Quote:
Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith
Great lead in to another idea I have...it deals with torpedo drift.
The idea is simple: the game makes the torpedo travel on a perfect course to the target. Whatever course the torpedo was set to follow after it's initial turn is where it heads. Now in game this is a perfect straight line. I HIGHLY doubt this was the case in real life. The torpedo had to drift some - maybe 0.25 degree to the left then maybe 0.38 degree to the right then...well you get the idea. I plan on modelling something like this with another patch. Thoughts  |
excerpts from
"WOLVES WITHOUT TEETH: THE GERMAN TORPEDO CRISIS IN WORLD WAR TWO":
"It will be recalled that from the outset of the war individual captains experienced great trouble with the actual run of their torpedoes. Entirely separate from the problems of depth or premature detonation, a torpedo fired one direction might suddenly veer off course or even in certain rare cases loop back around to strike the attacking U-boat. Assuming that the torpedo did run straight, a shaky run resulting from outside disturbances could in certain instances work against the armature and potentially contribute to a premature detonation. It was found, however, that such disturbance could be greatly reduced by replacing the previous four-bladed propeller with a new six-bladed propeller. This transition enabled the torpedo to run more smoothly in the water and hence improve its accuracy and stability." (pp. 76-77)
"During the summer of 1940 the TI launched an investigation into the causes of the oft-reported instances in the past whereby torpedoes would inexplicably run off course after being launched. The TI attributed this behavior to prolonged vibration of the G.A. [Geradelaufapparat course stabilization device] incurred during transport or while on board the boat. This can be explained as follows: the straight ahead motion of the torpedo was governed by a device found within the torpedo known as the Geradelaufapparat, commonly abbreviated as G.A. This device was extremely sensitive, so much so that it could, they speculated, be thrown out of sync by the jolts and bumps that it encountered either as a result of improper handling during its delivery to the front, or once delivered, through some violent motion such as that resulting from being depth-charged. Pending the results of this investigation, the TI suggested that two measures be taken. First was the rather vague and obvious, and as such probably unhelpful, suggestion that all efforts be made to secure and protect the tail piece of the torpedo (in which the GA was located) from violence or unnecessary stress. Second was the more helpful proposal that the firm seating of the locking nuts for the clutch nuts of the rudder linkage should be inspected/proofed as often as possible." (p. 139)
My conclusions:
"external disturbances" could unstablize torpedoe's course, eventually leading to its premature detonation.
No mention though about torpedo drifting, intended as a gradual and random detour of torpedoes from their main course, neither in the above mentioned essay nor elsewhere on the web.
The gyroscope fitted on WWII torpedoes was acting both as a route stabilizer and a steering control. My thought is that any major malfunctioning of this device would have lead to an abrupt veer from torpedo course (wich is already modelled in game I think) rather than to many cumulative minor course changes.
