How many torps does it take?
 

I ended my first patrol with GW on Monday night, rammed! The point I want to raise is about saving the game. I had, earlier in the patrol, chased a small target (c1000T) and eventually hit it with a torp which set it on fire. I waited for about 3 1/2 hrs(game time ) for it to sink, it didn't so I reluctantly fired another torp. Still it wouldn't go down. As it was getting very late I saved the game 'till yesterday. When I got back in I got a quick glimpse of the target then it vanished. I did not get credit for it's sinking. Why not?

My next patrol is in progress and my question here is should it take 4 torps to sink a 2000t ship? Or in this case not sink a 2000t ship. I first hit it with a pair but it just caught fire, that was at 0634hrs. I waited til about 0830 then hit it again still nothing. It is now dead in the water and it's past 1100hrs as I fire yet another torp (4). Still nothing. As I don't want to waste any more torps, I missed with a fifth, Range 350yds; brg 000; AoB 91; speed 0kts) I have at 1245hrs left it burning. That was last night, I'm wondering if it will be there when I log in tonight.

Thoughts please?

Does 4 torps for a 2000t ship seem excessive? I seem to remember one German ace quoted as "saying one ship one fish!"

If you save close to a target and you haven't seen the 'She's going down' message you will not get the credit for the kill. It's a stock bug. The ships do spown randomly I think that's why you will not get the credit.

Yes it is a common issue in GW with respect to small merchants and tramp steamers. GW is using the NYGM Damage model that sinks ships by flooding or by hits in critical areas. In any case though you are correct anything more than a torpedo for a small merchant is too much. Thankfully in GWX this issue is resolved and ship sinking is much more realistic and fun

GW uses the NYGM damage mod, which is much more realistic. It's not unheard of to take 4 torps to down a 2000t ship. What you want to to is hit it where it counts (ie fuel tanks, ammo bunkers) or about 0.5 below the bottom of the keel (magnetic) to "break it's back". GWX is out in a few days and will use a new damage model.

My last question, will it be there tonight is now academic. The game didn't save when I 'save and exited' I'm back in harbour just starting the patrol!

Still I've now got all my torps back.

As for firing I set the torps to run 1 mtr below the keel.

If I understood your question correctly you're asking is about the ships into the sea. There are two types of ships in SH/GW/GWX. Those who are scripted into a particular position (in a harbour) or course and the random ones. The merchants, convoys and almost anything you see in the high seas is random. So the ships do exist but they will not be there all the time

If you fire 1m below keel you need to use magnetic detonators. The rate of success of your hits do depend on the weather conditions. I usually use contact detonators and I set the running depth to 1-3m under the water-line (not keel).

I play NYGM and 2000 tons ships go down with 20 HE shells under waterline. Not worth a torpedo... If weather doesn't allow deck gun I leave the bugger alone...;)
And from experience, I think it is not only a flooding model, I have often seen ships hit by 2 torps in the engine/fuel bunker section break in two and go down in a few minutes (tankers almost always but merchant ships as well). I find the model rewards precise shooting as if you hit in a non critical area, then it is flooding and can take some time.

I hit a Brit Troop Transport yesterday with one TII dead centre under the keel and she cracked like an egg... what a sight.

Read the new GWX manual. It seems much better, some ships refusing to sink and others going down instantly, and all fairly at random.

The others are correct here , if you want to sink a huge ship using 1 eel, just use Magnetic Torps.

I actually prefer Magnetic to Impact , because I've noticed that the impact torps sometimes bounce off the ship's hull at the curved portions of the bulkhead , unlike magnetic which may just prematurely explode or not explode at all :) .