Problem with mark 14 torps

tater · 06-03-07, 08:49 AM

Yeah, real skippers were beaten up in their patrol endorsements for wasting torpedos. At the start of the war the doctrine was supposed to be to fire ONE torpedo at a merchant ship if it was ~5000 tons. Many skippers decided on their own after seeing 50-70% of their torpedos fail to fire spreads at anything worth a torpedo at all. They'd still get bashed for wasting torpedos, but they also might actually sink something.

iccalm · 06-03-07, 10:23 AM

This community has been obsessed with an idea that ships are too vulnerable. One mod to Grey Wolves made them almost unsinkable.
I recently heard a quote from OTTO KRETSCHMER that close shot sinkings only required one torpedo.
SH4 is equally ridiculous. A mod is available to boost torpedo damage. It goes a little too far, but at least a 90 degree, close range hit on a small ship will sink it with one torpedo. I find this mod much improves the game.

tater · 06-03-07, 10:43 AM

A 90 degree hit is far LESS likely to explode at all for an early war Mk14 torpedo. The contact fuse would break unless it hit at an angle.

The range? That should make zero difference in the least. The only place the range could possibly make any difference would be at the very end of a run if it was coasting and slowing down. Seriously, how can range affect lethality of a torpedo, exactly? A faster torpedo could possibly penetrate a thin-skinned merchant before detonating, but the speed is independant of range for most of the run. Closer to the sub, it should actually be slower, but accelerating. There is no possible other physics involved in a short range attack other than ease of hitting in the first place.

A couple stories about 1 hit sinkings doesn't do it. Look at records for US submarines and the number of torpedos it took to sink a target.

The whole point of the command's obsession with the USN skippers using fewer torpedos, and requiring the skippers to use the magnetic exploder early war was twofold.

One, there was a shortage of torpedos.

Two, the USN believed that the small warhead of the Mk14 was only capable of sinking a merchant ship wth 1 shot if used "properly" with the magnetic pistol under the keel. From their testing they thought that 5000 ton ships would require 2-3 if used in contact mode.

06-03-07, 10:23 AM	#2
iccalm Watch Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 17 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Weak Torpedos and Tough Ships This community has been obsessed with an idea that ships are too vulnerable. One mod to Grey Wolves made them almost unsinkable. I recently heard a quote from OTTO KRETSCHMER that close shot sinkings only required one torpedo. SH4 is equally ridiculous. A mod is available to boost torpedo damage. It goes a little too far, but at least a 90 degree, close range hit on a small ship will sink it with one torpedo. I find this mod much improves the game.

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06-03-07, 08:49 AM	#1
tater Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Mexico, USA Posts: 9,023 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 2	Yeah, real skippers were beaten up in their patrol endorsements for wasting torpedos. At the start of the war the doctrine was supposed to be to fire ONE torpedo at a merchant ship if it was ~5000 tons. Many skippers decided on their own after seeing 50-70% of their torpedos fail to fire spreads at anything worth a torpedo at all. They'd still get bashed for wasting torpedos, but they also might actually sink something.

06-03-07, 10:43 AM	#3
tater Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Mexico, USA Posts: 9,023 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 2	A 90 degree hit is far LESS likely to explode at all for an early war Mk14 torpedo. The contact fuse would break unless it hit at an angle. The range? That should make zero difference in the least. The only place the range could possibly make any difference would be at the very end of a run if it was coasting and slowing down. Seriously, how can range affect lethality of a torpedo, exactly? A faster torpedo could possibly penetrate a thin-skinned merchant before detonating, but the speed is independant of range for most of the run. Closer to the sub, it should actually be slower, but accelerating. There is no possible other physics involved in a short range attack other than ease of hitting in the first place. A couple stories about 1 hit sinkings doesn't do it. Look at records for US submarines and the number of torpedos it took to sink a target. The whole point of the command's obsession with the USN skippers using fewer torpedos, and requiring the skippers to use the magnetic exploder early war was twofold. One, there was a shortage of torpedos. Two, the USN believed that the small warhead of the Mk14 was only capable of sinking a merchant ship wth 1 shot if used "properly" with the magnetic pistol under the keel. From their testing they thought that 5000 ton ships would require 2-3 if used in contact mode.