about decoys

[Capt. Shark Bait]

at which point were they used? used them a coupla times when i first started the war, but then read here they weren't in use so i havn't since them, but i definitely coulda used them just now:dead: . i'm up to early 44

[switch.dota]

I never used them, particularly becauseI don't know HOW to use them and after reading here they were not historically accurate, I decided not to bother.

[Capt. Shark Bait]

I never used them, particularly becauseI don't know HOW to use them and after reading here they were not historically accurate, I decided not to bother.

yeah, that's why i didn't use them after a coupla times, but i think they were in use later in the war

[AkbarGulag]

I do not know when they were used strategically in RL, but best protocol is to deploy one just before you tack... throttle up and gain some speed, as, most likely, you are deploying because you have been detected anyway, then deploy a decoy, alter course and cut engines, changing depth is also advisable at this point. Enemy sonar will (possibly) notice the decoy rather than your sub. Run silent, run deep.

The decoys will last a number of minutes. At least, they did in SH3. Don't bother with them in SH4 myself, after all, they were a german counter-measure.

[Capt. Shark Bait]

:hmm: , maybe the decoys in SH4 were meant to be like shooting junk out a torpedo tube?

[AkbarGulag]

:hmm: , maybe the decoys in SH4 were meant to be like shooting junk out a torpedo tube?

Haha, I imagine its a leftover from SH3. I guess the developers didn't see the point in leaving something that was already created out.

[M. Sarsfield]

I think in the original SH you could jettison debris one time per engagement and it was a crap shoot whether they would take the bait or not, depending on how well they had you locked on - especially if three DD's were circling overhead.

[tater]

The US had such things, but the only refs I see to them at all are late 1944 (November on).

tater

[M. Sarsfield]

That makes sense, since U-505 was captured in June 1944. U.S. engineers probably liked the idea or at least decided to give it a try.

[tater]

Lockwood had them working on stuff long before U-505. BuOrd was not fast.

Actually, the USN was PISSED at the capture of U-505. There was simply too much of a chance the sub in town might have been observed by the germans. Had they seen it, they would have known that their codes were compromised. The Navy viewed that possibility as far more harmful than any possible gain from having the boat.



tater

[STEED]

I used them once and they were a bit of a flop your better off going deep.

[kikn79]

According to Sink 'em All by Charles Lockwood:

While at Pearl Harbor on April 19th, I took advantage of the opportunity to see test runs of a secret decoy intended to aid submarines in evading counterattacks by escort vessels. Skate and the destroyer escort, Whitman put on the show and, after the submarine acquired the proper technique, she succeeded in eluding the DE in both of the final runs. This was the gadget which I had first seen operating in a fresh water reservoir in August, 1944, and for which we had been praying ever since Its use in enemy waters might have saved the lives of hundreds of submariners and millions of dollars worth of submarines.

Chuck

[Fat Bhoy Tim]

Decoys are superb, but only if used right. You've fired your fish, the sharks are homing in ahead, it's time to bug out.

As someone suggested above, run at flank speed as you dive and deploy one. If there's a thermal layer, cut the engines back to 2 knots and silent running, and change course. Works a treat for me. I had 12 Jap DDs depth charging the **** out of my decoy as I made a smug escape.

[Captain_AJ]

Reading above . thermal layer works incredabilly !!

[FAdmiral]

Actually, the thermal layer works too good. It will fool them all except for
"Bungo Pete", nothing fools him....

JIM

[Ducimus]

I swear ole Pete is going to be more popular in SH4 then Bernard was in SH3, for the exact OPPOSITE reasons. lol.

[Frederf]

Don't worry. I've secretly assigned Bernard as the depth charge officer on Pete's DD. >.>

[FAdmiral]

Thats only half the problem. You had better assign Dinsdale as the sonar
& hydrophone officer too :up:

JIM

[edjcox]

1. When deployed they work for a limited time no more than 10 minutes.....

2. Try to deploy them just above the the depth were you here the Thermal layer announcement. Deploy your decoy above the layer then slip below it and change your heading 45 degree's or more. The destroyers will home onto the decoy and you will slip silently away running no faster than slow...

3. A decoy deployed at a torpedo launc point will interest the DD's immensly and they will converge for a look/see and an atack run or two..

4. It's a finit resource so deploy them wisely..

5. Finally remember no to drop decoys in a line indicating your heading, like breadcrumbs they will follow and ten your goose is cooked.

6. You can deploy decoys in a descending mode till you reach the thermal layer depth then a full right or left rudder to get a bearing offset...

7. Remember that the DD's will congregate around the decoy's... A great way to set up a turkey shot if the DD's are annoying enough....


Next time your in port obtain a expendable companion sub. Do this buy getting a 1500' lenth of 3/4inch line. Entering into a battle scenario have the spool of line depoyed to the rear of your cigarette deck. To the bitter end of the line attach an orange crate filled with a nmber of various size empty tin cans. deploy the orange crate over the side and spool out the line to it's max length. The line will tow aft and follow your lead in turns just to the outside of your turns.
Rig a loop around the observation scopes shear and tie off the line taut. Raising the O scope five feet will cut the line and it will slip off leaving your "towed companion" aft and at distance.

Now you can use this companion to lure in a DD into an attack run. It's noisy as hell so youve got bait to pull em into a firing solution of your own making...

Deep six em!!!



:know:

[Capt. Shark Bait]

Don't worry. I've secretly assigned Bernard as the depth charge officer on Pete's DD. >.>

maybe that's why i've had a few DDs self destruct:hmm: