Teach me about Torps..
 

I know I posted alot of Newbie post's, but what's funny is I had this game since day 1 and played it alot, but I just installed GWX for the first time and want to try playing this game on the highest realistic version I can.

With stock SH3 I never even thought of changing anything with the torps, except the speed..

Can someone explain when to use which torps. Electric or Steam.
I assume steam is good for night and electric is good for day..

But what I really want to know is when to use magnetic, or impact.

And most important how do I know what depth to choose with magnetic..

THANKS GUYS!

There are two threads--probably on the second page od this forum dealing with magnetic torpedoes :D

Impact: use impact pistol when your position is perpendicular to the targets course (90 degree) +-5/10 degree. The main advantage is that the impact pistols usually do not detonate prematurely

Magnetic: set dept to 0.5m - 2m under the targets keel depending on conditions (convoy, singleton, weather...). Pros: a torpedo with magnetic pistol can be shot from nearly any angle. Cons: caution, in roough weather, the magnetic pistols can detonate too early, before they hit the target.

Me personally, I use exclusively impact pistols and till now, I had no problems with premature detonations.

Thank you!! But can someone real quick let me know how to "KNOW" what depth to set the magnetic torps? How do I know how deep a ship sits?

Recognition Manual it's in all optical views. Quick way is to have the vessel in you peri/obs or uzo view then then click on the ships name in the notepad in the top right and as if by magic the Recog manual will open at the right page. You want the figure called draft.

THANKS!

Another big difference between the electric and steam torpodeos is the speed. Steamers are faster (when fast speed is selected) than electric.

The question, which was historically hard to answer, is does the bubble trail of a steam torp post more risk than the extra speed advantage?

Some of the German Submarine Captains have written that unless the water was smooth, the bubbles really did not give much away (The initial belch of compressed air for both the electric and steam torps was easily spotted) and many of them prefered the speed. I guess the logic was that even if the ship spotted the bubble trail the torpedo was traveling so fast the ship could not maneuver out of the way.

I like steamers, just for the speed advantage. The only time I would use electrics is if I had to take a long shot (>2,000). Then I could see the advantage of an electric. However, since I try to launch at <800, I find the speed is more important then any lack of bubbles.

The important question is: Does the game's AI incorporate spotting the bubble trail in its decision whether to maneuver?

With my short shots, I don't remember any evasive maneuvers I could positively identify as being caused by the bubble trail (me being dumb enough to keep my scope up sure :oops: )

So the choice is up to you. Just don't discount the ol' steamers.

According to my experience, yes, the AI is able to spot the bubble trail and react adequately. Once, when I was young and dumb:D I attacked a destroyer using steam torpedo (it was a day attack) and obviously, the DD accelerated for a couple of seconds in order to evade the hit. Off course, I missed.

IMHO, if you have calculated the targets speed/AoB/range/course accurately, it doesnt really matter what kind of torpedo you use unless the target is travelling really fast (20 knots+) or it is day and long range shot.

Can someone answer this simple question..

I use auto TDC, can I up periscope, lock on, hit the fire button and lower the periscope? or do I need to stay locked on untilthe torp is out of the sub?

Using auto you point the scope at the part you wish to hit and then release the torpedo, once that is done, there is no further need to keep your scope pointed at the target. You can lower it, dive, aim at something else, etc.

Let me rephrase..

Can I lock the target, press the fire button, AND RIGHT AWAY!! BEFORE THE TORP IS ACTUALLY OUT OF THE SUB, Unlock and dive, or lower the scope?

Meaning do I have to wait until the torp is acutally out..

Yes, because if you start to dive or something before the torpedo is out of the tube you run the risk of knocking it off course.

Once you actually hit the fire button you have locked the TDC info into it and it won't be changed since the firing procedure is already occurring. Changing course could affect it though, but I've never tried that before myself.

It happened to me once with a T2 when I was running flank on the surface, I swung hard over before the Torpedo left the tube and the torpedo missed. So I wait for the Torpedo to be out of the boat before I change course or dive now.

HA! I don't think that you're really supposed to be carrying out torpedo attacks at flank speed! If you need to be going that fast you're probably getting greedy trying to sink something when you should be diving deep.:ping:

You should open your torpedo door (press the Q key to do this) before you fire. The time between your pressing of the firing button and the torpedo actually leaving the sub is much smaller this way. More importantly, your "firing solution" is set at the time you hit the firing button. The several second delay while the torpedo tube opens, throws off your firing solution so that you will often hit further astern of (possibly even missing the ship entirely) the point you're aiming at. Opening the tube beforehand avoids this problem.

I do that, but WTF is up with not being able to open more than one tube at a time??I usually always fire two torps at a ship, sometimes more.

I should be ableto open more than one tube..

On another note..

how many people that do shoot atleast 2 torps use impact and magnetic as a combination?

That's what salvos are for. Just set it up the way you need it, then when you open doors, the ones you are using will open.

alternatively, you can go into the conning tower, and find a row of switches on the wall in roman numerals, you can flick those switches to open all your torpedo tubes then you can fire away.

Penelope_Grey's got the right advice here. Just an additional warning. When you have a torpedo tube selected, then select another one, the door to the first torpedo tube automatically closes (Doesn't matter whether you opened it with the Q key or the switches). So, when using Penelope's method, make sure you have made all the torpedo adjustments (depth, impact/magnetic) you want and that the selected tube is for the FIRST torpedo that you want to fire. Then open the doors with the switches on the wall.