Do AI ships have limited ammo?

[Brag]

I think, something like 200 DC per Destroyer. 150 per corvette is a decent ball park figure. I tried to exhaust escorts on a patrol in 0.1 GWX a corvette ran out after dumping 150 DCs.

[bookworm_020]

You also have to remember that escorts were resuplied with Depth charges when part of a convoy. Tankers carried them as dack cargo. Escort group that sailed independent of convoy would join convoys to restock.

[panzermeyer]

Ok what is quite a bit, I figured they have a lot but wasn't sure.
I don't think I am too good at sneaking though. I tried running silent with engines off, but I keep slowly sinking with no engines on. (GWX).

Somehow though even at 1knt enough to keep me afloat, they seem to find me and depth charge me. I read the GWX manaul on evasion, and everytime they do a dpeth charge run I kick it to flank, change direction and depth and before the last charge goes off, I go all stop and silent. So the last explosion should mask me...no?

But they seem to find me each time.

I also tried all at the slowest speed as deep as I could and they seem to be able to find me.

[Brag]

Originally Posted by panzermeyer

Ok what is quite a bit, I figured they have a lot but wasn't sure.
I don't think I am too good at sneaking though. I tried running silent with engines off, but I keep slowly sinking with no engines on. (GWX).

Somehow though even at 1knt enough to keep me afloat, they seem to find me and depth charge me. I read the GWX manaul on evasion, and everytime they do a dpeth charge run I kick it to flank, change direction and depth and before the last charge goes off, I go all stop and silent. So the last explosion should mask me...no?

But they seem to find me each time.

I also tried all at the slowest speed as deep as I could and they seem to be able to find me.

Try the wiggle waggle described on my webbie.
Also make sure you have silent running on (Z key) and the little screen showing you're silent showing. Check if your conning tower is broaching. Your periscope should be no more than a fist sticking out of the water (check the Papenberg gauge when you are on the periscope screen.

[panzermeyer]

Originally Posted by Brag

Try the wiggle waggle described on my webbie.
Also make sure you have silent running on (Z key) and the little screen showing you're silent showing. Check if your conning tower is broaching. Your periscope should be no more than a fist sticking out of the water (check the Papenberg gauge when you are on the periscope screen.

I read your article on surving being DCed and evading the DD's. To point that is what I've being doing, but not all of it. The first thing I do, I automaticly go as deep as I can, as fast as I can. It makes sense to gradually go deeper. If the depth to the bottom is a 100m, don't go 100m right away. Basically, go 60m, then 70m, 80m and so on, while chaning direction.

Go to flank speed rigth as they start their attack run, all the wihle changing direction and depth. In the midst of the depth charges going off, cut to 1knt. And make sure to have silent running on. I never forget that though, always make sure it is on when DD's start approaching my possition.

Does the sub produce more noise when turning at chaning depth at 1knt on silent running? Even though it is painfully slow, is it better just to have the rudder and amid ship and remain at depth after the attack run to help avoid detection? Or should I constantly change direction, even at 1knt on silent running?

I also read on your site about sending crew to the front compartments to help dive faster, is this actually modelled in the game? I wasn't aware it was. If it is, freakin' awesome!

[Tobus]

Originally Posted by panzermeyer

I also read on your site about sending crew to the front compartments to help dive faster, is this actually modelled in the game? I wasn't aware it was. If it is, freakin' awesome!

I thought only when pressing 'C', crash diving. You can do that when already at depth also I think, going deeper all the time in regular steps of 25 meters (been very long since I tested that btw, maybe it's changed?).

[Brag]

Originally Posted by panzermeyer

I read your article on surving being DCed and evading the DD's. To point that is what I've being doing, but not all of it. The first thing I do, I automaticly go as deep as I can, as fast as I can. It makes sense to gradually go deeper. If the depth to the bottom is a 100m, don't go 100m right away. Basically, go 60m, then 70m, 80m and so on, while chaning direction.

