Will we face enemy torpedoes?

[Incubus]

The IJN had a substantial fleet of DDs equipped with type 93 Long Lances. While these were generally used against surfaced ships I can't see why they wouldn't try to use them against subs at periscope depth. Similarly, Japan also had excellent torpedo bombers as well. I would definitely like to see torpedoes used as a weapon.

PARTICULARLY with realistic damage. I had heard that in SHIII torpedo hits against your own sub are bad, but not insta-kills. What gives? A torpedo, even a light, aircraft-dropped one, would turn a submarine inside out!

[MobyGrape]

That would be nice..Destroyer commander had active torpedos..The dd used them against subs at peri debth with good results..

having read UnderSea Victory, subs would shoot at each other and many Japanese subs were lost in this way..to even odds..it would be nice if AI could fire torps also..

[Incubus]

The thing I'm thinking is that while in theory it would be kind of tricky to hit a sub with a torpedo, these DDs are firing SPREADS of 5 per launcher not only that but you have to deal with crash dives. Imagine trying to set up a shot on a convoy only to hear your sonarman say,

"Torpedo in the water! Bearing XXX!"
"Torpedo in the water! Bearing XXX!"
"Torpedo in the water! Bearing XXX!"
"Torpedo in the water! Bearing XXX!"

[Torplexed]

I know of no instance where a Japanese escort ever tried to use a torpedo on a submarine. If he did he probably would have been chastised for wasting such a powerful asset on such a small target with a relatively shallow draft. Torpedoes were mainly used by the surface Japanese fleet in salvoes as the ultimate first strike weapon in night surface battles. They weren't cheap weapons like shells. Besides, with torpedoes being mounted in multiple tubes on the beams they would have taken quite a bit of manuvering to bring to bear which means more time for an radar equipped US sub to get wise and get away. The standard procedure upon surprising a surfaced submarine would have been to open up with the quick firing surface guns by which time any US submarine skipper worth his salt would have pulled the plug and gone under.

[_Seth_]

But if the DD's firing torps at battleships etc, and you get in the way with your sub, it would be possible that this could cause a bad day... I hope i see torpedo wakes in SHIV, that isnt caused by me...

[stabiz]

Gotta love torpedo wakes. i get excited every time, thats why I still use steamers during the day.

[_Seth_]

Originally Posted by stabiz

Gotta love torpedo wakes. i get excited every time, thats why I still use steamers during the day.

Adds more tension, IMO!

[Safe-Keeper]

Regardless of whether or not there'll be AI torpedoes against subs, there should be AI torpedoes against other AI targets, for example destroyers torpedoing other destroyers.

[Flanker15]

I really hope they put AI torpedoes in SHIV since they do play an important part, remember in SHIII when you got attacked by a bunch of PT boats while surfaced? They had no torpedoes and simply bounced bullets off your hull which sort of destroyed the whole point of a "Torpedo" boat! Aircraft need their torps too since they played an important rolei n sinking ships and just having bombers won't cut it in the pacific theater!

What would be cool and scary is if they can simulate your own torpedo
coming right back at you.The Tang was lost this way.

[Tigrone]

Originally Posted by boatfull

What would be cool and scary is if they can simulate your own torpedo
coming right back at you.The Tang was lost this way.

That would be real. Your own weapons are more dangerous to you than anything your enemy might do. That is always true, that is why recruits still paint the rocks white when it's snowing--to teach them enough not to shoot each other.

I think you can count the number of warships sunk in combat by subs in very low digits. If it is a fair fight, then you did not plan well. The whole reason of a sub is to stab a knife into a foe's back without risk to the sub.

[Koinonos]

Since we can assume that in a major naval engagement there would be many torpedos in the water at surface depth fired by destroyers on both sides, I have been pondering staying at range from the gun fight and to not engage from the middle water between the forces lest my sub get caught in the ensuing torpedo crossfire.

[hyperion2206]

Just out of curiosity: Were the torpedoes used by US surface ships as faulty as the torpedoes used by the sub force?

[joea]

Originally Posted by hyperion2206

Just out of curiosity: Were the torpedoes used by US surface ships as faulty as the torpedoes used by the sub force?

Yup.

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by joea

Yup.

The problem extended even to aerial torpedoes. The Mk 13 aerial torpedo dated from the early 1930s. It was stubby. It's warhead originally carried 400 pounds of TNT, later 600 pounds of Torpex, that made it nose-heavy. Fleet squadrons limited drops to 50 feet at no more than 110 knots from a range of approximately 800 yards. Performance was so bad (until improved in 1944) as to make American torpedo-plane attacks well nigh futile. Luckily, we had good dive-bombers.

Depression era economics were to blame. Torpedoes were seen as too expensive to test by actually detonating. Seems incredible now.