Help a Wolf kill his Prey

[Captain Birdseye]

Hi guys,

I'm currently having a bash at this sim at 37% realism with GWX 3.0 installed.

The way I play is chug along my merry way to my patrol area, and if I get sightings/reports of anything, I take to the deck, wait til I can see him and identify if he's an imminent threat, if so, I dive, if not, I keep chugging away!

However, when i want a bit of fun, I try to intercept a random ship, by continually adjusting my heading til i'm on some sort of 'crash' course with the ship, and try to fire a couple of eels his way while he sails past me on my periscope.

The year is 1939 and I seldom hit anything. I hear my torpedo explodes but nothing.

I've seen the tutorial on getting you're enemy but that seems too complicated. Is there any other way of making sure your torps HIT their target?


Thanks again guys.

[A Very Super Market]

I would suppose they might just be duds, but every single one of them?

If you're using manual, remember that torpedoes aren't light-speed.

[bookworm_020]

Try setting your torpedoes to impact before firing and to adjust their depth to no more than 4 meters.

See if that helps the detonation problems

[astak9]

Hi guys,

I'm currently having a bash at this sim at 37% realism with GWX 3.0 installed.

The way I play is chug along my merry way to my patrol area, and if I get sightings/reports of anything, I take to the deck, wait til I can see him and identify if he's an imminent threat, if so, I dive, if not, I keep chugging away!

However, when i want a bit of fun, I try to intercept a random ship, by continually adjusting my heading til i'm on some sort of 'crash' course with the ship, and try to fire a couple of eels his way while he sails past me on my periscope.

The year is 1939 and I seldom hit anything. I hear my torpedo explodes but nothing.

I've seen the tutorial on getting you're enemy but that seems too complicated. Is there any other way of making sure your torps HIT their target?


Thanks again guys.

Maybe you should try to get your gyro at 000.

[HW3]

Keep your AOA between 60 and 120 degrees, the closer to 90 degrees the better. The torpedo arming distance is about 400M, any closer and you risk having your torpedo bounce off your target.

[Pisces]

I've seen the tutorial on getting you're enemy but that seems too complicated. Is there any other way of making sure your torps HIT their target?


Thanks again guys.What was that tutorial you've seen? It's difficult to asses which other tutorial might be less complex, if we don't know what you saw. Also it is important to know if you do manual targeting yourself, or let the game take care of that. It's important to know what settings were entered into the TDC to explain why you failed to hit them.

Also, have you used the free camera option to see how the torpedos go after you fire and by howmuch they miss?

[Captain Birdseye]

Hi guys, thanks for the replies. The only system I use is that I wait until the boat crosses the 0 degrees point on my periscope, and from approximately 500m I fire the eels. I have set them to a depth of 2.5m, and to blow up on impact. This seems to be useless though.

The tutorial I saw is the one which I think is stickied in this forum.

Thanks again.

[A Very Super Market]

Are you using manual targeting?

[bigboywooly]

Dont forget to open the bow caps before firing
Q on the keyboard

[Captain Birdseye]

Are you using manual targeting?
I'm not sure :oops: sorry. All I know is that I line the boat with the 0 point on the periscope, then fire torpedos. They definatley exit the boat as i have seen the gas trails.

Could it be because I am using the black and bronze torpedos

Thanks

[mookiemookie]

Are you using manual targeting? I'm not sure :oops: sorry.

When you look at a target ship in your periscope/UZO, is it identified for you? Does the range measurement automatically change as the ship moves along? If it does, you're using auto targeting. If not, you have manual targeting on. Knowing this will help us diagnose what's going on here.

[Captain Birdseye]

In that case, it is automatic.

The ships type and speed are shown when I look at it with the periscope.

It also has a Gyro heading below, what is that for?

thank you.

[A Very Super Market]

Do you open your torpedo tubes?

Use "Q" to do that.

[Captain Birdseye]

I just had a go at pressing Q, and it worked great. I used the TI instead of the TII's. It worked great. I sunk a merchant.

However, I can't get the tubes to close again by pressing Q.

One last thing, the radioman always reports a message recieved, but when i ask for messages, he says no messages recieved! How come?

[mookiemookie]

In that case, it is automatic.

The ships type and speed are shown when I look at it with the periscope.

