Depth Charges
 

If you can't avoid a depth charge, where is the best place for it to go off near you? Above or below, to the side, in front, I know not at all is the best. I had two of those Efertofu (or something like that) circling me for 3 game hours, pumping dc's off the side and behind them. Had a lot of fun dodging them, and didn't take any damage even with some very close ones. I was around 525 feet, in my shiny new Balao class. I'm running 1.5 +TMO+ PE3.

A close depth charge is never good no matter what, but in reality, all of the explosive force from a depth charge goes UP and a little OUTWARD but never downward.

Below is bad!

The worst ones that I have had are the ones behind me when I am using the Sen Toku. They destroy the 'dive plane transmission' and that destroys my steering. (I don't know why it would, there is a separate 'rudder transmission') But like you say none are good, but if you can control flooding you can get back to base without torp tubes or deck guns or destroyed periscopes etc. But without steering Game over.

Peabody

In real life, it was preferable for a DC to explode above a submarine, as ones exploding below a shallow sub would drive it upwards and there was a danger of the submarine broaching the surface.