Go to flank speed rigth as they start their attack run, all the wihle changing direction and depth. In the midst of the depth charges going off, cut to 1knt. And make sure to have silent running on. I never forget that though, always make sure it is on when DD's start approaching my possition.

Does the sub produce more noise when turning at chaning depth at 1knt on silent running? Even though it is painfully slow, is it better just to have the rudder and amid ship and remain at depth after the attack run to help avoid detection? Or should I constantly change direction, even at 1knt on silent running?

I also read on your site about sending crew to the front compartments to help dive faster, is this actually modelled in the game? I wasn't aware it was. If it is, freakin' awesome!

I wait until the Escort is right on top of me, before ordering flank. Then the attacker cannot hear me and hopefully his noise will mask mine to his buddy who is sitting quietly listening. If I have the courage, I don't make any noise at all and hope there is enoyugh of a miss in either distance or depth. Then chances are good they will lose me in the confusion.

I limit rudder deflection to 10 degrees, it appears that full rudder deflection creates noise. Also the small change in heading seems to throw the AI off and the Escort will dump far enough to miss.

I'm told by the modders that sending crew forward does not help as balance is not programmed.

After firing torpedoes I stay near the surface for 15-30 seconds at flank to get masking by convoy noise. After this initial dash , I go to about 50-60 meters before reducing speed to on knot and changing course again. About 50% of the time the escorts don't come even close to me.

If I think I'm in for a bad shaking, I go to the damage control screen ready to deploy the damage control crew. This is where a matter of seconds can be crucial.

[Brag]

OH!!!


I read your article on surving being DCed and evading the DD's. To point that is what I've being doing, but not all of it. The first thing I do, I automaticly go as deep as I can, as fast as I can. It makes sense to gradually go deeper. If the depth to the bottom is a 100m, don't go 100m right away. Basically, go 60m, then 70m, 80m and so on, while chaning direction.

Go to flank speed rigth as they start their attack run, all the wihle changing direction and depth. In the midst of the depth charges going off, cut to 1knt. And make sure to have silent running on. I never forget that though, always make sure it is on when DD's start approaching my possition.

If depth to the bottom is 100 meters, you shouldn't be attacking.

You also should be on silent running from the very beginning of the approach. If you wait to go silent 'til destroyers are approaching that's too late!

[panzermeyer]

Thanks for the suggestions. I had an idea on how to evade or to stay silent, but I didn't fully understand the game mechanics and the way to go about it.

Now I feel like I am better prepared in dealing with escorts and DDs in general. I was going abot it a bit wrong trying to evade the DDs. And I was making a huge mistake in trying to attack a merchant with an escort in 40m deep water...yea I know.

So next time when out to see, I think I'll pass on trying to attack ships with escorts or DDs in water less than 200m deep, if I can truly avoid it.

Originally Posted by Brag

If depth to the bottom is 100 meters, you shouldn't be attacking.

You also should be on silent running from the very beginning of the approach. If you wait to go silent 'til destroyers are approaching that's too late!

Nice thread! Playing mouse and cat at 25m is quite challenging, but there is a fair chance that DD will blow off its rack! It can be done! I've done that few times but try to avoid. Best thing than is to simply kill those DDs one by one.

I'm using the external camera to see more or less how deep it is (not to evade DC), without pinging you have no idea. Colors on the map don't tell much, there should be numbers like on real maps but that would be enormous work to implement in sh3.

Another thing, maybe it can be fixed? I think that when DC hits the bottom it goes off. Maybe they are just set to that depth but it looks like hitting the bottom first.

PS rolling DC over my hull happened to me... not a very nice feeling...

[johan_d]

Looked but dont see a Wiggle Wagle?

Originally Posted by Brag

Try the wiggle waggle described on my webbie.
Also make sure you have silent running on (Z key) and the little screen showing you're silent showing. Check if your conning tower is broaching. Your periscope should be no more than a fist sticking out of the water (check the Papenberg gauge when you are on the periscope screen.