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Originally Posted by Hitman
Personally I think that this method has an important problem, and that's that the added torpedo and target speed make it easier to miss. The target is already small, and with a 45º AOB at the moment of impact it presents only 70% of his side to be hit by the torpedo, with the added problem of the increased speed of approach.
90º is still the method with best chances of success  |
With rounded sterns it actually works out to be about 75% of the target length for a stationary target. The increased closing speed means that the run length is shorter for any given range, therefore the angular length of the target is dependant on the speed of the target and the torpedo. For some targets the angular length is larger. For any given range, the run length is shorter, so errors in your solutions consequently are less important at that shorter run length. Increased closing speed is always a benefit.
EDIT: Also, the target is not moving at the same speed accross the path of the torpedo, for example, a 20 knot target will be moving across the torpedo's path at 14 knots, whereas with a 90 degree attack it going at 20 knots relative to the torpedo's path. So what you lose in length, you gain in slowing the target down. If you imagine a target coming straight towards you, it's bearing doesn't change and it's effective speed accross the torpedo track is 0 knots.
Also, if you are using the PK and attack at 45 degrees, with a divergant spread from aft to stern, the torpedoes all arrive at the same time and explode together - giving no time to evade as in a normal divergant spread from 90 degrees. If your target turns away, he is increasing his apparent target length, making you more likely to hit.
Post war analysis of U.S. torpedo attacks showed that attacks from in front of the target heading in had the highest hit rate, followed by ones at 90 degrees, followed by ones fired from behind the target. historically it's the most successful tactic.
The benefits increase as the speed of the target you are attacking increases and also the benefits increase with slower torpedoes, due to the percentage increase in closing speed.