Torpedo Options
 

Does changing between magnetic/inpact selection on your torpedo increase its chance when in stormy weather to actually impact the target instead of exploding on its way to the target? :hmmm:
Also which is best for inflicting most damage, going under the ships hull or straight into the side?:hmmm:
Cause ive noticed on some of the bigger merchants it sometimes takes 1 eel to drop them and the smaller merchants takes 2 :06:

Thanks people :salute:

I'm not sure if magnetics are more vulnerable for bad weather while still on their way. (premature explosions) But in bad weather the target bobs up and down on the waves, making it possible to leap over the magnetic torpedo passing underneath. Torpedo's with pistol setting might have similar problems where the torpedo hits the curved part of the hull causing a dud. Therefore aim shallow with pistols if there are severe waves.

I never use magnetics in rough weather as they tend to explode prematurely or completely miss the target. The weather has to be relatively calm before I even consider their use.

Nemo

I always use impacts set at a shallow setting in stormy weather.

It's too bad the real kaleuns didn't have that option. There was no switch that let you select one or the other, or at least not until 1944. Disabling the magnetic pistol required removing it from the torpedo, a process that took at least an hour. Once the order was given in 1940 to remove them they were all removed, and not replaced until the new version came out late in 1943.

Very true....but the game is a lesser PITA :DL

There are also theories on using magnetics in calm weather in near 90' AOB. DR and I have had some good discussions on it. It all depends on the size o the boat, the speed of the eel and the difference in deIpth

I don't use magnetic pistols at all.
I hate the premature detonations , although - in game - they don't give you away.

As for the aim point:
If the target is small then I aim at the center.
For bigger targets I fire one at the center and one at the bow of the target.
For capital warhips it is a 4 bow shot from bow to stern.

BE MORE AGgRESSIVE!! http://www.psionguild.org/forums/ima...ies/pirate.gif

Yip right'o guys, thanks heaps for the advice :up:
I might have to give the deck gun abit more of a work out aswell :salute:

In later years pre-mature magnetic pistol torpedo explosions greatly decreases. If the weather is calm it's a deadly drug for bigger ships :)

I usually like to brake a medium cargo apart this way, aiming the area just below the chimney :shucks:

Wow, I didin't knew this. Where did you read about it ? Could you give me a link to the source ?

Thanks but it wasn't exactly what I wanted :haha:

I want the source where as Steve said torpedo pistol had to be manually set to impact/magnetic on the torpedo itself and it took about an hour to do that.

The part about it taking an hour came from a source posted here back when I was homeless, and unable to save the link. The original poster also provided photographs, but I don't have those either. Perhaps you'll be happier with this source, which says it couldn't be done at all.

Quote:

In any case, the order had little to no impact, at least at first. At the time U-boats carried torpedoes equipped with either the MZ or AZ pistol. The option that would later allow the commander to interchange these settings while on patrol had not yet come into being, so whatever setting the pistol was set to when delivered to the boat was what it was stuck with for the duration of the patrol.

http://eaglescholar.georgiasouthern.edu:8080/jspui/bitstream/10518/3627/1/Wright_David_H_201005_MA.pdf

Pages 47-48.

Very interesting link, thanks a lot :yeah:

And I have slowly come around to your view that magnetics work at about AOB 90, though your torpedo should be set to the slowest speed. And they do seem to cause the most damage at a much narrower angle. Difference in depth, though seems to be the most significant factor.

One thing players often forget is that all magnetics are ALSO impacts. By making the switch to impact, you take away (I am told) the dice roll that might lead your mag-set torpedo to prematurely explode. You also can do it a second before you launch, which is obviously not right.

I am sure some of the historians can offer advice here. For now, I set all tubes to magnetic, since I can use them either way, and take my chances on the prematures.

I Have found on a couple occasions that having the eels run too fast and too deep caused them to detonate on the far side of the target, which did result in confusing the merchants in the convoy. Upon the detonations, they started searching with their search lights in the opposite direction. I'm not sure if the escorts werre confused or not, but they did not jump on me right away. Then again, it was probably early war and they may not have found me any ways.

But to be honest, it is not a tactic I recommend, as the risk of missing completely is too high, and the reduced damage from such an hit doesnt seem to be worth it. Perhaps if one were to be able to land a few crippling shots on some big targets and have them drop out of formation, and the misdirection allows for easier evasion and subsequent reload, then it may be worth it, but that's still a lot of if's.

I must notice Sailor Steve spoke a nonsence on this topic :) If you ever read the document yourself Mister, you should know that in page 51 there is following text:


pistols using the Schalterstellung A option were to use only the AZ option until further notice.

So literrraly speaking this was very short period of time - The first MONTH of the war during which U-boats could not switch pistols AZ-MZ and vice versa :O:

However I must admit I would never realized the mass of malfunctioned torpedoes Kriegsmarine had especially with MZ pistol without this document.

Perhaps H.sie was right while introducing his torpedo fix. On the other hand I never trust MZ pistol in early war anyway.

After reading it all I might reconsider using that fix.