Tactics: sinking a destroyer [Archive] - SUBSIM Radio Room Forums

anjutosi

08-23-11, 07:29 AM

I developed a tactic to escape and destroy any convoy escort.
After beeing deetcted I go forward to de destroyer, full speed ahead. Abou 1000 yards, I chane my heading abou 60 degrees so that the destroyer can't turn so quickly and passes close. And there begins the real fight. If it stars an atack run, turning to the side of the submarine, I turn port and starboard, triyng to follow the destroyer. She runs about 300 to 400yards from the submarine. At about an 40 to 45 degrres angle, I fire a torpedo aginst the destroyer. and then I stop turning and go strait forward so thta I will get close to the destroyer and, if the first torpedo missed, I'll have just 200 yards right in from of me, and a second torpedo will kill she defenetely.
Please try. It works with me,
Antonio

flag4

08-23-11, 08:35 AM

DESTROYERS

...stay well away. run when you can - and you'll (probably) need more than 200 yards for the torp to charge itself before detonation is possible.

i have tried the run-in attack on destroyers and have scored against them with the torpedo trick - but, it only works for so long. while you are playing cat and mouse with one (and wasting battery life too) its friends are on their way: now you are lucky or dead:dead:

take care:yep:

Sailor Steve

08-23-11, 12:58 PM

Very good tactic in a game. In real life that would get you killed sooner than later. I play Dead Is Dead, and I don't fool around with destroyers. Besides, they're worth so little tonnage I wouldn't bother with them anyway.

Jimbuna

08-23-11, 03:41 PM

Not very realistic but getting to within 200 yards of your pray would mean that your torpedo wouldn't be armed...ingame they need 300 yards.

Fish In The Water

08-23-11, 03:47 PM

Whatever floats your boat...

It's a game so it's allowed to be fun. Realism is all well and good, but it's nice to try something different every now and then. :sunny:

FIREWALL

08-23-11, 03:53 PM

You do know how to use the Save feature in SH3 ? :DL

Also a SH3\GWX Motto " He who learns when it's Smart to Run Away, Lives to Fight another Day " :haha:

Jimbuna

08-23-11, 05:53 PM

" He who learns when it's Smart to Run Away, Lives to Fight another Day " :haha:

Rgr that http://www.psionguild.org/forums/images/smilies/wolfsmilies/pirate.gif

theroc44

08-23-11, 06:11 PM

i tired exact same thing, blasted half my battery life and wouldnt ya know it after i smoked'em 3 more destroyers came running at me at 36 knts pinging away in 40 meter water. I was literally held together with duck tape when i got back, roughly 64 percent hull Integ. Lost 14 crew all because i got angry bout' 1 dest. After that i dont even mess withem. I line up on a convoy hit the biggest two and dive and wait. Works everytime. The diving part at least. Hitting the ships thats another story. I got 70% hit on a good day, later in the war i cant even get close without getting hedged in the face and deps slapping me every 5 meters of depth. In real life circa 1944 it musta been miserable.

GoDeep

08-23-11, 06:41 PM

Everyone is of course free to enjoy the game as they please, so I am not judging that.

Personally though, I feel the game is a simulation of the reality of war. Under such circumstances, recklessness will soon get you killed. And part of a commander's duty is to keep his ship and crew safe from harm so that ideally, they all live to fight again tomorrow. So I don't like messing with escorts, especially when early in the war, I don't even have to. I can evade them with relative ease, even do night time surface attacks, all without being found if I am am careful enough.

I've done the lucky "rear tube kill" on a lone destroyer coming at me but in general for me, it is dive deep and stay silent. The u-boat's biggest advantage is it's ability to remain undetected. I find that when I exploit that, I fare a lot better.

But again, to each his/her own and anyone should play as they like.

Fish In The Water

08-23-11, 08:03 PM

Sailor Steve

08-23-11, 11:20 PM

Whatever floats your boat...

It's a game so it's allowed to be fun. Realism is all well and good, but it's nice to try something different every now and then. :sunny:
Very true, and I wouldn't want anyone to get the impression that I'm telling them how to play. On the other hand I always wonder what mods they're using or not using and what level they play at. There's nothing wrong with playing the way you want, but when somebody gives advice about attacking destroyers I have to wonder. The way I play those tactics are suicide.

papa_smurf

08-24-11, 04:45 AM

Simple advice on sinking a Destroyer - DO NOT AT ALL COSTS. If you miss, you will have one very annoyed destroyer (and company) hounding you for a while.

Missing Name

08-24-11, 11:23 AM

Don't do as I do and gun it out on the surface.

Although lately I've REALLY backed away from that tactic.

