Anti Destroyer Tactics

kholemann · 08-25-05, 02:39 PM

I rely on contact reports to setup my attack. I typically triangulate their future straight-line course with where I want to 'greet' them. Then, when I get in front of where I think they are, I frequently dive, using the hydrophone to find them. When they get cose enough to hear but you can't see them, you can line up your submarine using the hydrophone. The columns will coalesce as the convoy gets closer. Typically, you will see many contacts and when you line up with a column, you will know it because it will become just one dark contact line and there might be a few close contacts that almost form a single line on either side. I like to line up with the middle when possible but usually wind up on one side or the other.

I dive deep and go into silent running and wait.

When the red lines of the lead escorts go beyond my sub, I go to periscope depth (sometimes at 1/3 [one step above slow to help reduce time]).

Getting to periscope depth is the tricky part. It is nerve-racking as I have to be sure not to get runover by ships. Most of the time, I am already in the middle of the convoy so I have to be extra careful on the hydrophones to not line my sub up with a ship coming my way. It seems like my periscope will never breach the surface. I also turn the sub so that the bow and stern tubes will have a good chance at getting close to a 90 degree shot at the boats. Once at periscope depth, I cut to either 1/3 or all stop.

Then, the fun begins....

I do target the biggest ships I can, first.

Once the last torpedo has left the tubes, I crash dive and follow a victim down into the depths. My sub seems to hold together just fine at 200 meters so I creep off from there. If I haven't been spotted, I let the torps reload just in case I have a second chance.

I wouldn't say that I would never waste a torpedo on a destroyer. I did have Acoustic torps at one time while in my VIIB (I am in an IXC now) and used them primarily to get rid of chasing escorts if they were of a class faster than my sub (surfaced) could escape. Acoustic torpedoes can be a pain because they seem to head for any nearest noise. I once sent one out to kill a destroyer that was chasing me and it just went right by . . . much to my immediate dismay, only to drop a t-3 tanker in the convoy which was barely within visual range of my sub.

It is a funny thing how the torpedoes seem to work. I can hit a T-3 with one torp and it will blow to pieces and other times it takes 3 or more. I don't do manual targeting, I leave that to my XO.

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08-25-05, 02:39 PM	#12
kholemann Gunner Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 98 Downloads: 27 Uploads: 0	I rely on contact reports to setup my attack. I typically triangulate their future straight-line course with where I want to 'greet' them. Then, when I get in front of where I think they are, I frequently dive, using the hydrophone to find them. When they get cose enough to hear but you can't see them, you can line up your submarine using the hydrophone. The columns will coalesce as the convoy gets closer. Typically, you will see many contacts and when you line up with a column, you will know it because it will become just one dark contact line and there might be a few close contacts that almost form a single line on either side. I like to line up with the middle when possible but usually wind up on one side or the other. I dive deep and go into silent running and wait. When the red lines of the lead escorts go beyond my sub, I go to periscope depth (sometimes at 1/3 [one step above slow to help reduce time]). Getting to periscope depth is the tricky part. It is nerve-racking as I have to be sure not to get runover by ships. Most of the time, I am already in the middle of the convoy so I have to be extra careful on the hydrophones to not line my sub up with a ship coming my way. It seems like my periscope will never breach the surface. I also turn the sub so that the bow and stern tubes will have a good chance at getting close to a 90 degree shot at the boats. Once at periscope depth, I cut to either 1/3 or all stop. Then, the fun begins.... I do target the biggest ships I can, first. Once the last torpedo has left the tubes, I crash dive and follow a victim down into the depths. My sub seems to hold together just fine at 200 meters so I creep off from there. If I haven't been spotted, I let the torps reload just in case I have a second chance. I wouldn't say that I would never waste a torpedo on a destroyer. I did have Acoustic torps at one time while in my VIIB (I am in an IXC now) and used them primarily to get rid of chasing escorts if they were of a class faster than my sub (surfaced) could escape. Acoustic torpedoes can be a pain because they seem to head for any nearest noise. I once sent one out to kill a destroyer that was chasing me and it just went right by . . . much to my immediate dismay, only to drop a t-3 tanker in the convoy which was barely within visual range of my sub. It is a funny thing how the torpedoes seem to work. I can hit a T-3 with one torp and it will blow to pieces and other times it takes 3 or more. I don't do manual targeting, I leave that to my XO.