Effective way to trail other subs?

Kodiac · 05-30-08, 11:04 AM

Greetings everyone;

I'm new to DW and looked all over to find my answer and I couldn't find it so, I hope I'm not repeating this topic. I'm want to sneak up to enemy subs, to be able to come up right behind them and they won't know I'm there. I'm not sure what is the best way to approach a sub contact to be not detected and to know exactly what depth they are at without looking at external view? Also the best distance behind the target? Should I have my doors open already before I get there? I guess I would like to experience following other subs for awile before I blow it up.

To be · 05-30-08, 11:42 AM

It really isn't possible to do that to the modern subs in DW, because they usually have towed array sonar, which allows them to see directly behind them. You can get close, but nothing like the 200m close trails you are thinking of. For subs without towed arrays: Hans, Xias, and pretty much all of the desiel submarines (assuming you are using LWAMI), you just need to get directly behind them, and speed up until you are as close as desired, at which point you can simply follow them visually on HF sonar, which would allow you to see their depth.

goldorak · 05-30-08, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by To be

It really isn't possible to do that to the modern subs in DW, because they usually have towed array sonar, which allows them to see directly behind them. You can get close, but nothing like the 200m close trails you are thinking of. For subs without towed arrays: Hans, Xias, and pretty much all of the desiel submarines (assuming you are using LWAMI), you just need to get directly behind them, and speed up until you are as close as desired, at which point you can simply follow them visually on HF sonar, which would allow you to see their depth.

If the sub skipper is inexperienced then yes this is a tatic that works, on the other hand experienced players on the kilo (or subs without ta) change frequently course so as to verifiy that nothing comes up behind them.

Kodiac · 05-30-08, 12:20 PM

Thankyou for the quick reply. Think I'm going back to the manual again to read up on hf sonar. Thought using hf sonar gives your position away. I better go back to the books.

goldorak · 05-30-08, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kodiac

Thankyou for the quick reply. Think I'm going back to the manual again to read up on hf sonar. Thought using hf sonar gives your position away. I better go back to the books.

No HF sonar does not give away your position.

GrayOwl · 05-30-08, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldorak

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kodiac

Thankyou for the quick reply. Think I'm going back to the manual again to read up on hf sonar. Thought using hf sonar gives your position away. I better go back to the books.

No HF sonar does not give away your position.

:hmm: It is a mistake - other submarines too should detect high sonar other subs (If at them is HF Sonar), and as without to give its positions.

Sorge · 05-30-08, 05:21 PM

I did this to an AI Kilo once. I started off starboard of him. I just figured out a solution from TMA, then put myself on an intercept course with his trail. Once I got to it, I matched my course with his and gained on him. Unfortunately, he was flying along at 20kts, so I had to speed up to catch him and I began cavitating. He didn't seem to hear me until I was within a couple hundred yards. That's when he slowed down and began turning. I overshot him, since I was below him and ended up right in front of him. For some reason, he didn't shoot. I went full astern and got back on his tail again. He sat there for a few minutes. Finally I was like "screw this" and torpedoed him.

HeavyDelta · 05-31-08, 12:06 AM

I was trailing a vessel in a quick mission, I believe he picked me up since he was dodging like crazy, I had to take countless full rudder turns just to keep up. We were twisting back and forth for quite a while and I took a couple of pot shots that were sure to hit but mysteriously missed.
I decided what the heck, he might be close enough to see with the periscope while submerged. So I raised the scope and peered around untill i saw a small keel and hull on the surface. Turns out I'd been sweating it out with a friggin sailboat for nearly an hour! I was wondering why my narrowband wasn't picking up anything... guess I'm still a newbie.

SeaQueen · 05-31-08, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sorge

Finally I was like "screw this" and torpedoed him.

I would have been at that point well before you were.

All of this following people... blah... kill 'em and move on.

LoBlo · 06-06-08, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kodiac

Greetings everyone;

I'm new to DW and looked all over to find my answer and I couldn't find it so, I hope I'm not repeating this topic. I'm want to sneak up to enemy subs, to be able to come up right behind them and they won't know I'm there. I'm not sure what is the best way to approach a sub contact to be not detected and to know exactly what depth they are at without looking at external view? Also the best distance behind the target? Should I have my doors open already before I get there? I guess I would like to experience following other subs for awile before I blow it up.

The only easy way to do this successfully in DW is:
1) be quieter at the given speed than the sub that being trailed.
2) have better sensors at the given speed than the sub that is being trailed
3) if your not quieter at a given speed then at least your sensors have to be better than his so that even if your louder he still can't detect you as easily (ie SW trailing a ImpKilo).
4) be moving slow enough that your sonsar doesn't wash out.
5) helps to have a strong broadband signal so that you can carefully watch your demon sonar to catch when the sub drops down to listening speed and you can too.

