Just an idea, conclusions required ;)

Bothersome · 04-08-10, 02:17 PM

Love the pics by the way, I should print them out and put them on the fridge.

The torpedoes need 400 meters to arm themselves, so what you are trying usually won't work. By the time you can see the ship, it's closer than 400 meters.

From what I gather from the pics, you got a destroyer bearing down on you and you want to do an underwater "down the throat" shot. You want to already be at 49 meters so you "hope" it can't get you or you get it first. But that's a very bad plan.

I use a down the throat shot a lot in my games. More than my crew feels comfortable with and have had several attempts of removing me from command because of it too.

I personally don't like to give up the surface. I dive to periscope and do all I can to stay there. Fighting off all who challenge my right to stay at periscope depth. It's like playing chicken. Don't Panic.

Every now and then I get a smart one that wants to serpentine his way in. Bastards they are. I have found "back emergency" with full rudder a more "lucky" escape plan though. Which is where I get the mutiny activities later.

Diopos · 04-08-10, 03:51 PM

The original question was about a merchant as target, right?
In the situation you describe I would wait for the target to pass over me wait until I can't see him any more (as a rough "indicator" for torp arming distance) and then shoot the accoustic (aft tube). In any case a 0/180 bearing- 0/180 AOB situation should be avoided. A small angle between the topr's initial track and the target's path would probably assist "homing in".

Jten · 04-08-10, 07:59 PM

Down the throat (submarine tactic)

Down the throat typically refers a term used by United States Submariners in World War II, in reference to a type of torpedo attack angle used usually against attacking destroyers or anti-submarine craft. A "down the throat" shot would be any shot in which the target craft was presenting a 0-degree bow angle (AOB), or simply put, it was heading straight toward the submarine. These were extremely difficult setups from which to launch torpedoes, and usually it was only the skilled or desperate boat skippers who attempted such attacks. Further complications with the "down the throat" shot were the gyroscope issues that plagued US torpedoes,as well as the rapidly diminishing range of the target that could prevent arming of the torpedo.

It was first used by Pompano (SS-181) under the command of Lieutenant Commander Lew Parks during the boat's first war patrol, although it did not hit.

Summer of 1943, Dudley “Mush” Morton commanding USS Wahoo. was ordered to conduct a daylight reconnaissance vicinity Wewak Harbor, New Guinea.” After consulting with his officers for their interpretation of “reconnaissance,” Morton made his intentions clear. He decided it meant enter the harbor, submerged, and sink as many enemy ships as possible. Upon conducting a periscope survey of an inlet for which he had no official charts, he detected a Japanese Shiratsuyu-class destroyer apparently at anchor. He commenced firing a salvo of bow torpedoes only to discover that the destroyer was actually underway and his torpedoes would miss astern. He fired his last bow torpedo at 800 yards range using a “down the throat” shot as the now fully alerted destroyer charged Wahoo’s periscope with intent to ram. Morton obligingly kept the periscope raised to lure the destroyer into the path of his final torpedo. Morton later reported that this torpedo had “blown off the bow” of the destroyer.

During its last patrol, Harder (SS-257) sank an attacking Japanese destroyer with such a shot. Harder's captain, Cdr. S.D. "Sam" Dealey, was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor for the patrol. Another Medal of Honor was awarded to the captain of Parche (SS-384), Lawson P. "Red" Ramage for a similar shot on a patrol that returned.

Another submarine, which did not return from a patrol but was known to have used a "down-the-throat" shot was Gudgeon (SS-211).

commandosolo2009 · 04-09-10, 06:08 AM

Thanks for the input everyone, but how about a proof that the 49 meter depth could launch torps???

And special thanks to Jten for the term and the examples...

Here are my conclusions:

A- 49 meters possible to launch in XVIII boat..
B- for the ones I tried, G7es need 400 meters gap in order to be armed..
C- Periscope view of target's keel achievable from 100 meters. Don't know how that affects G7a/ of G7e..

Will try the down the throat approach and upload the vid to Youtube

commandosolo2009 · 04-09-10, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bothersome

Love the pics by the way, I should print them out and put them on the fridge.

The torpedoes need 400 meters to arm themselves, so what you are trying usually won't work. By the time you can see the ship, it's closer than 400 meters.

From what I gather from the pics, you got a destroyer bearing down on you and you want to do an underwater "down the throat" shot. You want to already be at 49 meters so you "hope" it can't get you or you get it first. But that's a very bad plan.

I use a down the throat shot a lot in my games. More than my crew feels comfortable with and have had several attempts of removing me from command because of it too.

I personally don't like to give up the surface. I dive to periscope and do all I can to stay there. Fighting off all who challenge my right to stay at periscope depth. It's like playing chicken. Don't Panic.

Every now and then I get a smart one that wants to serpentine his way in. Bastards they are. I have found "back emergency" with full rudder a more "lucky" escape plan though. Which is where I get the mutiny activities later.

