the best way to sink a destroyer
 

How do you deal with them? Do you prefer to dive or sink him?

I'm a noob but I found 2 effective ways to sink destroyers in stock SH3 1.4 (without mods):
1.) Try to attract him to your position by staying surfaced until he gets to 2km. He won't fire guns, or if he will they will miss. Then dive, and stay at 13m. Travel at flank to make sure he knows where you are ;-). Then when he comes to 1km, order silent running and go at the slowest speed possible. He will continue on his course, which is straight towards you. Try to turn so you face him at ~300-310 degrees (you might have to start turning before you lower your speed). Use the fast steam torpedo, don't forget to set the highest speed. Open torpedo doors with Q. When he is 400m away, fire single torpedo with magnetic detonator. The torpedo will surprisingly make a very sharp turn to left, and due to high speed and close range, ship will have no time to evade. Torpedo will explode and destroyer is sank 100-200m away from you.

2.) He is comming straight at you, you are going straight at him too and are at 13m. Go to ~25m, order all ahead flank and turn sharp to one side once he is close (about 200m). He will drop his depth charges, some might slightly damage you (if you are lucky then no damage), but the damage is easily repairable. Minimal or no hull damage. Keep running at flank until your rudder is clear of the depth charge line, then go to silent running unless you enaged it before. Go to slow speed, and keep turning sharp. If you are lucky and he will keep turning to the same side (which he usually does if you turn first during the head on pass). Don't forget to go to 13m to raise periscope later. Prepare torpedo for magnetic detonation - use fast steam torpedo, set it to run ~1.3-1.5m under his keel, open torpedo door. Once you see on sonar he is at ~20 or ~340 degrees, quickly raise periscope, aim and fire a single torpedo. Due to short range and speed of torpedo, chance of a hit is quite high. Electric torpedoes work as well, but chance of a miss is higher since they are slower.

2. works as well for aft torpedo if its the fast pre war torpedo. It cannot be used with aft electric torpedo, due to longer range and slow torpedo speed.

If you have any better ways to deal with destroyers, please post them here.

I prefer to be more catious, and try and avoid enganging destroyers. But if I do get the opportunity to sink a lone one, I normally use 2 magnetic eels set to 1m below the keel.

Would you not engage destroyers even if they were protecting a large convoy thus lot of potentially sank ships? I once had to sink 6 destroyers protecting a large convoy one by one before I could attack the convoy, since I was too slow and caught the convoy from behind. I think its better to sink them first, than sinking the merchants, and be hunted by 6 destroyers when you are out of torpedoes in shallow water.

Are you using realistic settings? It seems that me that unless your magnetic torps are really reliable, you could be in for a rough ride shooting just one at the target!

I play with realism 49% - that is everything is on, except for the "No ***" settings, manual targeting is off. Dud torpedoes are enabled. For me, for some strange reason magnetic torps are very reliable in 1940-1941. I didn't do anything with the game, its stock 1.4 without mods. I haven't had any premature detonations in clear weather, only in high waves and storm. I don't attack from very long range, so the depth problem with torpedoes probably doesn't have time to manifest itself.

Anyway, if the 1st way fails, you can still apply the 2nd.

This is not a criticism, but historically destroyers where not attacked unless they presented a favorable target (i.e. 10knts in a straight line at 90 AOB) or the U-boat had acoustic torps on board.

The U-Boats where at war with supplys, not ships.

Not strictly true

Bdu KTB April 1940

Doenitz response to

Quote:

Both sources point out that a change over to contact detonators would mean the discontinuation of attacks on destroyers owing to the probability of undershooting. On no account especially after the events of today forenoon (destroyer battle off Narvik) can I abandon anti-destroyer warfare, as for the most part, without it, U-boats would be unable to carry out their duties.

I have already use both of your solutions.

First is very dangerous.
I remember in my first campagn(SH3 GWX 1.02 in 54% realismus), in a very big convoy, 3 destroyers killed by my gun(3 gunner specialist + 1 officer gun-specialist).
But they fired me hardly and tuch many time my ship.


Second is easy in the first part, let them coming it's easy.
But don't lose your first fire !

Finally I prefer "the fox solution".
Run silent, run slowly and invisible, wait the destroyer navigate on a straight line and fire it as long as possible but by 90°, torpedo deep 1 m and set to impact(I never shot on magnetic).
After that just pried he don't change the line...

Only attack them if they present a danger to my boat....there tonnage is negligible anyway http://www.psionguild.org/forums/ima...ies/pirate.gif

I tend to leave them alone because as it was said, the tonnage just isn't worth it.

But I have also found out that the hulls are extremely weak.

A single torp, fired into the side, port or starboard sides, usually is enough to sink them.

The Clemson and Tribal class destroyers are hard to sink, so I usually just try to avoid them.

Best advice, avoid them if all possible, but if not, a shot from the side will sink them.

That is my experience.

As jimbuna says, the tonnage got sinking a DD is little. Just avoid them.
I remember playing the stock SH3 1.3 for the first time, the best position to attack a DD is 90º from Port or starboard and set the pistol to the magnetic position and (if i remember well) put the torpedo deep to 3 - 3,5 meters, depending the type of the DD.

If you have to choice between a DD and a C3 cargo.... the C3 cargo taste like the sweet honey :arrgh!: .

If there's only a few escorts (would have to be early in the war) it could be worth it depending on what kind of ships are in the convoy. If the convoy say only had 3 DD escorts and 5-8 T2 or T3 tankers the potential gains outweigh the risk of engaging them. With their screen gone you've got carde blanche to get within 500m of the tankers and sink em all.

The accoustic homing torpedos work pretty good if you fire them shortly after they drop their dc's. Even if they don't hit, they'll follow the DD long enough to effective neutralize that threat to either take aim, reload, or make your escape.

I won't go out of my way to hunt one down. If one does come across my bow, I'll shoot an eel at it.

When all said and done, I like to exploit the gap left in the convoys defensive screen when you take one out http://www.psionguild.org/forums/ima...ies/pirate.gif

I tend to stay clear of the escorts where possible but if an opportunity comes up that cannot be resisted I give em one using either magnetics or impacts set at 1m depth.

Until you get Zaunkoenigs's it's always a gamble going after the DD's but if done properly can be well worthwhile but I rarely try to take more than one DD out in a convoy escort as I prefer to save the torps for the main game.