[Pisces]

Actually trying to hit a row of a convoy is just as simple as hitting just one target in the 90 degree attack situation. You just wait until each bow passes the line in your periscope (but the 1st mast usually is a better margin of error), and fire 1 torpedo (per target). First the furthest collumn, and the nearest last. Those targets should get hit at about the same time.

But J3llyfish talks about torpedos that turn 'on their own'. Well those are advanced torpedos. That have extra gyro mechanisms that make it turn after a certain distance. Well, that means it's not really 'on their own', since set the extra gyro angles. Those only come available later in the war. The really advanced torpedos have an accoustic seeker. They are capable of finding their own way to the target. Or you if you are in the wrong place.

I discovered that the torpedos can align themselves towards the target. So after I have set all the needed data into the TDC, i don't even need to care about the gyroangle, correct? Even if I am in a shooting position with 90AoB, and the target has already passed the point at which my u-boat's hull is facing, I can just move the periscope over the target, fire the torpedo and it will turn towards the target! I guess this is what is called 'point and shoot'.

You should keep 2 things distinct. 1: how your Uboat is pointed in relation to the target's course, 90 degrees. 2: what the AOB looks like when you look at the target. If the target is passed the 000 bearing then his AOB is not 90 anymore. It's only 90 degrees when straight in front of you.

That said, yes, you can aim at him even if he is passed the periscope bearing that makes the gyroangle 0. (you could call that 'late') As you turn the periscope the AOB is updated in step. (assuming the TDC switch is on AUTO) And so will the new lead angle, as indicated by the new gyroangle. Range however does not get updated, and this is what gains in importance if the torpedo needs to turn because of the gyroangle. Short range needs a bigger lead-correction, however the appearant size of the target increases dramatically with shorter range aswel. In the end it depends on how long the target is by itself if you are likely to hit it.

I however have hardly had succes with such shots if I was late to fire. (Bernard being around the corner and all that ) The target's size becomes a smaller angle again as the distance is increasing and the AOB increases beyond 90 degrees, which makes it easier to miss. On top of that the torpedo needs to catch up with the target, making it arrive later. Which means more time for the following to happen. If the target spots the torpedo (like with the bubbles of the type 1) then he only needs to make a small course correction to avoid it. As was suggested (the 'myth') you have some leeway, like a gyroangle between 350-010. But more than that and odds are less in your favour.

BTW, in my book 'point and shoot' is more like the simple automatic targeting. But I guess 'free aiming', as opposed to the target passing a predetermined point for which the periscope is set up, can also be considered like that.

By the way, do you know how large is the angle that the torpedo can turn when launched? Is it something like 45 degrees?

Certainly more than 90 degrees. I've done enough 'parallel course' shots with succes. I guess 120 degrees atleast . According to the manual more as the technology advances. It also states the accuracy dimminishes, but I'm not sure if that is really the same as the gyro angle issue (a.k.a parallax aiming error Wiki-Link)