Quote:
Originally Posted by K-61
I've waited for hours of game time for a ship to sink. I'd guess that when I see the lifeboats paddling away that she's sinking, but I saw one ship sail on for hours afterwards. In my previous patrol I got credit for a sinking in my logbook and hours later it was still afloat. After I broke off from the convoy and sailed away, she was still sitting there. I fired a few deck gun rounds at it just to put it under. I didn't want the British to "salvage" it.  |
The ships have a AI simulated type of counter-flooding/closing bulkheads that is done when a real ship takes enough damage to be in danger of sinking or listing too heavily. Basic idea being if your torpedo blew a hole in the straight middle of the ship water would start going in both directions through any open hatch (or with enough pressure blow through it, though need a larger ship or harsh weather for that), crew then tries to evacuate as many people towards the stern/forecastle closing all the hatches behing them to create trapped pocked of air enough to keep the ship afloat. Listing is an even more serious problem (though good for the player) that the captain has to order the opposite side of the ship to start a controlled flood to try and either stop the listing or get her back to 0. Obvious danger is they're putting in more water to try while some is still flooding in from the hole and can easily sink itself; or the situation became uncontrollable and the order to abandon ship was given (like in the case of the Lexington when it sank).
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Short answer if you want shorter sinking times, use magnetic fuses and aim them about 0.5-1.1 meters below the ships keel (easy to find in the recognition manual, merchant and misc ships are all in an unlabelled section, when you first click on the book go backwards one and you'll see it) depending on where you are (harbor, open sea, shallow water) and adjust the depth accordingly. General rule of thumb the rougher the weather the deeper you should have it run - like aiming at a large merchant in gale I'd put the torpedo to run at just a click past 11 meters (making it like 11.1) and usually get great success rates. Rough weather is your friend (unless you don't have the stabalize scope option clicked, then it can really cause motion sickness just from trying to aim at the ship).
To maximize the damage there are spots on various ships that can cause them (large 10,000+ ton) ships to sink with just 1 eel. Best AOB is 45 degress to maximize the surface area of the keel to the torpedo (a 0 or 180 heading is also ideal
if they are steady on the course, running under the entire length of the keel will ensure an explosion somewhere. Can't go into all the details for all ships, but for example on a modern tanker aiming at the forward tank, with the target being just under the cargo boom towers (don't know exactly what they're actually called) and on a good day it'll sink immediately, otherwise wait awhile (usually 20-30 minutes) and it'll have flooded enough to sink; faster if in open water with bad weather. Warships always aim under the turrets, they're the most volatile spot on the ship being where the magazines are. Detonation under both turrets (fore and aft) will generally sink any warship instantly, or will eventually sink very fast; unless its slow moving that's a very difficult shot to make.
K-61, to comment on your approach I've found it to be the best way to get the most ships from a convoy. First shot on any ship use magnetic setting/depth and hope it cripples it enough to either sink, or reduce its speed to 1 or 0 knots. Something not moving amkes no sense wasting an eel on it when the convoy is just going to leave it behind. If still moving at convoy speed or maybe just 1 or 2 knots slower 2nd one use impact. Will usually sink it, or at least slow it down enough so it will also drop out of the convoy. Ships moving at 0 knots generally are about to go down, unless its late in the war and the ship is armed with a decent size cannon (something that will hurt you at 1000+ meters) usually only a couple shots, or even 1 shot will finish them off before any kind of air support can arrive.