Can destroyers hear torpedoes?

[Wixit]

Ahoy Kaleuns,

as I was sitting ahead of a C2, waiting patiently to strike from my submerged position, I had a thought: it would be really cool if I could hear my own torpedo! So the target closes in, I launch my electric, and man the hydrophone.

*Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz*

Awesome! :up: I check the stopwatch to see how long it will take for it to hit, then go back to the hydrophone and listen on.

*Boom*

Sweet, sweet tonnage.

Later on I come across a convoy. Standard escort for a '41 large convoy, Clemens in front, Tribal (I think) on the right, corvettes left and behind. I launch my torpedoes, lower periscope and man the hydrophone.

So I'm listening to my torpedoes and suddenly, I become paranoid: if *I* can hear the torpedoes... can *they*?

I've never seen it happen, not even when sinking stationary destroyers guarding a crippled merchie, but I suddenly feel far less safe launching electrics. :-?

[HW3]

Welcome Aboard!

I know they can see the bubble wake of the T1's but, hear the sound of the electrics, that I do not know. You would think they should be able to but, whether it is modeled in the game, I can't answer that.:hmmm:

[sublynx]

I don't believe they can, but I love that paranoid feeling "what if they can, or even worse, what if they suddenly learn how..."

[Aktungbby]

Wixit! :Kaleun_Salute:

[Jimbuna]

They can see but not hear as far as I'm aware.

Welcome to SubSim :sunny:

[Jeff-Groves]

I can't recall reactions to an early detonation of torpedos also.
Had 3 detonations in Happy Times last night and no ship altered course.
I did sink 3 for over 30,000 tons on the second 4 tubes.
That was with the VIIA.

[Wixit]

Yeah, they're pretty oblivious to premature detonations. I'll run tests tomorrow on a convoy, I plan to fire all tubes set to impact at 15m depth in front of a DD at a 10° spread. Would be pretty cool if the convoy started zigging. :cool:

And thanks for the welcome, glad to be aboard. :arrgh!:

[UKönig]

I've seen them (destroyers) lead my seeking torpedoes on a merry chase when they've been discovered. I was watching the action from the TDC screen, fully expecting my T5 to chase down a hit, when suddenly, the target sped up and started going every which way. I watched it follow around like a faithful hound, until it finally ran out of power and sank to the bottom. That leads me to believe that yes, the escorts can detect strikes launched at them. I act as if, anyway, just to be safe.

[GoldenRivet]

The way i understand it the compressed air being rushed into the tube to force the torpedo out and get it moving would be the most likely thing to be heard by enemy passive sonar. However this is a short event, and an enemy hydrophone operator would have to be very lucky to catch it.

As for the sound of the torpedoes, a more realistic presentation would be to hear your own torpedo running after it leaves the tube, and this sound of the running torpedo would pretty rapidly decay as the torpedo moved further away from the U-boat.

A destroyer would likely not hear the torpedo until it closed within a very short distance

this is due to surface clutter

Surface clutter, which if memory serves is the various sound disturbances within several meters of the surface. this can cause surface ships to experience some difficulty in hearing noises emanating from a fairly close distance to the surface which would otherwise be audible at a slightly deeper depth.

Therefore it is likely that a destroyer would not be able to hear a torpedo motor and prop at 4 meters running depth. It is also the reason that submarines approaching on the surface are generally unheard on destroyer hydrophones and is the reason that you would be able to hear your own torpedo only for a short time before it vanished into the surface clutter. as a result you would probably not be able to listen to it all the way to the target.

EDIT: Someone with more knowlege of GWX/SH3 correct me if i am wrong, but i seem to recall the sensors (enemy hydrophone and ASDIC) only operate from 5 or 10m down to a cap off of 300m. so to some extent, whether intentional or not, this surface clutter issue is simulated in SH3

[bstanko6]

That's the same feeling I get when I ping the under the keel depth finder! I posted that a while ago and I find it funny that someone else feels nervous about making too much sound. I guess that's why they call it "silent" hunter!

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