Using AP in a DD

[lonesome45]

I have never switched to AP while running a DD, except to try it when the battle was over one way or another. I did not see any advantage. Are the situations where using AP in a DD is indicated?

 

Thanks.

[Lert]

When you're vs a broadside CL at short range.

 

<Edit> Akizuki also shreds DDs with AP as well as BB and CA superstructures, at close / med range.

[SireneRacker]

In a Ranked Battle a Myoukou made the mistake of showing his broadside at short range to my Mahan. 4k salvos with AP made short work of him.

[Seamus_44]

USN in close can punch a cruiser with AP. It is also possible to CIT a CV with HP in close 

[Mesrith]

Destroyers can get citadel hits against lower tier cruisers at reasonable ranges, something like 7km or under while you're sitting in smoke spamming an Omaha or comparable.  Higher tier cruisers get more difficult, although a broadside Pensacola or anything Russian is still usually a good chance for citadels.

 

At medium ranges against a broadside battleship or cruiser superstructure, AP is a good choice, especially if there's obvious damage saturation from HE and/or they've already got a couple of fires burning.  Hitting the superstructure or the secondary casemates is usually good damage.

[desmo_2]

Give me a broadside target fairly close when I am in a Russian DD, and I will be using AP.  On several occasions I have shredded a similar-tier cruiser, and I am sure they were probably pretty stunned at the effectiveness of my guns.

 

[OseanTanker]

Short range against broadside Cruisers. I took out an Ibuki from pretty much full HP in a matter of seconds with my Benson's 5" AP rounds.

[ckupf]

Absolutely. Depending on the DD there might be more or less situations. But you can stack citadels on broadside cruisers at close range, just yesterday I gunned down a Konigsberg with 7 citadels. Especially using Russian and German DDs. I have put up double digit citadels in DDs plenty of times. 

 

Even USN AP can work at close range. I have put up an 11 citadel volley with an Atlanta (which uses DD guns) to devastating strike another Atlanta, I have put up a 7 citadel volley with the 7 guns Blyskawica against an Omaha.

 

Russian and German AP can work at as much as 8 or 9 km against CLs and 6 or 7 against CAs, USN and IJN need to be a little bit closer. 

 

Certain DDs, notably, the Akizuki, Ernst Gaede, Z23, Udaloi, and Khab, should use AP more than others. The Akizuki often needs it to get alpha damage onto a target quickly (I've gunned down broadside cruisers in it without citadels faster than they could gun me down. The next two get 6" guns, and the Udaloi and Khab get superior AP to their predecessors.

 

I caught on Donskoi by surprise at 3km in this battle and put 9 cits on him to kill him in 3 volleys.

 

 

[Doomlock]

At short range, all DD's are deadly to cruisers with AP. At mid to long range all destroyers except USN DD's get good results with AP on broadside targets. Russian DD's with their rapid firing long range high velocity 130mm guns; German DD's with their high alpha AP; Japanese DD's with their high velocity high alpha.

[Submarine_Wahoo]

AP will always deal more damage than HE + fires provided it penetrates. You should be using AP against broadside targets if and only if you aim at the correct part of the ship. AP in the the middle of the hull will just bounce off battleships, but cruisers often will lack the thickness to bounce when presenting a flat surface. AP into the superstructure will usually deal penetration damage. Bows and afts of ships are also good targets at higher tiers.

[Sethanas]

Bows and afts of ships are also good targets at higher tiers.

 

^ This is something a lot of people don't get or just underestimate. Bow and stern armor on top tier (t9 t10) BBs are generally only 57ish mm thick, while a BB or even a cruiser gun will likely over-penetrate, your shots in DDs can often result in full pen damage, allowing you to quickly DPS down those targets.

 

Also, a good understanding of how the side armors of ships are configured can help tremendously, while you may not be able to get citadel damage on some targets the armor tends to thin out between the water-line and the deck, even the Atlanta's little DD guns can slaughter t7 and t8 BBs when firing for that area instead of the citadel at close range.

 

I think this is what makes this game so damn good, a truly skilled player has so many different factors that they can use to turn the tables in a fight, one of those factors in DDs is definitely AP rounds. Another great thing is that you can't just "press 2 for skill rounds" unlike a certain other game (X_x) you actually need to have some skill for them to work properly.

[bullittmcqueen]

As mentioned, middle tier cruisers who are broadside will pay. I also switch to AP when shooting a CV who I have already set on fire, and BB's who I have multiple fires I shoot AP at the superstructure