TDC question

[microlime]

In what situations would someone use a fast torp over a slow or medium?
Even if its a slow torp doesnt the TDC adjust the lead of the target?

Im also using auto targeting(just for AOB) but slowy switching to manual. What kinds changes are there between the two?

Can any one recommend any good mods that have navigation tools

also when does the allies start using the convoy system?

thanks

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by microlime

In what situations would someone use a fast torp over a slow or medium?

Any time you shoot from within 1000 meters of the target. With steam torpedoes they can see the bubble trail. Fast speed gives them less time to react.

Even if its a slow torp doesnt the TDC adjust the lead of the target?

With Auto Targeting or with Weapons Officer Assistance it does adjust it for you. I'm not sure how it works with Manual.

Im also using auto targeting(just for AOB) but slowy switching to manual. What kinds changes are there between the two?

Can any one recommend any good mods that have navigation tools

Sorry, I can't help with either one of those.

also when does the allies start using the convoy system?

The first convoy, AB.1/1, departed from Gibraltar on September 2, 1939, the second day of the war.

[Hitman]

Even if its a slow torp doesnt the TDC adjust the lead of the target?

Yes, the TDC adjusts the correct lead for the target depending on the torpedo speed you set. Beware that in manual mode you must enter correctly all the rest, i.e. AOB and target speed, but the TDC will automatically take into account the torpedo speed. In fact, inside the TDC speed dial you can see the big needle where you adjust target speed, and also a small circular dial labelled 30-40-45 or so: That is your current set torpedo speed. Change speed with the switch and you will see that dial rotate and indicate the correct one. BUt beware that there is a bug in SH3: If you have set the TDC for the steam (faster) torpedo and then click and select an electric eel (slower), you might need to re-click in the TDC for the solution to update. Otherwise it will still be set for a faster torpedo, and you might miss.

As a side note: germans didn't start using the fast torpedo speed until 1942, when their pistol and depth keeping problems dissapeared, as faster speeds seemed to unbalance the torpedo too much and make it prone to miss (Source: Clay Blair's "Hitler's UBoat War").

[Paul Riley]

Originally Posted by Hitman

As a side note: germans didn't start using the fast torpedo speed until 1942, when their pistol and depth keeping problems dissapeared, as faster speeds seemed to unbalance the torpedo too much and make it prone to miss (Source: Clay Blair's "Hitler's UBoat War").

Is that implemented in the game by any chance? faster speeds resulting in unbalancing the torpedo run?
After all these years playing the game I never considered that! sure,I may have read about it happening for real somewhere (in one of my books) but never considered it happening in game,in fact,I use fast setting all the time (from no more than 1000m) and have never noticed problems with the torpedo run due to fast setting.

Cheers Hitman.

[maillemaker]

In what situations would someone use a fast torp over a slow or medium?

Use the fastest speed setting you can and still achieve the range of the target. Electric torpedoes only have one speed setting, and have a range of 5km. Steam torpedoes have three speed settings, fast, medium, and slow, and have ranges of 5km, 7.5km, and 12km respectively.

Since steamers can be spotted, you want to use the fastest speed you can to minimize the target's chance to react, while still having the range to hit your target.

Even if its a slow torp doesnt the TDC adjust the lead of the target?

Yes, the TDC accounts for the speed selection of the torpedo.

Im also using auto targeting(just for AOB) but slowy switching to manual. What kinds changes are there between the two?

Manual targeting requires you to know the Angle on the Bow (AoB) - the angle between the bow of the target ship and your u-boat - the target speed, the target bearing, and optionally the target range.

Except when pressed by need, I try to set up all my shots with my u-boat 90 degrees to the target track. By doing this the target range is irrelevant. Search these forums for the "Fixed Wire" method of manual targeting. It is simple.

Steve

[Hitman]

Is that implemented in the game by any chance? faster speeds resulting in unbalancing the torpedo run?

AFAIK no, it isn't. No idea if the game could be tweaked to represent it, either.

[LGN1]

In this article it is written that the 44 knot setting overloaded the engine:

http://www.uboataces.com/weapon-torpedo.shtml

Like Hitman says, the fastest setting was not used until 1942.

Other sources claim it was never used on u-boats.

In order to simulate the overloading, I use SH3 Commander to randomly change the range of the G7A torpedo at the fastest setting. As a consequence, I hardly use the fastest setting because it is too risky.

Cheers, LGN1

[sharkbit]

Originally Posted by Hitman

As a side note: germans didn't start using the fast torpedo speed until 1942, when their pistol and depth keeping problems dissapeared, as faster speeds seemed to unbalance the torpedo too much and make it prone to miss (Source: Clay Blair's "Hitler's UBoat War").

Hmmmm....interesting.

Maybe another "personal option" to add to the list.

[Pisces]

Another reason to choose a slow speed torpedo is that the amount of lead required is bigger. If you are in a position across a convoy track and want to hit a target a couple of collumns deep the bigger lead might prevent a really long target (in a closer column) to act as 'bodyguard' for the intended target. Small lead could allow it to catch the torpedo by means of it's bow sticking out. A counter-argument however is, usually the longest ships are the heaviest and therefore the most tonnage/renown. It just gives you some more margin of error. Allways usefull in tense periods like these.

And the torpedo takes longer before it goes boom, so you also have more precious seconds to get down below or get out away on the surface.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by sharkbit

Hmmmm....interesting.

Maybe another "personal option" to add to the list.

I was unaware of that as well, but from now on I'll be using slower speeds early in the war.

[Threesixtyci]

Just be aware of the TDC torpedo speed glitch. Always click on the speed knob when dealing with torpedoes, even if there is only one speed to choose from. For some reason the game will use the wrong speed for the lead calculation, if you don't always do that.

http://www.paulwasserman.net/SHIII/
Fast 90 instructions are probably the easiest way to understand how manual targeting, works....
With the fast 90 technique you're predicting the 90 degree AOD.... and working backwards from there, which makes the overall process a lot easier.

And GWX added compass makes calculating bearings much easier than using a calculator... I don't know if you're using GWX, though.

Fixed wire is a way to calculate the speed of a given ship by knowing the ship's length and plugging it into a formula.... that involves time. (will need a calculator, for this...). I don't remember the formula.

Anyway, it eliminates the need of having an accurate ranging distance. Which happens to be the hardest thing to do in the sim, due to the recognition charts of mast heights being so hard to depict, the errors of constantly bobbing, the awkward aiming controls, and other such things.

[Pisces]

Originally Posted by Threesixtyci

...
Fixed wire is a way to calculate the speed of a given ship by knowing the ship's length and plugging it into a formula.... that involves time. (will need a calculator, for this...). I don't remember the formula.
...

Length (in meters) divided by time (seconds), multiplied by 2, and you get knots as the result. It's a simple and good-enough approximation, but officially you should multiply by 1.944.

[Iranon]

Faster speeds have another advantage apart from giving the target less time to evade: It reduces the impact of slightly inaccurate torpedo settings.

Ok, if they don't zig-zag you shouldn't miss entirely anyway.. but it can mean the difference between sinking the target with 1 hit in the oil bunker and needing to spend another eel/a few deck gun rounds and risking trouble.

*

On the other hand, faster speed means less time under the target. I can't verify this completely, but I believe at AoB close to 90/180° this makes magnetic detonators even less reliable.

[BillCar]

Originally Posted by Threesixtyci

Fixed wire is a way to calculate the speed of a given ship by knowing the ship's length and plugging it into a formula.... that involves time. (will need a calculator, for this...). I don't remember the formula.

Anyway, it eliminates the need of having an accurate ranging distance. Which happens to be the hardest thing to do in the sim, due to the recognition charts of mast heights being so hard to depict, the errors of constantly bobbing, the awkward aiming controls, and other such things.

Fixed wire is definitely the fastest, simplest, and most consistently accurate method I know of. Since switching over, it's extremely rare for me to miss when playing at 100%. If you find that it takes you too long or you don't know the ships' lengths, well, you should download Hitman's superb GUI, which contains a chart for calculating range, length, and AOB. You can just quickly refer to it and plug in the relevant data. Works like a charm, and I don't use the calculator anymore!

I used to use the medium speed setting for G7As but, the TDC problem mentioned by Hitman caused me to leave all torpedo speeds at 30 knots. That is, "slow" for the G7A, and the only speed available to the G7E.