Quote:
Originally Posted by pythos
That Japanese convoy zig zag is crazy. Or was it for a single or one or two merchants? Thing is this would have resulted in the US getting zero hits on Japanese merchants There is just no way a sub could overhaul the target, while staying out of visual range, submerge, get the solution and fire, AND have the torpedoes reach their target in the time between course changes.
|
The thing is the real U-boots did not shot their torpedos as we often try to do: they did not get an exact math solution but rather a rough estimation, then they shot everything they had in the forward tubes in a fan shot hoping that at least some torpedoes will hit. They could not do an exact solution even with a non zigging target - torpedoes are not perfect and cannot maintain exactly 40 knots, more to that - consider waves, changes in temperature, currents and what not. Exact math where not possible. That is why they get as close as possible, ideally inside the convoy and did what british submarines called browning shot, even with a zigging target there is hope that zag will not come before torps get to the target.