RFB Team
05-29-08, 04:43 PM
Thought I'd put this out there, since many might be wondering about torpedo performance with out mod:
Note: the Mark 16 is not covered here, since it was never employed in combat.
Mark 10:
Background: a World War I-era torpedo, it is the standard torpedo of the equally old S boats. Fleet boats also took these out on patrol early in the war, when the Mk. 14 was in short supply:
Pros:
Cheap, easily-produced torpedo widely available to the fleet
Reliable impact detonatorCons:
Relatively slow and short-ranged
More prone to gyro angle and circle-runner errors than other torpedoes, due to their age
TNT warhead makes it not as powerful as standard fleet submarine torpedoes
Depth-keeping errors of up to 4 feet (all throughout the war)
Leaves a trail of bubbles on the way to the targetMark 14/23:
Background: designed in the 1930s to the be the standard fleet submarine torpedo, the Mk. 14's secret weapon was its magnetic influence detonator. However, as the war soon proved, the Mk. 14 had a whole host of problems that weren't fully resolved until September 1943. The Mark 23 is identical to the Mark 14, except that it doesn't have a low-speed setting (to save production costs). However, as Japanese ASW improved, existing Mark 23s were changed back into Mark 14 configuration.
Pros:
Fast, powerful torpedo with very good range
Magnetic influence detonator can break a ship's back, splitting it into 2 pieces
Less prone to gyro angle errors and circle runners as compared to the Mark 10Cons:
Complicated to produce and in short supply early in the war
Very high (up to 70%) chance of a dud up to September 1943
10-12 foot depth-keeping errors up to August 1942
Unreliable magnetic influence detonator
Prone to premature detonations with the magnetic detonator enabled
Leaves a trail of bubbles on the way to the targetMark 18:
Background: the Mark 18 was developed by Westinghouse from captured German G7e electric torpedoes. Beset by teething troubles early on in its service life (nothing that can be simulated in SH4), the Mark 18 eventually comprised 65% of all torpedoes fired by fleet submarines by war's end.
Pros:
Cheap and easy to produce
Very reliable impact detonator
Largely immune to depth-keeping errors
Leaves no trail of bubbles on the way to the targetCons:
Relatively slow
Not as powerful as the Mark 14/23Mark 27:
Background: the Mark 27 was developed from the Mark 24 air-dropped anti-submarine torpedo, which had proved its worth in the Battle of the Atlantic. Designed to be launched from a stern tube up to a depth of 150 feet, the Mark 27 was designed to home in on a warship's propeller noise. The intention was that the torpedo would either blow off a propeller or rudder, thus disabling the ship, or sinking it outright. The hit rate of the Mark 27 was approximately 1 in 3 by war's end, thus making it comparable to German homing torpedoes.
Pros:
Good anti-escort weapon
Good range
Leaves no wake on the way to the targetCons:
Small warhead
Slow speed
Can home in on player's propeller noise if one is not careful
Note: the Mark 16 is not covered here, since it was never employed in combat.
Mark 10:
Background: a World War I-era torpedo, it is the standard torpedo of the equally old S boats. Fleet boats also took these out on patrol early in the war, when the Mk. 14 was in short supply:
Pros:
Cheap, easily-produced torpedo widely available to the fleet
Reliable impact detonatorCons:
Relatively slow and short-ranged
More prone to gyro angle and circle-runner errors than other torpedoes, due to their age
TNT warhead makes it not as powerful as standard fleet submarine torpedoes
Depth-keeping errors of up to 4 feet (all throughout the war)
Leaves a trail of bubbles on the way to the targetMark 14/23:
Background: designed in the 1930s to the be the standard fleet submarine torpedo, the Mk. 14's secret weapon was its magnetic influence detonator. However, as the war soon proved, the Mk. 14 had a whole host of problems that weren't fully resolved until September 1943. The Mark 23 is identical to the Mark 14, except that it doesn't have a low-speed setting (to save production costs). However, as Japanese ASW improved, existing Mark 23s were changed back into Mark 14 configuration.
Pros:
Fast, powerful torpedo with very good range
Magnetic influence detonator can break a ship's back, splitting it into 2 pieces
Less prone to gyro angle errors and circle runners as compared to the Mark 10Cons:
Complicated to produce and in short supply early in the war
Very high (up to 70%) chance of a dud up to September 1943
10-12 foot depth-keeping errors up to August 1942
Unreliable magnetic influence detonator
Prone to premature detonations with the magnetic detonator enabled
Leaves a trail of bubbles on the way to the targetMark 18:
Background: the Mark 18 was developed by Westinghouse from captured German G7e electric torpedoes. Beset by teething troubles early on in its service life (nothing that can be simulated in SH4), the Mark 18 eventually comprised 65% of all torpedoes fired by fleet submarines by war's end.
Pros:
Cheap and easy to produce
Very reliable impact detonator
Largely immune to depth-keeping errors
Leaves no trail of bubbles on the way to the targetCons:
Relatively slow
Not as powerful as the Mark 14/23Mark 27:
Background: the Mark 27 was developed from the Mark 24 air-dropped anti-submarine torpedo, which had proved its worth in the Battle of the Atlantic. Designed to be launched from a stern tube up to a depth of 150 feet, the Mark 27 was designed to home in on a warship's propeller noise. The intention was that the torpedo would either blow off a propeller or rudder, thus disabling the ship, or sinking it outright. The hit rate of the Mark 27 was approximately 1 in 3 by war's end, thus making it comparable to German homing torpedoes.
Pros:
Good anti-escort weapon
Good range
Leaves no wake on the way to the targetCons:
Small warhead
Slow speed
Can home in on player's propeller noise if one is not careful