Movie tactic

[CinC Battleforce]

ok I just tried something i seen in a movie against a destroyer that was escorting a convoy of four freighters. It was a Minikazi class destroyer. I moving on the surface to get good firing position on a freignter when the destoyer appeared. I turned into him, lined up bow to bow and closed to 3,000 yards at flank speed, dropped to standard at 2,500 feet. I pulled the plug to dive to periscope depth. I transferred data setting from the torpedo bearing device on the bridge to periscope as i dived. once at periscope level we were 1,500 away from each other. at 1,200 i fired a Mk 23 and well it made one hell of a hit and a nice show. The tactic really works.

Now trying to rmember which movie i seen it in:

it was either:
Hellcats of the Navy
Run Silent, Run Deep, or
Operation Pacific

I just can't remember

But those hollywood tactics do work.

[ekempey]

You probably saw that in "Run Silent, Run Deep." It is called a "Down the Throat" shot, and it was used successfully during the war on several occasions.

[Metl]

I'm confused. You dropped speed at 3000 yards but waited to submerge at 2500 feet? Is this a typo and is 2500 yards or 3000 feet or is this right the way it is?

[CinC Battleforce]

here is order of the fight

The destroyer picked me up at around 7,400 yards he was on a bearing 035 on me, I through the rudder over and lined up to him bow to bow. I was going 2/3 ahead, when we were bow to bow, i called for flank. we closed down on each other to around 3,000 yards I was doing 20 knots, he was cranking out 37, as i said we were bow to bow. Once at the 3,000 mark i ordered standard and ordered a dive to periscope depth. this monouver was completed at around 2,500 to 2,000 yards. once i was steady in the water he kept coming at me but dropped to 20 knots we closed to about 1,200, and i fired my Mk 23. and the Ninikazi was history. hope that clearifies it a little better

[Washington]

Did you fire directly on the bearing line to the destroyer? That is, did you fire directly at him without seting up a firing solution? You hit him dead forward bow....is there enough width to a destroyer to smack a torp into its mouth?

[Rockin Robbins]

Charging a DD on the surface is a good way to ingest a couple of 5" shells right in the conning tower. They're accurate to about 5000 yards. Subs have been known to have indigestion and be unable to swim afterwards. Down the throat is chancy enough without 50 knot closing speeds.

It's about a one in three proposition in the best of circumstances, where you wait at periscope depth running away from the DD at ahead emergency (reducing closing speed and encouraging him to increase speed) and wait until 500 yards to shoot. Immediately upon shooting you dive and turn left or right. You might lower the scope too.:rotfl:

Your way works in the movies, but SH4 it's too dangerous and not accurate enough.

Try it a few more times and see if I'm right!

[CinC Battleforce]

I have done it twice. but I have also been sunk once making the attack of that type. I do try to avoid it, if i can and i have also used the evasive runs as you mentinoned

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by CinC Battleforce

I have done it twice. but I have also been sunk once making the attack of that type. I do try to avoid it, if i can and i have also used the evasive runs as you mentinoned

When it works its spectacular. When it doesn't it's......spectacular!!:rotfl:

[odjig292]

Down the throat shots worked really well in SH1 and SH2, but you have to be desperate in SH3 and SH4 to rely on them. I've had the occasional one work, but more often the DD zigs or zags on me and then dumps its DC's on me when I'm still close to the surface. It's better to go deep and to port or starboard than waste a torpedo that normally misses.

The DD usually sneaks up on me when I'm busy trying to put a torpedo into a merchant from my bow tubes and usually comes in from the stern. I hear him pinging while I'm setting up my shot. Once I get the bow torpedoes away, I swing the periscope to look for him. If the angle on the bow isn't worse than 80 degrees. I may try a stern shot, but I find that any angle more than that usually misses. I also let him get down to 500 yards before I shoot, and then hit flank speed, hard rudder and dive for 250 feet. I do hit occasionally but I bet my success rate is less than 3% to 5%.

[swdw]

This is still risky, but if you want to play with a DD, dive while running away and keep ypour scope up long enough for the DD to bear down on it. At a full bell you'll kick up a pretty good scope wake and make plenty of noise so it can track you as easily as if you're on the surface. Are you playing stock or usig a mod like TMO?

At least this way you are running away and already submerged.

Playing with a DD is like playing with a tiger. Sooner or later the tiger gets a good bite in.