can you hit very shallow boats?

[theold1]

I am playing with RFB1.5 on 100% realism if that matters to this question, although I'm not sure if it does.

I found a Corvette class ship, I think it might have been a "Momi Class Patrol Boat". In any case it was very shallow. I was carrying MK14 torpedoes. I set them for the shallowest depth I could, which looks to be about 3-4 feet on the dial. I also set them to "Contact/Influence".

I launched two torpedoes. I watched in the external view and both torpedoes passed directly under the midsection of the ship and did not explode.

I know from reading these forums that the MK14's tend to run deeper than they're set for, but I couldn't set them any shallower than I did. Also I'd expect the influence detonator to fire if they passed closely under the ship. But neither thing worked.
I reloaded and tried again, but with 3 torpedoes. Same result. Is it possible to hit these very shallow boats with MK14 torpedoes? It was all I had available in the boat :(

[UnderseaLcpl]

I don't have RFB but from other SH games I can tell you that heavy seas can make it nigh impossible to hit something like that. You have done just about the best thing you can, take the shot with a magnetic detonator and hope he's on a downswell. I personally don't even bother with patrol boats or any escort without sonar and/or depth charges.

[LukeFF]

The Mark 14 and Mark 23 in RFB are modeled with a very narrow magnetic detonation range to simulate the unreliability of the magnetic detonator. Combine that with the depth-keeping errors, and it is very hard to hit shallow-draft ships early in the war.

Trust me, the American torpedoes are modeled to a very high degree of historical fidelity in RFB.

[theold1]

Ok, cool - that's good information and I can deal with it if it's the realistic thing. Thanks for the answers guys!

[Quagmire]

Sure you can hit boats with shallow drafts. Here is what happens when you torpedo a fishing boat! :rotfl:


http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/9458/shiv9936mp8.jpg
.

[etheberge]

LOL, very nice.

One of these days Alice, bang straight to the moon!

[Rockin Robbins]

One thing: the default torpedo depth setting is not the shallowest setting! Make sure you have those puppies on the surface for those corvettes.:up:

[Doolan]

While I did fire torpedoes at corvettes and similar ships in SH3 (blew Compass Rose out of the water a few times :D ) I don't even bother with RFB / TMO, specially RFB with the dismal torpedo performance. Even destroyers can be a problem if the torpedo doesn't feel like cooperating.

Generally speaking, in RFB I fire 80% of my torpedoes at the shallowest setting against any target early in the war, at the closest possible range and at top speed, always set to "impact". Sometimes if I'm feeling really confident I will set them a bit lower (about halfway down towards the keel) when firing at the bigger merchants or warships.

As for corvettes, subchasers, armed trawlers and the like, I just follow the "I don't annoy you, you don't annoy me" rule. I stay away from them and normally they don't interfere. When they do, they never manage to do much anyway, and the chances of completely wasting a perfectly good torpedo when firing at one are too large.

[gAiNiAc]

Set the fish for it's shallowest setting and magnetic/contact detonation.

If the fish is good you'll get a hit.

[theold1]

Set the fish for it's shallowest setting and magnetic/contact detonation.
From OP: I set them for the shallowest depth I could, which looks to be about 3-4 feet on the dial. I also set them to "Contact/Influence". :D I've taken the "leave them alone" approach from Doolan and it's working well so far. Otherwise, it seems like there's no way to hit the shallow ships. I've had torpedo after torpedo just pass under them and carry on without all that tedious "blowing up" business :-/

[Arclight]

I always carry a couple of Mk.10's for the small fry, but I still just steer clear if possible. I think the Mk.10's are a bit more reliable, at least in depth keeping (max 4 feet error, ~10 feet for Mk.14 if I remember correctly, but al depends on if and what mods you're using).

[gAiNiAc]

Set the fish for it's shallowest setting and magnetic/contact detonation.
From OP: I set them for the shallowest depth I could, which looks to be about 3-4 feet on the dial. I also set them to "Contact/Influence". :D I've taken the "leave them alone" approach from Doolan and it's working well so far. Otherwise, it seems like there's no way to hit the shallow ships. I've had torpedo after torpedo just pass under them and carry on without all that tedious "blowing up" business :-/

I don't waste my time with anything smaller than a destroyer...........With that being said I've sunk quite a few destroyers early war...........

[groomsie]

With SH4 rekindling my interest in submarine warfare (and perking that of my 6 year old son) I picked up a copy of "Submarine!", a book I enjoyed as a kid...after mulling it over a bit I've started reading it with my son (a few edits for minor language, and I read it as "Japanese" vs "Japs", etc) and he seems to be enjoying it. If you haven't read it, it is decent, an easy read but probably lacking detail for most on this board--a good intro book though IMHO. But I digress...

In reading the portions on the issues with torpedoes, Beach states that--in contradiction to Bureau of Naval Ordnance directives--torpedoes (Mk 14) were set to "0 feet" in order to have a prayer of hitting.

I note we can't do this in SH4 (at least with what I have, which is v1.4 with TMO as only mod), can only dial down to around 4 feet.

Any way to set shallower depth still?

Also, on a tangent, is there anyway to change default settings? I'd like to issue a "standing order" if you will that my crew set torpedoes up a particular way. In reality this should have been common, but not seeing any way to do this here. Any mods to do this?

Thanks guys.

[SteamWake]

I take it yall have run into those pesky sub chasers :know:

[Peto]

I take it yall have run into those pesky sub chasers :know:

:yep:

[snakeyez]

It shouldn't have been possible, but I torpedoed a liferaft. I'm completely serious. I had my torpedo set very shallow and sent it on its way towards an auxiliary subchaser. It went off before it got there and I got the message I sank a 0 ton liferaft. I never even saw the raft.

[SteamWake]

It shouldn't have been possible, but I torpedoed a liferaft. I'm completely serious. I had my torpedo set very shallow and sent it on its way towards an auxiliary subchaser. It went off before it got there and I got the message I sank a 0 ton liferaft. I never even saw the raft.

This explains why they no longer keep rations in tin cans :rotfl:

[Digital_Trucker]

It shouldn't have been possible, but I torpedoed a liferaft. I'm completely serious. I had my torpedo set very shallow and sent it on its way towards an auxiliary subchaser. It went off before it got there and I got the message I sank a 0 ton liferaft. I never even saw the raft.
This explains why they no longer keep rations in tin cans :rotfl:
I think it was one of those submerged liferafts:hmm:

[Charlielima]

Can I hit very shallow boats?
No target too small. No weapon to large.
Next question please. CL