How in the world do you get a destroyers off your tail in GWX?
 

I am a brand new player to the game and had my first run in with a destroyer. Four hours later, after searching the internet for an answer and trying everything I came across, I am now dead and quitting this game unless I get this explained to me. There is absolutely nothing enjoyable about having a destroyer circle you for four hours with there being nothing able to be done about it.

Welcome aboard!
 

Go deeper as possible (180m should do it) and run very slow (2 knots or even 1 knot) with of course the silent running ordered.
Changing course so your smaller silhouette face the destroyer position can be good idea too…
Also avoid beeing detected by destroyer when flat sea! You’ll have better chances when sea is rough

^Pretty much as explained above.

Thanks for the help! I realize now after sleeping and calming down that I was probably screwed because of the 60-80 m depth I was in while trying to escape. France has yet to fall and I'm in a type II between Germany and Britain. I should probably just avoid destroyers like the plague until I get to deeper waters.

1 tactic, that I'd relied on... for those persistent buggers.

Just as they've passed by & are marking a turn to come back around. pop the torp door open (either an aft or fore tube, depending on your orientation to them. :yep:) pop the cork to do a emergency blow ballast... making sure to set your depth for peri depth. Nno need to worry about their hearing that... as likely you're by that time, in their... baffles & 2ndly... is not like your telling them, your about... they already know that... since they're hounding you... (If it's a solo DD or DE, hounding you at the time... & not getting tagged teamed by 2 or more :hmmm: think I have had this also work with 2... but, has been some time. I've since learned early on, to avoid DD's/DE's... :yep:)

Anyway, soon as you start nearing periscope depth... go to the scope, raise it & as soon as it clears water... get a bead on where that pesky sucker is. If, they are still aft end facing you, doing a swing about... then chances are good... to give 'em a slap & tickle lullaby of death.

Make sure that when you pop off that 1 torp.. that it, is set it to 3 meters below their keel, for 1... & if possible... set for fast speed (know the T-II, was only a 1 speed torp... but, if that's all you have then, better than nothing...) & mag det. (best time to do that, is just before you pop emergency blow ballast.)

If successful (which by all rights, their being in close... the torp set to fast... they ain't getting away from death. As 1 torp, is enough to sink a DD/DE.) then, right after... get the flock outta Dodge... :shucks: :haha:

Warships, just like their merchie heinz 57 sea going cousins... their belly, aka keel... was their Achillies heel.

This tactic works best in a... :hmmm: 400-750 meter engagement range setting...

If no other DD's or DE's, are about.. & you're not near air coverage or patrol areas... then you should be safe to pop the cork & surface to make your getting outta Dodge, that much faster... just be mindful to keep a sharp look out for air patrols none the less. Not to mention, other warships that just may be out for your head, to mount on to their walls... in revenge for their fallen comrades you just sent to the bottom... :arrgh!:

Hope this info helps... :up: :yep: :shucks:

:Kaleun_Salute:

M. M.

I think it's an intended feature in GWX that you can't evade destroyers if their crew's level is veteran or elite... It's part of the game... A lot of U-Boots were sunk during WWII... :D

Unfortunately, this game is a so poor simulation that you actually can't use most of the real world tactics to evade them.

:k_confused:

But some special mods add a few new possibilities even if some of them are buggy (thermal layers, depth charges noise, ASDIC not working at shallow depths...). Look for Stiebler and H.Sie patches...

Yes. Period. :)

My first career ended when I met a destroyer and had 25m depth to play with... :har: I'd have had more chances if I rammed her.

So:
Destroyers in deep waters (100+ meters): you have a chance but there are times when they'll keep you down for hours (it's their job...)


Destroyers in mid-deep waters (100 to 50 meters): you have a chance...but a lot depends on the sea conditions and destroyer crew "level", they can keep you down for hours...if you survive that long.

Destroyers and shallow waters (50 or less meters): pray! I sometimes wonder if in this range it would be better to try engage them...


As posted above: silent running is your best friend, slow speed is your best chance, showing the smallest section possible is a plus...luck is a godsend.


And patience...that helps...somewhat...perhaps.

I usually try as much as possible to stay away from destroyers, frigates and corvettes, especially, if in coastal waters and in a type II boat.

If detected in an undamaged type II boat, one should be able to dive to 100-125m without problem, depending on which version (A,B,C,D). If neccessary, one can even push to 140-150m. This should be deep enough early in the campaign, as depth charges should not go deeper than about 130m, and of course silent running 1-2kn.

Engaging a ASW vessel that is already hunting you, is always tricky and should in my view be used, only as a last resort.

I agree, that the way the game engine works, the "historical/relalistic" tactics for ASW vessel evation, do only apply to a somewhat limited extend.

Welcome to the U-Boat Service! You have a 75% chance of death. :)

#1 Never engage in shallow water.
#2 Realize it only gets harder as the war progresses.
The German Navy was consistently behind the Aliies in terms of technology (ASDIC, centimeter radar, Leigh Lights, code breaking, etc) and this becomes very telling once you get to mid-late 1941. This kinda changes with the Type XXI, which was a revolutionary design and signaled the next step forward in sub design worldwide but it was too little and far too late. You will have to be a very crafty, canny and lucky Kaluen to make it very far.

I'm surprised some think historical, etc. evasive tactics don't work as well as they should as I've found them to work very well in the game, especially with the ahistorical and unrealistic advantage of being able to use silent running indefinitely.
I tend to use silent running in 20 game minutes on/5 game minutes off segments to counter this somewhat.

Yes, this "simulation" is very poor on every aspects...

How long could a real U-Boot use silent running ?

Others already gave better advice than I ever could regarding tactics, but one general remark as far as SH games are concerned: they are only typical "games" in their vanilla state - in that they are not too realistic but have "challenging but enjoyable enough not to rage quit" diffficulty level.

Megamods usually move them more into "simulation" territory - much more realistic, but not at all fair. And realistically odds were stacked against U-Boats for much of the war so badly it takes very specific type of player to have fun playing realistic U-Boat sim. The kind that thinks original X-Com series or Dwarf Fortress are fun games and losing is an exciting experience :)