Just spent 5 torps trying for one 4650ton Merchant... a tale of woe inside...

Shrike37 · 06-16-09, 08:24 PM

I'm new to SH3 and just started a GWX3.0 campaign in 1939 driving a VIIB. It is 4 Sept 1939 and I'm doing manual targeting to make the game a little more interesting. I've already sunk my first ship, a small merchant (2325 tons), with my first torpedo shot of the war a day ago. It was a relatively small and fast vessel at 1400m so I feel fairly confident in my torpedo solutions.

Anyway, I spot a Granville-type freighter (4650tons) the next day at ~5km moving away. I take a couple readings to get a basic idea of course and speed. I plot a quick and dirty intercept course that keeps me out of its way so I don't get spotted. A while later I end up in a good place waiting for him. Sure enough he comes along and I take some more readings to get his data. I fine tune my location and direction a bit based on those new readings.

I'm all set up for a good 90 degree shot (0 gyro angle) at ~1100m. The seas are pretty rough though, so I'm not 100% on my data (with all the bobbing up and down of his boat and mine) but feel pretty good. I get a 2 torpedo spread ready to help account for any error due to the rough seas.

They are the basic TypeII early war electric torpedoes. I set them for 0 depth and impact detonation because of the manufacturing flaws they had in real life. I open doors I and III; I let them fly. I have most realism stuff on, but I like the free move camera to watch the show. So I jump in the camera and follow the torpedoes underwater. About halfway to the target, one of my torpedoes explodes!

I can only guess that the huge waves messed up the torpedo somehow and caused it to detonate. The merchant takes evasive action and my second torpedo misses by ~50-100m. I'm almost positive that I would have hit him if the one torpedo didn't prematurely detonate and warn him.

I'm still a little shocked about the whole thing at this point. I've spent about 50 min. of my life trying to sink this guy. I've already wasted 2 torpedoes on him. I can't let it all be for nothing because of some random chance torpedo malfunction. To top it all off, I have my son in my lap telling me to, "Get him daddy!" So, even though I have a little voice in the back of my mind telling me this is a mistake and to cut my losses, like watching a really bad B movie, I just have to keep at it.

I quickly do a hydrophone check to make sure there isn't anything to be concerned about. Sure enough, we are the only two ships around. By this point he is doing crazy manuvers and going full speed ahead. I realize that I will not be able to get another good torpedo solution unless I can get really close. So out of the water I come and go to flank speed to close some distance.

At this point I remember I have a deck gun!

I tell myself that this sucker is going down without wasting any more torpedoes. I quickly try to man the gun, but to my dismay, find out the seas are too rough and am not allowed

As I am cursing my crew for lacking the courage to man the deck gun in 15-20ft waves, I open torpedo bay doors II and IV and set the two on spread, lower the depth to 3m (in case the waves were the cause of the premature detonation) and aim them straight ahead at 0 degrees. This turns my Uboot into a point and shoot weapon.

I close to ~500-600m on the jinking merchant. I'm sure everyone on board that freighter is pissing their pants at this point. I wait until his evasive manuevers put his starboard side to my bow. I kick the rudder, in order to lead him just a bit and fire!

This time neither torpedo predetonated. Unfortunately, the first one missed... but the second was dead on. Aghast, I watched as the second bounced harmlessly off the rounded belly of the boat as a great wave lifted the freighter out of the sea at the worst possible moment!

At this point I am furious. What would my crew and BdU think of me wasting 4 torpedoes in a failed attempt on a mere 4650 ton ship! So I did the only thing I could do at that point. I turned around, not to bid a hasty exit with my tail between my legs as you might expect at this point, but to get my final saving grace in position. I had 1 stern torpedo left! If I was going to waste 4 torpedoes in a failed attempt, how much worse would it be if it was 5 wasted torpedoes instead?

At this point, I'm sure the freighter is thinking that God is on their side. Imagine being in their shoes for a min. They are cruising along until the sea explodes a couple hundred meters away! Then a submarine surfaces in the distance and comes rushing at them. Then they all hear a loud thud as a torpedo hits them but does not explode! They probably were praising their maker for causing both torpedoes aimed at them to be duds! After all this, the submarine finally turns around and starts to leave. They must have been cheering and dancing.

Then their worlds come crashing down as the last and final torpedo does it's job and explodes right at the keel midship! Amazingly it was an impact detonated torpedo, but a wave lifted the frieghter again; this time at the perfect moment! The freighter breaks in two shortly after impact and sinks!

Finally I sit in contentment and watch the air bubble and oil slick froth at the sea's surface. At that moment I vow never to attack anything under 10,000tons in rough seas again. So was it worth it, 5 torpedoes for 4650 tons of merchant?

