Weak spots

[H2OsKT]

Is there any guide to each ship type's weakness? On SHIII, I could aim for ammo bunkers on capital ships or the fuel on a freight. SHIV merchants are on steroids and the Jap capital ships are pretty dang tough too.

My only observation is if I can get directly in front of a ship, my chances of sinking with one torp is greatly improved if set at maximum depth based on the draft. I have verified this tactic with a Kongo class, Shokaku carrier, large tanker as well as some assorted merchants.

I was really disapointed last night as I came across a huge task force en route to Batan and I only had three fish left. I saved the game and made about ten different runs at the Yamato battleship from a 45 to 90 degree angle. My best opportunity only stopped her from moving, but she never went down and I never saw any dramatic pyrotechnics even when I know I hit the ammo bunker locations under her main guns. I don't care how big a boat you have, three well placed torpedos should do the job.

SHIII had a link that showed weak spots on targeted ships such as the keal, ammo or fuel bunkers. Is there any such guide for SH IV?

[DeepIron]

I don't care how big a boat you have, three well placed torpedos should do the job.Not when it comes to the Yamato bro'... She was the IJN's heaviest armoured vessel in the fleet along with her sister ship the Musashi... You'd better be ready to put a few more than 3 in her...

As for a guide, hmm, not that I know of...

[V.C. Sniper]

Bah, 1 Mk 14/16 torpedo under the keel of that big pile of garbage would blow her in half.

[DeepIron]

Bah, 1 Mk 14/16 torpedo under the keel of that big pile of garbage would blow her in half.Just be sure to get a screenshot... :roll:

[BN77]

took me 6 torps to take down a yamato. one hell of a show afterwards

[Soundman]

Bah, 1 Mk 14/16 torpedo under the keel of that big pile of garbage would blow her in half.


If you take that boat down with only one fish, you must be using some kind of cheat or a super torpedo mod!

To answer the main question here, I heard of a download a long time back for a chart of the sweet spots, but since then there have been so many modifications, I would not think it to be reliable any longer. I hope I'm wrong, because I would like to know as well.

[silentrunner]

I once had to empty all of my tubes on Yamato. The Japs on board were probably laughing at me before they died.

[M. Sarsfield]

Has anyone tried the magnetic detonation under the keel using the NSM mod with something this size?

[DeepIron]

Has anyone tried the magnetic detonation under the keel using the NSM mod with something this size? I had created a mission file awhile ago with a number of IJN warships "as sitting ducks" (including the Yamato) for the sole purpose of testing torps. At the time, I was messing about with some of the torpedo game settings. I shot literally hundred of them at varying levels, including "under the keel" shots...

I never got the Yamato to sink "with a single fish", NSM or otherwise...

And, I can tell you this as part of the RFB Team, there is a LOT of effort going into the torpedo logic so if anything, I would expect it to be more difficult as reflected historically... :up:

[M. Sarsfield]

Cool.

I bet a Mk. 48 ADCAP would bring her down with one or two hits under the keel. I've seen test films where one of those babies blows a target cruiser clean in half.

[Slick Wilhelm]

I don't see why we should assume that a Yamato class BB should sink after getting hit with a few fish. I believe it took something like 20 torps and 18 bomb hits to sink Musashi, and her sister Yamato was "only" able to withstand 13 torps and 8 bombs.

Unless the aerial torpedoes had a smaller warhead, of course. I don't know if the mark XIV was used by the flyboys or not.

[DeepIron]

I bet a Mk. 48 ADCAP would bring her down with one or two hits under the keel. I've seen test films where one of those babies blows a target cruiser clean in half.:lol: No argument there. However, what I think players tend to forget, it that the Yamato was MASSIVE! Bloody huge, even by todays standards. At one point she took three bomb hits on her decks and just kept going...

Ironically, it wasn't the surface Navy that got her, it was Naval aircraft. While the designers made her incredibly strong hull-wise, her anti-aircraft armament was lacking for a vessel her size. She refitted a few times her AA equipment, but it wasn't enough...

[M. Sarsfield]

Mk. 24's have a much smaller warhead and are the same size and weight as a Mk. 27. That's what the planes carried.

A beast that large will be resistant to bomb strikes. Just look at the pounding that the Bismarck took from multiple warships... even at point blank range. The crew eventually scuttled her - unless you ask a Brit :roll:. However, some well-placed explosions under the keel (not into it) is a different story.