It also has a Gyro heading below, what is that for?

thank you.
Here's a nice little diagram explaining exactly what's going on in a torpedo attack:

http://www.hnsa.org/doc/attack/img/pg01-04a.jpg

A gyro heading is the direction the torpedo will travel in to reach the ship you're shooting at. That would be the heading of the torpedo track in the above diagram. Those are the three numbers below the notepad in the game. If you're shooting from the front tubes, you ideally want that number to be between 355 and 005 degrees. That means the gyro angle of the torpedo is small, meaning it doesn't have to turn much once it leaves the torpedo tube. the greater the gyro angle, the lower the success rate of the torpedo attack.

[Sailor Steve]

I just had a go at pressing Q, and it worked great. I used the TI instead of the TII's. It worked great. I sunk a merchant.

However, I can't get the tubes to close again by pressing Q.

One last thing, the radioman always reports a message recieved, but when i ask for messages, he says no messages recieved! How come?
'W' closes the tubes, but they close automatically after firing, or else the crew couldn't reload them.

When the radioman reports a messaged recieved, press the 'M' key. This will take you to the message screen, where you can read them.

[Captain Birdseye]

Thank you so much for your replies.

In auto mode, if I point the peri at the target, but let's say, the target is west of my course, will the Gyro automatically update itself so the torpedo turns to my peri heading?

I'm not up on sub sorry :oops:

[kenijaru]

yes... but make sure that your periscope is pointing at the target at the moment you give the order to open fire, after the torpedo has left it's tube you can do whatever you like with the periscope.

[mookiemookie]

In auto mode, if I point the peri at the target, but let's say, the target is west of my course, will the Gyro automatically update itself so the torpedo turns to my peri heading?

Yes, the torpedo data computer (TDC) automatically updates your torpedo solution with auto targeting turned on. The torpedo will go exactly where your scope crosshairs are pointed. If your crosshairs are over a ship, you will target that part of the ship. Pressing the "L" key while your periscope is over a ship will "lock" your scope on it. As I mentioned in my previous post, you ideally want your bow (or stern if you're using stern torpedo tubes) pointed pretty close to the ship you're shooting at so your torpedoes don't have to turn as much when you fire them. You'll have much better success that way.


I'm not up on sub sorry :oops:

No problem. We're a helpful bunch and very patient with beginners. It can be daunting at first, but soon you'll be sinking ships with the best of 'em!

[Silverleaf]

1) Here is the link to the SHIII Community Manual website:

http://alexbret.perso.cegetel.net/index4875.php

It's a great resource but isn't being updated/maintained anymore and there is a copy available below:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=147927&highlight=Community+manual

Here is how I use Auto Mode:

I look through the attack scope (F3) then turn to where the target is. I then get the colored arrow (hovering on the target) with type of boat, heading and speed. IF the arrow is green (preferred) or yellow then I'll consider it a valid target - red isn't worth it and will waste fish.

I hit the "lock" button and instantly switch to the TDC screen (F6). At that moment, I normally get a couple lines running from my boat to the target. They tell you how long it would take for the fish to hit the target (You may need to zoom in or out to see all that detail), what the direction is visually on your chart and even show the angle and direction that the fish will need to use hit the target.

NOTE:
IF while on the TDC screen, those same lines disappear then it's either due to a too large of angle (turn the front end of your boat to face the target), or you have a yellow or red locking arrow on target.

The angle should look something like the 2nd image down on the TDC SH3 Community Manual website:

http://alexbret.perso.cegetel.net/indexf4cf.html?title=TDC

Finally, please understand you can be in full Auto Mode and still not be able to find targets. So, when you get a ship that pops up with course and speed you can use the following two images to help understand how to plot a successful intercept course:

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj239/silverleaf1982/Intercept_Plotting.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj239/silverleaf1982/TheHunt.jpg

Hope that helps,

[gord96]

also in auto mode their should be a little arrow that lets you know when you have a solution. when it turns green on whatever part of the ship is in your sights, the eel is good to go to hit it. always best to have a good angle, especially on impact shots.

[Heibges]

If the ship crosses your bow as you fire, the torpedoes will hit at a funny angle, and this may be causing your duds. You need 5° to 10° of lead to get the best angle, so the torpedo strikes with a good clean perpendicular strike.

[Captain Birdseye]

Thanks guys,
I've been opening the tubes and getting good results. I always use my eels on impact mode abot 2m under the surface.

I use the TI, with the gas bubbles as I find this is more accurate, i've sunk 3 ships now (1 was a one hit wonder, snapped the hull of the boat right in half)

Are there any benefits of using TII?

