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Old 01-24-14, 11:05 AM   #9
maillemaker
Sea Lord
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
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With this in mind, why not just use a Type I set at 44 knots?
When I'm forced to use Type I torpedoes, that is generally exactly what I do.

I only load steamers in my external stores, as was historically correct. So when I pull in the steamers, I generally use them at their highest speed settings. I always try to shoot at under 1000m, and at their highest speed settings it gives the target virtually no time to react nor does the sight picture change much from when you fire to when impact occurs.

My only exception to this is late 1943 early 1944 in any sub but the Type XXI.

At this time it is no longer feasible to infiltrate convoys and shoot from inside at close range, except maybe in very rough seas. Otherwise the escorts will find you and you have a very low possibility of escape once there are 5, 6 or even more escorts circling you.

In this case I use FAT steamers at low speed (for long range) as standoff weapons. Then you can fire at a convoy from 5000m or so away and submerge deep and turn away silent and stand a chance of never being detected in the first place.

Of course the down side here is that from that range you have to have a dead-accurate speed estimation to have a chance at a hit. More often than not I either miss or hit something other than I was aiming at. FAT capability is very very useful in this case. It's more like shotgun shooting than precision shooting at this stage of the war.

Steve
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