[DeepIron]

Mk. 24's have a much smaller warhead and are the same size and weight as a Mk. 27. That's what the planes carried.

A beast that large will be resistant to bomb strikes. Just look at the pounding that the Bismarck took from multiple warships... even at point blank range. The crew eventually scuttled her - unless you ask a Brit :roll:. However, some well-placed explosions under the keel (not into it) is a different story.True enough. The area along the keep is usually the weakest... But, when you examine the torpedo technology of the Pacific War, the chances of placing those shots, even with a ship the size of the Yamato were very, very slim.

I'll have to do some research, but I can't think of any capital ship of the IJN that was sunk that way. Destroyers, yes...

[M. Sarsfield]

True. Once the warhead gets a strong enough magnetic field response in its circuitry, it's going to detonate. Most shots would probably go off under or near the armor plating under the water line.

[DeepIron]

Most shots would probably go off under or near the armor plating under the water line.Seems to me that was what I read in a post-WWII submarine warfare report too... The mag detonators were too sensitive to the larger magnetic fields created by the larger capital ships and detonated prematurely with greatly diminshed effect.

Gads, I love talking history! :up:

[Soundman]

Most shots would probably go off under or near the armor plating under the water line.Seems to me that was what I read in a post-WWII submarine warfare report too... The mag detonators were too sensitive to the larger magnetic fields created by the larger capital ships and detonated prematurely with greatly diminshed effect.

Gads, I love talking history! :up:

Yep, I read the same thing. It seems they went prematurely or not at all.

[modisch]

Back to the original question, though... since I'm curious too.

What's the deal on weak spots on vessels? Are there reliable areas of target vessels that we should be aiming for? I usually try to put a spread in.... but if I could tailor that spread to fore and aft bunkers or similar targets, that'd be mighty handy.

-m

[McHibbins]

Back to the original question, though... since I'm curious too.

What's the deal on weak spots on vessels? Are there reliable areas of target vessels that we should be aiming for? I usually try to put a spread in.... but if I could tailor that spread to fore and aft bunkers or similar targets, that'd be mighty handy.

-m

Take a look at SH3 and compare to SH4.

Aim for the :

1. Bridge (Fuelbunkers)

2. Funnels ore between Funnel and Bridge (Engineroom)

3. Mast (mostly bow but also stern for Cargo like Ammo or Fuel)

4. Gunturrets (Ammobunkers)

These are areas where the Engine gives you a chance for a critical hit !
Even with mods like NSM or ROW the chance might be higher.

[Capn_Sinky]

Bingo McHibbins! That's what I was going to recommend.

My favs are Engine room or prop shafts on the big BBs to slow them down and directly under the turrents to see the fire works.

For CVs pretty much anywhere below 15ft. Their damage control was pretty crappy, and their AV gas storage was poor at best.

Crusiers to me are closer to CVs in that two well placed fish under 15ft will send them to Davy's place.

I think the main thing is to spread the fish out. Too many shots in the same hole just dosent cut it.

BTW got ten hits on the Yo-mama once. Great set up and delivery. All six bow tubes and four stern tubes and she steamed right on by. Spread out, all set between 25-35ft contact only. Last I saw of her she was still running at 14kts with just a slight list to port, I was busy taking ashcan inventory though and didn't have time to reload or anything.

[H2OsKT]

The forward mast/funnel area was my favorite target on SH III as most cargos go down with one shot. SH IV cargos are on steroids as I have yet to perfect a shot in this area like SH III. I am going to start testing shots on the bidge and see if the fuel bunkers can be reached. :hmm:

[Dmsdmullins]

I hit a yamato couple days ago.. Did the same testing, reloading from a good starting point. Best score I got was 8 torps and as many as 14 to sink it. Best tactic i found was to aim for engine room which with one or two torps would disable the props on that side. I was aiming about 1/4 ships length past where the shafts entered. This would slow her to about 6 knots giving me an easy run to line up for spreads/aimed on the same side. After 7 or so well placed under turrets or under stacks you get secondary explosions and after that its only one or two more, or so it seemed. Seemed spreads would often require at least 2 tries with 6 fish each maybe missing 2 total. It was fun to try and thats all that matters i guess!

[H2OsKT]

I am concluding that most merchants, even super tough tankers can be had with one shot aimed around the bridge or just aft. Keep the torpedo deep and with luck, most large cargo ships go down easily with one explosive.

I am still exploring for the "sweet" spot on the capital ships as we speak . . . .