Ever try to duke it out with DD's?

[Avatar]

I did, 2 nights ago.
I came across a convoy at night and only had 6 torpedoes left. One in each tube. I am USS Plunger, porpoise class, and fired all in the midst of a convoy. 4 to a large mod. composite freighter and 2 at a med. comp. freighter. 3 hit on the big one and both hit the med.
The big one sank, and the medium was bow-heavy but making about 2 knots. I stayed submerged with silent running on and kept after the wounded ship.
They convoy finally, after a few hours, started on its merry way, and when it was just on the horizon, I battlestation surfaced and got the wounded one with my stern mounted 4'50cal. gun. The DD's gave chase, but it was at night with a quarter moon near the horizon off to starboard, about 2300, so they couldnt see me. I have the stern mount for just this reason and started to fire on the DD's at about 5000yds(or meters) whatever is in the gun sight. I expended all of my armor piercing shells at 2 DD's, getting multiple hits on both, and a 3rd DD's started shooting at me. I went deep, and at 165 ft, luckily found a layer. The DD had no idea where I was and dropped anyway, about 500 yds off my stern port quarter. After a while he took off to resume patrol off what is left of the convoy.
I surfaced and found the 2 DD's I hit way off on the horizon. I know it was them as I could see their morsecode lamps blinking. Rode in, quiet close to them, 2500 yds, and resumed fire this time with the HE ammo. They were not moving, but apparantly they were still alive and kicking because they started firing starshells, but none came close. I finished off the 2 DD's with what ammo I had left.
Moral of story: You can see DD's farther than they can at night, and if your a good shot with lotsa ammo, light 'em up at around 5000yds.

[Sgian Dubh]

Yup.

My record so far for shooting it out with DDs on the surface is 19 to 0. I have come away with some damage (sometimes serious), no deaths and usually been able to repair most of the damage.

My method is to choose dusk or night-time. Go to flank speed with a rear-mounted 4/50 deck gun. I alternate between full left and right rudder (oh how I wish there were keys to increment and decrement the rudder by 5 degrees per press.....) and always man the deck gun myself.

If they are screening a convoy, I watch for a while and then try to lure a single out when he is farthest from the other DDs. They will come over as well, but nicely spaced out for 1-2-3 shoot 'em up. I have taken as many as three DDs within shooting range at once. I sank all three. Definitely the time for lots of HE.

If you check out the Screenshots and Videos II thread stickied at the top, at around page 5 you will see some pics from one of my battles with a pair of DDs. A luck shot nailed one of my diesels and the DD was going so fast he side swiped my sub. Of course, I was putting holes in his hull the entire time.

The important thing to remember about a DDs big guns is that once you are really close, the cannot depress far enough to fire at you:arrgh!:

"Grapling hooks and boarders, AWAY!":arrgh!::arrgh!::arrgh!::arrgh!::arrgh!: :up:

[Avatar]

I, too, would like to see rudder increments, and not just full rudder starboard/port.

[nattydread]

Just click th ebutton under the heading dial, it'll switch to a rudder dial, just point and click.

And leave the poor DDs alone, its not their fault they are coded as stupid! Currently, attacking DDs is like jumping somebodies grandma. Yeah, you can brag about kicking her tail, but should you?!

[tater]

Yeah, it's way way way too easy to use the deck gun, period.

If the gun had the same unstabilized effect as the TBT, you'd not hit the side of a 90 degree AOB DD until you were at point blank range in any kind of sea moving at flank.

That and the DD DM seems kinda weak. Course they are not cleard for surface action. I kknow when expecting air action they'd dump DCs, etc to avoid having them set off by aircraft attacks sometimes.

[drewsbu]

I sunk 4 DD's on the surface with my deckgun at the same time. Those Japs have horrible aim.

[nattydread]

I get the impression that DD and surface ship skill level is across the board. So in the attempt to decrease their ASW effectivness, they end up crippling their surface engagement and sailing skills too. If this is the case, the devs need to look into creating several skill sets that can each have different levels. That way a weak ASW vessel can still be a moderate or good surface combatant, and a very skilled sailor.

That way merchants can be weak combatants, but good sailors and not stop because they were shot at!!!

