Torpedo attack using hydrophone only...is it realistic?

[Weisia]

Currently I am sailing in heavy rain, storm and fog and visibility is less then 1000m (already had a couple of merchants suddenly appearing from the fog with only 500m between by boat and the merchant) . Now I have a convoy report and it seems I have the correct course plotted. I am considering firing my torpedoes with hydrophone only but was this done in real life as well?

[Platapus]

It was done in simulated training before the war. One thing to keep in mind if you are plotting via the hydrophones - where the noise is the loudest is where the target used to be.

The point of greatest sound will be either at the propeller or just aft of the propeller. In any case, it is no where near the center of the target. Be sure to compensate or you will probably miss aft of the target.

[Brag]

Like Platapus says, it was practiced. I would recommend very short range, like four hundred meters and about five degrees ahead of max noise. I've had a couple of succesul hydrophone firings. :salute:

[Sailor Steve]

Like both of the above said, it was practiced. I don't think it ever actually worked though.:dead:

[Platapus]

An interesting question. Is there any record of a German submarine in WWII sinking a moving target solely by tracking with the hydrophones?

[timmy41]

An interesting question. Is there any record of a German submarine in WWII sinking a moving target solely by tracking with the hydrophones?
well the only sub ever sunk by a torpedo from another sub was targeted using hydrophones, but they did have visual contact of each other several times.

[Mittelwaechter]

I guess they had orders to identify the ship before shooting it for obvious reasons.

:yep: