Torpedo firing order

[Nisgeis]

I have a question about the order in which torpedoes are fired. I understand that if you have different types of torpedo in the different tubes, you would specify which torpedo tubes to ready and fire, but if you had a forward nest full of mk 14s, why would you choose to fire them in reverse order? I listened to the Sealion II recordings of her during her attacks and the captain fired tube 6, then tube 5, then 4 etc.

I can't determine what advantage this gives you, if any. Or is it just personal preference?

[M. Sarsfield]

Maybe it was common to switch up firing order to keep the tubes all in working order?

Another idea is it could have been determined by where the remaining stored torpedoes were located in the forward torpedo room. A few were kept under the deck and tubes 5 and 6 would be the easiest tubes to load them into, since they would be on the same plane.

[Platapus]

I imagine that it would make trim a bit harder if all three port tubes were fired and none of the starboard. I would think (I know :88) ) that balancing the tubes would make the diving officer's life a little easier.

[M. Sarsfield]

Yeah, that's also a good point. We have a Mk. 16 coming to the Batfish that weighs 3,000 lbs without the warhead. :o The other torpedo will be a Mk. 27, weighing 850 lbs., and it's not a very big item compared to the other ones, but still pretty heavy.

[bammac3]

In some long ago read book that my befuddled mind cant dredge up a title for, the Captain orders torps that remained in tubes 5-6 pulled and put into tubes 1-2, if I recall correctly this was done because they were in VERY shallow waters and wanted to avoid stirring up the mud....perhaps someone here recalls this story and can name the book. What sometimes frustrates me about this game is that in rear tubes with a mixed load after reload I will look in torpedo view and see an MK14 in tube 9, only to have a cutie pop out upon firing!

[M. Sarsfield]

Yes, the reload bug is very annoying. Any time a Cutie gets reloaded it looks like a Mk. 18 or Mk. 14. If you save and reload, the right torpedo gets displayed.

I turn off auto reload, so that I can load the tubes manually and it helps me remember what torps are in what tubes when the display is wrong.