Targets of Opportunity

[Captretman]

Am I supposed to ignore targets on the way to my patrol area?

On the way to the East China Sea, I sank a 10, 000 ton converted liner and two modern composite freighters. Then, in my patrol area, sank another modern composite freighter. Now I'm out of bow torpedos and my area designator is still yellow.

By the way, I'd really like to have one of the old sea dogs explain how to effectively use the stern tubes.

Thanks

[AVGWarhawk]

Sounds like you are playing the version right out of the box. This means there is traffic everywhere. I guess to keep the players interests up. At any rate, when I played the original version I would just pass the targets and get to my mission spot. That got kind of senseless when I was returning to port with 80000 tons. After that, I downloaded Run Silent Run Deep. Historical traffic mod. Traffic is better and more reasonable. Sometimes days without a sighting. It is more of a realism mod. So if you do download it, expect reasonable traffic and reasonable tonnage. It is all in what type of game play you are interested in.

Stern torps....I use them to finish off vessels. I also will stay submerged in the path of targets with my stern tubes set up. In your minds eye you have to use the stern tubes like you use your bow tubes. Only difference is are looking at 180 degrees from your bow. In convoys I use the bow tubes first and swing around to let them have the aft tubes

[Captretman]

Sometimes when you say a problem, subconsciously, you solve the problem. I crippled a modern composite freighter ( speed - 0 ), did a 180 and finished her off with 2 stern shots. I really like this forum - you guys do a great job!

[seafarer]

Can also depend on the mission. If you are ordered to "patrol" somewhere, you just need to get there and stay long enough to complete the mission. You need not sink anything there, just stay within a 50nm radius of the objective for 2-3 days or so.

If you are ordered to "deploy" somewhere, then you will find that as soon as you reach the objective, you automatically receive orders to engage enemy shipping. Then you need to sink 10,000 tons to complete that second objective, so you'll need at least a few torps to do the job.

I use my stern tubes just like my bow tubes, and prefer to pick up a target, get ahead of it and line up my stern at 90 degrees to it's course and then shoot it as it passes astern (this gets much easier to do after you get surface radar on your boat). If attacking a convoy from a flank, get in close, make the first shots with the bow tubes. Then dive, and go full ahead and try to cross under the line of ships, then surface on the opposite flank and pick out targets for stern shots.

It's also handy to keep a stern tube ready for any escorts that come up behind you, although DD's can often easily shrug off a direct bow hit in the stock game (installing NSM helps deal with that issue, as does using magnetic triggers and setting the torp depth to pass under the bow of the DD before detonating).

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Captretman

Sometimes when you say a problem, subconsciously, you solve the problem. I crippled a modern composite freighter ( speed - 0 ), did a 180 and finished her off with 2 stern shots. I really like this forum - you guys do a great job!

It is fun having a sitting duck in the water. Use the stern tubes for practice and allows you time to fiddle around with TDC so you can get a good understanding of it.

Welcome aboard!

[AVGWarhawk]

@Seafarer,

I kind of avoid the bow shots on the DD now. Patch 1.4 and RFB with under runners and duds make it difficult. Plus the addition of the ships seeing the torp wake. I prefer to dive and take the DC punishment soon to follow