The last time I did it, it was because aircraft disabled my electric engines. 10 crew dead and heavy damage to my boat, but the destroyer was sunk.

desirableroasted

08-24-11, 04:24 PM

Sounds like an excellent way to get killed, and it also sounds like stock. But enjoy the game.

theroc44

08-24-11, 04:26 PM

with GWX i surfaced on 1 destroyer which i hit but didnt sink after repeated DC, and alot of damage and he smoked me in 2 mins

Jimbuna

08-24-11, 05:39 PM

BE MORE AGGRESSIVE!!

Hinrich Schwab

08-25-11, 02:28 AM

Simple advice on sinking a Destroyer - DO NOT AT ALL COSTS. If you miss, you will have one very annoyed destroyer (and company) hounding you for a while.

This is the truth. Annoying a destroyer is like throwing a rock at a hornet's nest and then trying to run away with shackles on your feet.

As to seriously engaging destroyers, it can be done. However, the whole point of the war was guerre de course: commerce raiding. The risk-reward ratio for engaging destroyers never balances well enough to make the option viable without serious risk of turning your boat into an unwilling artificial reef, courtesy of British ASW. Besides, it is much more satisfying leaving a destroyer holding the bag after blasting a convoy into the middle of next week.

PacificWolf

08-26-11, 09:21 AM

Remember One Very Basic Thing:
If one destroyer know or suspect a submarine in convoy then rest are going to help him, I had that almost every time in GWX 3.
Besides going on full speed its not good idea, everybody can hear you.
Slow And Silent.
Good hunting

VONHARRIS

08-26-11, 09:48 AM

I have no intension to fire a torpedo at a destroyer unless I have no other option.
AND in that case I want to have a TIV or a TV homing torp.

sublynx

08-26-11, 11:01 AM

If one wants to keep it historical and play according to Dönitz's orders during the war there will be times you HAVE to attack destroyers. The destroyers are the number one target for a short time when the acoustic homing torpedoes appear. Of course with the homing torpedoes sinking the destroyers is nearly not that dangerous as with the regular torpedoes.

Obltn Strand

08-26-11, 11:25 AM

Sometimes those escorts piss me off when I´m approaching a convoy in bad weather = reduced visibility. After few attempts with maneuvering around the escort which usually ends in crash dive. Followed by customary depth charge attacks. That's most times enough and more direct action is needed.

I conduct the attack without game trickery. Track it's movement pattern, speed(s), and launch salvo of 2-3 torpedoes. It creates nice opening to go after merchants, if attack is succesful.

STEED

08-26-11, 03:05 PM

Why wast ells on a Tin can when you can sink a Battleship. ;)

U-Falke

08-27-11, 11:40 AM

It is useful to know how to sink a DD if you are stuck in shallow waters at early war, and in most moments at late war

1) Go to 50-60m and stay frozen until they start to circle at medium speed around you. Just dont let them pass over you longitudinally. Engines off.

2) Use compressed air to reach 20m and set a 0 gyro solution with speed to something around 10-15 knt (if medium speed) Leave everything ready to shoot.

3) At 20m open the doors - beware - leave the U boat stable at this depth - if you let it sink the doors will close...

4) Check if the DD is passing at "constant distance". If so, fire a salvo or one single fish when he passes the given bearing to 0 gyro atack.

5) Dive & wait...

cheeky_kaleun

08-27-11, 12:15 PM

Hiya fellow Kaleuns,

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I'm playing GWX 3.0, though admittedly at realism of about 40%. I tend not to engage destroyers and frigates except where the benefit seems to outway the costs.

If I've encountered a large convoy, and there are perhaps three or four escorts that I can detect, taking one out, if I can get off a good shot, often seems like a good trade off.

Getting rid of one escort improves my chances to evade the others, especially if I take out the lead escort, and it increases my freedom of action in attacking the actual target of the mission (the juicy cargo ships, tankers and troops ships).

My usual tactic is to get within 1000 metres, use a TI set to fast, and aim at the bridge of the ship rather than the centre, reducing the amount of time the destroyer has to react if he does see it.

I find that even if the destroyer does change course, at that distance, the torpedo will often still hit.

U-Falke

08-27-11, 02:18 PM

Typical situation where I shoot DDs...

North of Ireland, oct 1939.

Patroling submerged at 4Kn. Battery at 80%
Its my second patrol, I detect 2 DDs far away.
I was accidentaly detected by one of them and they atacked me.
Also I don't know how they found me... but that's ok, maybe with a good sonarman right?
Floor at 65m, after 2 hours trying to evade I decided to atack.

The both were sunk with a 0 gyro solution from a depth of 20m
using only the hydrophone to get their bearing.

Also, since it's deeply unrealistic to presume all DDs will circle you with a
speed of 10 knt, we can estimate this...
So, if they are at medium speed, I believe it means 8 to 14knt, is that correct?
Using the TDC, you can launch 4 torpedoes at diferent moments, when he crosses bearing 342 (for 14knt), 347 (for 10knt), and so on. Its 0 gyro, distance to target doesn't matter!!

Dont't need Falkes anymore huh?
I ve got to try it on late war... kinda cool.