Heavy seas affect torpedo performance?

[Gambit]

I gave it another shot. All the targets have drafts between 20-28 ft.

I set various torpedo depths, none less than 18 ft. All missed and went exactly under the merchants. Either all the magnetic fuses are seriously porked, or the heavy sea state is making them run deeper.

I'm going to try with depths no higher than 15 ft and will report results.

[Lagger123987]

Originally Posted by Gambit

I gave it another shot. All the targets have drafts between 20-28 ft.

I set various torpedo depths, none less than 18 ft. All missed and went exactly under the merchants. Either all the magnetic fuses are seriously porked, or the heavy sea state is making them run deeper.

I'm going to try with depths no higher than 15 ft and will report results.

The magnetic fuses are unless in the early war till they fixed it in 1943, also, torpedoes tend to run deeper than it usually set it too, so like if you put 25ft, it might go down to like 5-10ft deeper than what you just input it to.

[Gambit]

Originally Posted by Lagger123987

The magnetic fuses are unless in the early war till they fixed it in 1943, also, torpedoes tend to run deeper than it usually set it too, so like if you put 25ft, it might go down to like 5-10ft deeper than what you just input it to.

Yeah I knew that. However my other torpedoes from just a few days earlier in the patrol were ok with magnetic settings. So the only difference is the weather, unless I really happen to have a bad batch. I agree that's a possibility, but think it is remote at this point.

Anyway, latest test: 4 torpedoes, depths 10, 12, 15, 10. Four direct hits on a merchant with draft 28.

I think I'm going to set lower depths in high sea states from here on.

[SteamWake]

Originally Posted by Gambit

Yeah I knew that. However my other torpedoes from just a few days earlier in the patrol were ok with magnetic settings. So the only difference is the weather, unless I really happen to have a bad batch. I agree that's a possibility, but think it is remote at this point.

Anyway, latest test: 4 torpedoes, depths 10, 12, 15, 10. Four direct hits on a merchant with draft 28.

I think I'm going to set lower depths in high sea states from here on.

Ah I dident understand what you were saying completly. Heavy seas can effect the 'draft' of a ship as it pitches and rolls. See it effects the target, not the torpedo.

Also remember that the torpedoes tend to run 10' too deep in the first place.

In these conditions you are best off setting the torpedoe as shallow as you can with a contact fuse. I like Mk10's for these conditions.

[rifleman13]

Tried to sink a Kuma class criuser just south of the Shortland Islands on Oct 1942 in a Gar class.
Lined up a perfect shot and fired a spread of 6 fish.
Four premature detonations and two duds.
This happened during really rough seas.
Gave up since it was very annoying.

[Sandman_28054]

Originally Posted by Gambit

Yeah I knew that. However my other torpedoes from just a few days earlier in the patrol were ok with magnetic settings. So the only difference is the weather, unless I really happen to have a bad batch. I agree that's a possibility, but think it is remote at this point.

Anyway, latest test: 4 torpedoes, depths 10, 12, 15, 10. Four direct hits on a merchant with draft 28.

I think I'm going to set lower depths in high sea states from here on.

As a general rule of thumb for me, unless the circumstances dictate differently, I never set my "fish" to run deeper than 3.5'.

Even at that, in heavy seas, I have personally seen a torpedo running at 3.5' hit the bottom of the hull, and I have also seen some torpedos in heavy seas, hit the deck.