I'm totally hopeless when it comes to torpedo attacks...

[John Pancoast]

Originally Posted by mungojerry311

Thanks guys. I've also heard of people using the mission editor to make a practice scenario. I imagine that's an option as well?

Yes, but the ones in the academy will work just as well.

[bstanko6]

If I could chime in. The real secret to a successful torpedo attack is a structured plan.

1) identify your target.

Without properly identifying your target in the recognition manual, you will not have the information on the ship to calculate the numbers you need. It could take a while to do this.

2) calculate the speed

Once identified, you MUST calculate speed. The ID and speed will not change once you figure them out (unless you are discovered), so once you have this information, you can rest easy at having 2/3 of the vital information needed to make your attack.

3) Angle on the bow

This is the one thing that will prove most troublesome. This can change several times because it gets more accurate as the target gets closer. It is dependent on your point of view. But once you figure this out, you are in the zone.

Other aspects such as weather, depth under keel, draft, will add more complexities to your calculation but stick with the big 3. Practice in the academy. You will get there. But stay structured.

As you play as long as I have, you can learn how to shoot snapshots, and 33 deg convoy attacks.

Good hunting

[mungojerry311]

Originally Posted by bstanko6

Practice in the academy.

Do you all mean the Naval Academy where the basic tutorials are located? Because if so, that is a very controlled environment. I'd rather practice in as close to actual patrol conditions as possible, but that's just me.

[mungojerry311]

Update: I just tried practicing in the Academy but once again I drew a blank on what to do and quit. See what I mean guys?

[kyle9154]

Originally Posted by mungojerry311

Update: I just tried practicing in the Academy but once again I drew a blank on what to do and quit. See what I mean guys?

I just gave you videos on how to do it, it doesn't get easier then that following those videos. We can't do it for you so your going to have to watch those videos and maybe write down what they say in steps.

MagUI ROBAF Training
Legend
Top outer ring = Length and Mast Height
Top Inner Ring = Range
Bottom Inner Ring = Speed
Bottom outer ring = AOB

Pause the game if you can when doing these steps to save on critical aiming time

Measuring Speed
Step 1: When ship's bow hits desired mark (ex. at 30 degree mark on your periscope) then start stop watch or chronometer until mark is lined up with the ship's stern then stop timer and record the time. Take top inner ring and line up the time value with ship's length in top outer ring, then whatever red line is over bottom inner ring at that time is the target's speed, input into TDC.

Measuring AOB
Step 2: Move bottom inner ring and line up mast height value with ship length outer ring, then measure horizontal marks and find that value on the bottom inner ring and read what the bottom outer ring is at that point, that's your AOB that you input into TDC.

Measuring Range
Step 3: Measure vertical marks from waterline of ship to highest mast at 6x magnification then find that value on bottom inner ring move it so it lines up with the 90 value on the outer bottom ring.
Step 4: Look at mast height in rec manual and find value on top outer ring then look at top inner ring at same point, that will be your range that you input in your TDC.

P.S. if your not willing to put the time in to learn from these tutorials and vids then you might as well have weapon officer on and ask him for the torpedo data and ship identification so its more suited to your play style. Captains didn't take the calculations anyways it was the 1st officer that took the visual readings and weapon officer that inputted the info into TDC, captain just gave overall orders it was the specialists that got into the specifics.

[derstosstrupp]

Point of clarification here from a historical standpoint. The first watch officer delivered the values to the TDC operator (who was the chief bosun, there was no “weapons officer”) for surface attacks under the supervision of the commander, but for submerged attacks all of the data gathering and targeting was on the shoulders of the commander.

That said however, the data was usually gathered even for surface attacks even before the first watch officer or commander put his eyes to the optics. And that was done typically by matching course and speed (called “Ausdampfen”), and was a joint effort between the commander, the first watch officer and the navigator. When the first watch officer put his eyes to the UZO, he was simply refining the values at that point. Same for the commander at the scope when submerged.

So indeed a joint effort, but something the commander was directly involved in.

[John Pancoast]

Originally Posted by derstosstrupp

Point of clarification here from a historical standpoint. The first watch officer delivered the values to the TDC operator (who was the chief bosun, there was no “weapons officer”) for surface attacks under the supervision of the commander, but for submerged attacks all of the data gathering and targeting was on the shoulders of the commander.

That said however, the data was usually gathered even for surface attacks even before the first watch officer or commander put his eyes to the optics. And that was done typically by matching course and speed (called “Ausdampfen”), and was a joint effort between the commander, the first watch officer and the navigator. When the first watch officer put his eyes to the UZO, he was simply refining the values at that point. Same for the commander at the scope when submerged.

So indeed a joint effort, but something the commander was directly involved in.

Mungojerry, matching course and speed as mentioned is a big step and easy to do too via just your own eyes (binoculars, uzo assisted). Keep it simple, no need to make things a math/physics experiment. It only takes a short time to do. Even when it's not summertime.

Once you have course and speed, you're set for the attack.

