How many torps to use on big merchants?

onelifecrisis · 08-27-07, 03:57 PM

I'm in the habit now of using two torps to sink anything that's Large Merchant size or bigger, as they seem to often take two hits. How many do you use? To the people that use just one: do you find that it sinks more than 50% of the time? Doesn't it grate on your nerves when the other X% get away? (I hate watching 10,000+ tons of injured merchant limp away after spending hours/days of game time getting into position to fire on a convoy)

GoldenRivet · 08-27-07, 04:09 PM

I am in the habbit now of using a two fish spread towards any high tonnage.

this choice has come from too often experiencing the frustration of sending one torpedo that turned out to be a dud, prematurely detonated, or hit the ship and appeard to do little or no damage and resulted on NO sinkings.

so no more games, i play SH3 by the motto "its better to sink little than to damage much". damaged ships still reach port, and therfore still deliver oil, machine parts, fuel, and armament to the enemy... sunken ships do not complete deliveries nearly as well as floating ships do

If i have only one torpedo available i try to hit the forward bow of the ship, this seems to be a lethal area, but you cant count on it 100% of the time.

my strategy over time has become one of pecking away at the convoy piece by piece. I'll set up an attack, dend two torpedoes at the two biggest tubs i can see and get out of dodge. Then i'll follow the convoy, and set up another attack later. If you succeed at repeating this process for 3 or 4 days in a row you have pretty much taken out every large ship they had.

Avatar · 08-27-07, 04:20 PM

Yeah, normally I try to aim at the bow. I was with one torpedo left and heading home when I came across a large merchant. That one torpedo hitting it's bow was enough. But be careful, on pleasant days and seas, the ship will have ample room to avoid your warshot. So try using higher torpedo speeds.
Generally I use two shots at bigger game, and if I swing to use my stern tube, well, that's one shot and that's when I aim towards the bow. Maybe it has something to do with the bow flooding and the engines driving it to the bottom, like the physics of a submarine diving.
Capital ships, on the other hand, fire away with everything you got.

GoldenRivet · 08-27-07, 04:28 PM

one note about capital ships, if you slam several torps into her and she doesnt sink, but goes dead in the water or even if it just slows to 2 knots... just wait it out and reload down deep because over time the escorts will leave the BB behind. :rotfl:

i could see the destroyer flashing a message to the BB

BB watchman:"Sir we are receiving morse coded signals from the escorts"

BB captain: "Very well, whats the message say"

BB watchamn: "The message reads... 'It's a hard knock life for you -break- tough titty -break- we are out of here you're on your own!"

Jimbuna · 08-27-07, 04:43 PM

LMAO :rotfl:

HMCS · 08-27-07, 05:25 PM

I just had a patrol in Oct. of 39 where I returned with the lip-smacking total of a decisive, war-altering 14000 grt. Every single *******ing little pissant wanted two torpedoes to sink.

So instead I got the crew up topside and we threw moldy bread at them, instead.

08-27-07, 03:57 PM	#1
onelifecrisis Maverick Modder Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: England Posts: 3,895 Downloads: 65 Uploads: 3	How many torps to use on big merchants? I'm in the habit now of using two torps to sink anything that's Large Merchant size or bigger, as they seem to often take two hits. How many do you use? To the people that use just one: do you find that it sinks more than 50% of the time? Doesn't it grate on your nerves when the other X% get away? (I hate watching 10,000+ tons of injured merchant limp away after spending hours/days of game time getting into position to fire on a convoy)

08-27-07, 04:09 PM	#2
GoldenRivet Subsim Aviator Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 8,726 Downloads: 146 Uploads: 0	I am in the habbit now of using a two fish spread towards any high tonnage. this choice has come from too often experiencing the frustration of sending one torpedo that turned out to be a dud, prematurely detonated, or hit the ship and appeard to do little or no damage and resulted on NO sinkings. so no more games, i play SH3 by the motto "its better to sink little than to damage much". damaged ships still reach port, and therfore still deliver oil, machine parts, fuel, and armament to the enemy... sunken ships do not complete deliveries nearly as well as floating ships do If i have only one torpedo available i try to hit the forward bow of the ship, this seems to be a lethal area, but you cant count on it 100% of the time. my strategy over time has become one of pecking away at the convoy piece by piece. I'll set up an attack, dend two torpedoes at the two biggest tubs i can see and get out of dodge. Then i'll follow the convoy, and set up another attack later. If you succeed at repeating this process for 3 or 4 days in a row you have pretty much taken out every large ship they had. __________________

08-27-07, 04:28 PM	#4
GoldenRivet Subsim Aviator Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 8,726 Downloads: 146 Uploads: 0	one note about capital ships, if you slam several torps into her and she doesnt sink, but goes dead in the water or even if it just slows to 2 knots... just wait it out and reload down deep because over time the escorts will leave the BB behind. :rotfl: i could see the destroyer flashing a message to the BB BB watchman:"Sir we are receiving morse coded signals from the escorts" BB captain: "Very well, whats the message say" BB watchamn: "The message reads... 'It's a hard knock life for you -break- tough titty -break- we are out of here you're on your own!" __________________

08-27-07, 04:43 PM	#5
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,500 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	LMAO :rotfl: __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

08-27-07, 05:25 PM	#6
HMCS Sonar Guy Join Date: May 2005 Location: Squaresville, daddy-O. Posts: 394 Downloads: 186 Uploads: 0	I just had a patrol in Oct. of 39 where I returned with the lip-smacking total of a decisive, war-altering 14000 grt. Every single *****ing little pissant wanted two torpedoes to sink. So instead I got the crew up topside and we threw moldy bread at them, instead. __________________ "Turning enemy ships into marine habitat since 1986!"** Mods Loaded:TMO 2.2, RSRDC, MaxOptics, Strategic Map Symbols, Stop The Shouting OR: RFB, RSRDC, Maxoptics, SCAF, Strategic Map Symbols and the sanity-saving "stop the shouting".

08-27-07, 04:20 PM	#3
Avatar Commodore Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Way out there Posts: 603 Downloads: 24 Uploads: 0	Yeah, normally I try to aim at the bow. I was with one torpedo left and heading home when I came across a large merchant. That one torpedo hitting it's bow was enough. But be careful, on pleasant days and seas, the ship will have ample room to avoid your warshot. So try using higher torpedo speeds. Generally I use two shots at bigger game, and if I swing to use my stern tube, well, that's one shot and that's when I aim towards the bow. Maybe it has something to do with the bow flooding and the engines driving it to the bottom, like the physics of a submarine diving. Capital ships, on the other hand, fire away with everything you got.