Counting depth charges. Does it add up?

[Dorjun Driver]

If I’m worked over by a Fubuki/Hatsusharu team, and I count 54 depth charge explosions, does this mean their collective ASW ordinance has been expended? i.e., does the game model the actual ordinance load-out?

I know what you’re thinking. “Did he count 54 depth charges or only 53?” Well, to tell you the truth, in all the excitement I kind of lose track myself. And being as they’re dropping Type 95’s, the most powerful depth charge available, and could crush me like a ripe tomato, I’ve got to keep asking myself one question: Do I feel lucky?

[fireftr18]

If I’m worked over by a Fubuki/Hatsusharu team, and I count 54 depth charge explosions, does this mean their collective ASW ordinance has been expended? i.e., does the game model the actual ordinance load-out?

I know what you’re thinking. “Did he count 54 depth charges or only 53?” Well, to tell you the truth, in all the excitement I kind of lose track myself. And being as they’re dropping Type 95’s, the most powerful depth charge available, and could crush me like a ripe tomato, I’ve got to keep asking myself one question: Do I feel lucky?

:har:

I don't know how many cans the ships carried. I'm sure there's a link here somewhere, or someone on here knows. I have had times (while running TMO & RSRDC) that I survived dc after dc, then the escorts still had me pinned, but didn't drop any. I tried counting splashes and explosions. Never tried getting a total count.

[Dorjun Driver]

FireFtr,

I have all the info on historical depth charge load-outs. I'm curious as to whether the AI "cheats" at this aspect of the game as well.

Dorj

[tater]

It depends on what mod you are using. If using stock, don't bother even thinking about RL, you'll be attacked by a 1944 DD in december '41 (hell, probably like 10 of them will attack you).

RSRDC has realistic loadouts for DCs (cause I mostly did the ASW assets for that). Unsure about TMO, which likely errs on extras, rather than exact or not enough. Note that the ASW assets do not throw proper patterns, so accurate total loads are obviously, accurate, but in use might not be since they might drop 10 in a pass, when in RL they might use a smaller pattern at some times. <shrug>

Early war DDs carried very few, later in the war the CD ships and Matsus (we called them Des, though the IJN called them DDs) had over 100 per ship.

[Armistead]

Depends on stock or mods how many DC each class carries, but several ships aren't historical and carry more racks, throwers and charges than they should. When they expend the amount of charges they carry, they usually start doing dry runs, but don't trust it, unless their is one escort up there. RSRD appears to be rather historical.

I use longer contact values so other escort will come from further away, so I'm careful when I have the cams off. I dealt with two for hours, thought they ran out due to numerous dry runs, but a friend came from far away to join the hunt. I came up to scope depth to do a DTT from the stern, when this fella came by and dropped a killing pattern.

[Dorjun Driver]

Yeah, I suppose I should have listed my mods.:oops: They are as follows:


TMO 2.5
RSRDC/TMO 5.02
RSRDC 5.xx patch
OTC for RSRDC 5.02
OTC 16:9 for RSRDC 5.02
Bigger Better Protractors


Dorj

[Sniper297]

Historically the Japanese depth charges were designed according to WWI specs, and they were unaware that US fleet boats could dive deeper than 150 feet. That was until sometime in 1943 when a jerkoff congressman named Andrew May blabbed to the press that American subs had a good survival rate because the enemy was setting his depth charges too shallow. :down: Historically I suspect the count was (1) for tactical info, if you knew how many they had to start you could safely go up to periscope depth and attack with torpedoes, and (2) for strategic info, assuming you survive the attack the brass might be able to make some use of the info regarding their ASW tactics.

