Trigger Maru: Can't shoot any destroyers? (torps can't go shallow enough)
 

I am playing TM 1.9 on SH4 with the requisite latest patches. I have a Japanese mine layer on a perfect T shot but when I set my torpedos to 5 feet, or less than 5 feet - I can never seem to set torpedos shallow enough to actually hit the ship - they always pass underwater. I spent the last hour reading through the forums (search is my friend) but I wasn't able to find a similar post.

Is the fact that I can never hit destroyers with a broadside shot due to UI bug regarding depth setting? This occurs even with dud torpedos off and shooting every torpedo I have. It's almost like there is is a bug preventing a torpedo ever running shallower than 8 feet. I can hit merchants and any vessel with a deeper than 5 foot draft. But no matter which destroyer I shoot at even with a depth setting of 5 feet or less (the depth dial does appear to allow a lower than 5 feet setting).

This occurs *every time* and only with destroyers so I am very skeptical that it is the 'early war torps ran deep' chestnut. This is something specific to Japanese destroyers.

Is there a method to edit torpedo depth to see if this is a bug? I would like to force the game to allow a 1 ft depth torpedo and see if it finally hits. If it does then that would seem to confirm the issue. Kind of frustrating that destroyers are currently invincible to subs because torps always run under even at the shallowest depth setting.

Thanks for your time,
ShaneC
Richland, WA

It's not a bug. The Mark 14 ran some 10-12 feet deeper than set until fixed in mid '43.
I believe this was because in testing a fake warhead was used that was much lighter than the real warhead.
Up to mid '43 set them as shallow as you can and cross your fingers. On shallow draft targets I use the magnetic trigger. That way if it runs under the target it may still go off.

Of course there were problems with the magnetic trigger too.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that the contact trigger didn't always work properly either?

That probably answered why I couldn't finish off a ship that was dead in the water until I set the torp depth shallow as possible. Talk about authenticity. :up:

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Do your responses mean that no-one can shoot a destroyer?
 

As I mentioned in my first post this is specific to destroyers. Are you saying that you can't hit destroyers either becuase they always go under for you as well from 1941-43?

Are you saying that if you start a career in 1943 that you can then shoot destroyers because your torpedoes are no longer go 10ft deeper then they are supposed to?

I am attempting to determine if this is specific to my install of SH4/Trigger Maru/RSRD or if this is a common experience to all that destoryers are effectively invunlerable until 1943?

Thanks,
ShaneC

Sorry Shanec if I did not answer your question properly.

Running Trigger Maru and RSRD expect all your Mark 14 torpedoes to run 10-12 feet deeper than set, making it effectively impossible to engage destroyers unless you make use of the magnetic trigger.

Your install is not broken, it is working as intended.

EDIT: Until they fix em. Not sure what date that is. Think it's about June 43.

surface, and blow them to hell with your deck gun. save torps for more choice targets.

If you engade destroyers like this, please tape it and send, i always love Carnage.

It was Operation Monsun
 

Somehow OM set the defaults for Metric, so 5 on the depth setting was actually 15 ft instead of 5 ft. When I went into Options and set it manually to Imperial 5 ft now means 5 ft and I can sink anything now.

I got the hint when noticing that setting a depth of 20 for captial ships like the Submarine School sink the Cruiser actually put the torpedo as deep as my sub. That's when I began to suspect the game was set for Meters even though the option was set to Authentic and I was playing an American campaign.

I am surprised everyone jumped on the it's the "poor depth keeping of the torpedo" chestnut instead of suggested a validation test like this.. :ping:

Oh well, file this away for as a checklist step for the next poor soul whose SH4 is configured for meters instead of imperial for a US campaign.. :salute:

Man, I didn't even think of that :oops:
Glad you got it sorted :DL

Surface and blow em to hell with your deckgun.....not in TMO...the DD's aren't push overs, they're realistic and will blow you out of the water before you can get a few shots off.

Never had a problem sinking dd's with TMO after 43 and still sink many early war, but a waste of torpedo's, only when I must.