Effective torpedo distances?
 

Ok so i started my campain in the earliest year 41? Anyhow im using the first torps you get on a type vii. Now I read somewhere that effective range is anywhere from 500 - 1000m . Now I always miss at that range. But the funny thing is I have enourmous success from ranges of 2500 - 3500. Is it because they are not detecting me and changing course?

also what is the max effective range of the basic torp?

I tend to always fire from 1000m if I can,or as close as 300 - 500m in low visibility like fog,or a dark stormy night.

Not sure why you have more success the further out you are,but I know the minimum range is 300m (any closer and the torpedo will not arm),and I would have to say the maximum range would be about 8000m,or the limit of visibility range.When you get radar you may even be able to fire beyond this range,but the chances of hitting anything would virtually be nil.Its always better to get closer for two main reasons:
1 - the closer you are the less time the target ship will have to evade and zig zag
2 - even if the torpedo should lose its depth it should still hit the target

In real life most commanders fired from about 600m,in an ideal situation that is.

I recommend the following book,a lot of technical information is in it,there is even a section on attacking distances
http://www.amazon.co.uk/U-Boat-Comma.../dp/0939631210

Are there any charts for detection ranges, I know this maybe impossible given weather conditions.

Not sure mate,try using Google and look up things like 'allied radar WWII detection range' , the same could go for 'allied sonar during WWII' and you could compare these with the German counterparts.I do know though that allied radar was far superior to German radar,but the Germans had very good sonar technology later on.
In SH3 you could get detected by allied radar at ranges such as 20km and beyond.
Also,it would be safe to assume that the GWX team modified these values since the stock release.

I like being up to 1000 meters away from lone merchants/micro convoys. Convoys are anywhere from 3000 meters away to sitting in the middle of it. For task forces, no closer than 3000 meters, and that's a big risk.

As far as the electric torpedoes go (TII or TIII), the maximum range appears to be anywhere from 4000 to 6000 meters on the impact setting. Is this GWX simulating different battery charges or is it just a fluke?

Some of this information may be found in the above book.
For the cheap price this would be a wise investment if you are serious about UBoat technical data.

Well, the book maybe interesting in it's own right, but let's not forget we are playing a game that pretends to be a simulation but isn't completely realistic. ;) It's the game that makes the deciscion if it get's detected. Not history.

I too don't understand why you have more luck at hitting more distant targets than closer ones. Closer ones surely have better odds, as they look bigger from up short. If it does detect the torpedo then you should be able to see them speeding up or divert. If you are detected then DDs will start firing on you when they are in range. Pretty hard not to notice.

But you haven't really explained much about how you do your tracking, and shoot setups. Maybe the solution lies there.

That is my point. I'm willing to do my own research by playing, but was jsut looking for some premade graphs (i like graphs, its like pictures for math) and other stuff that explains how the game models visual ship detection and torpedo efective ranges. stuff like that. Maybe its all in the manual, idk. I probably should read it first.

Well, I don't use Type 1's during the day because of the bubble trail. Some say that only warships (DD) can react to detected torpedos (which I hardly ever attack), but personally I don't care. I don't want to blow any bit of my stealth and attack. So, most of my attacks are during the night. Atleast past 21:00. I suppose the year might make a bit of a difference, but it shouldn't be hard to hit from up close. (500-1000m)

Electrics during the day and T1's at night.

Would you recommend a 50/50 loadout of both electrics and bubblers?.
I personally dont use electrics,but I may someday.Because most of my attacks are no greater than 1000m I can usually get away with bubblers.

TI G7A: 7500 meters at 40 knots (The good stuff!).
TII G7E: 3000 meters at 30 knots. (Most common torpedo).
TIII G7E: 5000 meters at 30 knots. ( The new most common torpedo).

Although the G7A was judged to be the superior torpedo, it did not lend well to the mass production needed. Thus, the majority of torpedoes carried were G7E.

If your firing from 1000m or less then a 'bubbler' will probably suffice....the electric helps you in evading detection to some extent.

You know,one day in the future I plan to begin a campaign where I only target military vessels,and to aid in major offensives such as depriving the Ruskies supplies during Stalingrad etc.Electrics would DEF be needed against most warships I reckon,just to give you that extra time to pull away after launching without being detected.
Any thoughts on this?

The way the AI works is....once a vessel is hit, the escort has a rough idea which side of the convoy you've attacked from and the quadrant (attacking from within the convoy gives you a better chance because you could be on one of two sides).

One way of detecting the above could be a sighting of the torpedo wake, now take away that possibility by using an electric and you have lessened the odds against you.

After the torpedo has hit the target the escorts AI has to make a decision which area to search and if they guess wrong you have obviously more time to make your escape (providing you don't make much noise).