Trygvasson
09-21-07, 05:06 PM
I had lots of fun figuring these tactics out, and I'm sure others have made similar discoveries. Reading on is a bit of a spoiler though, since it exposes predictable patterns of destroyer behaviour. I've only tried this out in 1939-1941, if someone can confirm that this will not work against late war destroyers I would be very interested in hearing this!
MANEUVERING COUNTERATTACK
1. When an escort or patrolling destroyer is spotted, go to periscope depth and flank speed straight at him. Even the most deaf, green destroyer crew will hear this, and will charge you.
2. As the destroyer approaches, determine the type of destroyer. Set your T1 torpedo to magnetic(someone please tell me the T1 didn't have magnetic triggers) at 1 meter below keel depth of destroyer, or a bit deeper in heavy seas.
3. a) Some destroyers will keep going straight at you; kill them with a shot down the throat at 500 meters. The destroyer will see the torpedo's steam wake and try to evade, but your eel is making 44 knots and has just over 300m to run.
b) At a given point the destroyer starts zig-zagging towards your position, making a shot down the throat very hard to effect. Once she starts zig-zagging, hit F6 and manually set target speed to 12 knots - the max speed a destroyer can go and still use his ASDIC. Manually set target range to 350m. Keep going at flank speed, and when the destroyer is getting below 1000m, make a hard turn to starboard or port, depending on how the destroyer is coming at you; your goal is to achieve a 90 degree angle as the destroyer passes over you. Rudder amidships as she passes; she should just miss your conning tower and start lobbing depth charges, but since you're at flank speed you should be able to get away clean. KEEP TURNING in the direction you started your evading turn, set AOB to the appropriate 90-degree starboard or port, raise your scope, lock on the destroyer, flood tube 1 and fire when you have less than 15 degree gyro angle. In a type VII, you'll actually be able to get a firing solution before the destroyer has managed to get to 90 degree AOB; simply adjust this manually via the notebook or follow him round until he's at 90 degrees. Fire away.
Takes a bit of practice, but at 350 meters, a destroyer going 12 knots is a big, easy target, and she'll sink with that one torp, every goddamn time. And if you miss with the first one, you have three more, and since you're not hiding you can keep reloading, and repair any damage you incur from a lucky depth charge hit. But once you get good at this, they only get one chance to hit you before they sink, and after those three, four, five or even eight escorts are sunk, sinking the rest of the convoy is like killing baby seals. Wolves like baby seals.
For these tactics I prefer using my observation scope in the final phase, due to the very distances involved and the risk of damage. As always, keeping scope use to a minimum is an absolute must. I've found that keeping my scope in or even slightly below the waterline will give me just enough tactical awareness, while making it very hard for the destroyer crews to take potshots at my scope.
************************************************** ******
AMBUSH
Upon sighting an escorted convoy, wait for night and approach the rear corner of the convoy. There should be an escort somewhere nearby; locate her approximate station, and then distance yourself to her flank, at her extreme hydrophone range. Go to periscope depth and flank speed, she'll pick you up from afar. Keep your scope trained on her till you see her coming for you; as she does, go to silent running and max depth, sneak away before she gets to your last known location. Since you have now maximized the distance you can be picked up by hydrophones, chances are you'll have the time to get away clean. She should start plastering your last known location with DC's. When you have moved far away enough to surface without being seen, do so and go to flank speed and head for the convoy. Take up her station relative to the convoy while she looks for you, and she'll come for you in a straight line once she tires of looking for you in the rear of the convoy. This should enable you to obtain a very good firing solution. Repeat the procedure until all escorts are sunk, then - and only then - let loose on the freighters.
MANEUVERING COUNTERATTACK
1. When an escort or patrolling destroyer is spotted, go to periscope depth and flank speed straight at him. Even the most deaf, green destroyer crew will hear this, and will charge you.
2. As the destroyer approaches, determine the type of destroyer. Set your T1 torpedo to magnetic(someone please tell me the T1 didn't have magnetic triggers) at 1 meter below keel depth of destroyer, or a bit deeper in heavy seas.
3. a) Some destroyers will keep going straight at you; kill them with a shot down the throat at 500 meters. The destroyer will see the torpedo's steam wake and try to evade, but your eel is making 44 knots and has just over 300m to run.
b) At a given point the destroyer starts zig-zagging towards your position, making a shot down the throat very hard to effect. Once she starts zig-zagging, hit F6 and manually set target speed to 12 knots - the max speed a destroyer can go and still use his ASDIC. Manually set target range to 350m. Keep going at flank speed, and when the destroyer is getting below 1000m, make a hard turn to starboard or port, depending on how the destroyer is coming at you; your goal is to achieve a 90 degree angle as the destroyer passes over you. Rudder amidships as she passes; she should just miss your conning tower and start lobbing depth charges, but since you're at flank speed you should be able to get away clean. KEEP TURNING in the direction you started your evading turn, set AOB to the appropriate 90-degree starboard or port, raise your scope, lock on the destroyer, flood tube 1 and fire when you have less than 15 degree gyro angle. In a type VII, you'll actually be able to get a firing solution before the destroyer has managed to get to 90 degree AOB; simply adjust this manually via the notebook or follow him round until he's at 90 degrees. Fire away.
Takes a bit of practice, but at 350 meters, a destroyer going 12 knots is a big, easy target, and she'll sink with that one torp, every goddamn time. And if you miss with the first one, you have three more, and since you're not hiding you can keep reloading, and repair any damage you incur from a lucky depth charge hit. But once you get good at this, they only get one chance to hit you before they sink, and after those three, four, five or even eight escorts are sunk, sinking the rest of the convoy is like killing baby seals. Wolves like baby seals.
For these tactics I prefer using my observation scope in the final phase, due to the very distances involved and the risk of damage. As always, keeping scope use to a minimum is an absolute must. I've found that keeping my scope in or even slightly below the waterline will give me just enough tactical awareness, while making it very hard for the destroyer crews to take potshots at my scope.
************************************************** ******
AMBUSH
Upon sighting an escorted convoy, wait for night and approach the rear corner of the convoy. There should be an escort somewhere nearby; locate her approximate station, and then distance yourself to her flank, at her extreme hydrophone range. Go to periscope depth and flank speed, she'll pick you up from afar. Keep your scope trained on her till you see her coming for you; as she does, go to silent running and max depth, sneak away before she gets to your last known location. Since you have now maximized the distance you can be picked up by hydrophones, chances are you'll have the time to get away clean. She should start plastering your last known location with DC's. When you have moved far away enough to surface without being seen, do so and go to flank speed and head for the convoy. Take up her station relative to the convoy while she looks for you, and she'll come for you in a straight line once she tires of looking for you in the rear of the convoy. This should enable you to obtain a very good firing solution. Repeat the procedure until all escorts are sunk, then - and only then - let loose on the freighters.