Submarines have come a long way and changed significantly since the first tests, but a lot of work still remains to be done before they can become a full-fledged unit type.
While we continue configuring the submarines, you’re welcome to try them out in Submarine Battles.
Key Points
- Submarine Battles are a separate battle type for Tier VI ships, available from May 27 through June 24.
- You’ll receive Submarine Tokens for your first login each day.
- The Tokens can be exchanged in the Armory for random bundles, one of which contains three rental submarines.
- New game mechanics: dive and ascend, sonar pings, battery charge, depth charges, and Hydrophone.
- A special combat mission that will reward you with XP and credits for cruisers, destroyers, battleships, and aircraft carriers.
Submarine Battles
Starts: Wed. May 27 3:00 AM PT / your local time: Wed. May 27 5:00 AMEnds: Wed. Jun. 24 3:00 AM PT / your local time: Wed. Jun. 24 5:00 AM
Select Submarine Battles, select any Tier VI ship, and fight against submarines!
To stand at the helm of a submarine yourself, you need to collect and use Submarine Tokens. These Tokens will be credited upon your first login each day during the run of Submarine Battles. You can exchange Submarine Tokens for random bundles in the Armory. One of the seven available random bundles will drop three 21-day rental submarines, each with a special 19-skill-point Commander. The remaining bundles will drop 500 Coal each.
A special combat mission for all ship types, with the exception of submarines, is available in Submarine Battles. It will grant you +100% XP and +25% credits for the first five battles each day.
The rental submarines will be removed from your account once the rental period expires, or with the release of Update 0.9.6.
Playing Submarines
Submarines are fragile and cautious hunters. Diving depth affects their detectability, viewing range, and interaction possibilities with other submarines and ships. Maneuver, change your diving depth, hide from your enemies, and surprise them with stealth attacks from the flanks.
Submarines have a small HP pool, so stick to the flanks and attack your opponents from afar or while submerged.
Keep an eye on all enemy destroyers, and cruisers such as 
VI Dallas, 
VI Budyonny, 
VI Leander, and 
VI Perth, as they are carrying depth charges. Change position often, try to enlist the support of your teammates, and use the Maximum Depth consumable in case of immediate danger.
The primary targets for submarines should be sluggish ships—any agile targets that are capable of making anti-torpedo maneuvers are difficult to hit.
Submarine Controls
- The W, A, S, and D keys control horizontal movement.
- Press F to ascend.
- Press C to dive.
- Ctrl+F and Ctrl+C lock the horizontal rudders to either ascend or dive.
- 1—sonar pings.
- 2—torpedoes.
- Press 1 again to choose between two sonar ping options: wide and slow, or narrow and fast.
Surfaced and Submerged Submarines
Submarines can move between two operational levels: surfaced and submerged (6 meters and deeper).
A submarine on the surface can be hit with shells, ship- and airborne torpedoes, aerial bombs, and rockets. Emitting sonar pings while on the surface increases the submarine’s detectability more significantly than while underwater. Capturing Key Areas is only possible when surfaced.
When a submarine dives deeper than 6 meters, her speed drops significantly, visibility reduces twofold, and viewing range decreases to the value of her torpedo range. While submerged a submarine can detect ships only within a certain radius, provided that they are within her direct line of sight, and can’t detect aircraft.
A submarine at depths of 30 meters and greater can be detected only by ships with Hydroacoustic Search and other submarines, while the Hydrophones on destroyers allows them to determine the approximate location of a submarine.
The Maximum Depth consumable enables you to temporarily dive to 50–80 meters. At this depth, the damage of depth charges is reduced, and the submarine’s location cannot be determined by Hydrophone anymore.
Acoustic Homing Torpedoes
The main armament carried by submarines is acoustic homing torpedoes. New mechanics—sonar pings—will help you increase the potential effectiveness of your torpedo salvos. Hit special indicators located at the bow and stern of an enemy ship with your sonar pings. By doing so, your torpedoes will be guided to the target and deal more damage if they strike. Torpedoes can ascend from the depths and hit an enemy only with the help of an active effect from a sonar ping.
- A sub can fire torpedoes and emit sonar pings from any depth. When submerged, a sonar ping can be emitted in any direction, even at targets above or below the sub.
- After selecting sonar pings, you’ll see two indicators appear at the bow and stern of the target ship. Aim for these indicators, take a lead on the target, and click the left mouse button. Please note: unlike when firing shells, the camera won’t follow the targeted ship automatically.
- Emitting sonar pings temporarily increases a submarine’s visibility.
- A successful hit on one of a ship’s two indicators will make the torpedo home in on the target.
- If you hit both indicators, torpedoes will assume the optimal depth to hit vulnerable spots and will be able to inflict more damage to citadel or anti-torpedo defenses.
- The effect of a successful ping hit remains active for 20–30 seconds, depending on the exact submarine. Hitting an indicator with another sonar ping will reset its action time.
If you attack a ship from afar, keep emitting sonar pings to refresh their effect while your torpedoes are traveling to their target. Remember that guiding your torpedo to its target with the help of sonar pings doesn’t guarantee a hit.
- Torpedoes have very poor maneuverability. They lose speed when turning and are not capable of catching up to a ship that’s actively maneuvering.
- Upon approaching the target to a distance of approximately 1 km, torpedo homing gets disabled and it will travel straight ahead. If the enemy changes speed or course during this time, your torpedo might miss it.
Battery Charge
Battery charge is needed to emit sonar pings. The submarine’s battery charge is depleted with each ping, as well as when moving underwater at speeds higher than 1/4.
- To restore battery power, ascend to the surface, or reduce your speed to 1/4.
- If you deplete your battery charge, you won’t be able to emit sonar pings, but you will still be able to move at any speed.
Playing Against Submarines
All destroyers, and cruisers VI Dallas, VI Budyonny, VI Leander, and VI Perth are armed with depth charges. This countermeasure can hit submerged submarines.
- At depths of up to 6 meters, a submarine can be hit with shells, ship- and airborne torpedoes, aerial bombs, and rockets.
- High-explosive shells are the most effective shell type to deploy against submarines. They will inflict damage to a submarine even when not directly striking it. Falling in the sub’s vicinity is enough, thanks to the shell’s fragmentation damage area.
- Constantly change course and try to keep your bow or aft pointed towards a submarine. This will make it more difficult for them to hit the second point on your ship’s hull with a sonar ping.
- If a submarine is detected with the help of the Fighter or Spotting Aircraft consumables, the planes will start to follow it. They will circle over its last spotted location if the submarine dives.
- The Hydroacoustic Search consumable can detect a submarine at any depth.
Hydrophone and Depth Charges
- A destroyer’s Hydrophone will track the movements of a submarine within a radius of 4–5 km around the ship. The sub’s approximate location is shown with a special marker. The closer the ship is to the submarine, the more frequently all incoming information will be updated.
- Cruisers don’t have Hydrophone, but they are equipped with Hydroacoustic Search, which is capable of detecting submarines at any depth.
- Approach the approximate location of the submarine and release your depth charges using the G key.
- You have several charges at your disposal that can be activated consecutively. Keep in mind, however, that depth charges take time to reload. You won’t be able to hit a submerged submarine during this time.
- If a submarine hides at the maximum depth of more than 50 meters, the damage from depth charge hits will be reduced, but still remains quite considerable.
Try out the new unit type in the game and share your impressions!
Source: https://worldofwarships.com/en/news/general-news/submarine-battles/