Dealing with Destroyers

[Soundman]

Originally Posted by Sledgehammer427

the only thing i would add to ur strategem old_tex is to turn your rudder hard in either direction to gain just a little more leverage on your escape...

what i do is the down the throat idea from soundman,
but i launch a spread of at least 3 torps and wait at peri depth until he veers.
when he veers, i veer in the opposite direction, stfu, and dive until the hull threatens to cave

I have used stern tubes as well, it just depends. If I'm getting low on bow torpedoes, I will tend to use the stern tubes if time allows enough turn rate to maneuver into position. Both will work equally well with this technique. The (sometimes) disadvantage with Tex's method, is the time you may have to turn 180 degrees from them, may not be long enough. It all depends on how close they are to you. The important thing is that we are in agreement with taking an offensive stance, because in most cases, the percentages of taking them down with this technique, outweighs the survival percentage of a DD on top of you (given you are competent with this method). AND, you may very well end up with two or three on top of you before it's over.

One thing I failed to mention first time around...It helps to have knowledge of how to fire on any bearing you desire in a moments notice. I always re-enter the solution (update the bearing) just before firing. i.e... Upon determining it's time to fire NOW, and the target is at say, 1/2 a degree starboard, I will update the TDC to that bearing. If the boat is nearing minimum firing range and is not at exactly zero degrees, you will not have the time to turn the boat to put him at zero degrees. All this is hard to explain in detail, you just have to experiment for yourself to understand. Again...it takes a little practice to become proficient with this method, and it is really not that hard. You don't need to do any fancy calculations or use any tools, it's really a pretty instinctive, shoot from the hip kind of technique, but man is it fun !

[NEON DEON]

Well lets say you are in bad shape. Your air is FUBAR and the DD is making another run.

Keep your sound profile to a minimum by presenting your arse to his bearing. Come up to 25 meters. Under 2 knots silent running.

Thats right its going to get hairy

Set four forward tubes to contact and shallow. Make sure tdc is clear. no last bearings no position keeper and open the tubes!

Sound battle stations. (maximum crew reaction)

Follow nearest target with sonar.

Put the scope up at minimum zoom at 000. (more hairyness as thats just below destroyer draft.)

Set gun crew to fire at will and target weapons.(only if you have forward firing deck gun. Dont be a pussy!)


When the bearing changes rapidly thats when he is right over your head.

Ie: pinging crazy map showing rapid change in bearing.

Order back emergancy!

Emergency surface!

Watch the gun icon. once it has signaled manned, man the foward AA yourself(not the deck gun) and aim at the depth charges!


Poof!

bye bye destroyer.

now in case it does not work then fire a spread with no bearings at left 2 right 2 left 5 right 5.

PS at slow speed.

This only works if one DD is on top o you.

[gimpy117]

I pop off a couple Noise makers and do a spiral as I crash dive....seems to work...
the whole point is to make it difficult to anticipate where you will be to drop charges and the noise maker makes it even harder. Basically if you're shallow and not in a maneuver you're pretty well dead.

you have 32 hours of battery at 1/3 but a little less air (I think I'll have to time it); get the "historical Crush depths mod"
and go to about 400+ feet and your usually golden if you're at 1/3 and rigged for silent (I've made it to 412-420 in a porpoise class and more in a later class)

[old_tex]

Another evasive tactic I try to use is, as follows:
I came up inside a convoy and pop a couple of targets. That, of course, alerts the DEs. In looking around, I see that one of my hits has disabled a freighter. She is dead in the water. I mark her bow and stern on the attack map with "X"s and draw a line on each side. Then I dive. The DEs start looking for me as I creep away SLOW. As they begin to move away and I can make my way toward the disabled ship, I come up to periscope depth along side as close to the lines along one of her sides. Then I sit and wait for the DEs to start circling the area. Of course I use good periscope practice so as not to be noticed by the search lights (Night) or their being too close during the day. As a DE comes within range, I pop him. Then I wait for the next one. A little sneaky, but all's fair. Old_tex

[Sandman_28054]

Originally Posted by PoweredBySoy

Now, I realize they're called Destroyers for a reason - but I just can't ever seem to shake these guys. What are some common strategies for remaining undetected? And once detected, how do I escape them?

Currently in my campaign I have a Destroyer right on top of me. I've gotten pretty good at avoiding his depth charges (as he's passing over me I turn hard 90 degrees and hit flank speed) - but no matter what I do he always knows where I am. I've tried remaining in flank as he passes over me and just outrunning him, hoping I'd spend enough time in his 'dead zone' so I could get away. I've tried submerging down to 350 feet and shutting off the engines. I've tried zig zagging at 1/3rd and silent running..... Nothing. He's on my like white on rice.

Any tips?

There have been a plenty of great advice given here.

Any one of them should give you an edge.

The only thing I would add, is just reading your post, you are being persued by a single destroyer.

Now what I have found that works in my cases is to stay around periscope depth.

If you can risk it, watch to see when he approaching from the stern. When he gears up, makes his run at you, go to flank speed and just as he is 2-300 yards away, either go hard to port ot hard to starboard. Depth charges will come, make no mistake about it, but they should fall just uder you and depending on turn, either to the left or right of you. After he passes over, it is relatively safe to raise your periscope just above the waterline. Lock on target and turn hard to whichever direction he is turning.

