Rookie Mistakes

[Pisces]

Originally Posted by Hotspur1337

Encountered my first convoy, full of plum targets.

Lined up a large tanker and a large merchant at different ranges. Fired one at the further, hoping for a cripple, then waited a bit to fire on the closer ship.

I should have done the arithmetic. Closer ship hit sooner than I wanted and further ship altered course. No hit.

Luckily I took out the large merchant but I really wanted that tanker.

I need to look up the speed of the torpedoes. I'm sure it's in the GWX manual.

No need, like King_Zog says, the TDC can do it for you. All it needs is the speed of the targets, and the AOB-periscope bearing relationship. Then you can set the periscope or gyro angle to the place 'when' you want to fire, and just wait for them to pass the line in the scope view.

The below picture illustrates what you probably wanted to do. You do not need to have a 90 degree orientation with regard to the target track. Any angle should work, but 90 degrees is the best chance of succes. (the targets show their longest profile) The correct value for target speed is critical! The TDC calculates how much of an angle it needs between the periscope view and the gyro angle. (=lead, based on target speed, AOB and torpedo speed) Following that is to make sure the gyro angle is at 0 degrees (or near within + or - 10 degrees is ok), this takes range out of the equation completely. Since it becomes a minor factor if the torpedos need to turn after they leave the tube and the target is near. Anyway, this allows for a single setting for all targets in a single row of a convoy (all alongside of eachother, perpendicular to course). All you need to do is wait for the targets to pass the periscope line with their juicy parts and shoot a torp for that particular one and wait for the next. The furthest will be fired upon first. All should hit more or less simultaneously. (depends on relative positions of the juicy parts)



(credits: RockinRobbins, of SH4 fame )