Stationary Carrier avoids Torpedo. How???????

[melnibonian]

Hello everyone

I’m in March 1940 on a VIIB sneaking through Scapa Flow, only to find the HMS Formidable (Illustrious Class Aircraft Carrier) and the HMS Queen of Bermuda (Auxiliary Cruiser) moored in the bay!!!!! After the initial shock I’ve started planning an intercept course. Both ships were stationary, so I assumed they were easy pickings. First I went for the Carrier. I’ve approached the HMS Formidable (in silent running at 3 knots at periscope depth) to 600m. There I stop the engines and fired a salvo of 4 torpedoes. To my big surprise the Carrier started moving at 9 knots instantly after I fired the salvo!!!!!!! One torpedo hit and the other three missed. I was firing from 600m away at an angle of 91 deg with fast torpedo settings. There are two questions here:

a) How on earth they could hear the torpedoes as they do not have hydrophones. It’s an aircraft carrier and not a destroyer!!!

b) How on earth they managed to go from stationary to 9 knots instantly and avoid the torpedoes???? The laws of physics talk about inertia and it’s mighty difficult to start moving a ship (especially a pretty big one) from a stationary position.

I don’t know I’m lost here. I just cannot understand how they’ve managed to avoid being hit, to hear the firing salvo and to start moving at top speed so quickly. I just don’t get it. Any ideas anyone?????

Thanks a lot. I’m playing GW by the way

P.S. In the end both the Illustrious and the Queen of Bermuda went down but not without using all my torpedoes.

[Captain Nemo]

Originally Posted by melnibonian

a) How on earth they could hear the torpedoes as they do not have hydrophones. It’s an aircraft carrier and not a destroyer!!!

It was quite common for lookouts on warships to spot the torpedoes wake and take evasive action to avoid them. Not sure about your other points, but it does sound like an impossible manoeuvre to go from 0 to 9 knots instantly.

Nemo

[Hartmann]

it means that the carrier has the boilers on, and the bridge manned , ready to steam at full speed , despite it is in port and probably the crew is in the cantines drinking and drinking

:rotfl:

it would be interesting the possibility of tweak the ship aceleration, they could reach the speed but not instantly

why this ugly avatars ??

[Respenus]

That is strange. 0-9kn in an instant. Somene has been playing God in GW

To make sure you hit with good old steam torps, make sure you're really close. REALLY!!! 500m should be good enough (but it bring into question the arming time :hmm. The second thing is, like mentioned before, gas torps leave a trail on the surface. You should have targeted a bit before the ship and set it fast (like you did).

Originally Posted by Hartmann

it means that the carrier has the boilers on, and the bridge manned , ready to steam at full speed , despite it is in port and probably the crew is in the cantines drinking and drinking

:rotfl:

it would be interesting the possibility of tweak the ship aceleration, they could reach the speed but not instantly

why this ugly avatars ??

Well I believe it's a "one post stand" avatar. Write another post and it should be gone!

[melnibonian]

Thanks.

I've learned from that experience and now I never fire beyond 400-350m!!!!!!! That's how I've got them in the end. Still the acceleration is a bit ....'unrealistic'

[Sailor Steve]

As to "hearing" the torpedoes, what time of day was it? If it was daytime they could see the wakes, unless they were electrics.

As to moving, it's BS. Even a stationary destroyer couldn't accelerate fast enough to avoid a torpedo from a standing start. All ships in SHIII, including your U-boat, accelerate WAY too quickly.

On the other hand, you being able to go into Scapa Flow at all is BS as well. In October '39 Gunther Prien only managed to do it after much discussion with Doenitz himself, including consulting every available chart and planning the mission for days. After that embarassment the main British bases were much more heavily defended. The "harbor raids" in the game are a joke.

[SteamWake]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

As to "hearing" the torpedoes, what time of day was it? If it was daytime they could see the wakes, unless they were electrics.

Ive had ships react to and avoid electrics as well :hmm: at night, in open water.

Pretty damn sure they dident know I was there till the torps were fired.

The instant acceleration has been talked about since release and yup.. its BS.

Originally Posted by SteamWake

The instant acceleration has been talked about since release and yup.. its BS.

I was quite surprised seeing how quickly I shot out of dock even at ahead slow. Especially the first time I stood on the bridge to do a full 'eyes-only' out-of-harbour navigation.

[Hartmann]

yes , destroyers can "see" the electric torpedos at night .

i lost two firing to a american destroyer after usa enter in the war.

[Safe-Keeper]

b) How on earth they managed to go from stationary to 9 knots instantly and avoid the torpedoes?

"Engage warp drives!":p

yes , destroyers can "see" the electric torpedos at night .

Zat's the Yanks for ya:p.

[AVGWarhawk]

I have seen that before...it is total BS and just some bad programming. At any rate you got one torpedo to hit. Hopefully you could finish her off!

[Respenus]

Originally Posted by Safe-Keeper

"Engage warp drives!":p

You're not really correct on that one. Even Scotys' Enterprise NCC-1701 needed to get to impulse, before getting to warp!

[svenks]

Somene has been playing God in GW

No fault of GW here - just a bug present in the stock game.

BRGDS
Sven

[Phantom II]

This is why, in my WaW campaign, I made a point to use electrics when I sunk the Illustrious, so the bastards couldn't avoid it

[Respenus]

Originally Posted by svenks

No fault of GW here - just a bug present in the stock game.

BRGDS
Sven

I never meant GW in general, but SH3 in general (I'm playing with GW, so it's an automatic connection between SH3 stock and my moded SH3 with GW).