Now, most destroyers have a depth of between 9-12'. If you have the "fish" to spare, set one of the fore tubes to med speed, contact influence, and 11' depth. When the target is over 400 yards away and your locked on, open fire.

Senerio #2, same as above except set your aft tubes the same settings. Or if you feel lucky, 3.5' depth, and contact fuse. When the destroyer passes over, if he turns to port, order hard to starboard and flank speed. As he comes into target, wiat until you have a good shot, usually anywhere from 165 degrees to 195 degrees. (15 degrees on either side of 180) And open up on him.

Then dive as quickly as possible to 350-400', execute a 90 degree turn, and order silent running.

Been there, done that. In another thread I relate a story that happened to me on one of my recent missions where i was being hunted by 5, count 'em, 5 destroyers!

Thought I'd be fish food for sure.

At any rate, good luck and good hunting.

[I'm goin' down]

Listen to old tex, whose chart re AoB/Lead Angle/Torpedo Speed for use in implementing the John Cromwell Attack Technique is displayed at Annapolis, the Smithsonian, tatooed on my inside of my right and left forearms, and imprinted on a brass plate on the Attack Periscope.

If the plan of attack re destroyers is good enough for Old Tex, it is good enough for me.

Yehawww!

[tater]

I was recently looking at all the US sub attacks on DDs in Alden, and most all were spreads. Aside from Growler, most seem to be 3-4 fish.

[Rockin Robbins]

I would say that spreads would only be justified if the warships were ordered to be primary targets. Otherwise I'd expect Admiral Lockwood to roast me for wasting torpedoes when I returned to port. Fire up lecture #3: Torpedoes are for Merchants.

[Atony94]

another tip is, when you "think" you have escaped the destroyer dont surface just yet, go up to periscope depth and do a 360 look around your ship, ive had destroyers sit on the surface waiting for me to pop up even though my convoy atk was awhile ago. chance are though if they have stopped and are just sitting there they are waiting for you but they dont know where you are so keep moving away!

[PoweredBySoy]

Originally Posted by PoweredBySoy

Yeah, that's pretty much exactly what I'm doing. Perhaps I just got one of the 'good' ones. =(

And on my way down to 300 I did cross a thermalcline. Not sure it helped much though.

It's funny - since I created this thread I've read the book Run Silent, Run Deep. And if I remember correctly, it was right about in area 7 I was having the problem with this destroyer. haha. It may very well have been Bungo Pete - which, if I remember correctly, is modeled in the TMO mod.

Since then I've had much more success in staying undetected using the advice in this thread.

(I never did escape 'Bungo' though. I just had to restart the campaign)

[surf_ten]

So I been trying to take a more offensive approach with destroyers and try out Old Tex and Soundman's techniques and I all I am doing is wasting torpedeos. You think somebody can throw up a video and demostrate thier techniques here. Normally I just slink away but with TMO I have blown several convoy attempts because the escorts detect me and chase me away.

[Captain Vlad]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

I would say that spreads would only be justified if the warships were ordered to be primary targets. Otherwise I'd expect Admiral Lockwood to roast me for wasting torpedoes when I returned to port. Fire up lecture #3: Torpedoes are for Merchants.

As long as my ass is still there to be chewed on, I think it's a fair trade.

[Leon West]

Originally Posted by Soundman

Sometimes the best defense in a strong offense. I generally try to avoid them, but if I'm detected, depending on the circumstance, I'll take him on with a "down the throat shot". This takes some practice, but I'm successful about 85% of the time doing this.

I've done this once! I was tracking a convoy of British Ships, and I didn't realize they had a J-Class Destroyer circling the formation (He must've been on the opposite end of the formation because my hydrophones never picked up warship sounds) Anyways, I surfaced figuring I was safe, and on the surface I could cover more water and get closer to the ships...

That's when I noticed the destroyer's silhouette on the horizon. They cranked her hard rudder and jammed that throttle to flank speed.

I immediately dove to periscope depth, went silent, lined up my sights, and fired off two torps.

The J-Class tried to evade and went hard starboard, which only exposed her entire left side, and both torps struck, one near the bow, the other midships...sunk like a rock.

I blame pure luck.

Any time other than this that I've face destroyes usually ends badly...In other words, me crawling along being hammered by depth charges.

[gut eater]

Originally Posted by JonB

Basicly, avoid anything that makes noices, such as checking how far to the bottom (since this is done by sending a soundsignal and messuring time for it to come back).

...dive to a deeper depht, preferely beneth the thermolayer. Make sure to deploy a decoy on your way down for them to ping on...

How exactly do I make the ship/crew refrain from "checking how far to the bottom"?? I didn't know that was an option.

What depth is typically the "thermolayer"?

[Arclight]

Depthsounding only happens on your order, no need to worry about it. Just don't do it with warships about.

Thermal layer varies in depth, depending on temperature, salinity and what not. You'll know you're below it when you hear a voice saying "passing thermal layer". Sadly there is no BT modeled in the game apart from that voice (if you can call that BT modeling).