Credit for sinkings, what's your approach

[desirableroasted]

When you identify a target through your periscope or UZO, you will be told what sort of ship it is.

When you know that, open up your ship identification book, turn to the merchants (Handelsschiffe or something), find your ship. On that ship's page, you will be told the "draft" of the ship... the depth of her keel.

Then go to the TDC. Click on your preferred torpedo tube, then select Pistol: I for "Impact" or "M" for Magnetic.

Your choice depends on your attack approach.

If you are 75-105 Angle on Bow, then Impact is your best option. Your torpedo depth should be 2 meters LESS than the draft (this will vary a bit from ship to ship, but you will learn over time).

If you are 0-75/105-180 AOB, and the seas are fairly calm, Magnetic is your best option. Here, you want your depth to be about a meter MORE than the draft, so the torpedo slips under the hull and detonates.

Rough seas affect both pistols. Magnetics often explode prematurely in rough seas; it helps to take your shot as close as you can safely manage. Rough seas also mean your target is rising and falling a lot, which means you may need to run your Impacts a little shallower so that they don't run under the ship.

In the game, you will be told that some torpedos have "depth keeping" problems, etc and that magnetic pistols should not be used. Ignore this; it's just for "immersion."

Good hunting!

[asr]

Originally Posted by desirableroasted

When you identify a target through your periscope or UZO, you will be told what sort of ship it is.

When you know that, open up your ship identification book, turn to the merchants (Handelsschiffe or something), find your ship. On that ship's page, you will be told the "draft" of the ship... the depth of her keel.

Then go to the TDC. Click on your preferred torpedo tube, then select Pistol: I for "Impact" or "M" for Magnetic.

Your choice depends on your attack approach.

If you are 75-105 Angle on Bow, then Impact is your best option. Your torpedo depth should be 2 meters LESS than the draft (this will vary a bit from ship to ship, but you will learn over time).

If you are 0-75/105-180 AOB, and the seas are fairly calm, Magnetic is your best option. Here, you want your depth to be about a meter MORE than the draft, so the torpedo slips under the hull and detonates.

Rough seas affect both pistols. Magnetics often explode prematurely in rough seas; it helps to take your shot as close as you can safely manage. Rough seas also mean your target is rising and falling a lot, which means you may need to run your Impacts a little shallower so that they don't run under the ship.

In the game, you will be told that some torpedos have "depth keeping" problems, etc and that magnetic pistols should not be used. Ignore this; it's just for "immersion."

Good hunting!

Thanks! I will put your advice into practice ASAP.

Finally I took the bruteforce approach and shot 4 torps at the same time at that damn large merchant. 2 impacts and 10k tns prize

[asr]

also I found the large merchant that ate 2 torps yesterday and didn't sink! it was left behind by the convoy navigating at 3 knots!

Time for a deck gun party!

-----

The bastard had deck guns! In Oct 39!

Decided to get rid of 'em with my bow torpedo. All out of safety for my tripulation

[desirableroasted]

Originally Posted by asr

Thanks! I will put your advice into practice ASAP.

Finally I took the bruteforce approach and shot 4 torps at the same time at that damn large merchant. 2 impacts and 10k tns prize

We'll order a round at the nightclub!

That'll get the job done, but remember that SH3 is a game of patience above all else. One eel may not sink your target, but a well-placed one will certainly slow it down. And if they slow down to 1 or 0 knts, they will go down.

Right now, I am in my 5th game hour waiting for an Empire freighter to go down... and it will, in another hour or so.

[asr]

Was just doing a last attack to this same convoy. 3 torps left.

At the last moment was detected by an escort who speed up against me. Short my 2 aft torpedoes at the nearest merchant and crash drive.. the escort went literaly over me and damaged my flack and deck guns.

The small merchant managed to avoid the torpedoes, just for hearing two consecutive detonations one minute later. I have just sink another large merchant. 32k tons in 10 hours

[Capt. Morgan]

Just a quick point. If you sink a ship but don't see it sink (either because you are no longer in visual range - which can be quite short at times - or submerged, periscope-down) there will be no mark on the map to indicate the sinking, but you will still get the credit.

If you move too far away (50km IIRC) from your sinking ship, or something else - like bad weather, or a collision - causes it to sink faster, then you won't get credit.

On a semi-related unrelated point, the reason Von Richthofen painted his aircraft red was that WWI german fliers needed a witness to claim a victory. Having the only scarlet plane in the sky greatly increased the number of credits he could claim.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Capt. Morgan

Just a quick point. If you sink a ship but don't see it sink (either because you are no longer in visual range - which can be quite short at times - or submerged, periscope-down) there will be no mark on the map to indicate the sinking, but you will still get the credit.

If you move too far away (50km IIRC) from your sinking ship, or something else - like bad weather, or a collision - causes it to sink faster, then you won't get credit.

You must be still be in contact range of the ship at the moment when the game considers it to be sunk because of the amount and nature of the damage it has received.

At that moment, if you are in range, one of your crew (I think it's the Navigator) will report that "She's going down!" and you will be credited with the kill.

"In contact range" means close enough for you and your crew to visually confirm that the ship is sinking (if you are surfaced) or close enough for the sinking to be heard on the hydrophones (if you are submerged). You don't have to watch it happen personally, either from the bridge or through the 'scope. But the boat must be close enough for visual or sonar confirmation of the kill.

If you move out of contact range before your crew has given you the "She's going down" message, there is no way for you to confirm the sinking because no one aboard your boat could have seen it or heard it happen. Even if you did enough damage to make the sinking inevitable, you must remain close enough to confirm that the boat is indeed sinking before sailing away.

Bottom line is, once you receive the "She's going down" message, the ship is a confirmed kill and you will get credit for it. You are free to leave the area with another notch on your gun barrel, even if the ship is still on the surface and is taking its good old time about actually going down. You've done enough damage to sink her, and hung around long enough for that fact to be confirmed. That's all you need to do to get the credit.

On a semi-related unrelated point, the reason Von Richthofen painted his aircraft red was that WWI german fliers needed a witness to claim a victory. Having the only scarlet plane in the sky greatly increased the number of credits he could claim.

Kinda the same idea here - someone on your boat must "witness" and confirm the sinking, and report it to you (whether you're watching/hearing it happen with your own eyes/ears or not). That's how you know that the game has credited you with the kill. A kill you don't witness is a kill that didn't happen as far as the game (and your renown score) is concerned.

[Capt. Morgan]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

...
Bottom line is, once you receive the "She's going down" message, the ship is a confirmed kill and you will get credit for it. You are free to leave the area with another notch on your gun barrel, even if the ship is still on the surface and is taking its good old time about actually going down. You've done enough damage to sink her, and hung around long enough for that fact to be confirmed. That's all you need to do to get the credit.

... someone on your boat must "witness" and confirm the sinking, and report it to you (whether you're watching/hearing it happen with your own eyes/ears or not). That's how you know that the game has credited you with the kill. A kill you don't witness is a kill that didn't happen as far as the game (and your renown score) is concerned.

I always thought it was a simple matter of distance. SHIII continues to amaze me with what it models.