[mookiemookie]

The electric torpedoes don't leave a visible wake of bubbles on the way to the target so they're harder for enemy ships to spot. This comes at a disadvantage of having a shorter range and slower speed.

[Captain Birdseye]

That's what I was concerned about.

I find merchants in the Atlantic do a "zig zag", so it takes some time to get lined up properly, I just seem to trust the TI's alot more! the slow speed might cost me too.

I pride myself on not using the deck gun yet. Although i'm on 37% realism i'm really getting a buzz out of hitting those merchants, and tightening the hold on Britain.

One thing that I can't get to grips with is being depth charged.

I am a greedy wolf, and find myself venturing into the English channel after a patrol for some easy pickings, but I ALWAYS get killed from depth charging.

Should I just stay away from there? What's the best manouvre?

[gord96]

if the boats don't spot you in the atlantic they shouldnt zig-zag that much. try to make sure they dont see you. once they start zigging and zagging the shots get much harder.

best to avoid the channel. you want at least 100m of water under your keel. the channel is as shallow is 20m deep at some points so if you get pinned there by a DD you are toast.

a good place for easy picking i found is the irish sea. it is 80-120m in most places. safest bet is always the deep water, 1000m +.

[Captain Birdseye]

Thanks for that. Indeed, that must be where I was going wrong, I was trying to barricade the channel from the Dover end, and, as you say, it's way too shallow!

I guess the trick with a good depth is to sit quietly, and just wait and hope? What are my chances of damage at a depth of say, 70m?

I generally follow the old rule the real Kaleuns followed which was to reach the Atlantic by going over the top of the UK. Gives me time to show my sailors snow!

I'll try the Irish sea, depending on how lucky i'm feeling. I want to make a good go with my next career. Perhaps playing it safe. What's the best place for undefended shipping en masse?

Cheers

[A Very Super Market]

70 metres is nothing!

VIIs can go as far as 250 metres below, though the crush depth varies.

[mookiemookie]

Perhaps playing it safe. What's the best place for undefended shipping en masse?

Cheers
Without a doubt, my "ol' reliable" Grid AM52! You can't go wrong there. Just mind the minefields off the coast of Northern Ireland. If you stay at least 100 km from the coasts and don't go too far into the Northern Channel, you should be fine.

I stay away from the English Channel. Between the patrol boats, minefields and shallow depths, its a death trap.

[Captain Birdseye]

And with your recommendation of grid AM52, here are my results:

Ship sunk!|Grid AM 52|SS Derryheen (Empire-type Freighter), 6780 tons. Cargo: Explosives. Crew: 35. Crew lost: 18

Ship sunk!|Grid AM 52|SS Stalingrad (Small Merchant), 2396 tons. Cargo: Steel. Crew: 71. Crew lost: 14

Ship sunk!|Grid AM 52|SS National Eagle (Medium Cargo), 5036 tons. Cargo: Grain. Crew: 45. Crew lost: 13


And then my beautiful unterseeboot was depth charged to death off the coast of Norway :cry:

[Pisces]

:hmmm: :down: Bummer. I'm afraid that's "The Law of Conservation of Missery" proving it's validity. Even if you succeed at some level, at another you going to pay a price.

[GREY WOLF 3]

And then my beautiful unterseeboot was depth charged to death off the coast of Norway:rotfl: :rotfl: you are supposed to aviod those DD

[mookiemookie]

And with your recommendation of grid AM52, here are my results:

Ship sunk!|Grid AM 52|SS Derryheen (Empire-type Freighter), 6780 tons. Cargo: Explosives. Crew: 35. Crew lost: 18

Ship sunk!|Grid AM 52|SS Stalingrad (Small Merchant), 2396 tons. Cargo: Steel. Crew: 71. Crew lost: 14

Ship sunk!|Grid AM 52|SS National Eagle (Medium Cargo), 5036 tons. Cargo: Grain. Crew: 45. Crew lost: 13


And then my beautiful unterseeboot was depth charged to death off the coast of Norway :cry:

You only asked where you could find unescorted shipping, not where you could find unescorted shipping and make it back home alive! :rotfl:

In all seriousness, the northern approach to the Irish Sea is a great place to hang out and pick off ships. Once the bases in France open up, the exit of the English Channel is another good traffic heavy place. Just be sure you don't go too far in and hit the minefields.