What would be the difference from the destroyers we already have? Those are specifically for anti-submarine warfare.
3 May 2018, 15:56
Hunter-Killer Groups
I think you should also add Hunter-Killer Groups as a new sea unit. They existed during the Cold War and not ww2 but it would make a great addition to the game
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USS Kearsarge with the escorts of her hunter-killer group at San Diego in 1961
Hunter-killer Groups, also known as Convoy Support Groups, were groupings of anti-submarine warships that were actively deployed to attack submarines during World War II. The advances in signals intelligence such as High-frequency direction finding, in cryptological intelligence such as Ultra, and in detection technologies such as radar and sonar/ASDIC enabled the Allied navies to form flotillas designed actively to hunt down submarines and sink them. Similar groups also existed during the Cold War. A hunter-killer group would typically be formed around an escort carrier to provide aerial reconnaissance and air cover, with a number of corvettes, destroyers, destroyer escorts, frigates, and/or United States Coast Guard Cutters armed with depth charges and Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar.
Wikipedia
8 Replies
3 May 2018, 17:03
No new unit is needed; the existing units provide all of the key pieces that you need to form an ASW "hunter-killer group": destroyer squadron, naval bomber squadron, aircraft carrier.Sakeleyhooh wrote:
I think you should also add Hunter-Killer Groups as a new sea unit.
I know: I use those three units in a "hunter-killer" role in most big map games.
3 May 2018, 20:30
Just take 5 Destroyers stack a carrier with them put 2 naval bombers on the carrier and voila instant hunter killer group.
3 May 2018, 21:51
You've got the basic idea, but I will always use a minimum of 5 naval bomber squadrons (in a single wing when attacking, but individual squadrons when searching), and enough destroyers to split into two groups -- one group to stalk and attack subs, and a second one to protect the carrier and act as back-up if the primary DD group gets into melee combat (direct contact) with enemy subs. The back-up group can then rush forward and hit the subs with naval gunfire while incurring no damage themselves -- naval gunfire is much more effective once the subs have been located, either by naval bombers on patrol or by contact with the primary DD attack group.Kanaris wrote:
Just take 5 Destroyers stack a carrier with them put 2 naval bombers on the carrier and voila instant hunter killer group.
You will note that these tactics are, in fact, similar to those employed by the Royal Navy and U.S. Navy during the Battle of the Atlantic. And they work pretty well in Call of War, too.
4 May 2018, 15:26
Well I agree with OP that destroyers aren't very good (stat-wise) in their prime role, ASW. But yeah, they should serve this purpose.
I'm also not a big fan of the HC feature "hold fire" which makes subs undetectable for anything but naval bombers.
4 May 2018, 18:04 (edited)
In combination with naval bombers in the search role, stacks of 4 to 8 higher level destroyer squadrons can be absolutely devastating against enemy submarine squadrons. As I suggested above, however, the DDs are most effective against subs when they use stand-off naval gunfire, rather than melee combat (mistake!), in my personal experience. To get the best results, this does require active battle management by the attacking player, and using shoot-and-scoot tactics against large submarine stacks to avoid melee combat.K.Rokossovski wrote:
Well I agree with OP that destroyers aren't very good (stat-wise) in their prime role, ASW.
Roger that. In a rather odd way, Call of War reverses the historical anti-submarine warfare (ASW) roles of destroyers and naval patrol aircraft.K.Rokossovski wrote:
I'm also not a big fan of the HC feature "hold fire" which makes subs undetectable for anything but naval bombers.
It's historically goofy that high level DDs cannot detect enemy sub units In Call of War, when in fact it was sonar/ASDIC-equipped DDs that were invariably responsible for detecting and tracking submerged enemy submarines in almost all instances. Sono-buoy technology was in its infancy during the latter phases of WW2, and naval patrol bombers were best at surprising enemy subs on the surface after having spotted them visually or using radar. Once detected by patrolling DDs, naval patrol bombers (and fighters) were often called in from baby flattops or land bases that were within range, to help the DDs hunt submerged subs with air-dropped depth charges. By themselves, WW2-era naval bombers had very little chance of detecting a fully submerged enemy sub (periscope and radio mast included).
Once subs were forced to surface, they were screwed, and could then they could be hammered by a combination of naval gunfire, aircraft cannon fire, and air-dropped bombs and depth charges from the surface and aircraft units of hunter-killer groups.
6 May 2018, 20:25
So if I understand correctly what you are really saying is use your own subs to tie up a large enem sub stack in melee and have DDs and naval bombers pound them from a distance for best results.
Well assuming you get to spot them first and surprise them instead of the other way around which is the hard part due to the fact that only naval bombers can detect them.
7 May 2018, 00:41
That works. But once the enemy submarine flotilla is spotted, you don't even have to pin them down in melee combat. That said, your idea is not a bad one, since subs inflict less damage on other subs than they do on surface ships.Kanaris wrote:
So if I understand correctly what you are really saying is use your own subs to tie up a large enem sub stack in melee and have DDs and naval bombers pound them from a distance for best results.
Yeah, I know (see my comments above about DDs being unable to detect subs on their own). Often, however, the subs will find your DDs by accident, and then you need to be prepared to bring up your back-up DD group, so your first group does not suffer unacceptable losses.Kanaris wrote:
Well assuming you get to spot them first and surprise them instead of the other way around which is the hard part due to the fact that only naval bombers can detect them.
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