06-16-09, 08:24 PM	#1
Shrike37 Watch Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 28 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	Just spent 5 torps trying for one 4650ton Merchant... a tale of woe inside... I'm new to SH3 and just started a GWX3.0 campaign in 1939 driving a VIIB. It is 4 Sept 1939 and I'm doing manual targeting to make the game a little more interesting. I've already sunk my first ship, a small merchant (2325 tons), with my first torpedo shot of the war a day ago. It was a relatively small and fast vessel at 1400m so I feel fairly confident in my torpedo solutions. Anyway, I spot a Granville-type freighter (4650tons) the next day at ~5km moving away. I take a couple readings to get a basic idea of course and speed. I plot a quick and dirty intercept course that keeps me out of its way so I don't get spotted. A while later I end up in a good place waiting for him. Sure enough he comes along and I take some more readings to get his data. I fine tune my location and direction a bit based on those new readings. I'm all set up for a good 90 degree shot (0 gyro angle) at ~1100m. The seas are pretty rough though, so I'm not 100% on my data (with all the bobbing up and down of his boat and mine) but feel pretty good. I get a 2 torpedo spread ready to help account for any error due to the rough seas. They are the basic TypeII early war electric torpedoes. I set them for 0 depth and impact detonation because of the manufacturing flaws they had in real life. I open doors I and III; I let them fly. I have most realism stuff on, but I like the free move camera to watch the show. So I jump in the camera and follow the torpedoes underwater. About halfway to the target, one of my torpedoes explodes! I can only guess that the huge waves messed up the torpedo somehow and caused it to detonate. The merchant takes evasive action and my second torpedo misses by ~50-100m. I'm almost positive that I would have hit him if the one torpedo didn't prematurely detonate and warn him. I'm still a little shocked about the whole thing at this point. I've spent about 50 min. of my life trying to sink this guy. I've already wasted 2 torpedoes on him. I can't let it all be for nothing because of some random chance torpedo malfunction. To top it all off, I have my son in my lap telling me to, "Get him daddy!" So, even though I have a little voice in the back of my mind telling me this is a mistake and to cut my losses, like watching a really bad B movie, I just have to keep at it. I quickly do a hydrophone check to make sure there isn't anything to be concerned about. Sure enough, we are the only two ships around. By this point he is doing crazy manuvers and going full speed ahead. I realize that I will not be able to get another good torpedo solution unless I can get really close. So out of the water I come and go to flank speed to close some distance. At this point I remember I have a deck gun! I tell myself that this sucker is going down without wasting any more torpedoes. I quickly try to man the gun, but to my dismay, find out the seas are too rough and am not allowed As I am cursing my crew for lacking the courage to man the deck gun in 15-20ft waves, I open torpedo bay doors II and IV and set the two on spread, lower the depth to 3m (in case the waves were the cause of the premature detonation) and aim them straight ahead at 0 degrees. This turns my Uboot into a point and shoot weapon. I close to ~500-600m on the jinking merchant. I'm sure everyone on board that freighter is pissing their pants at this point. I wait until his evasive manuevers put his starboard side to my bow. I kick the rudder, in order to lead him just a bit and fire! This time neither torpedo predetonated. Unfortunately, the first one missed... but the second was dead on. Aghast, I watched as the second bounced harmlessly off the rounded belly of the boat as a great wave lifted the freighter out of the sea at the worst possible moment! At this point I am furious. What would my crew and BdU think of me wasting 4 torpedoes in a failed attempt on a mere 4650 ton ship! So I did the only thing I could do at that point. I turned around, not to bid a hasty exit with my tail between my legs as you might expect at this point, but to get my final saving grace in position. I had 1 stern torpedo left! If I was going to waste 4 torpedoes in a failed attempt, how much worse would it be if it was 5 wasted torpedoes instead? At this point, I'm sure the freighter is thinking that God is on their side. Imagine being in their shoes for a min. They are cruising along until the sea explodes a couple hundred meters away! Then a submarine surfaces in the distance and comes rushing at them. Then they all hear a loud thud as a torpedo hits them but does not explode! They probably were praising their maker for causing both torpedoes aimed at them to be duds! After all this, the submarine finally turns around and starts to leave. They must have been cheering and dancing. Then their worlds come crashing down as the last and final torpedo does it's job and explodes right at the keel midship! Amazingly it was an impact detonated torpedo, but a wave lifted the frieghter again; this time at the perfect moment! The freighter breaks in two shortly after impact and sinks! Finally I sit in contentment and watch the air bubble and oil slick froth at the sea's surface. At that moment I vow never to attack anything under 10,000tons in rough seas again. So was it worth it, 5 torpedoes for 4650 tons of merchant?