How long does it REALLY take to reload torpedo tubes?

[shipkiller1]

One thing I noticed is that there are different values for weapon reloading in port.

This should not be the case. All weapons take the same amount of time. This does not include VLS of course... That is a whole different animal...

[PL_Harpoon]

Originally Posted by shipkiller1

One thing I noticed is that there are different values for weapon reloading in port.

This should not be the case. All weapons take the same amount of time. This does not include VLS of course... That is a whole different animal...

At least that thing can be easily fixed with modding. Each weapon has a resupply value in weapons.txt.

The same can't be said for wires though.
So, to sum up (with a few things from other threads), in order to have a realistic torpedo operations we would need those things (things that can be done with mods are highlighted):

- ability to load two torpedoes at a time provided they're on different sides.
- generally longer reloads
- more in depth stores management which would affect reload times
- safe torpedo launches at any speed
- much less wire breaks (simulating the wire would be ideal - I assume that it would act like a trail - but it would be much easier to make it break only during sharp manoeuvres with a slip possibility of random failures)
- uniform resupply times (probably also longer)
- torpedoes relying on actual sensors for detection rather that fixed range
- passive torpedoes should not home in on wrecks
- active torpedoes should not home in on wrecks that have stayed underwater for a while (all the air has been removed)

Did I miss something?

[Julhelm]

So how do the storage racks actually work? I always assumed you could pick any weapon from anywhere on the rack using something like a powered traverse, but it sounds a little more complicated than so.

And what is it like on subs that have bow tubes?

[shipkiller1]

Originally Posted by Julhelm

So how do the storage racks actually work? I always assumed you could pick any weapon from anywhere on the rack using something like a powered traverse, but it sounds a little more complicated than so.

And what is it like on subs that have bow tubes?

Actually no, its not.

The layout of the 688 (all flts) is, there are two outboard stows (port/stbd &upper/lower), and the middle (inboard) stows (upper/lower). In between the outboard and inboard stows, are the hoists. There is a hoist both port and stbd. The hoist is used to relocate a unit from upper to lower to lower to upper.

In the original picture at the beginning of this thread, it showed a unit on the no. 1 load line (tube 1). A unit is unlocked from its stow and locked onto something called the rabbit. The rabbits are hydraulically operated and move (shuttle) the unit port or stbd. Then the unit is unlocked from the rabbits and locked into the new stowage location.

From a game play perspective, I think having the ability to move weapons around in the room not a smart play. It adds too much complexity to the game and something I do not want to have to deal with while making an approach. Do you think the CO determines where each weapon is stowed in the room. No, The Weps and head Torpedo Man (TM) do. If you really want to drill down on this, there are different software versions of ADCAPS and different software versions have different capabilities... If the CO and Weps discuss that they need a specific software variant, they just tell the TM's to get it loaded into a specific tube. The CO does not need to know everything that is going on down in the room to make this happen... He has other things on his mind.

As to bow tube boats, we have not had any of those for a long time.

[Julhelm]

Well, we do have the Skipjack in game, and we're going to do the Soviet subs which of course all have bow tubes, so it's interesting to know what their layouts are like.

Do the Sturgeons and Permits have the same layout as the Los Angeles?

[ikalugin]

- safe torpedo launches at any speed

How does tube angling affect launch safety?

[shipkiller1]

Originally Posted by ikalugin

How does tube angling affect launch safety?

No effect.

[shipkiller1]

Originally Posted by Julhelm

Well, we do have the Skipjack in game, and we're going to do the Soviet subs which of course all have bow tubes, so it's interesting to know what their layouts are like.

Do the Sturgeons and Permits have the same layout as the Los Angeles?

Permits: Unknown. I never went aboard one. Never had the need.

637's have only two sets of stows. Port/Stbd. The single hoist is in the middle of the room between them (the stows). Stowage capacity is the same.

[PL_Harpoon]

Originally Posted by ikalugin

How does tube angling affect launch safety?

It's more a matter of a force pushing the torpedo out of the tube. I think the tubes are angled only out of necessity (with the end on the side of the ship).
Think of it like that. At 3Gs acceleration in 1 second the torpedo will move by 15 meters and can accelerate from 0 to 56 knots. Looking at the cutaway pictures the torpedo tube seems to be about 13m, so it will easily clear the tube in one second and I assume it then slows down to 50 (or whatever the torp. is set to) due to drag.

Originally Posted by Julhelm

And what is it like on subs that have bow tubes?

I think this varies from ship to ship. The only example of loading the forward facing tubes that I was able to find was the already mentioned HMCS Victoria.




It seems that the only thing that's different is the way torpedoes are placed before the tube.

[Julhelm]

So in a related question, how long does it take to reload a noisemaker IRL?

[Steiger]

Originally Posted by Julhelm

So in a related question, how long does it take to reload a noisemaker IRL?

About 2 seconds, judging from my wife's abilities.

[Capt Jack Harkness]

Originally Posted by Julhelm

... and we're going to do the Soviet subs...

Great news!

But back on topic, no one has discussed reloading while the ship is changing depth (decks not level). Currently there are no restrictions on reloading based on the angle of the boat/deck, what are the real restrictions like?

[max-peck]

Originally Posted by Steiger

About 2 seconds, judging from my wife's abilities.

[shipkiller1]

Originally Posted by PL_Harpoon

I think the tubes are angled only out of necessity (with the end on the side of the ship).

The US Navy canted the tube so they could put a big spherical transducer array as far forward as possible, away from the noise of ship.

Originally Posted by Julhelm

So in a related question, how long does it take to reload a noisemaker IRL?

I can only remark about US boats, a quick torpedoman can do it in about 20 seconds. Also, US submarines have not one but two countermeasure (3") launchers. Both are loaded. 688I's (751 and above) also have two 6" countermeasure pods aft, non-reloadable at sea. SSN-21 class, and 774 class also have 6" launchers but not on pods.

Originally Posted by Capt Jack Harkness

But back on topic, no one has discussed reloading while the ship is changing depth (decks not level). Currently there are no restrictions on reloading based on the angle of the boat/deck, what are the real restrictions like?

As long as the loading party keeps updating the depth on the load line, they can keep loading during depth changes.

[ikalugin]

No effect.

Won't the sideways pressure of the waterflow, should the sub be making it's top speed, atleast hypotheoretically, affect the torpedo exit?

I can only remark about US boats, a quick torpedoman can do it in about 20 seconds. Also, US submarines have not one but two countermeasure (3") launchers. Both are loaded. 688I's (751 and above) also have two 6" countermeasure pods aft, non-reloadable at sea. SSN-21 class, and 774 class also have 6" launchers but not on pods.

Won't the 6" pods have multiple noisemakers stored in them?

And what is it like on subs that have bow tubes?

It is sub to sub dependent, for example on Kilos the torpedoes are loaded via torpedo tubes:

 

Or via the torpedo loading hatch, commonly found on modern nuclear boats: