Don't Waste That Second Torpedo
 

You shoot a torpedo and your target keeps sailing merilly along. Blam, you let it have another one and feel a warm glow as the target sinks. But, was that second torp really needed?

(See also I Resign, Thread)
When I set off on my last patrol on 27 Feb 1941, it was with the objective of perfecting one torpedo technique per GWX ship ( Ihad it down pat on stock SH3). Though the seas were mostly rough through most of the patrol, visibility was good.

I fired 18 torpedoes, sunk 15 ships (2 with deck gun). Used 2 torpedoes to sink the first target (large freighter) because I thought one torp didn't do the job. That was an error, the ship would have sank with one. A couple of torpedoes missed during 2 convoy attacks. With exception of that first ship ALL ships hit went down with ONE torpedo.

I aimed at only one point in all shots--under the forwardmost mast of all ships. Small freighters, medium and large. Did not hit any pyro of whale factory ships.

In all cases the ships sank within half an hour, most between 8 - 15 minutes.

None of the ships appeared to have received catastrophic damage at first--thus tempting to send another fish to make sure.

The first indication that the hit is lethal is a small reduction in speed by the stricken vessel. After 3-4 minutes, you will notice a slight lowering of the bow.

I don't know how far away from you the ship must sink for you to lose credit for the kill. With the exception of convoy attacks , I followed the target until they sank. They sink faster in rough weather.

I think that if you try this method, your kill ratio per torpedo will increase. Good hunting. :know:

Well I almost never fire another torpido because i never fire a single shot, almost all my shots are salvo (just in case some torpido dude);) .

Interesting, I've been aiming for the front of ships for awhile now, but still firing 2 torpedos.

Good tip, I'll try it with 1 and if it doesn't work, I expect a full refund! :D

im sorry but we cannot give you a new torpedo since we're out
would you be intrested in a 4 shot salvo from a 5" (inch) cannon insted ?

See Bernard for refunds :rotfl:

when i "bought" bernard from the barracks i was dissapointed
i didn even get refund:shifty: I DEMAND REFUND!!!!:rotfl:

Thanks, I've been slightly annoyed by the change to explosion physics and damage in GWX. I had spent a lot of time researching tactics from real captains and the best success I’ve had, pre-GWX, was to send an eel about 1 or 2 meters below the keel with magnetic pistol <9 degrees off bow angle. The result was normally the torp would detonate right under the ship sending the entire explosive force up into the mass of the vessel. This would cause such damage as to make it nearly impossible for the crew to repair the damage and the ship would flounder and sink. This has drastically changed in the GWX mod and now the most damage is done at surface levels, which is less likely as the majority of the force of explosion would be sent away from the ship's mass and into the air. In my studies the deeper the explosion next to the hull, the more the damage as the explosion will choose the path of least resistance; as you know you cannot squeeze water, therefore the more water that is behind the explosion the more the energy from that explosion is passed to the object in the opposite direction (i.e. the ship's hull). So it would stand to reason that if you sent a torpedo just beneath the keel on a slight angle cross bow, all the energy from the explosion would pass upward into the ship resulting in catastrophic damage. I have yet to experience this with GWX.
My thoughts,
Ichi

Hi Ichi,
Welcome to our nest of ruffians!

I've had reasonable succes with magnetics. I often use them in convoy attacks when I can't hang about waiting for a good AOB. Might reserach that angle on my next patrol :know:

Not sure how the damage model in GWX compares with NYGM, but I tend to fire at the after third of a target, as taking out the engine spaces SHOULD always result in the ship sinking, or at least being slowed dramatically.

Most WWII sub captains would aim at the engine spaces of tankers in particular, as that gave the best chance of sinking them.

So a bow hit might work well in the sim, but I think the real-world case was the aft sections were the best targets from the point of view of doing vital damage.

It's all interesting to try, however!

Cheers

I agree with you. However, with GWX I had mixed results with engine room hits. So I'm being systematic in the "research" trying one type of shot and get consistent results over a number of targets to see what works every time.

I just did Torpedo Academy training...

...

...

1 torp kills are, clearly, impossible. It's not my complete lack of skill, it's everything else working against me :D

I got pissy with the Tramp Steamer when it didn't sink after 2 hits, then decided to start moving to avoid the 3rd, so fired a 4 shot salvo into it.

Hehe, in GWX everything works against you. Right now one of my best officers has gone AWOL and I need to get underway, aaarrrgghh :mad:

Sounds like the same mechanic at work though as a bow shot - flooding of the forward compartments and the ship goes down nose first, and floods faster in bad weather as she essentially sinks herself.

Bow shots miss relatively easily though, given the bow has the most vertical movement of any part of the ship, and rather dramatically so in bad weather.

So maybe the first mast is a good compromise.

I'll try it - I usually aim for engine or fuel bunkers right now.

It would be interesting to see the results of a certain "sure" shot over, let's say, one patrol by different Kaleuns. The best "scientific" results would be shooting at unescorted targets because this reduces all the variables present under less than ideal conditions. Thus perfect shots into a certain area will tell us how to sink various ships with the best possible chances of sinking them with one torpedo. :D

Actually, with my play-style, I've been able to one-shot pretty much every enemy ship in the game save the Iowa class and the HMS Hood, though I'm working on figuring out both.

For the most part, ANY enemy ship around 15000 tons and less can be one-shotted. Larger ships like passenger ships, Aux Cruisers, and the smaller battleships (not the Southamptons) can be sunk with a well placed shot right behind either the fore or aft turret, or at the very rear near the screws.

Larger ships, like the Revenge, get very hard to sink in a single shot, but it is possible. The weird thing is that I've sunk several Revenge class at anchor, and several while under power, and I can tell you that for whatever reason, it seems like it's actually easier to one-shot a Revenge under power than it is at anchor. Like before, the best bet is to aim under the Fore or Aft turret (where the ammo would be stored), or near the screws. The only thing you have to watch out for is that bulge of armor at the middle.

Carriers are easy, because they are pretty top-heavy. Single shot's are pretty much a given, so long as it's off-center. Again, a hit near the screws would be best.

The HMS Hood and the Iowa class have been the bane of my existence since I first attacked either. Both are 40+k tons, and both eat torps like it was their business. Took me 4 torps for the Hood my first encounter and a whopping 6 for the Iowa. After several more encounters, though, both can be easily sunk in 2 shots, but I have yet to get a single shot on both, but I have a feeling I can do it based on how heavily both can list after a single, well-placed shot. Once they list, a single shot under the keel does them in, provided it's in the same area as the first shot.

Now, my strategy is a bit weird. Around 95% of my shots are done with the torp running at it's shallowest setting using Impact pistons. Around 4% of the time I run the torp around 2-3 meters with impact pistons. The remaining 1% are deeper shots using magnetic pistons, usually to finish off the bigger ships that wouldn't sink with a one-shot.