[3catcircus]

Originally Posted by bstanko6

If I could chime in. The real secret to a successful torpedo attack is a structured plan.

1) identify your target.

Without properly identifying your target in the recognition manual, you will not have the information on the ship to calculate the numbers you need. It could take a while to do this.

2) calculate the speed

Once identified, you MUST calculate speed. The ID and speed will not change once you figure them out (unless you are discovered), so once you have this information, you can rest easy at having 2/3 of the vital information needed to make your attack.

3) Angle on the bow

This is the one thing that will prove most troublesome. This can change several times because it gets more accurate as the target gets closer. It is dependent on your point of view. But once you figure this out, you are in the zone.

Other aspects such as weather, depth under keel, draft, will add more complexities to your calculation but stick with the big 3. Practice in the academy. You will get there. But stay structured.

As you play as long as I have, you can learn how to shoot snapshots, and 33 deg convoy attacks.

Good hunting

I'm going to go out on a limb here regarding identifying the target: cheat. Let the WO ID the target. Initially, the target is too far away to effectively ID. When it gets enough, by the time you click through the rec manual, the target has gotten too close for a good solution.

Everything else, do manually.

[John Pancoast]

Be a good idea to post your install/mod list too.

[mungojerry311]

Originally Posted by John Pancoast

Be a good idea to post your install/mod list too.

Here it is:

GWX - 16km Atmosphere
GWX - Alternate Loadscreen - Full Circle
GWX - Captain America's Officer Icons
GWX - Open Hatch Mod
GWX - VIIC41 Player Sub
Thomsen's Sound Pack V3.2cg
Rbs1_SH4_Effects_GWX_30_71
Rapt0r's Uniforms V2.0 [Black]
Rapt0r's Uniforms V2.0 [Black - All Leather] Patch
Rubini´s Underwater dust&plancton v1
M.E.P v6
Optional - ShipVanishingHull for MEP v6
Optional - FSF for MEP v6
TKSS18 German U-Boats Compilation
U-Boot 7c-II
FixAllSubGWX
ARB WideGui 1920x1080
ARB WideGui Fix
Adaptation for English & Deutsch
Ricks_GWX_Rec_Man_Final
M.E.P v6- VisualSensors for GWX3

[John Pancoast]

Originally Posted by mungojerry311

Here it is:

GWX - 16km Atmosphere
GWX - Alternate Loadscreen - Full Circle
GWX - Captain America's Officer Icons
GWX - Open Hatch Mod
GWX - VIIC41 Player Sub
Thomsen's Sound Pack V3.2cg
Rbs1_SH4_Effects_GWX_30_71
Rapt0r's Uniforms V2.0 [Black]
Rapt0r's Uniforms V2.0 [Black - All Leather] Patch
Rubini´s Underwater dust&plancton v1
M.E.P v6
Optional - ShipVanishingHull for MEP v6
Optional - FSF for MEP v6
TKSS18 German U-Boats Compilation
U-Boot 7c-II
FixAllSubGWX
ARB WideGui 1920x1080
ARB WideGui Fix
Adaptation for English & Deutsch
Ricks_GWX_Rec_Man_Final
M.E.P v6- VisualSensors for GWX3

Thanks. I was wondering if you were using H.sie's patch as that can affect torpedo depth.
But you're not, so scratch that idea.

[mungojerry311]

Originally Posted by John Pancoast

Thanks. I was wondering if you were using H.sie's patch as that can affect torpedo depth.
But you're not, so scratch that idea.

I think I do have that patch. I installed it following the instructions to make the ARB UI work.

[jaop99]

I don't think using the "auto" solution in the submarine case is cheating. In real life the captain of the submarine does not usually calculate the angle of attack, speed, depth and many things to launch a torpedo, it is usually calculated by the officers on the bridge and that is all and after the invention of the TDC that was more easier.

I remember many submarine books about the Pacific campaign, and the captain or officer who uses the attack periscope or the one on the bridge simply says mark, mark, so that the other, based on that data, can calculate course, speed and anything while looking at the target.

I think that many people use submarine simulators, be it Dangerous Waters, or any of WWII, as if the captain did everything in it and micromanaged everything to the smallest detail, nothing could be further from the reality. If you want to play "realistic" just let the AI officers do their job!

[Shadowblade]

yeah, auto solution is OK

I agree that Uboat captain doesnt have to do all activities alone, because he has experienced officers to manage them. And he has also some more important stuff to do and you dont want to be overhelmed by multitasking.

[kyle9154]

Originally Posted by 3catcircus

I'm going to go out on a limb here regarding identifying the target: cheat. Let the WO ID the target. Initially, the target is too far away to effectively ID. When it gets enough, by the time you click through the rec manual, the target has gotten too close for a good solution.

Everything else, do manually.

I use the weapon officer to identify because I use the merchant fleet mod along with Onealex or Toyagt86's mods so its a lot more ships that are similar in appearance to try to identify, the rest i will do manually.