Impact vs Magnetic GWX 2.0
 

You have a coastal merchant crossing your bows at 90 degrees, medium speed, with a range of 800 - 1000 meters. Optimal conditions, flat sea, perfect visibility, no duds. What would you do? :hmm:

Would you fire a magnetic torp half a meter below the draft specified in ship id manual and tear her keel off?

Would you fire an impact torp at 3 meter depth into her side and try to knock out the engines, or hit a critical point (not using the critical point assistance on the ship id manual)?

Which does the most amount of damage, and why?

Which one is more likely to end in a sinking without resorting to the deck gun?

In this Kaleun's experience magnetic torps at 90 degrees is not a good idea.
Especially against a small ship.

The torpedo only has a very limited time under a small vessel at 90 degrees.
Far better to use a narrow angle against a small target.
That way the explosion wil occure under the target as opposed to the other side of it.

I would go for an impact shot half way between the waterline and keel.

I only use magnetics at 90 degrees against broad targets.

Absolutely correct. Read the article on magnetic torpedoes on my kielman website and don't forget to order my book Kingmaker, you'll need it on patrols or for smoking a good cigar and enjoying a brandy. :D

Can we cut down on the plugging of items to sell in threads about SH3, please?

The HUGE signiture that is simply an ad is bad enough.

So which then is the better option if you have the time to set up the shot:

A) Taking the 90 degree side shot with an impact torp, hoping to hit something critical, or

B) Coming at the target at a 45 degree angle and running a magnetic fish under the keel?

Basically, I'm trying to establish the most efficient way to use my torps.

I reckon if you've successfully gotten a book published, you've got the right to plug it wherever possible. Damn sure I would.

A proper magnetic shot will almost always cause more damage than an impact hit.

But they are less reliable. First shot at any ship I tend to use a magnetic setting. More of a chance at a one shot kill.

But I NEVER use magnetic setting until after the battle of Norway. They are just too unreliable.

A "proper" magnetic shot?

For the sake of the arguement, lets say there are no duds.

I will wait for the movie!:up:

Back to the topic: Until the begining of 41, always impact! After, when the magnetic fuse is in order, I always use it.

They (mag) cause more damage, no doubt.

By proper I mean, well I don't know, I seem to recall some sort of missing but going off when they were pretty much by the ship. So there is a boom and a big splash but not sure how much damage it caused.

I used to be 100% impact. But even they aren't perfect. Times when the triggers don't hit right and they just bounce off.
Trying to finish off a DD I'd crippled yesterday and 3 - count 'em: 3 - impact torps banged into its side and didn't go off. ???

I'm using magnetic more and more. Just a bit ago I was targeting a Light Cruiser in the middle of a convoy so I figured I'd empty my back tube on a Lg Merchent while I was there. And I was pretty confident that 1 magnetic shot would be good enough. Sure enough it was. 12,000 ton merchant down with one magnetic torp. Probably woudln't have gone down with an impact shot.

Before Nov 1940, impact only. If it's too rough outside to man the deck gun, impacts only. If it's a steamer I have set to fast, impact only. At least that's my flavor of the kool-aid. And I'll usually set them a meter ro so shallower than I yhink I need to.

Um, at the risk of sounding like a twonk, but what critical point assisstance in the ID book are you referring to my good Kaleun??? :doh:

If you get to within 0 - 700 meters with approx 90 degrees, the ship recognition manual will illuminate critical points on the ship, like keep, engine room, propellors, fuel bunker, ammo bunker etc. You can click on whatever critical point you want to aim at, and the solution and torp depth will be entered directly into the tdc. It only works for auto targeting I think. I just wanted to clarify that this was not an option to be taken into account when formulating the strategy.

Ah right ok. I'd wondered why I wasn't getting any of these options in my ID book even though I'm also using GWX 2 :) I use manual targeting so thats probably why.

Alright now since I haven't used magnetic in some time can we collect expert testimony on the optimal depth under keel for a magnetic shot?

I recall something like 1.5 or 2... not sure why that pops into my head.

Lets hear the experts wax-nerd on the matter.