How do I sink zigzaging ships ?

[Killer-Carrot]

as the title says. I am having problems with it. I usually miss all torpedoes i shoot at it.
I go to about 700 metres and sometimes get a lucky hit, but most of the times the ship im shooting changes course so i miss.

How do i sink them without wasting 4 torpedoes ?

[Morts]

surface and start fireing your deck gun
if weather is too rough
close till you're like 310 meters away then fire the torpedo

[Brag]

surface and start fireing your deck gun
if weather is too rough
close till you're like 310 meters away then fire the torpedo

Or you may try setting the torp on magnetic, at least one meter below the waterline. Again, you want to be close, but the torpedo will explode at a bad AOB. Go get them! :arrgh!:

[Warmonger]

The zig-zags are relatively easy to read as they don't change even if you surface or show your periscope. Just wait after the ship has completed a zag (or a zig) and if you're in a good angle and short range shoot.

[AVGWarhawk]

I just project where AOB will be when I plan on fireing the torps. Not an exact science but it works ok. Best thing is to get close as the ships do not turn quickly.

[Killer-Carrot]

thanks for the replies.
I was gona go closer myself but ive seen people write that torps need at least 500m to arm or they are gona bounce off the hull

oh and since i already made a thread i have another question.
How do you evade warships in shallow waters, i have about 5 of them pinging me and dropping depth charges around me all the time.
I am as deep as i can go - 30m just 3m to the seafloor. Ive tried silent running or just tried to evade them by going ahead flank :D
but none of it works.

[Morts]

well its really only 300m actually
and lower for magnetic detonation

[High Voltage]

You're in deep trouble if you only have 30m in which to hide. Remember that it's sometimes better to let a ship go to ensure your own boat's chances for survival. Deep weather and nighttime are your friends.

When you hear your sonarman announce depth charges in the water hit "5" for a quick burst of flank speed, crank your rudder to one side and immediately hit "1" to quiet your props again.
Look on your map where the deeper water starts (it'll be darker blue) and slowly make your way towards there...

Welcome aboard and good luck!

[codmander]

aim zag ..........:ping: when ziging........:rotfl:

[Brag]

thanks for the replies.
I was gona go closer myself but ive seen people write that torps need at least 500m to arm or they are gona bounce off the hull

oh and since i already made a thread i have another question.
How do you evade warships in shallow waters, i have about 5 of them pinging me and dropping depth charges around me all the time.
I am as deep as i can go - 30m just 3m to the seafloor. Ive tried silent running or just tried to evade them by going ahead flank :D
but none of it works.

Stay away from shallow water!
If there's a shore nearby, hug the shore and hope the destroyers run aground. It sounds like you may be dead meat. Stay quiet, keep your rudder between 5 - 10 degrees.

[azn_132]

the best way for me to sink zig-zaggin ships is to sink them usein the deck gun in fine weather or get those homin torps in my boat in.

[gamers2000]

Deep water's good and all,but how far can your sub go? I've gotten to <1000m water,but sub can only go 100m. :'(

[melnibonian]

If you cannot use your Deck Gun and you must use torpedoes there are two ways of ensuring a hit.

1. Calculate the solution and fire a salvo a couple of degrees appart. Usually 2 or 3 torpedoes will do the trick (depending on the ship size). Some might miss but at least one will score a hit.

2. Fire at the bow taking into account the fact that the ship is turning. The solution might not be perfect but once you hit you can actually do some damage. This is a bit more advanced technique and requires a bit of practice, but it's not too difficult.

In both cases make sure you're as close as possible to your target. Ideally you want to be 1000m and closer, but if it is not possible try at least to fire from 1500m away. If you are above that distance it's far too difficult to score a hit.

[bigboywooly]

Deep water's good and all,but how far can your sub go? I've gotten to <1000m water,but sub can only go 100m. :'(

Your sub can go a lot deeper than 100 mtr

[High Voltage]

A looooooooooooooooot Deeper....:yep:

[gamers2000]

How deep? I normally go to 100 cos that's where the green bar at the altimeter(?-played too much FS to remember the SH3 equavalent) stops.

