How do you take down a destroyer? Any tips?

[GoldenRivet]

how do you take doen destroyers? short answer - you dont... unless its absolutely a matter of self defense, and even then... getting a solution on DE/DD can be a very difficult task.

the way you describe doing it sounds about the best method to me.

the biggest mistake of the down the throat method... people forget to zero all settings (speed, AOB, etc) before taking the shot.

but destroyers are fast and maneuverable. even with a "down the throat shot" they can turn out of the path of yoru torpedo easily most times.

if your success rate at taking out destroyers is 50% your doing pretty good IMHO.

but i also am one of those old guard skippers that feels like a DD is a waste of torpedoes.

[geosub1978]

Well, the following procedure works form me with full realism. I have sunk up to 3 DDs succesivelly like this. Of course this is not a realistik procedure, as normally you should try to get away, but anyhow this is how it goes:

1. STAY AT PERISCOPE DEPTH WITH TOP SPEED AND YOUR PERISCOPE HIGH IN ORDER TO LURE THE DD. WHEN THE DD IS STILL IN GOOD DISTANCE TRY TO ALWAYS TO SHOW YOUR STERN TO IT.

2. WHEN THE DESTROYER IS VERY CLOSE (600 TO 800 YARDS-VISUAL ESTIMATE) TURN THE RUDDER HARD TO THE SIDE WHERE YOUR SUBMARINE WILL GET AWAY FROM THE TRACK OF THE DD WITH PERPENDICULAR COARSE AND THUS THE DD WILL NOT HAVE THE TIME TO REACT AND THE DEPTH CHARGES WILL DETONATE HARMLESSLY AWAY FROM YOUR STERN.

3. THEN THE DD USUALLY TURNS WITH HIGH SPEED. CHECK THE SIDE FROM WHICH THE DD WILL TURN AND THEN TURN YOUR SUBMARINE SO AS YOUR BOW IS TURNING TO MEET THE BOW OF THE DD.

4. LOCK THE TARGET-OPEN THE TUBE-SET TORP DEPTH FOR BELOWKEEL DETONATION.

5. WHEN THE BEARING IS 15DEG FOR 44KTS TORP OR 20 (OR 25 I DON'T REMEMBER) FOR 30KTS TORP...LOSS!

You will notice that by this procedure:

1. At the moment of firing, the AOB is some 60-80 degrees. If it is less than 60 or more than 95 consider aborting.
2. At the moment of firing, the range is some 600-800yds. If it less than 600yds or more than 900 consider aborting.
3. The torpedo usually hits the target exactlly in the middle.

I repeat that this is not realistik (even though with 100%realism) but it works fine form me.This wouldn't work if the game code made the DD's more clever which in reality, were.

[geosub1978]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

but i also am one of those old guard skippers that feels like a DD is a waste of torpedoes.

Think that the DD that you didn't sink may sink you or another commrade in the future!

[Murr44]

This method can work against early war ('39-'41) escorts. I doubt that it's effective against mid or late war ASW vessels.

1) Attack them in rough seas & preferably at dawn or dusk and in deeper waters (150 meters or more).
2) Try to maintain a depth of 13-14 meters and keep your speed down (go as slow as is possible)
3) Approach them diagonally & wait until you see their speed drop 13-14 (or less) and try to get as close as you can, 1000 meters or less.
4) Check your nav map (F5) frequently to ensure that you're not presenting a large target for them to detect.
5) Select 2 T1's and set the depth on each to minimum (2 meters), impact fuse & maximum speed. The second one is a backup in case the first fails.
6) Be ready to crash dive immediately.

I've been fortunate enough to destroy several Black Swans, J&K classes & a couple of Flower class corvettes. However under most circumstances I think that you're better off leaving escorts alone. Generally speaking, the pay off (renown) really isn't worth the risk.

[Jimbuna]

Everything is pretty much covered here.

