I generally try to sink lone unarmed merchants with my deck gun whenever possible. Shooting below the waterline will send even the biggest freighter to the bottom eventually. However!: When I am shelling my foe I try to poke holes along the whole waterline. My question is this: shuld I rather consentrate on making a BIG hole amidship under the waterline or should I continue making many small holes along the ship? Anyone done some research?
And by the way: What are the armour piercing shells good for? I would never, NEVER, engage in a gunfight with something armoured, as it would probably shoot back with a bigger gun... A theory: Since HE rounds are supposed to detonate upon impact, wouldn´t the shells explode upon impact with the water (on its way to hit below the waterline) detonating harmlessly meters away from the hull. (Just imagine the hardness of the water, hitting it at a couple of hundred meters pr second...) Maybe the AP rounds, being made for penetration rather than fragmentation, will serve my needs better?
