Possible copy-protect issue
 

The game tried to connect to the internet several times starting up, but since I was only going to play single player, I didn't let it. About halfway through my patrol, I made an attack run on a convoy. I dashed out in front, dropped to periscope depth, and let them come over the top of me. I got three kills with my first spread, and then I lined up a stern shot with the aft tubes at a slow moving destroyer. I let my shot go, then started looking for my next target. A minute later I looked back, and he hadn't been hurt, the torp hadn't impacted, and I couldnt tell where it went, so I let out another torp and glanced around to see what happened to the first one, just in time to see it complete its loop and slam into my side, killing me.
This is the second time this has happened, and I'm just wondering if it's some copy protection issue, as the torps were set for shallow depth and shouldn't have passed close enough to hit me even if they somehow got told to loop around.

You didnt by chance have the Torp speed on high did you? This is a known bug that if you set your torps on HIGH speed they will miss everytime (well 99% of the time).

I have yet to experience the looping of a torp though....

Nope, it was running on slow. The replay thing let me go back and watch the torps course too, it did a full 360, starting as soon as it was out of the tube. The sucker was set for 3 feet, and still hit me at periscope depth too.

Never had a prob with using HIGH speed and hitting targets, matter of fact, every time I want to inflict MAXIMUM damage and on a fast moving target I pick HIGH speed. I rarely miss.

What exactly is the bug? Are the speeds not going faster than the slow setting?

Yes, there seems to be a speed setting error where the TDC uses the correct speed, and the torpedo speed is way off. Unless you correct using the spread or seriously lead a target close aboard, then it is easy to miss. Several other people have posted about circular running torpedoes. They were a problem in WWII. In fact the Tang, Rear Admiral Richard O'Kane's boat was sunk by one. Only eight crewmembers survived the sinking. It does seem to happen a little too often though.

This is most definitely not a bug or a copy protection issue, this is a historical feature. Circular running torps happened during the war and were very deadly. They happened because of the mechanisms inside the torpedoes, which allowed them to be fired in any direction without changing the heading of the submarine, did not stop turning and the torpedo then kept turning around and around in a full circle.



Linkity-link.

So why did it run 30 feet deeper than it should have?

Your depth is taken from the bottom of the submarine, not the top, meaning that your periscope depth of 60 ft. doesn't mean that the top of the sub was 60 ft. down. Your conning tower is only a few feet underwater and the fore decks aren't that far under either. If your torpedo was set to magnetic, it would come around and been detonated.

The torp hit the starboard side, almost dead on the forward tubes.

It may just be that if it circle runs, it doesn't change depth at all.