If you go for a 'down the throat' shot....wait till it's approx 400 metres from you (less time to avoid)....but as already stated 'a bit of a waste of an eel'

I try to get them to come to me in a straight line, good way to get them to do this is to run away full speed in periscope depth. Then at about 400 or so meters I use aft torp on magnetic 'down the throat' and hope that I wont get a bounce off the keel, can be tricky. Would be difficult to get impact from the front. Or I surface after a depth bombing and try to use the quicker turning radius to launch a side shot.

[Jimbuna]

You surface!!!

Originally Posted by jimbuna

You surface!!!

Yea. Although some of those careers tend to be on the short side.

Originally Posted by jimbuna

You surface!!!

Exactly, that deck gun isn't just there for looks.

[GoldenRivet]

Originally Posted by geosub1978

Think that the DD that you didn't sink may sink you or another commrade in the future!

most of my comrades have the good common sense to avoid such entanglements. however, there are also a good number of my comrades who rest in the silence of the deep because they lacked the aforementioned common sense

furthermore ... my comrades are better aware of our strategic mission objectives, which are to;

1. deprive the British of the war materials with which they may...

a. build machines of war
b. fuel said machines of war
c. arm their soldiers
d. replenish their losses

2. Win the war though the accomplishment of the tasks laid out for us in objective 1 above.

but like i said... im old guard, hard core, historical reality, play it by the commanders hand book type

you feel free to chase destroyers and let the important stuff sail by unscathed all day long.

------------------------------

play it like you want.

by the way... im just responding "in character" - so dont take it to heart

[nirwana]

From late 40 with better electronic and better skilled crew they get smart, zigzagging towards u until they are below the minimum range for arming the eals. Then they go straight for u with flank and try to overun and wabo ure sorry bud. No frigging way to to hit them unless u throw a full spread of eals at them before they are too close.

I consider only an attack as long as im not spotted yet. One exception is attacking a flowerpot with the deckgun. With a superb trained crew in ure boat it has no chance but to run away to survive another one is after they ran outta wabos. With some patience at night sitting at 18m u can kick their bud without using the scopes.

[geosub1978]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

most of my comrades have the good common sense to avoid such entanglements. however, there are also a good number of my comrades who rest in the silence of the deep because they lacked the aforementioned common sense

furthermore ... my comrades are better aware of our strategic mission objectives,

As I pointed in the very second line of my first post....."Of course this is not a realistik procedure, as normally you should try to get away,"

I agree with you that you should not challenge your faith. However anyone of us, at least for self defence, has attacked against a destroyer. And here the method that I described comes and it works very well up to the end of the war because the behaviour of the DDs after the dropth of the depth charges is the same, they turn to reattack!

[meduza]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

most of my comrades have the good common sense to avoid such entanglements. however, there are also a good number of my comrades who rest in the silence of the deep because they lacked the aforementioned common sense

furthermore ... my comrades are better aware of our strategic mission objectives, which are to;

1. deprive the British of the war materials with which they may...

a. build machines of war
b. fuel said machines of war
c. arm their soldiers
d. replenish their losses

2. Win the war though the accomplishment of the tasks laid out for us in objective 1 above.

but like i said... im old guard, hard core, historical reality, play it by the commanders hand book type

you feel free to chase destroyers and let the important stuff sail by unscathed all day long.

I agree with you, and like yourself, I consider myself to be an old guard, concentrating my effort to sink the merchant ships, and during the years of silent hunting I probably sunk less than 5 DDs.

I only once engaged a DD in self-defence when I was surprised by a lonely DD in shallow waters. After depth-charging me for hours, she finaly spent all the ammo, but still kept pinging me. I was unable to lose her, so I went to PD, making all the noise to attract attention, and when she turned towards me, I fired a stern torpedo down the throat, sinking her.

But, The Submarine Commander's Handbook, Section VII, C, says:
331.) Troublesome sweepers of the enemy escort must be destroyed, if an opportunity offers
to attack them. The destruction of covering ships, above all, of cruiser escorts, destroyers, etc.,
is in the interests of all the submarines which are already in contact with the convoy, or are to
be used to attack it.

[geosub1978]

The American Admirals encouraged their Captains to attack against DDs also.

[Brag]

I have attacked and sunk a few unsuspecting DDs. But I will not engage a DD who is after my butt. After all, I'm playing DID.