Yes. never fire a torpedo prior to 1600 yards. Seems impossible to hit otherwise...maybe THATs why everyone is missing.

Good possibility. The 3000 yard shot leaves to much of gap for good solution. Once within 2000 yards, the target should darn clear and accurate range made. Make this your last look! Open doors and plan on firing at 1500 yards or less. Watch the TDC for best angle to fire. If you read up on RL skippers and their accounts. A lot of calculation was done off the hip and done at close range. As a result of the close range, the error in his speed and quick range estimates did not play a huge factor for solution and good outcome.

by last look do you mean pull the scope down and fire?

If you can shadow with radar and take the time to nail speed & AOB, plus get a decent range, 2500 yrd shots work. Given the new IJN ASW, I have been going for longer shots from the ten or two oclock positions.

So what is your hit ratio then?

Yes, if you get your TDC set as best you can and fairly accurate, no need to see the target anymore. Drop scope and watch your TDC. You can see the range close and the AOB change. Once you are comfortable with your range, fire away and listen for he WHACK of the torps. Also your watch pops up and you can time it when it should happen. If it passes the red hand by a large margin, your solution was off. If you have a good solution, the torps should explode when it hits that red hand.

The best video and I can not find it was the community member who showed us how to use the sonar only to fire torps. This guy never saw the ship at all. He was dead on just using sonar and pinging the ship. Set up the TDC and completely nailed it. The scope never went up. Much the same with the scope. Get you calculation, set up the TDC, drop scope. Fire when ready

No doubt 2500-3000 yard shot work. But, the margin for error is greater than working in closely for more accurate range, AOB and speed estimates. We are offered the spread with TDC to help offset small errors in our calculations. In my experience the spread angles should be used with the longer shots and no spread on the 1500 yard or less shots. Also, I use slow setting on my torps unless it is DD that can manuever a bit faster than the fat old merchant. Most like the fast torp all the time. I use slow setting when I'm in close. If I'm 1500 yards or more, I set torps to fast. But that is just me. Everyone has their own way to handle the torps.

[/quote]
No doubt 2500-3000 yard shot work. But, the margin for error is greater than working in closely for more accurate range, AOB and speed estimates. We are offered the spread with TDC to help offset small errors in our calculations. In my experience the spread angles should be used with the longer shots and no spread on the 1500 yard or less shots. Also, I use slow setting on my torps unless it is DD that can manuever a bit faster than the fat old merchant. Most like the fast torp all the time. I use slow setting when I'm in close. If I'm 1500 yards or more, I set torps to fast. But that is just me. Everyone has their own way to handle the torps.[/quote]

Warhawk, that is a great point on when to use the spread, I am going to use your rule of thumb. At 1500 yds, what degree spread would you recomend?

I am curious about your torp speed settings. Why you think slow settings on the torps for close shots are advantageous?

none.

I always use the fast setting (I might switch to slow if I was attacking invasion forces standing still in shallows, though), and I almost always fire a spread. 3 or more at any warship, at least two at all but the smallest merchant.

Why?

Because they did in RL, I don't care what it does to my hit %.

tater

They may have fired salvos yes...but not beyond 2000 yards and certainly not without range calculations.

They also always used the standard speed. (Its not modeled in the game but the reason is it had less of a wake)

Secret to hitting the target
 

Actually there is one secret to hitting just about everything you shoot at. That is getting as close as you can. Learned it from Baron von Richthofen. I defy you to miss from 500 yards. I seldom take a shot from outside 700 yards. Being careful to take such shots I can hit a ship with all three sonar only fired torpedes in a 1½º spread bow, center, stern just about every time.

If you're that close they can turn, they can accellerate or decellerate and they're pretty much toast anyway, especially if you fire a spread. I usually fire center, 1½º toward the stern, then 1½º toward the bow. Sometimes on small ships I'll only fire 2.

I shoot one when firing at destroyers. They only get shot in dire circumstances and AOB 0º or 180º. I'm out for tonnage, not tin cans. One hit and they're done anyway.

That tactic would work for a single target or a single column convoy...but not a double or triple column convoy.

You need range to fire the torps at the farthest ships first, then fire at the closer ones last.

I always used the slower settings for no reason at all really but yes, skippers were advised to use a spread up to 3 torps. The thought was a greater degree in scoring a hit. Any more and it was considered a waste. As far a my spread, I use just one degree unless the mechant is over 1500 yards and moving fast....I set torps to fast as well. From what I gather we are missing some variables in the game...rough water, strong currents. These are variables that had to be considered by the skipper. For example, the USS Jack had to transverse the straits between Borneo and Sumartra on the return course back to Fremantle the skipper heard the currents were very strong in the direction of travel towards Java. Being the straits here are very shallow getting through quickly was the order of the day. Normally the Jack would be run at 3 kts submerged but as a result of the strong currents the Jack was running at 5 kts and cleared the straits in a day. If the currents are strong enough to influence a submarine, certainly the currents would influence a torpedo and probably more so with a greater distance to travel. I believe this was part of the doctrine to get in nice and tight before you fire. Like Tater, I always send out three torps no matter the size of the merchant. Like Tater, I like to get it as real as possible. As a result, my tonnage is very much like would have and did occur during patrols. I'm still a firm believer in getting in close to have a greater degree of success.

Right on! One can sink by sonar alone all day! As long as the merchant does not change course on you, he is bagged:yep: RR has nailed my point to a T. Close and personal just about guarantees great results. The biggest thing is not getting your butt detected. Short looks 2-4 times for AOB/speed/bearing, drop the scope and let the PK do it's thing. Sometimes I get the urge to sit and watch the eye candy explosion and often this is what cooks my goose on getting detected....merchant turns or slows down. All calculations are now a wash. BUT....if your close enough....it usually makes no difference...let the torps fly! There is an excellent chance he will be bagged anyway.