First of all a human DD player is using the 100% capacity of the DD to sink the subies, so forget the think I get at least 3.000 meters near a DD and he will not open fire with the deck guns. A human DD player from the moment he gets contact with a surfaced sub he will open fire from distances above 10.000 m, if the weather is good, to create a spread/rain of incoming shells to scare the submarines so they would to dive. If you find your self in such a situation immediately order CRASH DIVE, cause there is 1 shell enough to cause torpedo damages and high flooding. So in any other way and if the weather help proceed your course underwater.

 

 In some special weather conditions such as fog a DD can pass near you sometimes less than 2.000 meters and cant spot you in the sonar. Any other way continue your course underway with medium speed, about 4 knots so that your batteries can survive the whole Stat game. In the O.S.L. when you start a Stat game the bearing of the sub is the same with that of the convoy, so that the player can find it much more easy, so do not change the course of your sub.

 

Do not to attempt to raise your periscope after mid-1942, cause then the DD will spot you. Raise the scope only in the last moment when you are going to attack. Guide your self to the convoy via the Sonar. This sounds hard but its easier than you think. When a target is close enough the sound is bigger so you can estimate the range to the target. Caution when any ship is closer than 1.200 meters you can hear it with out the sonar trough all substations. So watch out if you hear a DD noise trough the Sub dive immediately cause in high speed 30 knots, it gets to his target in less than a minute and the sub cant dive that fast to safe depth.

 

The Rig for Silent running option dosent have effect, can give away your position and will give you only 1 knot speed which is useless even for maneuvers. Watch also your Compressed air cause when this is expended you will dive beyond the Hull crush Depth and will sink you. When you have launched some torpedoes and dived off, continue your work trough the convoy underwater. When your still in the way to the convoy at Periscope Depth and spotted a ship its wise that you stop your engines and wait the ship to come to you if the direction of the ship is exactly same with yours. The moment the first torpedo have left the tube the DDs know that a sub is near to the convoy, if the didnt spot you already, cause the torpedo will make noise that can be heard beyond 5 nautical miles range. So the moment you fire the first torpedo act quickly and try to torp as many a merchants as possible cause after the first torpedo hit, the convoy will start zig zags and will make torpedoes to miss for ranges beyond 2.500 meters. If the ship is under 1.500 meters there is no way that the torpedo would miss. In some cases maybe, the DDs can order the convoy even to stop making wonder where the convoy is.

 

And for last I leave the SILENT RUNNING for DDs. The DD can have a speed of 5 knots with making no noise until you hear it very close at distances about 600 meters. The DD can go backwards also with 3-4 knots so that he can have you the whole time in contact. With on-line playing you cant hear the active pings anymore, I my self heard it only 1-2 times total in 20 games, so makes it even more difficult. Further information will follow and dont forget to download the Tactical notes below.