Depth Charges: Strategies to escape
 

In one of my other threads, STEAMWAKE had referenced the hedgehog weapon in a discussion about depth charges and ASW.

the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedgehog_(weapon)

I noticed this :

Does this play out the same in SH4? I wasn't aware that charges rendered PASSIVE SONAR useless for a spell. Do you guys hit the gas when you hear charges? What are your strategies in escaping from them? Should you stay silent? Does it depend on how close they are to your whereabouts? [beg pardon, I know there are probably umpteen topics related, but I didn't get far tyring to answer this question specifically about slipping away during depth charging]

Active sonar was also disrupted by clouds of bubbles formed from underwater explosions. Both were also inefective at speeds greater than about twelve knots (this was increased to around 18 later in the war). This is not reflected in the game.

I don't know about the "15 minutes" part though - I was under the impression that it was 1-2 minutes at best. Don't know for sure, though.

I'd say the 1-2 minutes sounds more accurate than 15mins. It's all about what noise is in the water!

so... I guess what I'm asking is... what is the best way to slink away.

When the enemy is pinging... they already have your location right? So do you just give it all the gas?

When they are stopped, they are 'listening'...so you need to be silent. That's easy, but I can never figure out what to do when they're using ASDIC.

Deploy Decoys as a trap
 

deploy decoys as a trap !!

kind regards , Horatio

"Pray" :up:

http://sevrinblacke.com/shIV/wagons.jpg

Minimize your "profile" towards the "pinging" ship, ie try to keep it at 0 or 180 relative bearing (point your bow or stern towards it).

Go deep below the thermal layer...Overall, and mod's differ you can easily go another 100 below default.

After I shoot, I go flank and deep and turn away to get out as fast as I can. They are headed for your shooting point. If you can escape the circle of death before they arrive...much better. Once they get close to your shooting point go silent and keep a narrow profile to the nearest ship.

Yes, go flank and turn about 20 degree's when a ship passes over, they should fall behind. I found 20 degree's get's you out of the way of the Y guns and the back ones. If you turn too hard, you may get hit with the Y guns. Main thing is to break the circle of death.

If you're playing stock....you have decoys. Use them, but again a mild turn is in order.

You just have to find a balance of speed, depth, ect. If you're playing TMO the escorts are much harder.

Go deeper...

Thanks Armistead (again). I'd love to watch over your shoulders some time... this seems like good advice. I was wondering how the methods in real life (like turning to 0 / 180) translated into the game.
I don't have any decoys (perhaps there arent any in TMO?) so i have to get the hell outta Dodge before the circle of death closes me in.

So...

1/ reverse course (get away from shooting location)
2/ FLANK SPEED and DIVE DEEP (to get under thermal layer) until they arrive at shooting location.
3/ silent running, keeping 0/180 degrees to the closest ASW unit.

(When you say 20 degrees, does it matter whether it's 20 or 340?)

No, it just means they are looking. Stay slow until you actually hear the DD's engines overhead. At that point, due to the fact that sonar has a limit to the angle it can aim downward, they can't hear you anymore. They are effectively dropping 'blind'. That's when you go to flank speed, turn hard one direction or the other, and drop 20 metres or more. Then go silent again.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...arpatterns.jpg

Its been an sop for a long time, due to knowing the DD is basically deaf during its 'run' and for a bit of time there after.

The sop is if your in the way of his DC run... first say a prayer then ring up to flank and throw the rudder hard to port or starbord. Continue the run at flank and build up some momentum untill the cans are finishing making a racket then straighten out the rudder and drop back to a couple of knots.

Its pretty easy to tell when they start their run, they cruise around a bit then straighten out and hit flank. You can follow this on sonar easy.

Of course if he isnt even really close just maintain your present course and speed.

Ive escaped a few times alive doing this. In deeper water of course :rotfl:

I don't throw hard either way. The ships of RSRD often have 6 Y guns that fire way off to the side, turning hard often puts you right in the bullseye. This also slows you down, why a smaller turn will not.
That's why I just turn about 20%, enough to miss the sterns, but not so much that you turn into the sidethrowers. Plus I want to stay on a course out of their search zone and not keep turning into it.

Either way doesn't matter as far as turning. I play with cams off, so I just listen to sonar and when they pass, crank it out of there.

With TMO, you get decoys late war as was historically correct. When I do have them I will drop them before I pass the thermal layer.

Works most the time, but obvious sometimes you shoot closer in. I always take time on my approach and pick the weakest point to attack. The best way to escape dd's is learn tactics to where you never have to deal with them.

I am no expert but to me this just sounds bad. As soon as you release you are going to flank and telling the escorts you are there. Convoy starts zig-zagging while torps are en-route, DDs coming at you pinging.. yeah... just all bad. Why would you want to be so loud at such a time?

Why not go slowly at least until your torps impact. Then by the time they know you are out there you are no longer at the firing point. I like to be two thermal layers down before they have any idea I am there.

I fire, dive and turn away while still silent running at slow speed. Most times I can slip away and they will never know where I was. (TMO)