BE MORE AGGRESSIVE!!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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...

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.

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.

Welcome to the surface! It's warm up here... :sunny:

"Fresh air is good for you, Johann."

"...Nah."

Welcome to SubSim cheeky_kaleun :salute: