The Balao figures I do not remember, but the "magnetic exploder" in SH4 is wonked. I cannot remember the details now of how it is "triggered", but while targeting a BB, I have set them for say 38 foot to go under the keel, and they explode under a 20 foot draft ship between me and the BB, which is very frustrating. Then again, that would be similar to the way they did work, although I don't think something 18 foot beneath the keel would be damaging enough to sink a ship... The thing about torpedoes, like most other "ordnance" in the game, is that there is a "damage zone", and a variable as to how much of that damage is then applied to your "target", such that even though you hit in the "sweet" spot of a ship, it might not incur the full effect of the weapon. Then there are the DD... from recent encounters of the strange kind in FotRSU, most of the DD in the game, and this includes stock, do not have a fully-linked "damage" model. Almost like the game was rushed to release - oh wait! It was rushed to release - including the "updates"... (whatever you do, do NOT pay attention to the details, especially on the German side of the SH4 game
)... But a lot of the DD do have steel jaws if you hit them in the bow. They might ignite into a ball of flame, but they will still drive around at 36 knots, dropping and shooting cans at your sub until they run out of them six hours from now... hit them a bit behind that spot though, or maybe if they'll turn just enough away from you as the torpedo detonates, to where it is just behind that front damage zone sphere, and they do the same flames and explosion, but go down like a stone - similar to what the CL will do sometimes... My guess is that it is a purposeful thing, for them to have the steel jaw that is, so that a player doesn't "bait" the DD with a raised periscope and "draw" them to a certain doom with down-the-throat shots. Of course, in FotRSU, there is the distinct possibility of having a returned favor, with a torpedo reception of your own...
