External torpedo questions

[schlechter pfennig]

I'm not asking what the game permits, I'm looking for historical/real conditions so that I can play more realistically. My understanding of things so far are:
They were only reloaded during (reasonably) calm weather.
They were reloaded while the boat was stopped.
Until the torpedo was fully inside and the process completed the boat could not dive.
How I play the above is:
I only reload if it isn't raining, and the wind is 7 mps or slower; as long as the swells aren't breaking over the deck I'll reload.
I come to a full stop before reloading.
I don't dive until the torpedo is fully loaded (i.e., the torpedo appears in the appropriate reserve section).
Is this correct, so far and, if not, what would be more historically accurate?

I also have a question: although I'm sure the crew couldn't be reloading while underway, if you had to get underway while in the process of reloading (for example, spotting an incoming enemy aircraft) was there a maximum speed the boat could move, if at all?

If anyone has any further suggestions regarding this I'd appreciate it! :)

[Immelman]

You can't really be at dead stop unless you are anchored. In the middle of the ocean you cannot anchor and there is always wind or current pushing you around. Thus you cannot be at dead stop but cast adrift.

Realistically you would maintain minimum steerage speed about 1-2 kts that you could not exceed until the reload operation is complete.
The other thing you didn't mention is that there must be some day light to see by when you do this throughout the operation from beginning to end. It can't be pitch black outside.

Everything else is correct.

[Immelman]

Also half the crew in your Torpedo room wouldn't be there but on deck exposed with no cover. Which means if a plane was to strafe you, they would most likely die. But there is no way to simulate this.

[schlechter pfennig]

You can't really be at dead stop unless you are anchored. In the middle of the ocean you cannot anchor and there is always wind or current pushing you around. Thus you cannot be at dead stop but cast adrift.

Realistically you would maintain minimum steerage speed about 1-2 kts that you could not exceed until the reload operation is complete.
The other thing you didn't mention is that there must be some day light to see by when you do this throughout the operation from beginning to end. It can't be pitch black outside.

Everything else is correct.

I sorta forgot to mention doing it during daylight, yes. ::sighs:::oops:

It's completely impossible, though, under clear skies and full moon, to do it though? It's bright enough to read by under those conditions, but would it be bright enough to wrangle an external inside?

[Reinhard Dietz]

This may not be relevant to what you're asking, but Michael Gannon seems to suggest that they weren't used after April 1943 due to concerns over depth charges cracking the storage and adding weight to the boat.

As for loading externals, my crew has flashlights. :yeah:

[Immelman]

As for loading externals, my crew has flashlights. :yeah:

Ummm why don't you just paint your sub bright red with a bulls-eye on your trum instead and save yourself the trouble :D

[Reinhard Dietz]

Ummm why don't you just paint your sub bright red with a bulls-eye on your trum instead and save yourself the trouble :D
The flashlights have red lenses. :up:

[Immelman]

Hmmm :hmmm: not sure that would work... But I'll pass, don't want to risk my crew for something so trivial. Risk vs Reward in this case just doesn't do it for me.

[krashkart]

The flashlights have red lenses. :up:

How about: red flashlights and a thick canvas Insta-Tent set up around the storage? :yeah:

Or... low-light eye implants? (Silent Hunter meets Shadowrun) :yeah:

I don't really follow the historical methods at all. I just like blowing things up. :D

[Jimbuna]

Ummm why don't you just paint your sub bright red with a bulls-eye on your trum instead and save yourself the trouble :D

LOL :DL