turn and run, let the game sort it out. Especially when firing missiles at escort surface ships in a convoy at the beginning of an engagement; a lot of times the missiles do not destroy the target and out come the helicopters and the air dropped torpedoes. One can quickly get swarmed - a missile launch is a dead give away as to where you are.

As my application of less dramatic tactics evolved, I can now keep some of the engagements manageable and occasionally sink a few subs without a shot fired in my direction (at least anywhere near me). Surface ships always have something to say about you shooting at them.

I no longer find it absolutely necessary to start and finish a mission in the least amount of time and get enjoyment from the game when I take my time, getting to a location that is advantageous to me such as a seabed drop off from where I can pop up take a shot and then drop back down, as I "let slip the cichlids of war."

You'll get here too after the "shoot at everything with everything" phase wears off.

Thank you!
I increasingly try to keep myself out of reach primarily, and plan an attack as a secondary goal only. It started to work rather well yesterday...

Best,
Brett

Surface contacts and submerged contacts require some differing strategy and pre-planning.

I'm still trying to figure out a reliable way to determine the direction of travel for a sub at the beginning of an engagement. In sub only missions, especially when there is only one sub, taking the time to maneuver into its baffles before firing is a good start. With all the sonar numbers at -50 my launch is not detected so there is no immediate counter launch. Moving around when there are 2 or 3 other contacts is more difficult. Being above a strong layer helps but you can and usually do lose sonar contact on your targets.

1) Maneuver into position behind the enemy sub at a 90 degree angle to that subs line of movement. All sonar numbers for that sub should be at -50. I'm still working out how high above or below the target I can be and still remain inside the baffle cone.

2) Select a torp and settings and aim directly for the sub - in case the wire breaks. A torp exiting the baffles will alert the enemy that you are there.

3) If successful launch, re-position targeting box to intersect the enemy's line of travel at 90 degrees astern of your contact. When directly behind, on final time, change the course of the torp directly at the target.

4) Now change your subs course parallel to the enemy while staying in their baffles so the launch that is coming will be at your torp and not you. Be ready to cut the wire and flee if this doesn't work as expected.

5) If it is imperative to kill this target right now (there are other contacts to worry about or getting into position has taken so long that you need to go to the bathroom), consider sending two torps about 5 seconds apart using the above method.

Currently, I seem to be too close when I do this as the auto torp response when my torps get within 1000 yards seems to have a good change of locking on to me rather than swimming harmlessly by. I'm still working on this...

Thank you for this in-depth (pun intended) guide:Kaleun_Applaud:!
I'll try my best to apply it now.

Best,
Brett