Myself, I don't hang around to count - when the first torpedo impacts I go to flank speed and kick out a decoy while heading for test depth, when I reach 250 feet I go to slow speed and silent running. Then I use the compass to draw a five mile circle around myself on the chart and head for the outside of that circle. It's very rare that I get detected creeping away at 1 knot for five hours, especially with the tactic of kicking out a decoy and going full speed away from that decoy for the five minutes it takes to get to 250 feet - they initially focus on the decoy then start their search in that area, but by then I'm more than a half a mile away from where I started. Going straight ahead works best since you're crossing under what's left of the convoy or task force to the other side, so whatever noise you make during the initial sprint will be lost in the other noise.

[Dorjun Driver]

When I took my shot I was already surrounded by a mixed bag of six destroyers with only 20 fathoms of water. Other than shuffle my damage control party around, I had nothing better to do than count. I got distracted after 70 or so drops and hit the medicinal rum—or the other way around, which saved the day. Highly recommended.

[Armistead]

Historically the Japanese depth charges were designed according to WWI specs, and they were unaware that US fleet boats could dive deeper than 150 feet. That was until sometime in 1943 when a jerkoff congressman named Andrew May blabbed to the press that American subs had a good survival rate because the enemy was setting his depth charges too shallow. :down: Historically I suspect the count was (1) for tactical info, if you knew how many they had to start you could safely go up to periscope depth and attack with torpedoes, and (2) for strategic info, assuming you survive the attack the brass might be able to make some use of the info regarding their ASW tactics.

Myself, I don't hang around to count - when the first torpedo impacts I go to flank speed and kick out a decoy while heading for test depth, when I reach 250 feet I go to slow speed and silent running. Then I use the compass to draw a five mile circle around myself on the chart and head for the outside of that circle. It's very rare that I get detected creeping away at 1 knot for five hours, especially with the tactic of kicking out a decoy and going full speed away from that decoy for the five minutes it takes to get to 250 feet - they initially focus on the decoy then start their search in that area, but by then I'm more than a half a mile away from where I started. Going straight ahead works best since you're crossing under what's left of the convoy or task force to the other side, so whatever noise you make during the initial sprint will be lost in the other noise.

Decoys weren't available to late war, think sometime in 44. If you use a realistic mod, you don't get them until then. Also the game doesn't confuse other ship noise with yours, although I will often shoot and charge into the convoy if I'm close and use the merchants as blocks.

If possible subs counted depth charges for info. You may recall the story of John Cromwell doing his PC of a wolfpack aboard Sculpin. Can't get it all right without looking, but after an attack on a convoy and escort attack for hours they surfaced to attack again, but a sleeper DD stayed behind and caught them at scope depth with a string of charges, the sub was badly damaged. The attack went on. The subs captain Connoway wanted to surface and fight it out, feared the sub was done, but Cromwell figured the DD had to be about out of charges. A heated fight between Cromwell and Connoway took place, but the captain ordered surface, think he got killed right off. Anyway, Cromwell refused to abandon ship, he knew about Ultra and didn't want to chance the Japs would get the info out of him and went down with the ship. Several sub sailors taken POW aboard the DD saw that it only had a few charges left. Who know, they may have survived if they stay dived a few hours longer.

[Armistead]

When I took my shot I was already surrounded by a mixed bag of six destroyers with only 20 fathoms of water. Other than shuffle my damage control party around, I had nothing better to do than count. I got distracted after 70 or so drops and hit the medicinal rum—or the other way around, which saved the day. Highly recommended.

Wait until you have 6 Type C escorts on you, think they drop 24 charges per run, sounds like machine gun fire underwater. I have set many of mine to elite for fun and they hunt like dogs, often coming in pairs making runs side by side. Heck, I've even seen them throw charges on the nearby escorts. If I'm in shallow water, instead of trying to outrun the charges by going flank, I'll stay slow and hit back emergency when he starts his run with a hard turn, usually works great.

Moving some of my old patrol reports from Ubi forum here, just posted this one. I got mad at myself, this was a long career, no saves. I survived massive attacks until a few escorts were making dry runs, thought I would live...

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?p=2004859#post2004859

[Dorjun Driver]

I'll have to check out your link..
.
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Yikes!:o

[Mork_417]

Yikes!:o

:agree: