Quote:
Originally Posted by GJO
I recently started a new career in SH3 with GWX and Hsie's V16b patch. On my first war patrol all but one of my 14 torpedoes failed to detonate -the 13 duds just sailed right under their targets despite my careful attention to depth setting. These were all G7a types fired from a range of between 450 and 500 metres.
Being somewhat disappointed, I decided to research the available facts and found that during the early war years, a 30% failure rate was experience but, nevertheless, the G7a was regarded as the more reliable torpedo choice. Having said that, I have been unable to find any evidence to suggest that the depth keeping ability of these torpedoes was affected adversely by the sea state since failure seemed to occur equally in relatively calm water - the early failure appears to have been blamed on excess pressure in the (depth keeping) balance chambers which caused the torpedoes to run too deep and defective firing pistols which resulted in either premature detonation or failure to detonate on impact. Both faults could have been partially compensated for by using impact pistols and setting the torpedo to run shallow as was ordered.
None of the above would have caused the 93% failure rate that I had in the game so I have concluded that my preference for attacking in adverse weather conditions conflicts with the torpedo failure model imposed by Hsie's V16b patch. I have therefore deselected the "Torpedo failure fix" and have re-run my first war patrol in which I suffered just three torpedo failures and one that missed its target completely and I think this is possibly a more realistic result? All comments and suggestions welcome . . .
|
Herbert Werner, in his first-person account of commanding a U-boat in WW2 (
Iron Coffins), mentions several times that attacks either failed or had to be abandoned due to heavy weather. So we can conclude that torpedoes were subject to failure in heavy weather and that U-boat skippers knew this and were reluctant to attack in bad weather.
The problem is not one of torpedo defects. It is due to the shallow-running, self-propelled torpedo being disrupted by wave action near the surface and possibly even broaching. A broaching torpedo, clearing the water at 40 knots and then smashing into the next wave, is liable either to detonate short of its target or be deflected. h.sie simulates these failure modes by setting a "failed" torpedo to maximum depth. That's an artifice, but the operational results are appropriate.
The problem was not unique to the G7a, or to German torpedoes. Dick O'Kane has some similar discussion in his books detailing his experience commanding an American sub.
You can not compare your 93% failure rate, achieved under conditions which R/L Kaleuns would avoid, with their 30% experience rate achieved mostly under better conditions. Your high failure rate is
why such conditions were avoided.
If you want to attack under conditions which historically were avoided, that's up to you. If you do, I strongly recommend that you first read h.sie's excellent and thorough documentation of the "Torpedo Failure Fix." Here you will see the algorithm h.sie used to model the problem and infer the tactics you can use to minimize its effect. Setting the torpedo to run deep and relying on the magnetic exploder can be effective, until weather conditions argue against risking a torpedo at all.
But you shouldn't expect 70% torpedo performance in 15 m/sec winds.