what about Destroyers

[Atony94]

hello i recently got sh4 and have completed submarine school,during the last mission i got thehint that i really shouldnt be trying to sink destroyers just get passed them sink a merchie and slip away, well will sinking an escort do the same for the war effort or if i really wanna help the war do i just go for the merchants?

[Rockin Robbins]

It wasn't until the middle of 1944 that the subs got the directive that from now on the escorts were the first priority. Until then policy was to put the merchies on the bottom and leave the escorts alone unless you had to engage them to save your miserable skin.

Of course, it is up to you whether or not you wish to obey the spirit of the order, the letter of the order, neither or both.:up:

[buddha95]

if i find a small convoy with 1 escort, HE DIES FIRST.
from surprise with fast torps.

then 1 torp / merchant from surface action and then deck guns

[SteamWake]

if i find a small convoy with 1 escort, HE DIES FIRST.
from surprise with fast torps.

then 1 torp / merchant from surface action and then deck guns

I havent seen one of those in a long long time..

I either see unescorted very small fleets (2 boats) or heavily guarded clusters.

I suppose it all depends on what time of year / campaign your running.

[prince_vlad]

You' ll be surprised to discover that the big warships, except escort distroyers, they are not able (scripted) to fire a single shot;) which is ridiculous and I wonder how did they miss to implement that(the developers I mean).If you don't believe me go face to face , on surface with those warships:sunny:

[Atony94]

yea i just completed my first patrol in a S-class sub (what an ugly boat :yep: ) it was pretty uneventful had a couple aircraft encounters say a destroyer bout 8,500 m away and decided to avoid it (later i learned an enemy convoy was located in that general direction) got to my patrol area saw 1 lone merchie right away nice easy kill than i saw nothing. Which is cool cause i would hate it if every patrol i go out on you see like 2 huge convoys.

didnt complete patrol though because i got bombed by unexpected bombers and almost sunk but didnt and than made it all the way back to port and during the time compression i ran aground and died.....in 2ft of water...weird.

[Webster]

like RR said the accurate role would be to avoid escorts and sink war materials carried by merchants. destroyers were much easier and faster to replace than large amounts of tonnage of war materials.

i believe later on the shift to any targets of oportunity was because less and less merchants were around to be used so it was never that they werent good to sink it was just about the most damage was in stopping their supply chain.