Snowcajun,
In your manual on page 72 it gives a recommended depth for the various types of ships.
Battleships: 20'
Heavy Cruisers, Carriers, Large Merchants: 12'
Light Cruisers, Small Merchants, Submarines: 10'
Destroyers: 6'
On page 74 it gives you info about the life in torpedo hits.
I know many of us just run to the store, grab the game, install it, play and forget to read the manual. I too am victim of this. Ever since reading the passage on pg 72 it has helped tremendously. I too have found where I was using too many damn torps on those pesky merchants
. So I read, experimented and with great sucess I have been getting one shot kills. Going back to base for torps is a loooong trip, and now my torpedo usage has since been more efficient allowing more targets for me to sink
.