Some DD evasion advice...

[Fattysbox]

Just started playing SH4 (+TMO) and I ran into nice convoy sailing to Luzon 3 light cruisers, 8-10 Marus, and about 7 escorts

Got in close and sunk one light cruiser before DD gang jumped on me...

My question is without using the external camera, how do you know which DD is making a run at you through the hydrophones? With 6 DDs sitting on top of me its kinda hard to get through all the static, especially when merchant screws are also cluttering everything. My strategy currently has been as soon as pinging stops, go to Flank and hard rudder - then back down 1/3 as DCs explode. However, I have no idea which destroyer is making a run since some of them are running at high speed.

Another question: If they are pinging you, have you necessarily been spotted? It seems to me the faster they ping the more chance they have of fixing on you.

Thanks in advance!

[vanjast]

I developed a method in SH3 to avoid multiple DD attacks, when I had the Hunter-Killer groups after me.

Method:
-------

- You'll mainly sit at the hydrophone station, and alternate with the control room to determine the attacking DD's exact position.
- Keep track of all DD's on sonar/hyd, there will be one creeping up on you (pop into the control room to hear him).
- Count the pings, when you suddenly have one less ping, this is the guy attacking you.
- at this point, you should have a fix on another DD on a bearing of about +- 90, flank speed towards this DD.
- when you get close to this DD, another ping should dissappear, slow down to 2 knots.

With a bit of luck, as these DD's are fast, they will ram each other - if not, you beam off in the astern direction while those 2 DD's avoid each other (or in a direction that give minimum signature to the other DD's.

This will give you about 5 minutes grace from the attacking DD's, and possible escape. I did this for ~ 6 hours real time in SH3 (~1944) with 4 DD's, everytime they 'dragged me back', but i employed this tactic with variations, and eventually worked out an escape route. The relief I felt when those DD rev sounds faded behind me...
The first session was the 6 hours with no damage, next mission was 4 hours with conn damage, but at this stage I'd learned to keep away from the DDs.
The reason I play the game.

[jamz]

I just spend my entire time at the map, looking at the contacts. (I have map contacts on) They are all jumpy but when one is jumpier than another I suspect that one. I tend to listen too, you can hear one coming up, and I usually floor it and turn hard away from whichever direction the closest contact is. It will pass overhead and hopefully you avoid the worst of the damage. It's good to be deep for this though.

[Lexandro]

Well personally I dont avoid them, I sink the suckers. I take out the escorts before I make my attack on the main target, unless the main target is a fast mover. It only takes one torp to take out a DD, and when you do get one you can use it as a sound screen while it sinks to cover you while the crew reload for the next shot or to make your escape at depth.

[Seminole]

Some DD evasion advice...

I am into mid '44 and so far all I have ever had to do to evade escorts is one of these: (listed in order of importance)

1. Get below a thermal
2. run silent
3. avoid shallow water, avoid shallow keel depth
4. in heavy weather ,especially with rain and or fog, pay carefull attention to radar.

Unless I had carelessly violated 1 or more of the above....I've never so much as had my paint scratched by any escort.

The catch 22 is that in order to attack you must necessarily violate one or more of these. The trick is to do it..do it quickly..then scurry back to the safety zone before the subhunters get your locaton fixed.

[ridgewayranger]

Hi Fattysbox,
The transmission interval of pinging is dictated by two factors, Speed of sound underwater (which is a constant) and range. the greater the interval the greater the range, up to the point where attenuation makes the signal so weak there is no point in going further. In British ASDIC sets of the time this would be about 3000yds. When the pings start getting closer together.this indicates in contact with range closing, this is a dead giveaway. Hunter killer groups used the tactic of one ship holding contact without closing the range while the rest were directed in with a creeping attack, rather like carpet bombing from the air.
RR

[fatty]

Oh, so THAT is where I left my box!

[Fattysbox]

Quote:

Oh, so THAT is where I left my box!


:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Dude that almost made me cry...



As for DD evasion - yeah when pinging intervals get faster I know in for ash cans... As soon as they stop I haul ahead in either direction.

But 6 DDs?? That is just tough in determining where the pinging is coming from and from which contact.


I had another funny thing happen to me on my patrol - this time in the Formosa straight. Sighted 2 destroyers at about 9000 yards at medium speed and sounded battle stations in calm sea.

As I'm calculating speed and about to go below decks to map out their course, the gun crew opens fire!!

I must have hit the fire at will key or something, though I don't recall it.

In any event they steamed right towards me and procceeded to keep me under for about 12 hours.

Needless to say my gun crew got a bit trigger happy and needs to be disclipined