Longest shot...?

[Chubster]

I normally only fire when I am at about 1500m but I see the T1 has a maximum range of 14km

Has anyone taken a shot at this range and hit ?

[Gargamel]

I've done them over 10k, back when I was playing way more un-realistic.

I have though, recently, done a four salvo at a similar range and gotten a couple hits in a convoy. But that's more of a shotgun into a flock of birds approach rather than a sniper shot.

[Tom]

14 km? No, and I'd never even try it.

The longest shots I've tried and succeeded with have been around 5-6 km (measuring distance at these ranges without map contacts is difficult at best). They were night surface attacks against ships in a convoy (the juicy targets were right in the middle of the convoy), from a perfect 90 degree position with a very accurate convoy speed and course solution, so inaccurate range wouldn't matter.

With a bit of luck I might hit from further away, but 5 km is already pretty uncomfortable. I'd much rather keep the range below 3 km. But sometimes a longer range surface shot is more viable than the shorter range submerged attack (in shallow waters, for example).

[ediko]

14km pretty much the maximum range of t1, it only had a few hundred meters left when the target was reached. I was firing at a stationary Nelson in Gibraltar though, you surely know why I was doing the shot's from such range.

[King_Zog]

In theory If you are shooting at a zero gyro angle and your target's aob and speed is calculated perfectly then your range calculation should be irrelevant.

As far as I know the torpedos modelled in silent hunter will always keep their depth and course without drifting, so I suppose it would be possible to hit a moving target to the limit of your torpedo's range, providing you can get the other two calculations exactly right.

But even with perfect visibility and no waves I'm not sure you'll be able to take good enough readings for the TDC to make the shot.

In practice I can only make good shots out to 5KM at most, and that's with good visibility and calm conditions. But I'm no expert, Sometimes I miss at 500meters .

[Obltn Strand]

Originally Posted by King_Zog

In theory If you are shooting at a zero gyro angle and your target's aob and speed is calculated perfectly then your range calculation should be irrelevant.

Range is definetly not irrelevant when shooting long distances. It takes appox. 8 minutes for TI to reach 14 km. Ship traveling say 7kts covers distance of 1680 meters during that time. So ignoring distance is a definite miss.

Tom put firinig distances quite nicely. Anythig above 4 to 5 km is a waste of eels and occasionally lucky hit.

My personal best is a hit about 7 km away.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by Obltn Strand

Range is definetly not irrelevant when shooting long distances. It takes appox. 8 minutes for TI to reach 14 km. Ship traveling say 7kts covers distance of 1680 meters during that time. So ignoring distance is a definite miss.

Actually, range is irrelevant with 0 degree gyro angle shots. If you have the AOB and speed correct, the torpedo will hit where you aim it.

Let's assume torpedo speed 30 knots, target speed 10 knots, 90 AOB at torpedo impact.

If range (to impact) is 1500 meters, you'd have to lead the target by 500 meters (target moves at 1/3 speed of torpedo). If the range (to impact) is 3000 meters, you have to lead it by 1000 meters (target moves at 1/3 speed of torpedo). In both cases, the lead angle is clearly the same (about 18,5 degrees with this torpedo/target speed ratio).

Even with AOB not equal to 90, the aiming point will be independent of range. You can see this easily by drawing a torpedo course and several target courses (parallel to each other) at different ranges. If you measure torpedo time to hit and calculate the distances each ship would move along its course during that time, you will see that all aiming points are on the same line. The lead angle does not depend on range. Every triangle formed by torpedo course, target course and aiming line is similar.

With anything else than 0 degree gyro angles torpedo tube parallax and torpedo movement before it turns to the correct heading will cause error. Higher gyro angles and shorter distances will cause a greater error in torpedo heading.


Edit: Range of course makes a difference in the error margin you have. If, for example, at 1000 meters, a ship covers 6 degrees in your periscope, this means your solution may be off by 3 degrees in either direction (assuming you aimed at the center of target). At 6000 meters range, the same ship would only cover 1 degree, allowing you an error margin of only 0,5 degrees in either direction. Thus, long distance shots are only possible with a very accurate speed and AOB/course solution.


