Quick Shot on a Destroyer

[ICApproval]

Has anyone developed a quick shot procedure on a closing destroyer in manual targeting mode?

Before I switched to TM, I was using automatic targeting and it was pretty easy to waste a closing destroyer. I either kept him at 0 or 180 degrees, let him come in, locked him and shoot at about 600 yards. If the first missed I still had time for a second quick shot, then crash dive. Now, in TM I have not been successful in setting AOB at 0 or 180, keep the boat on course and shoot. Now when I see a destroyer I run. I realize it is not worth a lot to sink em but it would be nice to know I can. Sometimes you just gotta nail them, if only to feel like a man.

[Fincuan]

Your distance of 600 yards seems fine to me, though I usually shoot the first fish at about 700 meters(~770 yards?) just to get enough time for a follow-up shot or evasion maneuver in case the first one doesn't do the job.

If he's heading straight at you, then the easiest thing to do is set the speed to 0, get a quick range reading and fire. If he's close to your 0 or 180, then range doesn't matter and you can just double click the "Send range to TDC" button, and it'll re-send whatever range was previously obtained plus the current bearing.

If he's heading at you but weaves, then dial in your best estimate of the speed and set the AOB to 10 degrees port(or starboard). Wait until he's finishing a weave and his AOB is about 10 degrees starboard(or port), get a quick range reading, re-send the AOB and fire. By now his bow should be pointing at you, and soon it'll reach the 10 degrees port you dialed in.

Shoot all torpedos at fast, contact(with late war torpedoes, I haven't tried this with the early war ones) and 1 meter, open tube doors before firing, and last but not least keep your thumbs up that the torpedo hits and actually functions

[Wilcke]

Thats the range I use, plus I fire two shots, spread 1/2 degree left and right, down the throat, that way if he turns he can catch the torpedo. If he comes head-on well you know whats going to happen....

[ICApproval]

Thanks guys. So if I have it right - if he is directly in front of me set AOB to 0, try to input a range and then shoot with a possible spread. And if he is behind me - select aft tube, set AOB to 180, get range and fire. I will have to try it tonight and see if I can fry the sucker.

[Rockin Robbins]

It used to be that after an escort passed overhead he would slow down after he passed downrange 500 yards or so and lollygag. If you were able to get a shot off then, as he was moving slowly away from you, it was a high percentage shot. That is the "up the poop chute" attack.

But the best defensive shot is the down the throat shot on the way in because that sometimes spoils his attack. Its very important that your bow be pointed directly at him on the way in. Set AoB to zero, speed zero, range whatever. Lock him with the periscope and click the send range-bearing button, just in case he is a degree off the nose. Now switch to attack screen. When he reaches 400 yards (trust me), fire, crash dive and full left or right rudder.

The last two I shot like this I hit both after a long time of zero hits on the bad guys. Unfortunately both DDs continued on to complete their attacks after I tagged them. In real live they would have gone down like a stone. Both sank after dropping their presents my way. So it is important that evasion is automatically done after unleashing the torpedo.

I do not fire spreads at escorts because they are not worth the misses. If I miss I try again. He WILL be back, I promise. If I hit I have not wasted a valuable torpedo firing a spread.

[Fincuan]

If speed is set to 0 then AOB doesn't matter. Just set SPEED to 0, send bearing and fire.