BBs and the proper use of smoke screens

[Silver_not_grey]

Hello all friendly BB drivers,

I have observed that some of you may be unfamiliar with the proper use of smoke screens (possibly due to the infrequent sharing of smoke by DDs). Below are a few key points on using smoke screens.
 

Why Use Smoke Screens

• Sitting within smoke makes you invisible. Invis-firing with 16 inch rifles is good for us, and bad for enemy cruisers.
•  You will take much less damage (the enemy can't see you).

Do's

• Sit in smoke with the midpoint of your ship within the smoke outline.
• Say thanks to the DD.  Smoke screens are one our most precious commodities.
• Position you ship in a way that puts you in line with any potential torpedo attacks.  DDs like me, love to blindly launch multiple salvos of torpedoes into smoke screens.  Sitting inline with potential torpedo vectors greatly minimizes the chance you will be hit.
• Immediately delete any cruisers or DDs that appear.  This will make your friendly DD driver very happy, and more likely to drop smoke for you again.
• Use Hydro Acoustic Search if you have it equipped. Hydro will identify incoming torpedoes at ranges of 4-5 km, giving you time to react. Also, the duration of Hydro is similar to the duration of smoke screens.

Don'ts

• Do not charge through the smoke screen.  You will no longer be invisible when you emerged on the other side of the smoke, and your friendly DD driver is likely to curse at you in chat.  If the DD is also sitting  in the smoke, kindly encourage him to get the frack out and spot for you.
• Do not lay perpendicular to potential torpedo threats.  Although you may be able to shoot with more guns, you will almost certainly eat a few torpedoes.
• Do not ignore enemy cruisers that may be pummeling your friendly DD so that you can shoot at an enemy BB 15 km away.  This may also prompt your friendly DD to curse at you in chat.

[Noshiro_]

Remember, BBs take longer to slow down than your destroyer to take advantage of smoke.

[Xannari]

Good example here. This guy was such a bro

[Battlecruiser_Amagi]

Good example here. This guy was such a bro

 

Apparently, WG doesn't like that. It think it's fine, since it encourages team-work... It must be because there must be some controversies over it on the RU server or something.

[awiggin]

Already being discussed by the devs, they don't want BB's and Cruisers using smoke with zero risk. So I wouldn't count on your smoke being useful to them for long...

[ArmouredCarriers]

As a 30-30 dd and bb driver ...

 

You have no idea how many times I lay down a smoke screen between a solo bb and the entire enemy fleet - positioning myself to maintain line of sight - only to watch them drive straight through it.

But it isn't only bb drivers

Same for many cruisers

They seem oblivious to the benefit of not taking hits for a minute while dishing out damage themselves...

 

As for bbs taking longer to slow down?

Yeah. Really?

And it's not as though I drop it right on top of them.

[BlazerSparta]

You wouldn't believe how many CVs charge straight through the smokescreens I lay for them when I escort.

[Destin65]

Hello all friendly BB drivers,

I have observed that some of you may be unfamiliar with the proper use of smoke screens (possibly due the infrequent sharing of smoke by DDs). Below are a few key points on using smoke screens.

 

Why Use Smoke Screens

• Sitting within smoke makes you invisible. Invis-firing with 16 inch rifles is good for us, and bad for enemy cruisers.
•  You will take much less damage (the enemy can't see you).

Do's

• Sit in smoke with the midpoint of your ship within the smoke outline.
• Say thanks to the DD.  Smoke screens are one our most precious commodities.
• Position you ship in a way that puts you in line with any potential torpedo attacks.  DDs like me, love to blindly launch multiple salvos of torpedoes into smoke screens.  Sitting inline with potential torpedo vectors greatly minimizes the chance you will be hit.
• Immediate delete any cruisers or DDs that appear.  This will make your friendly DD driver very happy, and more likely to drop smoke for you again.
• Use Hydro Acoustic Search if you have it equipped.

Don'ts

• Do not charge through the smoke screen.  You will no longer be invisible when you emerged on the other side of the smoke, and your friendly DD driver is likely to curse at you in chat.  If the DD is also sitting  in the smoke, kindly encourage him to get the frack out and spot for you.
• Do not lay perpendicular to potential torpedo threats.  Although you may be able to shoot with more guns, you will almost certainly eat a few torpedoes.
• Do not ignore enemy cruisers that may be pummeling your friendly DD so that you can shoot at an enemy BB 15 km away.  This may also prompt your friendly DD to curse at you in chat.

 

Such a great and welcome post! Invaluable information to players of all ship types and skill levels. Obviously newer and struggling players will likely benefit more than an experienced player at this, but I'd like to think that even the experienced players would still need a reminder/refresher to keep them on top of their game.

 

Bravo to you! So refreshing to see after so many posts bad-mouthing or naming and shaming players who may not be as skilled.

[shootieboats]

Good example here. This guy was such a bro

 

Planes can spot over that ^-^ I'd classify that as "A For Effort" though, and it'll work out well at least half the time.

[Silver_not_grey]

As a 30-30 dd and bb driver ...

 

You have no idea how many times I lay down a smoke screen between a solo bb and the entire enemy fleet - positioning myself to maintain line of sight - only to watch them drive straight through it.

But it isn't only bb drivers

Same for many cruisers

They seem oblivious to the benefit of not taking hits for a minute while dishing out damage themselves...

 

As for bbs taking longer to slow down?

Yeah. Really?

And it's not as though I drop it right on top of them.

 

Yep, when I came up with the idea to write this post I was actually quite angry about a Tirpitz that had just charged through my smoke to meet a quick demise.  However, I tried to take a positive outlook and assumed the Tirpitz driver had no idea how to use smoke.

[Blutbad]

+1 for that post, it's not a common occurrence this coop between different classes, and if there's one thing BBs hate to see is DDs (lol almost like elephants and mice) when it happened to me I needed a few moments to realize that DD was actually trying to shield me from a fiery death (2 BBs and 2 CAs were pounding me and even though I was bigger my end was in sight) I was able to stop and put out the fires even got some repairs done, by the time I was able to thank him he was gone. I also had on one occasion a BB pull in front off me just as I had a sliver of health these are so rare that you can count them on your fingers wish more people would try to get the whole battle around them and not only their corner. Unfortunately these acts are not rewarded in any way, no stats no records show your extra effort so it's up to us to make others aware that cooperation is the key to success.