Question...
 

I havent yet understood how to hit a ship with a torpedo. I always put the information in the TDC (using some tutorials made this an easy part). But I dont really know when to shoot the torpedo while TDC is tracking the ship and everything seem to go well. When do I shoot with the help from the TDC? What does TDC really represent anyway?
Thank you.

The TDC represents in real time (if the data entered is good) your sub and the targets relation to each other. Best time to shoot is 1500 yards are closer, this helps with any small discrepencies in speed, AOB, or range. I also fire my torps when the target is between 20 degrees and 0 degrees off my bow. You can either do this visually with the scope/TBT or have your sonarman call it out as the ship moves across your bow.

The way I learned and figured it out to do it manually was using the auto target function in the game. The little triangle turns colors red (bad) yellow (better) green (best). I played and kept an eye on the triangle, specifically when it turned green. I looked at the TDC set up at the time it was green. After some note taking, I basically just made a mental copy of it and switched to manual. Took sometime but this plan worked for me.

Maybe this will help and a belated welcome aboard
Manual shooting tutorial video.

http://files.filefront.com/SH4+attac.../fileinfo.html

The handle on the lower TDC wheel tells you the gyro angle, while the handle on the upper wheel gives you the torpdeo track angle(the angle between the target's course and the torpedo's course). If you hover your mouse over the handles you'll get a numerical readout. Range is the left hand side numerical reading between the two wheels. In optimal conditions the gyro angle would be zero, the torpedo track angle 90 degrees and the range over 500 meters(to allow a small margin. See the end of the post for explanation), but still as small as possible. Remember that these are just guidelines that you are trying to achieve, not something that you must be achiveved every time for the torpedoes to work. Most likely the torpedos will work just fine even though the gyro angle is -20 instead of 0, or the torpdeo track angle is 60 instead of 90. Historically early war torpedoes would actually work better if the track angle was something else than 90, but afaik this isn't modelled ingame. One absolute rule is the minimum range: the arming distance for all the ingame torpedoes is about 400 meters. Anything under that, and the torpdedo won't explode.

So,the top TDC arrow is the direction of the torpedo if fired,and that shape in the centre is the ship? And what is that S and P things?

Yep, the arrow in the lower wheel shows exactly where the torpdeo will go if fired, and the arrow in the upper wheel tells you how it will arrive at the target. S = starboard(right) and P = port(left)

Yes, the outline on the TDC is the ships as if you were looking down on top of them. You will see a pointed end (bow) and the flat end (stern). You set up your TDC in you minds eye as you see it through the scope/TBT. This is mechanically accomplished by getting the range/speed/AOB and updating the TDC. I just estimate AOB by what I see of the target. Of course range is determined by a ping or getting the correct vessel ID from the book and using the stadimeter. Speed gotten by a few range readings or as I do, note if the AOB has changed drastically as compared to the TDC picture of the target and the speed you believe the target is travelling.

I just nailed a jap ship on submarine school mode with all my 4 torpedoes :D . Thx 4 the help guys!

You da' man:rock: Fun when a plan comes together:yep:

Congrats Skipper!

Now get out there and sink some real targets! :D