How to sunk destroyer with a deck gun

[BasilY]

Here is a clinic on how to deckgun a destroyer on the surface, don't try it, ever, after 1940. Hopefully without damaging yourself.

First, Here is my intended victim. Heading away. In my experience, it's best to place your boat at 5 or 7 o'clock of your victim. The best way to do that is to let her pass you.



Second, have your damage control team, ready, just in case...



Third, surface and fire, best firing range is 3500-4500. hopefully you have youe HE shells loaded. one last check with you WO regarding range to target. Fire at range+50 meters when ready.



As you attack, your victim will try turning to face you, giving you a full profile to fire at. In a way, a destroyer are easier to be sunk with deckgun since there are more exploding stuff on board. So ideally you should aim at deck armaments (as opposed to waterline on merchants). After 10 shots (good or bad), go to perescope depth to watch it sink (or to save your own skin). If you destroyed her main guns within the first few shot, feel free to stay on the surface and watch her sink.


Down she goes. The victim turned out to be a Hunt II destroyer. Not L Class.

Note:
Don't do this in rough seas. you MUST make the first 5 shots quickly and on target.
Don't do this when other hostile ships/planes are arround.
Don't do this when radar is a factor
Don't do this with prior damage.


My best results is the sinking of a destroyer and a convette one after another in one convoy attack without any damage.

[mcf1]

Thanks for that
But I rather not use the deck gun against a DD, it's too risky, although I tried a few times but most of them I ended badly damaged , except once when I got lucky enough to hit and sink a DD from a distance but it was still 1939

[Kipparikalle]

A good example, but here's the one I use (and works 96,9% of the time)

1. Find a lone destroyer, no matter which way it is going, shoot it. (But only if its over the range of 3000 (minimum))
2. Go full speed Directly towards it, this makes your sub's profile go extremely low, thus extremely hard to hit
3. Use the map to determine the distance to the ship, rises the rate of hits by 25-40% depending on how close you are
4. Shoot manually, the A.I hits only every 3-4th shot
5. If you get hit too many times, or the DD still keeps coming straight for you, fire ze torpedo!
6. ???
7. Profit!

But if you're exprienced with dealing DD's and escorters, feel free to challenge more than 1, or even a convoy!

Fun stuff

[BasilY]

Oh yeah, you are right. ALLWAYS man the deck gun manually. Give AI control of the deck gun and you will be lucky to hit 1 out of 4 shots, even in calm sea.

I find approaching from the back and at slow speed make it harder for them to detect you (good for merchant as well). expecially when the lighting is dim.

Placing your boot at the back of The DD makes your target turning back to face you. This is very advatageous to you in a number of ways.
1. Offer a full profile for you to shoot at.
2. When she is turning, there is a period when the range of the two ships are constant, helps your shot find the target.
3. If for some reason the fight turned against you, (said a plane shows up), give you more time to dive and evade.

That's why I never take on a destroyer (or even lone merchants) from front. Let them pass, and shot at the ass.

[astak9]

I think I'll try this next time a destroyer shows up

[Kipparikalle]

Originally Posted by astak9

I think I'll try this next time a destroyer shows up

You better try it lad, ye get some exprience with dealin' DD's

Remember t' save often, so incase o' death ye could still enjoy yer' booty

[Hartmann]

It´s better pop up in close range from periscope depth and start firing at will with AA and guns. A quad mount can do a lot of damage in seconds...aim to the guns or other stuff .

[andym]

I sank an L class DD last night,on surface,opened fire with 2 rounds,went to P depth and as it thundered towards me i loosed off an eel,then surfaced to watch her go down!!!

[Sailor Steve]

Gamers! :rotfl:

Sorry, couldn't resist a little jab. I play GWX, and have had escorts shoot - and hit - at 7000 meters.

Real life? Surface anywhere in sight of a destroyer and they'd be shooting at you before you had time to get out of the hatch.

[BasilY]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Gamers! :rotfl:

Sorry, couldn't resist a little jab. I play GWX, and have had escorts shoot - and hit - at 7000 meters.

Real life? Surface anywhere in sight of a destroyer and they'd be shooting at you before you had time to get out of the hatch.

Actually, On the day he sunk 2 AMCs, Kreschmer once surface and fire the deck gun at one of the AMCs. Of course, it's the torpedoes that did them in.

In real life, deck guns and flak guns are not very accurate in a tossing sea. That's why most destroyers preferred ramming when a uboat is on the surface.

[Sailor Steve]

True, 'Silent Otto' fired two torpedoes, just after midnight, at a ship that didn't see him even though he was only 300 metres away, because they were busy picking up survivors from the other one. He only got of four rounds, of which only two hit, and then he was forced to run when the ship opened fire in return. Not exactly a successful gun attack.

Still, it did happen, just not very often and with no success I'm aware of. I like Montserrat's story about having the u-boat surface right behind his corvette, which is a favored tactic among players of the game. In this case the 40mm AA gun killed everyone of the u-boat's gun crew before they could fire a shot.

[BasilY]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

True, 'Silent Otto' fired two torpedoes, just after midnight, at a ship that didn't see him even though he was only 300 metres away, because they were busy picking up survivors from the other one. He only got of four rounds, of which only two hit, and then he was forced to run when the ship opened fire in return. Not exactly a successful gun attack.

Still, it did happen, just not very often and with no success I'm aware of. I like Montserrat's story about having the u-boat surface right behind his corvette, which is a favored tactic among players of the game. In this case the 40mm AA gun killed everyone of the u-boat's gun crew before they could fire a shot.

Completely agree. That's why the distance I recommended is 3500-4500 meters, in bad lighting conditions, surface slowly in calm sea, and before the DDs had radar. Surfacing right next to a DD/Corvette will guarantee damage to your boat and casualty among your crew.

[andym]

I forgot to mention that before i got a shot off the DD opened up with all guns!!!THATS why i went to pD lol