AAR: Charge of the Light DD Brigade

[Zouave]

I was able to get in only a day of campaign game play before being forced to quit due to black screen crashes, but in that time I did have some fun and learn a lesson in how not to attack armored cruisers.

After surviving the initial Port Arthur attack in relarively good shape, I had formed a Task Froce of 3 BBs and 7 DDs. one long column with the BBs in the middle. Steaming near the coast of Korea, my TF encountered a Japanese force of only 2 armored cruiers.

The problem was that they were out of my gun range, and speeding away. They were able to make 19 knots, by BBs only 16 knots. So I thought I'd send my two columns of DDs at them with their speed of 27-29 knots, slow them down with some shelling and torpedoes, and let my BBs lumber up and finished them off.

Well, it didn't work that way. Those damn ACs just picked off my DDS one by one before they could ever get into torpedo range. If my little DD guns did any damage, it didn't show. I finally put an end to the misery after losing 3 DDs and having 2 others heavily damaged. Needless to say, the ACs got away.

Next time, I'll just keep my power dry and wait for a better initial set up.

[saddletank]

Here endeth the first lesson. Do not use DDs as pursuit vessels. DDs are basically small thugs - use them in gangs to kick a lone wounded ship (or scattered knackered division) when it's down. :)

[Sneer]

you can use them to support main attack on enemy battle line to break their formation
in my campaign they helped to divide vladivostock cruisers - result - 2 TB sunk but rossiya was to far away during main 25minutes of engagement when gromoboi and ruruk had asama +kasuga+ nisshin against them :-)
so no torp scored but benefits were substantial

[String]

Don't chase the armored cruisers from behind but encircle them instead. Move your DD's in front of them outside the AC's gun range. Or even better, just at the very edge of their gun range so they expend some ammo trying (fruitlessly) to hit your DD's.

then, charge them from the front. If they don't turn you'll have a very nice attack angle where they can use very few of their QF guns and if you set your DD's to pass in two columns, 500m left and right of the AC's then you will most likely have torpedo hit.

You WILL mix up their battleline like that and help your BB's to get close.