Edit 2: Actually, even 0 degree gyro angle shots have torpedo tube parallax because of the aiming lead angle. Assuming a 10 degree lead angle and 30 meters between periscope and tube door, this amounts to an error of 5 meters or so in torpedo hit location. I'm not sure if the TDC actually corrects this error, but if it does, TDC range setting does have an effect on very long range shots. The correction for a 5 meter error at 500 meters would be 0,57 degrees, at 4000 meters it would be 0,07 degrees. So setting the TDC at 500 meters or 4000 meters would cause a 0,5 degree difference in torpedo path (again, assuming the TDC actually takes this error into account). At 4000 meters a 0,5 degree error in torpedo path would cause a 35 meter error in hit location.

This error is only relevant if the TDC is set for a very short range and the range to target is very long. In any case, the 0 degree gyro parallax error is much smaller than errors caused by large gyro angles and bad range settings, because the torpedo might well take a couple of hundred meters to turn towards the correct heading.

[VonApist]

4.3 Km against a Large Tanker. It was a hit, but i guess i was lucky. I think that over the 3.5 Km range (if the target is not stationery) the probabilities for a hit are just that... Probabilities.. And low for that matter

[Howard313]

Personally I like to deploy the Battle of Bunker Hill method in my shots. "don't shoot until you see the white of their eyes."

In all honesty I like to be anywhere between 1000m - 500m, and no higher than 1500m when I make my shots.

[desirableroasted]

Originally Posted by Tom

Actually, range is irrelevant with 0 degree gyro angle shots. If you have the AOB and speed correct, the torpedo will hit where you aim it.

Yep, and as King Zog noted, you don't need to worry about current, wave buffeting (except for maybe setting off a magnetic pistol early), the ability of the target to stay on course, etc.

Still, 14-15K out is a loonnnggg way. Aiming accurately (as in aiming at a specific part of the target) is out of the question, and if your finger twitches a nanosecond when firing, the lag will cause a miss.

I try to shoot as closely as possible (who doesn't?), but I'm perfectly happy taking 5-6K shots, and usually make them*. Missing a shot under 3K, though, really irritates me.

Assuming I can see the thing. A coastal tanker just passed me at about 350, pitch dark, raining. My hydroman could hear it, and the "lock cheat" certainly saw it, but I couldn't even see a shadow. Oh, well, probably a neutral.

*usually = more often than not, because I choose my long shots carefully: slow merchants, excellent visibility. I wouldn't want to do a patrol of nothing but 5K shots; the results would be paltry, indeed.

[Missing Name]

The only time I would try making "trick shots" is if it's a high priority target. For example, I shot at the Hood and a couple BC's from about 7km away. Of course, I missed.

[Fish In The Water]

Originally Posted by Howard313

Personally I like to deploy the Battle of Bunker Hill method in my shots. "don't shoot until you see the white of their eyes."

In all honesty I like to be anywhere between 1000m - 500m, and no higher than 1500m when I make my shots.

Builds the tension...

Plus 'point blank' makes for some interesting evasion scenarios.

[VONHARRIS]

I have scored a 10Km shot at a convoy at night using only the hydrophones BUT it was only luck that the torpedo struck anything.

I was that desperate in that situation , so I took the shot only not to leave the convoy pass.

The TI hit a modern tanker which probably exploded since she sank immediately and I was credited the renown.

I repeat that this was a lucky shot.
I launch at 3,5 - 4Km for stand off attacks with TIs.

[Pisces]

What Tom said in post 7! You don't have to be very close to get a hit, or resort to salvo, if you can rely on the AOB/target speed value. But extreme long range shots is extremely hard to get right. You'll need to know speed accurately atleast to some extra decimal figures because the target is so damn small in degrees. If you are in a sniper mood then you're better off playing Sniper Elite.

[desirableroasted]

And the problem with 90AOB shots is, of course, that you rob yourself of the advantages of the magnetic pistol.