When to use AP .vs HE?

tycho102 · 04-28-07, 06:04 PM

Always lead off with HE's to the cargo. Catching the deck cargo on fire seems to slow the boat faster than AP's to the engine, and with passenger liners, HE's into the berthing area will put that sucker under in a dozen shots.

Plus, the fire and smoke help "mark" your target -- especially at night.

nattydread · 04-28-07, 06:24 PM

Im not sure if it applies in game, but Ideally you'd want to use HE on unarmored, thin skinned targets, use AP for armored targets(anything bigger than a Destroyer)

The AP shells would theoritcally leave only a small hole in the merchants ships no bigger than your fist (assuming they are only kinetic rounds with no explosive charge), allowing for less flooding, the HE on the other hand would take that same ship and put a hole in it big enough to fit your head through if not your torso.

Most of the HE damage will be on the hull, but if you desire to damage internals like engines and stuff, you want to use well placed AP. The AP on the engines would certainly cripple the ship eliminating is abilty to maneuver and get away, but the AP's contribution to sinking would be minimal unless it set off a secondary explosion.

The HE on the other hand will cause the big gaping holes that will allow for flooding while possibly setting off fuel easier than AP, thus making HE more likly to set off those catastrophic secondary explosion to really rip the ship up, causing structural failure.

C-4 · 04-28-07, 10:17 PM

I use AP to calibrate my gun, and to determine enemy range by test-fire, and everything else with HE. Until I run out of HE.

Mudrik · 04-29-07, 10:43 AM

I too try to use AP to punch holes in the waterline or create holes that I can then pump some HE at.

The deck gun is a very underrated weapon and I find that it is best used to either attack lone ships or finish off ships after a torp attack.

All I would like is some more deck gun ammo. There must have been space somewhere in a sub for a few hundred extra rounds

nattydread · 04-29-07, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mudrik

I too try to use AP to punch holes in the waterline or create holes that I can then pump some HE at.

The deck gun is a very underrated weapon and I find that it is best used to either attack lone ships or finish off ships after a torp attack.

All I would like is some more deck gun ammo. There must have been space somewhere in a sub for a few hundred extra rounds

On an unarmored vessel HE doesnt need AP to makes holes for it, HE should do a vastly superior job of opening large holes on a merchant compared to an AP round.

AP is like a sniper round, it can quickly disable systems if it hits in the right place and essentially kill the ship...but not neccesarily sink it which is the objective. HE is like a shot-gun, not very precise but spreads the damage around so much it litterally tears the ship apart causing structural failure which leads to the ship sinking much faster...even though its systems and propulsion may still be intact and functioning.

Fearless · 04-29-07, 09:34 PM

AP for the waterline and HE to watch the fireworks

nattydread · 04-29-07, 11:38 PM

Why AP for the water line? If you hit the hull at the water line the hole will be more than enough to cause flooding. Now if you want to hit below the water line, use AP, it would hoepfully have the energy to power through the water and still penetrate the hull I guess. But consider this, Ap is a pure kinetic round, once the round hits the water it experiences a density of 1000 times greater than teh air it was going through. Im not a physicists, but since drag is exponentinal, I believe the square of the velocity or something, your available kinetic energy goes down significantly. So your handicapping the only thing that round has going for it. The lower you try and hit the hull the worse it'll be since it will have more water to pass through. use HE at the water line and the explosion will tear a hole below the waterline and above leaving a bigger hole to flood as the ship beigns to sink and list.

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04-28-07, 06:04 PM	#1
tycho102 Ace of the Deep Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 1,100 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Always lead off with HE's to the cargo. Catching the deck cargo on fire seems to slow the boat faster than AP's to the engine, and with passenger liners, HE's into the berthing area will put that sucker under in a dozen shots. Plus, the fire and smoke help "mark" your target -- especially at night.

04-28-07, 06:24 PM	#2
nattydread Captain Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 498 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Im not sure if it applies in game, but Ideally you'd want to use HE on unarmored, thin skinned targets, use AP for armored targets(anything bigger than a Destroyer) The AP shells would theoritcally leave only a small hole in the merchants ships no bigger than your fist (assuming they are only kinetic rounds with no explosive charge), allowing for less flooding, the HE on the other hand would take that same ship and put a hole in it big enough to fit your head through if not your torso. Most of the HE damage will be on the hull, but if you desire to damage internals like engines and stuff, you want to use well placed AP. The AP on the engines would certainly cripple the ship eliminating is abilty to maneuver and get away, but the AP's contribution to sinking would be minimal unless it set off a secondary explosion. The HE on the other hand will cause the big gaping holes that will allow for flooding while possibly setting off fuel easier than AP, thus making HE more likly to set off those catastrophic secondary explosion to really rip the ship up, causing structural failure.

04-28-07, 10:17 PM	#3
C-4 Watch Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Somewhere in the universe Posts: 30 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I use AP to calibrate my gun, and to determine enemy range by test-fire, and everything else with HE. Until I run out of HE.

04-29-07, 10:43 AM	#4
Mudrik Gunner Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: passing thermal layer, silent running Posts: 94 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I too try to use AP to punch holes in the waterline or create holes that I can then pump some HE at. The deck gun is a very underrated weapon and I find that it is best used to either attack lone ships or finish off ships after a torp attack. All I would like is some more deck gun ammo. There must have been space somewhere in a sub for a few hundred extra rounds

04-29-07, 09:34 PM	#6
Fearless Ace of the Deep Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Adelaide, Australia Posts: 1,047 Downloads: 340 Uploads: 1	AP for the waterline and HE to watch the fireworks

04-29-07, 11:38 PM	#7
nattydread Captain Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 498 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Why AP for the water line? If you hit the hull at the water line the hole will be more than enough to cause flooding. Now if you want to hit below the water line, use AP, it would hoepfully have the energy to power through the water and still penetrate the hull I guess. But consider this, Ap is a pure kinetic round, once the round hits the water it experiences a density of 1000 times greater than teh air it was going through. Im not a physicists, but since drag is exponentinal, I believe the square of the velocity or something, your available kinetic energy goes down significantly. So your handicapping the only thing that round has going for it. The lower you try and hit the hull the worse it'll be since it will have more water to pass through. use HE at the water line and the explosion will tear a hole below the waterline and above leaving a bigger hole to flood as the ship beigns to sink and list.