How to "destroyer battle"

[Deleted]

Hi there, I would like to ask you, if you have any tips/tricks for destroyer combat. Im a RTW1 veteran, but it looks like I have a hard time competing with AI in destroyer only battles even when I have far superior ships. My ships just seems to be unable to land hits like enemy ships do, and thats the case even if I use 5in guns for large DDs instead of 6in to avoid low RoF. 
Thanks for any advice...

[janxol]

What I usually do is close in and then make a very sharp turn to avoid torps. If my DDs launched, I assume so did the enemy. The enemy will also be forced to maneuver to keep distance during the charge and then will also turn after my maneuver. What this usually results in, as all ships are essentially movign in chaotic circles, that some enemy DDs will end up going in the other direction than the main body of the formation. That's my target. I charge them, watching out for torpedoes, usually will manage to immobilize or significantly slow down those DDs before the main force comes back.
So basically isolate them and focus the isolated ships.

[dohboy]

I never had much luck with destroyer battles. Even when I had some success it was not very satisfying. I have started declining them unless I am trying to turn the clock with a battle of little consequence, for instance I might accept it if many of my major ships are undergoing repairs and I want to postpone a major engagement without the large penalty for declining a major battle.

When I do go for a DD battle I try to focus on one enemy ship, split it from the herd and sink it before I run out of ammo. Then I go home.

[cabalamat]

Some random thoughts on destroyers:

1. numerical superiority always helps

2. build destroyers with lots of guns to take out enemy destroyers

[sittingduck]

Keep in mind that all AI controlled ships will maneuver to keep you in their rear quarters so as to have you in their torpedo arc and that the AI will fire in what would be a "Friendly Ship in Line of Fire" situation for the player. As difficult a torpedo target as a DD is, you will probably have a few torpedos launched at you if you remain steady in that rear quarter. I tend to place emphasis on guns in early DD's and try to stay at a gun distance, repeatedly crossing to either side of the enemy so as to be the worst torpedo target possible.

[tortugapower]

Nov 26, 2019 12:41:08 GMT -6 sittingduck said:

Keep in mind that all AI controlled ships will maneuver to keep you in their rear quarters so as to have you in their torpedo arc and that the AI will fire in what would be a "Friendly Ship in Line of Fire" situation for the player. As difficult a torpedo target as a DD is, you will probably have a few torpedos launched at you if you remain steady in that rear quarter... <snip>

And you don't want to be ... a sitting duck.

[sittingduck]

Nov 26, 2019 12:46:07 GMT -6 tortugapower said:

Nov 26, 2019 12:41:08 GMT -6 sittingduck said:

Keep in mind that all AI controlled ships will maneuver to keep you in their rear quarters so as to have you in their torpedo arc and that the AI will fire in what would be a "Friendly Ship in Line of Fire" situation for the player. As difficult a torpedo target as a DD is, you will probably have a few torpedos launched at you if you remain steady in that rear quarter... <snip>

And you don't want to be ... a sitting duck.

"The Pun is strong in this one..."
I learned about this game watching your videos when you started playing them (thanks, btw) a few years ago...

[kaguya]

Guns have never been decisive in the few DD battles I've fought, it's usually torpedoes doing the work oddly enough. It's strange to hear, but historically the few destroyer actions in WW2 were decided by radar and torpedoes mainly

[mycophobia]

DD battle is one where quantity definitely pretty consistently come out on top over quality as long as its not like 600 tonner against 1500 tonners. (But again, more guns definitely helps, I just don't make that a priority of my designs)

Pretty much a ship slowed by gunfire is a dead ship, and that comes down to who lands the few lucky hit first. A large DD probably still gonna be sunk if it is unfortunately damaged first. I usually stick to 5" guns, and I generally don't design DD to beat other DDs.

In terms of movements, avoiding chasing behind enemy dd at 30-40 degrees angle, while this may allow your aft guns to open up, this also means you are prime candidate for torpedo hits. Which is also a reason why I prefer more ships over more guns per ship since I don't find it often that I get to use all my guns without exposing myself to risk of torpedo hits.


Also on matter of heavier gun on DDs. 6" hit can be very nasty even for larger DDs, but if you can land a few 5" to slow a DD down, it will more or less be dead anyway either to follow up gunfire or torpedo. I can see the value of a dedicated gunboat DD but I prefer to prioritize DD's role as fleet torpedo boat.

[wlbjork]

Use the torpedo range ring and apply Murphy's first law of combat - if you are in range of the enemy, they are in range of you. Especially manoeuvre if the enemy makes a radical course change.

Guns slow an enemy down, torpedoes kill them. Having said that, keep torpedo fire under control - the AI loves to spam torpedoes at fast moving, highly manoeuvrable ships which unsurprisingly miss. Heck, the AI can quite happily miss a stationary BB, so missing a DD isn't overly surprising.

Never forget Factor P - Plenty. Plenty of guns makes it more likely to land a hit.

[brucesim2003]

And don't bother with the 2" secondaries that the AI loves to put in designs. 2" guns are a waste of space, as are 3" guns. Minimum 4x 4" will outgun most AI dd's. Early on I emphasis gunpower over speed, and even later in game avoid an excess of speed.

[alpha2518]

I find that what helps is a qualitative difference. You need big enough guns, about 5 in @ 0 quality, and fire control directors. Then you can sink reliably with your guns. But a good spread of 3 to 4 torpedoes helps too per DD.

[xt6wagon]

My personal advice is overgun your destroyers. I find even if it whines about it in the builder, 5" guns are the way to go. 3" seem to take forever to kill even a light destroyer and 4" is better, but still lacks punch. A single solid 5" hit seems to stop light destroyers and put 1200 tonners out of the fight. If I have spare tonnage secondary guns are a way to get a hint more firepower, but only for fleet destroyer use. Keep your "trade protection" destroyers pure, and by that I mean cheap.

[brygun]

Try using the forward split gun positions #1 and #2. Early on, before superimposed, this gives you twice the forward firepower in the narrow arc where they overlap. Early on I used 1,2 and IIRC the Y aft position for the main, typically 5 in, guns. This also lets me use 4" secondaries.

Even with superimposed on DD I can use 1,2,B,Y guns to have 3 forward, 3 each side and 1 aft. Warships spent alot more time with their bows pointed at enemies then their sterns.

Often as a strategy I avoid the DD duels. The loss of several DD even in win over their DD will never equate to the victory points that would be gained from losing the same DDs amid a fleet battle where those, or other DD, get torpedoes off.

[griffin01]

Someone has once given me advice to use cross-deck fire on early destroyers, which is rather hilarious - but it works, and really helps avoiding crowded centerline penalties.

As for DD engagements themselves, I personally seek to reduce the possible amount of torpedoes fired at my ships in fleet battles, to which end the DD engagements work remarkably well, even if my destroyers are more vulnerable there.