Duds in the Fog

Shredd27 · 08-06-12, 03:12 PM

I'm sure there are more things I'll discover as I delve deeper into my first career and get many more patrols under my belt. But, I learned a big lesson on my second and third patrols yesterday. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER again will I fire a torpedo at even a stationary target in the fog. On my second patrol I snuck into a harbor that was socked in with fog. Great for getting in undetected right? Once there I found a small old tanker and a large composite freighter that I expended all my torpedos on without sinking either one. Keep in mind that I don't have dud torpedos turned on. One dud after the other, except one for some reason I wasted all my torpedos. The next patrol I snuck into another harbor that was fogged in as well,.. at first. There was a small old tanker here as well that was parked out in the open for an easy 90 degree shot. Once again I fired while in the fog,.. and once again thunk/drop boom. DUD! So I decided to wait till it cleared up, which it did. Fired again,.. and KABOOM! Down that tanker went. Is this something everyone has experienced???

CCIP · 08-06-12, 03:23 PM

Well, keep in mind that there is a minimum arming distance (400 yards on early torpedoes, 300 on later torpedoes), while the fog at maximum thickness lets you only see a couple of hundred yards ahead. So your duds aren't caused by fog - they're caused by being too close to your target.

Armistead · 08-06-12, 04:02 PM

Agreed, fog has no connection to duds, either too close or just a bad load of torps. Several values can effect dud rate, sea state, angle of impact, speed, etc.,. With most mods, if you have duds on, failure rate is about 50%, but I've had times of 80% failure. Torps get much better in 43.

b34856 · 08-06-12, 04:59 PM

While harbor raiding in real bad fog, you can use your radar to find the bearing of a ship, and then use your hydrophone to ping it for a range, I think.

08-06-12, 08:27 PM

also keep in mind that in some harbors there are sand bars or shallow areas where your torps may hit and explode early or go dead as a dud for hitting something before it arms. as a rule i always set torps at shallowest depth to avoid these surprises

Hylander_1314 · 08-06-12, 08:30 PM

And ships can be located behind concrete docks that like to stop fish dead before they reach the target.

08-06-12, 03:12 PM	#1
Shredd27 Watch Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 24 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	Duds in the Fog I'm sure there are more things I'll discover as I delve deeper into my first career and get many more patrols under my belt. But, I learned a big lesson on my second and third patrols yesterday. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER again will I fire a torpedo at even a stationary target in the fog. On my second patrol I snuck into a harbor that was socked in with fog. Great for getting in undetected right? Once there I found a small old tanker and a large composite freighter that I expended all my torpedos on without sinking either one. Keep in mind that I don't have dud torpedos turned on. One dud after the other, except one for some reason I wasted all my torpedos. The next patrol I snuck into another harbor that was fogged in as well,.. at first. There was a small old tanker here as well that was parked out in the open for an easy 90 degree shot. Once again I fired while in the fog,.. and once again thunk/drop boom. DUD! So I decided to wait till it cleared up, which it did. Fired again,.. and KABOOM! Down that tanker went. Is this something everyone has experienced???

08-06-12, 03:23 PM	#2
CCIP Navy Seal Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Waterloo, Canada Posts: 8,700 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 2	Well, keep in mind that there is a minimum arming distance (400 yards on early torpedoes, 300 on later torpedoes), while the fog at maximum thickness lets you only see a couple of hundred yards ahead. So your duds aren't caused by fog - they're caused by being too close to your target. __________________ There are only forty people in the world and five of them are hamburgers. -Don Van Vliet (aka Captain Beefheart)

08-06-12, 04:59 PM	#4
b34856 Seaman Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 31 Downloads: 51 Uploads: 0	While harbor raiding in real bad fog, you can use your radar to find the bearing of a ship, and then use your hydrophone to ping it for a range, I think. __________________ b34856 Go in close, and when you think you are too close, go in closer. — Major Thomas B. 'Tommy' McGuire, USAAF.

08-06-12, 08:30 PM	#6
Hylander_1314 Sea Lord Join Date: May 2006 Location: 5 Miles Inland West Of Lake Huron Posts: 1,936 Downloads: 139 Uploads: 0	And ships can be located behind concrete docks that like to stop fish dead before they reach the target. __________________ A legislative act contrary to the Constitution is not law. -John Marshall Chief Justice of the Supreme Court ---------------------

08-06-12, 04:02 PM	#3
Armistead Rear Admiral Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: on the Dan Posts: 10,880 Downloads: 364 Uploads: 0	Agreed, fog has no connection to duds, either too close or just a bad load of torps. Several values can effect dud rate, sea state, angle of impact, speed, etc.,. With most mods, if you have duds on, failure rate is about 50%, but I've had times of 80% failure. Torps get much better in 43.

08-06-12, 08:27 PM	#5
Webster Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	also keep in mind that in some harbors there are sand bars or shallow areas where your torps may hit and explode early or go dead as a dud for hitting something before it arms. as a rule i always set torps at shallowest depth to avoid these surprises