Thanks for the input, mate. You may put them on the fridge

alexradu89 · 04-09-10, 06:56 AM

I see you are using the stock/vanilla SH4+UBM. Unmodded, the game is unrealistic and buggy. It's either a bug that allows you to fire at such a great depth, or simply the torps are set to be launched from a higher depth (which is UNREALISTIC). No one plays stock SH4 you know. Everyone uses mods

I'd suggest OM+OMEGU for u-boats

04-08-10, 03:51 PM	#2
Diopos Ace of the Deep Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Athens, the original one. Posts: 1,226 Downloads: 9 Uploads: 0	The original question was about a merchant as target, right? In the situation you describe I would wait for the target to pass over me wait until I can't see him any more (as a rough "indicator" for torp arming distance) and then shoot the accoustic (aft tube). In any case a 0/180 bearing- 0/180 AOB situation should be avoided. A small angle between the topr's initial track and the target's path would probably assist "homing in". __________________ - Oh God! They're all over the place! CRASH DIVE!!! - Ehm... we can't honey. We're in the car right now. - What?... er right... Doesn't matter! We'll give it a try anyway!

04-09-10, 06:08 AM	#4
commandosolo2009 Grey Wolf Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Egypt Posts: 840 Downloads: 132 Uploads: 0	Thanks for the input everyone, but how about a proof that the 49 meter depth could launch torps??? And special thanks to Jten for the term and the examples... Here are my conclusions: A- 49 meters possible to launch in XVIII boat.. B- for the ones I tried, G7es need 400 meters gap in order to be armed.. C- Periscope view of target's keel achievable from 100 meters. Don't know how that affects G7a/ of G7e.. Will try the down the throat approach and upload the vid to Youtube __________________ x.com/lexatnews

04-08-10, 02:17 PM	#1
Bothersome Planesman Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 194 Downloads: 64 Uploads: 0	Love the pics by the way, I should print them out and put them on the fridge. The torpedoes need 400 meters to arm themselves, so what you are trying usually won't work. By the time you can see the ship, it's closer than 400 meters. From what I gather from the pics, you got a destroyer bearing down on you and you want to do an underwater "down the throat" shot. You want to already be at 49 meters so you "hope" it can't get you or you get it first. But that's a very bad plan. I use a down the throat shot a lot in my games. More than my crew feels comfortable with and have had several attempts of removing me from command because of it too. I personally don't like to give up the surface. I dive to periscope and do all I can to stay there. Fighting off all who challenge my right to stay at periscope depth. It's like playing chicken. Don't Panic. Every now and then I get a smart one that wants to serpentine his way in. Bastards they are. I have found "back emergency" with full rudder a more "lucky" escape plan though. Which is where I get the mutiny activities later.

04-08-10, 07:59 PM	#3
Jten Mate Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Tennessee Posts: 55 Downloads: 102 Uploads: 0	Down the throat (submarine tactic) Down the throat typically refers a term used by United States Submariners in World War II, in reference to a type of torpedo attack angle used usually against attacking destroyers or anti-submarine craft. A "down the throat" shot would be any shot in which the target craft was presenting a 0-degree bow angle (AOB), or simply put, it was heading straight toward the submarine. These were extremely difficult setups from which to launch torpedoes, and usually it was only the skilled or desperate boat skippers who attempted such attacks. Further complications with the "down the throat" shot were the gyroscope issues that plagued US torpedoes,as well as the rapidly diminishing range of the target that could prevent arming of the torpedo. It was first used by Pompano (SS-181) under the command of Lieutenant Commander Lew Parks during the boat's first war patrol, although it did not hit. Summer of 1943, Dudley “Mush” Morton commanding USS Wahoo. was ordered to conduct a daylight reconnaissance vicinity Wewak Harbor, New Guinea.” After consulting with his officers for their interpretation of “reconnaissance,” Morton made his intentions clear. He decided it meant enter the harbor, submerged, and sink as many enemy ships as possible. Upon conducting a periscope survey of an inlet for which he had no official charts, he detected a Japanese Shiratsuyu-class destroyer apparently at anchor. He commenced firing a salvo of bow torpedoes only to discover that the destroyer was actually underway and his torpedoes would miss astern. He fired his last bow torpedo at 800 yards range using a “down the throat” shot as the now fully alerted destroyer charged Wahoo’s periscope with intent to ram. Morton obligingly kept the periscope raised to lure the destroyer into the path of his final torpedo. Morton later reported that this torpedo had “blown off the bow” of the destroyer. During its last patrol, Harder (SS-257) sank an attacking Japanese destroyer with such a shot. Harder's captain, Cdr. S.D. "Sam" Dealey, was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor for the patrol. Another Medal of Honor was awarded to the captain of Parche (SS-384), Lawson P. "Red" Ramage for a similar shot on a patrol that returned. Another submarine, which did not return from a patrol but was known to have used a "down-the-throat" shot was Gudgeon (SS-211).

04-09-10, 06:56 AM	#6
alexradu89 Lieutenant Join Date: May 2009 Location: Romania Posts: 259 Downloads: 94 Uploads: 0	I see you are using the stock/vanilla SH4+UBM. Unmodded, the game is unrealistic and buggy. It's either a bug that allows you to fire at such a great depth, or simply the torps are set to be launched from a higher depth (which is UNREALISTIC). No one plays stock SH4 you know. Everyone uses mods I'd suggest OM+OMEGU for u-boats