torpedo tips: maximum damage
 

Ahoy captains:

I just spent 3 or 4 hours firing my entire load of torps at a convoy. i missed with 2, through my own fault. but most hit targets. the problem is, i seemed to have to put far to many fish into them, and some did not even sink...they just sat low in the water, burning, but did not sink. another one, i didnt get credit for, even though i watched him break up, and slip under. no icon showed on the map, no tonnage added.

i would like some tips about where to hit ships, to use my torpedos most effeciently.

after i used all the fish i had on board, i only sank 4, and two or three wouldnt go down. i couldnt use my deck gun because of the 4 DD's that were looking for me.

1)for merchants i use 2,max.3 torpedo's*
2)i try to hit in 2 places;the rudder/screw and just under the funel.
3)waiting is part of comanding a sub,so wait untill the DD's are gone(could take some hours,i know)and finish your work with the deckgun.
*see underlined above
:know:
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/3564/0100cr4.jpg

USS Perch "The Booperboat"
Two patrols(rep. by the 2 skulls)
One insertion(rep. by raft under 2nd skull)
12 merchants downed
1 warship downed

In regard to item number two on your list; Is there any way of sending just the bearing to TDC in order to hit different parts of the ship? I'm to slow to use the stadimeter in order to aim my torps at different locations on my targets. :)

Set bearing midships the difference want make the day(if distance isn't to large)and reset your periscope to the point you want to hit(spreading factor 0).

[quote=daft]use spread option (from -2 to +2 is ok)

[quote=Julius Caesar]That,of course,is also a way...

wait untill the DD's are gone


so, they WILL abandon 2 or 3 crippled merchants, if i'm patient?

Ok, I thought I'd try piggybacking my question onto this thread before I started my own. Like popeye I have encountered merchants ect and chalked up a number of hits with my torpedos and things just seemed wrong in general. For example I used 5, count 'em 1,2,3,4,5 torpedos on a single Large Modern Composite. The first torpedo was a dud, but even if you throw it out the ship still didn't sink after four hits. Each torpedo was fired at high speed from within 2000 yards and set to run at a depth of 10-12 feet. I was forced to surface and put between 8-10 HE rounds from my deck gun right into the sweet spots before she finally gave up the ghost. Anyway my question is essentially, 1. What are the best depths to run your fish at for max damage? 2. Anything else I'm missing?(Other than torpedo placement, under stack aka engine room and screws.)

Yeah they probably just decide that you got what you came for and left the area if you stay quiet enough.

[quote=Julius Caesar]Yes, but I would like to use a similar method to what Morton/O'Kane used on the Wahoo, and O'Kane/Frazee used on the Tang. They set a constant bearing and fired their torps as the part they wished to hit passed the stationary center line of the scope. I haven't figured out a way to do that yet. A work around would be to send individual bearings on different parts of the target, but that seems impossible since the stadimeter is very hard to operate on a moving target without locking the scope.

I usually get in real close and fire a spread of two or three. If they miss, I can whip around for a stern tube shot, or fire the remaining bow tubes before the angle opens up too much. This has given me a very high rate of hits using manual TDC. The errors are usually cancelled out by the very short range. If I can't get close enough, I head surface and do another end around. I think Mortons words to O'Kane says it all:

"Tenacity Dick. Stay with the bastard until he's on the bottom".

I use different depths for my settings, trying for keel breakers.

Large freighter/tanker, depth set at 14-15. Usually 2 torps for each. I'd say 1/3-1/2 of the targets sink on their own afterwards.

Medium freighter/tanker, depth set at 10-11 feet. Again, 2 torps but some will sink before the second torp hits (danged aggravating but effective. Probably 2/3 go down without more than a final couple of shells.

Small freighters/tankers, depth at 6. One torp. Usually they go down quicker than a hooker's panties.

Destroyers, depth of 5.

I've seen very rough seas cause my torps to run right under the middle of some fat targets so I may cut the depth back by a foot. Sounds weird but I like the best odds I can get. That's why I try to set up shots at 1000 yards max and 500-700 preferably.

i cracked a large merchant in half with one torpedo last night. under the keel, about 14 feet like unsalted just said.

i would rather not waste torpedos on smaller targets, especially DD's

i hate large waves breaking my lock.

Maximum damage from a torpedo will always be achieved by the one that has a faulty gyro, and circles back to your firing position...

:D

Good one Zylark

One point on the thread though - are you using magnetics or contact torps? This has a huge bearing - alot of magnetics explode very close to - but not on/under their targets - they LOOK like hits - but are actual prematures. This often accounts for the lack of damage some people see.

Personally - I always use contact torps...

I think the torpedo depth setting is actually in meters. When you say you're setting 10 to 12 feet, do you mean 10 to 12 units on the dial or do you mean 3 to 4 units on the dial? If I'm correct, the difference is significant.

What you describe was happening to me a lot until (I think) I figured it out. Thinking the numbers on the dial were feet, I was setting the torps to hit low on the hull, or even go under if I wanted to use the magnetic detonator. The result - some of the torps were going right under the ship without exploding and others were exploding without much effect.

When I realized my mistake, I started setting all torps to the minimum depth (which if I'm right is 3 meters (or ~10 feet) and my kill rate against medium size merchants with one or two torp hits went up significantly.

JD

Unclick the position keeper.
Lock on the target and take your range with the stadimeter.
Unlock the target and move the scope to where you want to fire.
Resend the range to the TDC, this will send your new bearing.
Fire when desired part of target passes the centerline.

Depending on how much you move the scope your range will be slightly off using this method but it will fire in the way you describe. Personally I never fire this way because I prefer to use divergent spreads (first show towards the stern, second the center and last shot at the bow), using the spread angle dial. This spread makes it harder to evade all the torpedoes, and if you're using manual targetting the chance of creating such a perfect solution that you actually hit the "aim point" is minimal anyway.

I :rotfl: at you guys. One torpedo per ship is all you need! :yep: :arrgh!:

Thanks everyone. I got into the middle of a convoy today and tried out some of the different depths and ranges. Things seemed to go better this time. Most went down after 2 hits. Small merchants 1 hit. :up:

I never put more than two torps in a merchie of any size.

Yes, the escorts WILL eventually abandon still-floating or even moving targets in favor of faster-moving uninjured ships (unless they are the command/lead ship as we have learned.)
-Pv-