[Sgian Dubh]

Just click th ebutton under the heading dial, it'll switch to a rudder dial, just point and click.

And leave the poor DDs alone, its not their fault they are coded as stupid! Currently, attacking DDs is like jumping somebodies grandma. Yeah, you can brag about kicking her tail, but should you?!

So you are suggesting that I take the mouse away from the deck gun (i.e. aiming) to click with the mouse to set rudder increments? Thanks, but I don't think I will be doing that....

[Duke_Wellington_1st]

The fact you can easily fight the destroyers was the second factor which stopped me from playing this game atm. There is no fear - the only reason to be submerged is for the Jap air cover.

I wouldnt be overjoyed at the fact that you can make surface attacks on destroyers in a submarine "sim"

[nattydread]

Just click th ebutton under the heading dial, it'll switch to a rudder dial, just point and click.

And leave the poor DDs alone, its not their fault they are coded as stupid! Currently, attacking DDs is like jumping somebodies grandma. Yeah, you can brag about kicking her tail, but should you?!

So you are suggesting that I take the mouse away from the deck gun (i.e. aiming) to click with the mouse to set rudder increments? Thanks, but I don't think I will be doing that....

Yup, trust your crew. Let them engage the DD, you con the boat....or make rudder commands between firings. You have time between loadings.

[ScornEmperor]

I sank a Destroyer last night. It was a weird situation, where I torpedod a troop transport being escorted by three DDs. The two distant DDs never responded to the distress of their charge. The nearest had sailed off to find me (they spotted me, but were digging in the wrong place!) and as he returned I sank him with only a few shots from the deck gun.

[Tarl]

Engaging DD is one thing, they aren't all stupid, I've been sunk a few times by their depth charges, especially when trying to do a stealthy recon mission or drop off folks on shore....once I'm done I'm out hunting and if u get caught in the wrong spot, u will feel the pain.

All in all I'm enjoying myself in missions.

[Grotius]

I've been sunk by depth charges too. I don't use the external cam when a DD is pinging me, so I can't "see" where it is except by using sonar etc. It seems like a reasonable challenge to me.

I haven't fought a DD on the surface yet, and I'm not sure I will given what you guys are saying in this thread. I hope the devs make it harder to engage a DD with guns.

[tater]

It's important to remember that in the convoys, not a single DD is set to skill above "novice" and some are "poor."

tater

[nattydread]

It's important to remember that in the convoys, not a single DD is set to skill above "novice" and some are "poor."

tater

Yikes, that is just unacceptable. Granted the best DD skippers would likly get combat and taskforce positions, but merchant escorts were atleast competent with their vessels.

[Cakewalk]

I don't fight destroyers on the surface, but I had one ram me and it exploded in half and sank.:nope: I sank, too, though.

[Sonarman]

I fought with a dd on the surface at close range, I fired lots of shots at him and he did not respond at all, he seemed to be too busy still dropping depth charges!

[Duke_Wellington_1st]

I fought with a dd on the surface at close range, I fired lots of shots at him and he did not respond at all, he seemed to be too busy still dropping depth charges!

I had exactly the same happen to me. I havent been back to play since - really ruined it for me :(

oh as well as save games not loading after a certain point.
bring on the patch and pray.

[sea enemy]

Yeah, it's way way way too easy to use the deck gun, period.

As soon as you zoom in, even once, the gun becomes completely stabilized. That's right-you've got a modern main battle tank gun on your deck :)

I just either use the AI crew to fire (they miss!) or, use no zoom and have to fire through the swells..It's too arcadey to use it manually with zoom.

[tater]

Yeah, I came to the same conclusion. I popped into the midst of a large BG last night in a raging storm at night. Didn't make out ships until under 400 yards. What am I about to run into? Yamato (and 2 sisters? WTF?).

I put all 4 front fish into her (1 dud), then 3 more from the stern. It was so crappy that they didn't fire at me--though they could have hit me on the head had one of the crew thrown a sake bottle. I actually attacked Yamato with my deck gun. HE shells, I blew up the float planes, lol. I wasn't using zoom mode, I was way too close, but even that was too easy in the swells (nevermind them not returning fire).

tater