Sinking a composite freighter!!

[ddiplock]

I just torpedod a 5100 ton medium composite freighter.....initially i put 4 torpedos, with all 4 torpedos hitting her rear end, but sadly, not destroying her props. She kept on going, slowly listing. I remember in previous SH games, i'd get a report straight away on weather or not the ship was going to sink, but, i got no such report.

I fired another 2 torpedos, 6 torps in total for just this one freighter. And even then I didn't get a report she was sinking a good 5/10 minutes game time before she did start to sink, seems to me these freighters are harder to go down than their warship cousins. lol

I'm thinking she may have SLOWLY gone down with the original 4 torps I put into her, and that the final 2 i fired were wasted on this one ship. Anyone else think the same??


AND, a final note: That darn freighter knew I was there. As soon as my watch called out the sighting I gave the crash dive order to periscope depth and made my approach, but i noticed straight away in my scope that the bugger was zigging. I can understand me seeing him, with his large profile, but, submarines generally have a smaller profile and are thus harder to spot. Yet, he seemed to see me as soon as I saw him. Anyone else encountered this??

But, having said that, US subs were generally so much larger than your standard submarine, its proably no wonder i got spotted. lol :(

[letterboy1]

Are you using any mods?

[swdw]

I had the same problem. I had the mods installed incorrectly. If you use TM and ROW, there's a pic of the jsgme order of install for that combination in the ROW topic in Mod worksop section.

If you had the fish set for contact+ influence (magnetic) they can detonate w/o damaging the ship, so you may not have 4 hits even though you had 4 explosions.

[Rockin Robbins]

Ok, this is a Silent Hunter 4 thing, not a mod thing. Once you have hit an area, additional hits to the same area, like the stern for instance, do next to nothing.

initially i put 4 torpedos, with all 4 torpedos hitting her rear end

This means you hit her with about 1.2 torpedoes in the stern. She's not going down from that. In order to sink her you have to hit separated shots along the length of the hull. For some reason a single shot to the front 20% of the ship is more lethal than a hit to the back 20%. I've sunk my last 2 freighters with a single shot to the bow area. I can't explain that logically.:-j

It shouldn't take more than three torpedoes to bring down a freighter with NSM either version, or with Trigger Maru. In real life I don't think you get a sinking notification 60 seconds after the first lethal blow lands. Waiting for targets to sink (or not:damn:) was part of the sub scene in that crazy war.

[GoldenRivet]

I had the same problem. I had the mods installed incorrectly. If you use TM and ROW, there's a pic of the jsgme order of install for that combination in the ROW topic in Mod worksop section.

If you had the fish set for contact+ influence (magnetic) they can detonate w/o damaging the ship, so you may not have 4 hits even though you had 4 explosions.

what is ROW?

[JPorta]

Lately, I have begun setting my torpedoes to run fast, contact influence and deep. Find the ship in the recog manual, note its draught, and set your torp 1-2 feet shallower than this. Then try to get the torps right in the middle of the ship. When set to contact influence it should rip a hole nearly twice as big, and possibly break her back too. Two hits should suffice (you may need more for the modern tanker and heavier).

Fired two in this manner at a DD last night, nearly ripped her whole bottom off.

[peterloo]

Breaking its back is always a smart idea. Trying to snap it into two pieces, and the ship will inevitably sink - no countermeasures can be done, as what JPorta suggests

However, don't do this in stormy weather, as your torpedo may be at the wrong depth, due to the rolling waves, and failed to detonate as a result

Others had stated that - putting multiple torpedoes in a specific position never helps. It just wastes fishes (as a sealed, flooded compartment can never be flooded again)

Hitting the bow forces water to rush into the ship due to the forward momentum of the ship itself. Thus, the flooding rate can be raised. On the other hand, hitting the stern damages / destorys the vulnerable propellers and rudders, disabling the sheering capacity of your victim

[letterboy1]

AND, a final note: That darn freighter knew I was there. As soon as my watch called out the sighting I gave the crash dive order to periscope depth and made my approach, but i noticed straight away in my scope that the bugger was zigging. I can understand me seeing him, with his large profile, but, submarines generally have a smaller profile and are thus harder to spot. Yet, he seemed to see me as soon as I saw him. Anyone else encountered this??

But, having said that, US subs were generally so much larger than your standard submarine, its proably no wonder i got spotted. lol :(

I never wait on the surface to be spotted. At the very least I wait at periscope depth and monitor the contact's progress using the sonarman's reports. Periodically I pop up the periscope to verify my sonarman's information (once the contact is within sighting distance). Use the direction info from the sonarman and aim the periscope accordingly before raising it; that way you save the time of having to search for the ship and can lower the scope sooner.

Of course, if you want the renown points for making a contact report, you have to be surfaced while sighting at least three merchants. Go to thirty feet so that your decks are awash and try making a contact report then (you'll be at surfaced status with only your conning tower above the waterline). The convoy needs to be at a certain minimum distance for it to work . . . if you don't succeed it means that they are not close enough. immediately submerge again and wait before trying again. Once you succeed it will show on your message pad (have "Sent Messages" selected). You will then get a reply with specific actions to take . . . it could be to attack the escort or even to break contact.

By the way, results for surfacing with decks awash may vary depending on weather conditions. Also, the abilities of the enemy AI vary . . . you never know when you're up against a very sharp-eyed lookout who will spot you. So take your chances . . . :)

[Seaman_Hornsby]

what is ROW?

That's the Reflections On the Water mod.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=122408

[letterboy1]

So ROW is not where 24 oars come out out of each side of the boat when the diesel runs out?:rotfl:

[Seaman_Hornsby]

So ROW is not where 24 oars come out out of each side of the boat when the diesel runs out?:rotfl:

No, you're thinking of S.O.L., the new fuel (mis)management mod.

:D

[letterboy1]

So ROW is not where 24 oars come out out of each side of the boat when the diesel runs out?:rotfl:

No, you're thinking of S.O.L., the new fuel (mis)management mod.

:D
S.O.L. must have been included with another mod pack I installed because I have sure as heck have been there and done that.:D That and S.O.T. (Sh!t Out of Torpedos) right as my huge dream convoy passes 1 nautical mile in front of me (five Jap carriers and 5 tankers escorted by 2 Sampans).

[swdw]

So ROW is not where 24 oars come out out of each side of the boat when the diesel runs out?:rotfl:

No, that ones called OAR ;)