[bigboywooly]

If you have no damage you can quite safely go too 220 mtr plus

[Brag]

If your hull is in good condition, you should be ok at 250 meters. I am real careful going to such depth. We've had reports of boats being crushed at 200 meters or a bit less. Usually because the boat been previously damaged.

[emtmedic005]

If ur stuck n shallow water, dive down to with ur engines at slow.. if your already at PR depth then shut off the engines and dive normally, its alright to touch bottom, but do it when ur "dead" in the water, that means no speed. Just wait it out and hope no one farts.

[von Zelda]

as the title says. I am having problems with it. I usually miss all torpedoes i shoot at it.
I go to about 700 metres and sometimes get a lucky hit, but most of the times the ship im shooting changes course so i miss.
How do i sink them without wasting 4 torpedoes ?

Target speed is the most critical factor in a manual torpedo solution. Since target is zig-zaging, its speed (from point A to point B) is less than its actual speed. So, if you use actual speed you will miss. Also, you must establish an angle on the bow to its true course.

Plot target's position on nav map (mark 1) and note the time. Now, estimate target's general course and get in front for a good firing position. By the time you do this the target should have traveled a good bit. So, mark a second point on the nav map (mark 2) and note the time.

Draw a line which represents the target's true course. Hopfully you've set up approximately 500 to 800 meters off this true course with a good firing angle. Using the angle tool draw a line to the intercept point of your zero bearing and target's true course which you have just established. Then mark the third point further down the line of target's true course. This is your angle on the bow (AOB) for the intercept point at a zero bearing. Set this number in your Target Data Computer. (When you input this number your periscope/uzo must be on the zero bearing.) You can now rotate the periscope or uzo and have an accurate AOB, don't change it.

Back to calculating target speed. Determine the time target traveled from mark 1 to mark 2 and then determine the distanced traveled from mark 1 to mark 2. Then use this equation to determine speed in knots. Distance in kmeters x 32.5 divided by minutes = speed in knots.

The more times you make this calculation from the original mark on the nav map, the more accurate your estimate of speed will be. Because the greater the time and distanced traveled in your equation, the lesser the affect for rounding of the meters and time will be. Manually input your estimate for relative speed into the TDC.

Manually input an estimate for distance into the TDC. Measure your distance to the intercept point of your course to that of the target's true course as plotted above.

Last, rotate and pick a bearing on the periscope or uzo that will give you a good 90-degree impact on the target as it travels along its course. Open outer doors and wait until it gets to this spot and fire.

Hope this is helpful.

[U-104]

do not go to 200m with a 50% hull.:dead::damn:

[Sailor Steve]

altimeter(?-played too much FS to remember the SH3 equavalent)
Depth-guage.

I try to limit myself to the green and yellow bands when I can.

[Rykaird]

Your CE will holler out "approaching critical depth" when you get near the red band. He's a bit cautious, though, so keep taking her down into the red, where you'll find the real critical depth - glass starts breaking, and valves start spraying water, and the lights go on and off.

At that point, you are getting a bit deep. But anything less than that, hop in your bunk and take a nap. The crew will admire your coolness quite literally "under pressure."

Seriously, there are lots of warning signs as to where in the red things get interesting. Try it in the Academy, give your instructor a story to tell.

[Khourieat]

do not go to 200m with a 50% hull.:dead::damn:

Or to 70m at 2% HI :rotfl:
those destroyers are really good at what they're named for...

"BERNARD!! That's not what I meant by crash dive....:nope: "

[AVGWarhawk]

thanks for the replies.
I was gona go closer myself but ive seen people write that torps need at least 500m to arm or they are gona bounce off the hull

oh and since i already made a thread i have another question.
How do you evade warships in shallow waters, i have about 5 of them pinging me and dropping depth charges around me all the time.
I am as deep as i can go - 30m just 3m to the seafloor. Ive tried silent running or just tried to evade them by going ahead flank :D
but none of it works.

DO NOT GO INTO THE SHALLOWS. BAD THINGS HAPPEN THERE. STAY AWAY FROM THE CHANNEL. THERE BE DEATH THERE. STAY WERE IT IS VERY DEEP AND GO TO 250M TO SURVIVE. HEED MY WARNING.

[Khourieat]

Your CE will holler out "approaching critical depth" when you get near the red band. He's a bit cautious, though, so keep taking her down into the red, where you'll find the real critical depth - glass starts breaking, and valves start spraying water, and the lights go on and off.

At that point, you are getting a bit deep. But anything less than that, hop in your bunk and take a nap. The crew will admire your coolness quite literally "under pressure."

Seriously, there are lots of warning signs as to where in the red things get interesting. Try it in the Academy, give your instructor a story to tell.

:rotfl:

So hey! This one time, in u-boote camp I took this dive down to 300m, killed all hands on board. Man...you should've been there!!

:arrgh!:

[Jimbuna]

thanks for the replies.
I was gona go closer myself but ive seen people write that torps need at least 500m to arm or they are gona bounce off the hull

oh and since i already made a thread i have another question.
How do you evade warships in shallow waters, i have about 5 of them pinging me and dropping depth charges around me all the time.
I am as deep as i can go - 30m just 3m to the seafloor. Ive tried silent running or just tried to evade them by going ahead flank :D
but none of it works.

DO NOT GO INTO THE SHALLOWS. BAD THINGS HAPPEN THERE. STAY AWAY FROM THE CHANNEL. THERE BE DEATH THERE. STAY WERE IT IS VERY DEEP AND GO TO 250M TO SURVIVE. HEED MY WARNING.

And..........BE MORE AGGRESSIVE :lol:

[Morts]

And..........BE MORE AGGRESSIVE :lol:

you dont ********** tell me what the h*** to do you m************ I****
( J/K )
ohhh you meant against the enemy
im sorry:rotfl: :rotfl:

[azn_132]

And..........BE MORE AGGRESSIVE :lol:

you dont ********** tell me what the h*** to do you m************ I****
( J/K )
ohhh you meant against the enemy
im sorry:rotfl: :rotfl:

Man, control ur mouth.:rotfl:

[Rykaird]

Your CE will holler out "approaching critical depth" when you get near the red band. He's a bit cautious, though, so keep taking her down into the red, where you'll find the real critical depth - glass starts breaking, and valves start spraying water, and the lights go on and off.

At that point, you are getting a bit deep. But anything less than that, hop in your bunk and take a nap. The crew will admire your coolness quite literally "under pressure."

Seriously, there are lots of warning signs as to where in the red things get interesting. Try it in the Academy, give your instructor a story to tell.

:rotfl:

So hey! This one time, in u-boote camp I took this dive down to 300m, killed all hands on board. Man...you should've been there!!

:arrgh!:

That would make a most excellent epitaph on a gravestone, all right.

[Morts]

NEVER!!!!:rotfl:
you cant make ober-insane zur see Morts control hes mouth
i forgot the remote-control:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
and i cant do it manually:rotfl:

[azn_132]

NEVER!!!!:rotfl:
you cant make ober-insane zur see Morts control hes mouth
i forgot the remote-control:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
and i cant do it manually:rotfl:

Man u do need to put tape around ur mouth to control it then.:rotfl:

[Khourieat]

Is the shallow escaping (or lack thereof) time period dependant?

I'm finding not that much trouble passing through the english channel or the channel just outside Scapa Flow. The latter is the HARD one, but if I dive in early, and run on silent and move slowly I can run the entire channel without being detected.

Time compression gets interrupted often though...since theres anywhere between 5 and 15 military contacts going about their business.

I hope this isn't suicidal later on :cool: saves a lot of time when I need to get up to the Eastern side of England.

[Morts]

NEVER!!!!:rotfl:
you cant make ober-insane zur see Morts control hes mouth
i forgot the remote-control
and i cant do it manually:rotfl:

Man u do need to put tape around ur mouth to control it then.:rotfl:

errm, cant do that
my mouth just happend to control my hands to:doh:
sooo
you're just gonna have to live with it:rotfl:
or else im gonna fire one of my homing torpedos towards you:arrgh!:
or stalk you while reporting your location !:rotfl:


*edit*
WTF IS WRONG WITH MY PIC :o :o :rotfl:

[Jimbuna]

And..........BE MORE AGGRESSIVE :lol:

you dont ********** tell me what the h*** to do you m************ I****
( J/K )
ohhh you meant against the enemy
im sorry:rotfl: :rotfl:

:rotfl: :rotfl: nice one :lol: :up:

[azn_132]

NEVER!!!!:rotfl:
you cant make ober-insane zur see Morts control hes mouth
i forgot the remote-control:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
and i cant do it manually:rotfl:

Man u do need to put tape around ur mouth to control it then.:rotfl:

errm, cant do that
my mouth just happend to control my hands to:doh:
sooo
you're just gonna have to live with it:rotfl:
or else im gonna fire one of my homing torpedos towards you:arrgh!:
or stalk you while reporting your location !:rotfl:

U want to sub battle me? Wait till I get a new comp to do that.

[Morts]

NEVER!!!!:rotfl:
you cant make ober-insane zur see Morts control hes mouth
i forgot the remote-control
and i cant do it manually:rotfl:

Man u do need to put tape around ur mouth to control it then.:rotfl:

errm, cant do that
my mouth just happend to control my hands to:doh:
sooo
you're just gonna have to live with it:rotfl:
or else im gonna fire one of my homing torpedos towards you:arrgh!:
or stalk you while reporting your location !:rotfl:

U want to sub battle me? Wait till I get a new comp to do that.
im not afraid of anything and certainly not afraid of you

OH GOD, OH GOD, OH GOD WHAT WAS THAT NOISE FROM UNDER MY BED:rotfl:

[AVGWarhawk]

Is the shallow escaping (or lack thereof) time period dependant?

I'm finding not that much trouble passing through the english channel or the channel just outside Scapa Flow. The latter is the HARD one, but if I dive in early, and run on silent and move slowly I can run the entire channel without being detected.

Time compression gets interrupted often though...since theres anywhere between 5 and 15 military contacts going about their business.

I hope this isn't suicidal later on :cool: saves a lot of time when I need to get up to the Eastern side of England.
Here is the thing, if they do find you in the shallows, it is not going to be pleasant. I was on( patrol #2:oops:) and got detected in waters at 96m deep. I was hugging the bottom at 95m. This was 1940 and I was pinged like heck. I was DC to death. So in my view, running in shallow waters you are throwing the dice when it comes to being detected and sunk. To me, using the channel does not save time because you are constantly diving or running at 3 kts while submerged. You do save fuel however. I stick to the northside of England and go around. I also score some loan merchants. I use the milch cows if I need fuel.

[Corsair]

The best solution to both problems is preventive :

1. If the ship makes zig zags, it's either the helmsman is completely drunk (happened in real life - like the Exxon Valdez or a container ship whose name I forgot and which beached on the Normandy coast after luckily going at night through the Channel Islands - but is not imho modelled in SH3) or they know you're there. Which means you've done something wrong before...

2. Shallow waters : just don't get there if there is a chance of encountering DDs

:D

[CaptainAsh]

It s not realistic but it works fine in SHIII...
- As it was said, even if zigzaging, it s a cycle... so, first, take the time of the cycle.
- then, on the global heading of your target, put some marker at cycle time... its giving you the relative speed on the direct trajectory...
- now it s the trick, you must check with your computer to get a range for which the torpedo's time will be a full multiplicator of the cycle time, so your target will have the same angle when you take your shoot and when the torpedo actually impact.
- go to that range
- Enter the range, the wanted angle on bow and the relative speed in your computer. (It s important to enter the relative speed and not the real speed).
- wait for the wanted angle on bow. Fire!


It s not realistic because I guess a real ship is not going to respect a cycle...
Still, it works fine... it s just like the ship is doing warp jump at cycle time :)

[CaptainAsh]

1. If the ship makes zig zags, it's either the helmsman is completely drunk (happened in real life - like the Exxon Valdez or a container ship whose name I forgot and which beached on the Normandy coast after luckily going at night through the Channel Islands - but is not imho modelled in SH3) or they know you're there. Which means you've done something wrong before...


Not necessary... sometimes you can pick a nice isolated target and being behind his trajectory... so you can t reach him underwater. So you go flank and surfaced. If you can t use the deck gun you gonna have to use torpedo...
Speed is important though because he is giving your position right now :yep:

[High Voltage]

It s not realistic but it works fine in SHIII...
- As it was said, even if zigzaging, it s a cycle... so, first, take the time of the cycle.
- then, on the global heading of your target, put some marker at cycle time... its giving you the relative speed on the direct trajectory...
- now it s the trick, you must check with your computer to get a range for which the torpedo's time will be a full multiplicator of the cycle time, so your target will have the same angle when you take your shoot and when the torpedo actually impact.
- go to that range
- Enter the range, the wanted angle on bow and the relative speed in your computer. (It s important to enter the relative speed and not the real speed).
- wait for the wanted angle on bow. Fire!


It s not realistic because I guess a real ship is not going to respect a cycle...
Still, it works fine... it s just like the ship is doing warp jump at cycle time :)


Jeezus Christ, my head hurt just reading that. It's like Star Trek mathematics or something...Cycle times and warp jumps - why don't you just fire up your Dilithium Crystal, engage your cloaking device, and nail the bastard with a facefull of photon torpedos!!!

If you need help deciphering the above, just refer to this:
http://www.jumpstation.ca/recroom/trek/techno.html

and no, I'm not a geek...

Live long and prosper.

[Eagle Eye]

It s not realistic but it works fine in SHIII...
- As it was said, even if zigzaging, it s a cycle... so, first, take the time of the cycle.
- then, on the global heading of your target, put some marker at cycle time... its giving you the relative speed on the direct trajectory...
- now it s the trick, you must check with your computer to get a range for which the torpedo's time will be a full multiplicator of the cycle time, so your target will have the same angle when you take your shoot and when the torpedo actually impact.
- go to that range
- Enter the range, the wanted angle on bow and the relative speed in your computer. (It s important to enter the relative speed and not the real speed).
- wait for the wanted angle on bow. Fire!


It s not realistic because I guess a real ship is not going to respect a cycle...
Still, it works fine... it s just like the ship is doing warp jump at cycle time :)

Jeezus Christ, my head hurt just reading that. It's like Star Trek mathematics or something...Cycle times and warp jumps - why don't you just fire up your Dilithium Crystal, engage your cloaking device, and nail the bastard with a facefull of photon torpedos!!!

If you need help deciphering the above, just refer to this:
http://www.jumpstation.ca/recroom/trek/techno.html

and no, I'm not a geek...

Live long and prosper.

LOL :D Thats some funny !$%*

[Corsair]

1. If the ship makes zig zags, it's either the helmsman is completely drunk (happened in real life - like the Exxon Valdez or a container ship whose name I forgot and which beached on the Normandy coast after luckily going at night through the Channel Islands - but is not imho modelled in SH3) or they know you're there. Which means you've done something wrong before...

Not necessary... sometimes you can pick a nice isolated target and being behind his trajectory... so you can t reach him underwater. So you go flank and surfaced. If you can t use the deck gun you gonna have to use torpedo...
Speed is important though because he is giving your position right now :yep:

You go flank and surfaced, but far enough that you don't get spotted and submerge again once you're ahead in the target's path. Won't zig zag...;)

[RawRecruit]

I just get close and shoot! I always use a steam torp on fast, if available. Follow the ships general course slightly behind it. When it makes it's turn that brings it towards you, turn into it and increase speed. If you time it right you can get a near perfect 90 degree shot at very close range. Sunk a few ships like this... no maths, just pure judgement. Of course that's a lone ship...if a convoy starts evasive manouevers I forget it and withdraw to try again later...! :arrgh!:

[Jimbuna]

Of course that's a lone ship...

and without an escort I reckon :D :arrgh!: