Getting Hammered in the Stock Campaign

[Dogfish40]

I was up near Narvik during OP: Wesserburg(sic?) and I ran right into one of my mission directives (Sink any Battleship...). Here was the Battleship with six maybe seven DD escorts. I figure, perfect. It's dark, I have deep water, excellent conditions for attack. (I had also disabled IRAI for the time being for an unrelated issue). I got the Battleship with two out of three torpedo's. This was enough to stop and commence fires and flooding (after five minutes the ship was finished but still afloat). The reason for the post is the escorts; which I presumed would be completely lost and stupid, were on me faster than I could dive. (Only three of them, but they were relentless. I was using evasive immediately after firing. The escorts went into "Hornet mode" on the first torpedo hit:


(The U-67 is in the middle of the three DD's almost where the Depth Charge is )

After which they proceeded to try and triangulate my position:

Photos have been lightened a bit.
This lasted quite some time. As I slipped away at Silent Running, unbearably slow at 3knots, they continued to search the area and always in my direction. I finally got away. The three DD's stayed in the area while the others left. I thought it would be easy. The game continues to surprise and baffle me.
D40

[GT182]

It's a crap shoot on whether or not they come after you. I've seen just the opposite where they don't even bother you and skedaddle without looking back.

Dive deep and move off a 1knot in Silent Running. Usually they'll stay in that one spot thinking you're still there. If you're at periscope depth and try to get them too, make sure you use a G7a set to it's highest speed and don't change it's depth. Then wait until they're within 600 meters. Fire and you should knock them off. But be warry of the others.... you've just stired up the hornests nest again.

[Dogfish40]

Originally Posted by GT182

It's a crap shoot on whether or not they come after you. I've seen just the opposite where they don't even bother you and skedaddle without looking back.

Dive deep and move off a 1knot in Silent Running. Usually they'll stay in that one spot thinking you're still there. If you're at periscope depth and try to get them too, make sure you use a G7a set to it's highest speed and don't change it's depth. Then wait until they're within 600 meters. Fire and you should knock them off. But be warry of the others.... you've just stired up the hornests nest again.

It's funny,
When I got a carrier awhile back, that's what it was like. They really didn't move that aggressively, (I was not as near to the escorts on that one either) They probably couldn't detect me at all. So I was a bit cocky this time. I got very close, (inside the "circle of death") and then dove and turned 160degrees. They heard me before I could get deep enough.
On another BB they had me solid. I only hit the ship once, missed with the other two torpedoes. Everytime I came up to periscope depth to fire again, I saw those yellow circles on the map getting bigger and bigger and here they come. I never got to sink that one. The ship took a lot of damage but I got away.
Each of these was really fun in their own way, this one was special because I didn't get away Scott free, they made me really maneuver to escape.
Gotta' love this game...
D40

[Hinrich Schwab]

Originally Posted by Dogfish40

I was up near Narvik during OP: Wesserburg(sic?) and I ran right into one of my mission directives (Sink any Battleship...). Here was the Battleship with six maybe seven DD escorts. I figure, perfect. It's dark, I have deep water, excellent conditions for attack. (I had also disabled IRAI for the time being for an unrelated issue). I got the Battleship with two out of three torpedo's. This was enough to stop and commence fires and flooding (after five minutes the ship was finished but still afloat). The reason for the post is the escorts; which I presumed would be completely lost and stupid, were on me faster than I could dive. (Only three of them, but they were relentless. I was using evasive immediately after firing. The escorts went into "Hornet mode" on the first torpedo hit:

*picture deleted*

(The U-67 is in the middle of the three DD's almost where the Depth Charge is )

After which they proceeded to try and triangulate my position:
*picture deleted*

Photos have been lightened a bit.
This lasted quite some time. As I slipped away at Silent Running, unbearably slow at 3knots, they continued to search the area and always in my direction. I finally got away. The three DD's stayed in the area while the others left. I thought it would be easy. The game continues to surprise and baffle me.
D40

When I played this in stock, I pulled an "Erich Topp". I was inside the escort peremeter and pounded the battleship from 550 meters. I also fired my stern tube at the closest destroyer. Stern eel missed, but it successfully fooled the escorts into thinking I attacked from the South of the Task Force when I was, in fact North. Four destroyers peeled off, calculated my position based off a failed stern shot thinking it to be a stray bow torpedo and royally pounded the calculated area. I was 3.5 kilometers away and I could hear them literally fishing with depth charges. I set my course NNW and slipped away clean at 150m and 3Kts.

[finchOU]

Originally Posted by Hinrich Schwab

When I played this in stock, I pulled an "Erich Topp". I was inside the escort peremeter and pounded the battleship from 550 meters. I also fired my stern tube at the closest destroyer. Stern eel missed, but it successfully fooled the escorts into thinking I attacked from the South of the Task Force when I was, in fact North. Four destroyers peeled off, calculated my position based off a failed stern shot thinking it to be a stray bow torpedo and royally pounded the calculated area. I was 3.5 kilometers away and I could hear them literally fishing with depth charges. I set my course NNW and slipped away clean at 150m and 3Kts.

New tactic?? haha screw a BOLD....just send torps in random direction from inside the convoy. I never go back to the surface (if I have to dive) after an attack....always get away and get your element of suprise back.

[Hinrich Schwab]

Originally Posted by finchOU

New tactic?? haha screw a BOLD....just send torps in random direction from inside the convoy. I never go back to the surface (if I have to dive) after an attack....always get away and get your element of suprise back.

Odd. I don't recall saying my tactic was new. I just emulate Topp's preference to wear the targets for a torpedo attack as a hat to avoid angry destroyers. Without the advanced sonar of the later war, it is almost guaranteed to work with deep submergence.

[GT182]

DF... mind you I'm using OHII v2.0 full. Results will vary from stock to OHII on your mission requirements.