OptimusX · 06-15-08, 02:00 AM

I really only found trailing old style SSBNs as a practical tactic, since they usually did not have TAs and inferior sensors. I think there as a mission where I had to trail a Delta with a weapon's hold.

You can only trail a sub that is cavitating and/or lacking a towed array.

Gorshkov · 06-27-08, 07:10 PM

I think you should possess easily detectable training platform which would be easy to track. That is why I looked closely at declassified U-boat noise levels and other interesting data found here:

http://www.armscontrol.ru/subs/snf/snf03221.htm#table2

As you can see WW2 U-boats were very noisy beasts. I scaled above data to DW database passive SL values and I think that hypothetical U-boat in DW should have passive SL equals at least 74 dB if not higher.

So you could "transmogrify" one of AI subs (Foxtrot, Ming) in DW to noisy U-boat using DWEdit and try to hunt her with impunity all the time. :rotfl:

05-30-08, 11:04 AM	#1
Kodiac Swabbie Join Date: May 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 7 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Effective way to trail other subs? Greetings everyone; I'm new to DW and looked all over to find my answer and I couldn't find it so, I hope I'm not repeating this topic. I'm want to sneak up to enemy subs, to be able to come up right behind them and they won't know I'm there. I'm not sure what is the best way to approach a sub contact to be not detected and to know exactly what depth they are at without looking at external view? Also the best distance behind the target? Should I have my doors open already before I get there? I guess I would like to experience following other subs for awile before I blow it up. __________________

05-30-08, 12:20 PM	#4
Kodiac Swabbie Join Date: May 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 7 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Thankyou for the quick reply. Think I'm going back to the manual again to read up on hf sonar. Thought using hf sonar gives your position away. I better go back to the books. __________________

05-30-08, 11:42 AM	#2
To be Electrician's Mate Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 140 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	It really isn't possible to do that to the modern subs in DW, because they usually have towed array sonar, which allows them to see directly behind them. You can get close, but nothing like the 200m close trails you are thinking of. For subs without towed arrays: Hans, Xias, and pretty much all of the desiel submarines (assuming you are using LWAMI), you just need to get directly behind them, and speed up until you are as close as desired, at which point you can simply follow them visually on HF sonar, which would allow you to see their depth.

05-30-08, 05:21 PM	#7
Sorge Swabbie Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 10 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	I did this to an AI Kilo once. I started off starboard of him. I just figured out a solution from TMA, then put myself on an intercept course with his trail. Once I got to it, I matched my course with his and gained on him. Unfortunately, he was flying along at 20kts, so I had to speed up to catch him and I began cavitating. He didn't seem to hear me until I was within a couple hundred yards. That's when he slowed down and began turning. I overshot him, since I was below him and ended up right in front of him. For some reason, he didn't shoot. I went full astern and got back on his tail again. He sat there for a few minutes. Finally I was like "screw this" and torpedoed him.

05-31-08, 12:06 AM	#8
HeavyDelta Swabbie Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 8 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I was trailing a vessel in a quick mission, I believe he picked me up since he was dodging like crazy, I had to take countless full rudder turns just to keep up. We were twisting back and forth for quite a while and I took a couple of pot shots that were sure to hit but mysteriously missed. I decided what the heck, he might be close enough to see with the periscope while submerged. So I raised the scope and peered around untill i saw a small keel and hull on the surface. Turns out I'd been sweating it out with a friggin sailboat for nearly an hour! I was wondering why my narrowband wasn't picking up anything... guess I'm still a newbie.

06-15-08, 02:00 AM	#11
OptimusX Seaman Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 31 Downloads: 27 Uploads: 0	I really only found trailing old style SSBNs as a practical tactic, since they usually did not have TAs and inferior sensors. I think there as a mission where I had to trail a Delta with a weapon's hold. You can only trail a sub that is cavitating and/or lacking a towed array.

06-27-08, 07:10 PM	#12
Gorshkov Commodore Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 604 Downloads: 139 Uploads: 0	I think you should possess easily detectable training platform which would be easy to track. That is why I looked closely at declassified U-boat noise levels and other interesting data found here: http://www.armscontrol.ru/subs/snf/snf03221.htm#table2 As you can see WW2 U-boats were very noisy beasts. I scaled above data to DW database passive SL values and I think that hypothetical U-boat in DW should have passive SL equals at least 74 dB if not higher. So you could "transmogrify" one of AI subs (Foxtrot, Ming) in DW to noisy U-boat using DWEdit and try to hunt her with impunity all the time. :rotfl: