Impossible. I just cannot evade destroyers...

[Ashikaga]

Took me about four hours yesterday when shadowing and attacking a convoy. They were really angry after I not only sank just a freighter but also two of the escorts. So mad in fact that they hunted me down with 6 others. They called in reinforcements for sure since the convoy only had six escorts, not eight. My tactics:

As soon as I realize they are steaming towards my location I launch four BOLD canisters and go fullspeed to 150 meters depth.
Generally in the opposite direction, keeping the BOLF behind me and between them. Then, after a few minutes I go zero knots, silent running. (they CAN hear you at 1kts)

I wait. When I hear them dropping depth charges at the BOLD location I head full speed either in the convoy direction (ie, convoy course) or 90° from that course in any direction except the BOLD location. I draw where I am and where they are on a paper.

Of course they start picking me up again, even at 1kts but depending on how many depth charges they used up it might be ok. I drop to at least 160-180 meters and zig zag at full speed, launching my last BOLD canisters (should start counting them really). Then go zero knots again, completely silent. When they ping me, I wait till the ping stops and then go full speed again straight to them, heading to another depth. (Above 160-180 meters). I then turn left or right changing depth constantly and then go silent again at 160-180 meters. That seems to confuse them. Yesterday two destroyers ran into each other, minor damage but the screech of metal was very audible. I went completely silent, went to 1kts for 10 minutes and then zero kts for the next half hour to an hour or so.

Meanwhile the convoy of course steamed on. Now they have to protect the convoy. That is their first task. So when you hear them moving away and speeding up, you know they are heading back to the convoy. I then wait until the soundman says (for every contact) moving away, long distance! and then go periscope depth. I note their course. When they are speeding and I am behind them their hydro capability is less. When I am up and do a periscope check and they are no longer there, I follow their track, at a speed less than the convoy's and have them guide me back to it and the game starts again.....

SH5, TWOS 2.2.7, difficulty Medium, 80% realism.
Of course I cheat a little by using the external view to see what they are actually doing.
Maybe one day I will go full realism, but not yet.

Best,

Ashi.