six dud torpedoes in a row?? come on!

[Frank Ravelli]

I don´t know if this is something usual or not. I remember reading a post here talking about a story similar to this one. The matter is that I inserted my boat in a japanese port with plenty of docked ships in it. I chose the targets and launched the fishes. Six of them. All of them duds. How is this posible? Previously i´ve been lucky about duds, not having many of them. But how is it possible that there are six in a row? I wonder if it is some kind of penalty built in game for doing things too easy?
I feel slightly disappointed, you bet.
Sorry for my bad english.

[Bubblehead1980]

I don´t know if this is something usual or not. I remember reading a post here talking about a story similar to this one. The matter is that I inserted my boat in a japanese port with plenty of docked ships in it. I chose the targets and launched the fishes. Six of them. All of them duds. How is this posible? Previously i´ve been lucky about duds, not having many of them. But how is it possible that there are six in a row? I wonder if it is some kind of penalty built in game for doing things too easy?
I feel slightly disappointed, you bet.
Sorry for my bad english.


This mirrors real life, the contact detonators bent on impact with the target.One sub fired 15 or so torpedos and all were duds.Aggravating I know but it is historically accurate.If you wish to not have duds, you may disable dud torpedos in the options.

[razark]

Try firing at an angle into the target, around 45 degrees, instead of straight into it. The real torpedoes tended to work better that way.

[KaptCosper]

The detonators on torpedos are on the front, and are shaped somewheat like a catfish's wiskers http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CbwnjooteyI/SU-y5B9m7QI/AAAAAAAAfQ0/zt_xHBqzuw0/s400/g7a_f.jpg&imgrefurl=http://anonymous-generaltopics.blogspot.com/2008/12/g7-torpedoes.html&usg=__DaF-NpSHpBMYIxQbX2Auno73TGM=&h=260&w=400&sz=11&hl=en&start=13&zoom=1&tbnid=i3qA1CMelme_1M:&tbnh=81&tbnw=124&ei=6tQoTv7OEorVgQeYq82cCw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dworld%2Bwar%2Btwo%2Btorpedos%26hl%3De n%26biw%3D1366%26bih%3D643%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1 I agree, shoot them at an angle so that it can get the full force of impact to detonate. :up:

[Anthony W.]

The detonators on torpedos are on the front, and are shaped somewheat like a catfish's wiskers http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CbwnjooteyI/SU-y5B9m7QI/AAAAAAAAfQ0/zt_xHBqzuw0/s400/g7a_f.jpg&imgrefurl=http://anonymous-generaltopics.blogspot.com/2008/12/g7-torpedoes.html&usg=__DaF-NpSHpBMYIxQbX2Auno73TGM=&h=260&w=400&sz=11&hl=en&start=13&zoom=1&tbnid=i3qA1CMelme_1M:&tbnh=81&tbnw=124&ei=6tQoTv7OEorVgQeYq82cCw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dworld%2Bwar%2Btwo%2Btorpedos%26hl%3De n%26biw%3D1366%26bih%3D643%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1 I agree, shoot them at an angle so that it can get the full force of impact to detonate. :up:

Woulda worked better if the center pin was longer than the side ones.

[Sailor Steve]

Woulda worked better if the center pin was longer than the side ones.
No, it wouldn't have. That wasn't the problem.
http://www.historynet.com/us-torpedo-troubles-during-world-war-ii.htm

Relevant part is on page 5, but the whole article is good.

[Anthony W.]

No, it wouldn't have. That wasn't the problem.
http://www.historynet.com/us-torpedo-troubles-during-world-war-ii.htm

Relevant part is on page 5, but the whole article is good.

I can't thank you enough for that information. I now need to adjust my torpedo tactics...

[Schwieger]

That article sounds like my last patrol... :haha::har:

[Daniel Prates]

"As Theodore Roscoe, author of the official naval history of submarine operations, put it, 'The only reliable feature of the torpedo was its unreliability.'"

Quoting Nelson Muntz, "ha-ha!".

Hey Ravelli, see how lucky you are for having 6 tubes. All 4-tube ships had 2/3 less chance of hitting something. Now try to think about the german type II, where the sub alltogether only carried 5 torps and had 3 tubes. Imagine running an entire patrol, and having all your torpedoes failing in just one attack.

[Armistead]

Wait until you get one of those patrols with 80% duds.

[commandosolo2009]

Try this: 6 Mk14s spread detonations, and a bastard tanker who wont go down...:nope:

[razark]

Try this: 6 Mk14s spread detonations, and a bastard tanker who wont go down...:nope:
Try multiple spreads of four Mark 14s each into tankers, marus, and an unescorted heavy cruiser, with not a single explosion. I think I had two good hits that entire patrol. :damn:

[Platapus]

I was on one of the Alaskan missions.

One escort and one merchant ship.

Two hits on the escort, four hits on the merchant ship 6 duds.

Yeah, it stynks.

Early in the war, I plan on 75% duds and always try for an oblique impact shot.

[Anthony W.]

I was on one of the Alaskan missions.

One escort and one merchant ship.

Two hits on the escort, four hits on the merchant ship 6 duds.

Yeah, it stynks.

Early in the war, I plan on 75% duds and always try for an oblique impact shot.

If the convoy has more than 1 escort, I sprint ahead of it and submerge - stationary. I send all officers and petty officers to the forward room and go to GQ. I launch spreads from maximum range, and when they pass over the top I set silent running, dive below the thermals, come back to launch depth and get rid of the rears, then go silent and creep away at max depth.

[HowFar]

I just finished a patrol with 13 prematures and 4 duds. I should also menition that I had four misses. Have any of you felt like going back to port and telling someone to pack it? Alas, it is only a sim and there is no one you can tell to go to hell. By the way, those four misses were each part of a three torp spread and each of them just passed astern while the other two in there respective spread would have been perfect hits.

[commandosolo2009]

I just finished a patrol with 13 prematures and 4 duds. I should also menition that I had four misses. Have any of you felt like going back to port and telling someone to pack it? Alas, it is only a sim and there is no one you can tell to go to hell. By the way, those four misses were each part of a three torp spread and each of them just passed astern while the other two in there respective spread would have been perfect hits.


Your chief can do that for you. IIRC, the COB was responsible for checking the detonators on each torpedo back at the shop before signing the billets for their purchase. It's true that some movies like Operation Pacific portray duds (IIRC the John Wayne's picture), however, duds were not the only thing to worry a captain with great deals of experience. Ship itself, the crew, and the battery charge were also of interest. Sometimes, in order to mimc reality, when I deplete the first 6 of the paylod, I keep the tubes empty, so the station chiefs can work on minimizing duds. I don't know if this is portrayed in the game, but its what I do..

[GreyBeard]

One could just load the boat with all MK10s until after about August 1943. May not be entirely realistic, but neither is compensating for the 11ft depth difference, which is too big a temptation for me. They are available to use whenever in port at no charge and you will encounter a lot fewer duds. Or, start with an old S Boat. Limited range, limited depth, limited speed, batteries that take forever to charge, no aft tubes, no aa gun, BUT, they came with MK10s. In RL that is all the S Boats used. After a frustrating day at work I want to be able to sink some ships not continue to be frustrated. :DL

Using TMO 2.1 (love it!) :yeah:, NavMap Update (love it!) :yeah: and 3 or 4 other minor tweaks that are more to my liking. :DL

[Platapus]

I though Mk 10's cost renown?

[GreyBeard]

I though Mk 10's cost renown?

Only for you. For everyone else they're free. :D :haha:

[Gerald]

Platapus,have probably a special mission .. and it may cost, :DL