Torpedo Options

[Jimbuna]

I always use impacts set at a shallow setting in stormy weather.

[Sailor Steve]

It's too bad the real kaleuns didn't have that option. There was no switch that let you select one or the other, or at least not until 1944. Disabling the magnetic pistol required removing it from the torpedo, a process that took at least an hour. Once the order was given in 1940 to remove them they were all removed, and not replaced until the new version came out late in 1943.

[Jimbuna]

Very true....but the game is a lesser PITA

[Gargamel]

There are also theories on using magnetics in calm weather in near 90' AOB. DR and I have had some good discussions on it. It all depends on the size o the boat, the speed of the eel and the difference in deIpth

[desirableroasted]

Originally Posted by Gargamel

There are also theories on using magnetics in calm weather in near 90' AOB. DR and I have had some good discussions on it. It all depends on the size o the boat, the speed of the eel and the difference in deIpth

And I have slowly come around to your view that magnetics work at about AOB 90, though your torpedo should be set to the slowest speed. And they do seem to cause the most damage at a much narrower angle. Difference in depth, though seems to be the most significant factor.

One thing players often forget is that all magnetics are ALSO impacts. By making the switch to impact, you take away (I am told) the dice roll that might lead your mag-set torpedo to prematurely explode. You also can do it a second before you launch, which is obviously not right.

I am sure some of the historians can offer advice here. For now, I set all tubes to magnetic, since I can use them either way, and take my chances on the prematures.

[Gargamel]

I Have found on a couple occasions that having the eels run too fast and too deep caused them to detonate on the far side of the target, which did result in confusing the merchants in the convoy. Upon the detonations, they started searching with their search lights in the opposite direction. I'm not sure if the escorts werre confused or not, but they did not jump on me right away. Then again, it was probably early war and they may not have found me any ways.

But to be honest, it is not a tactic I recommend, as the risk of missing completely is too high, and the reduced damage from such an hit doesnt seem to be worth it. Perhaps if one were to be able to land a few crippling shots on some big targets and have them drop out of formation, and the misdirection allows for easier evasion and subsequent reload, then it may be worth it, but that's still a lot of if's.

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

It's too bad the real kaleuns didn't have that option. There was no switch that let you select one or the other, or at least not until 1944. Disabling the magnetic pistol required removing it from the torpedo, a process that took at least an hour. Once the order was given in 1940 to remove them they were all removed, and not replaced until the new version came out late in 1943.

Wow, I didin't knew this. Where did you read about it ? Could you give me a link to the source ?

Thanks but it wasn't exactly what I wanted

I want the source where as Steve said torpedo pistol had to be manually set to impact/magnetic on the torpedo itself and it took about an hour to do that.

[Sailor Steve]

The part about it taking an hour came from a source posted here back when I was homeless, and unable to save the link. The original poster also provided photographs, but I don't have those either. Perhaps you'll be happier with this source, which says it couldn't be done at all.

Since it was not yet possible to switch the pistols between the AZ and MZ settings, to overcome this problem the TI recommended that against such targets of less than 3,000 tons only torpedoes with the AZ type pistol be used.

In any case, the order had little to no impact, at least at first. At the time U-boats carried torpedoes equipped with either the MZ or AZ pistol. The option that would later allow the commander to interchange these settings while on patrol had not yet come into being, so whatever setting the pistol was set to when delivered to the boat was what it was stuck with for the duration of the patrol.

http://eaglescholar.georgiasouthern.edu:8080/jspui/bitstream/10518/3627/1/Wright_David_H_201005_MA.pdf

Pages 47-48.

Very interesting link, thanks a lot

[Dbledip]

Sailor Steve;


Thanks for link to the paper written by David Wright. This paper is a very interesting read up to Chapter 7 Explaining the Torpedo Crisis. Definitely felt the frustrations of the U-boat captains with the faulty torpedoes and the TVA.

My screaming "Another DUD!" at my monitor is nothing compared what these men went through especially with the MZ's early detonations alerting DD's to their locations and subject them to a punishing depth charge attack.

[maillemaker]

http://eaglescholar.georgiasouthern...._201005_MA.pdf

Cool link, and it's from my Alma Mater!

Steve

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

It's too bad the real kaleuns didn't have that option. There was no switch that let you select one or the other, or at least not until 1944. Disabling the magnetic pistol required removing it from the torpedo, a process that took at least an hour. Once the order was given in 1940 to remove them they were all removed, and not replaced until the new version came out late in 1943.

I must notice Sailor Steve spoke a nonsence on this topic If you ever read the document yourself Mister, you should know that in page 51 there is following text:

Back in Germany, the TI had in the meantime been working on a way to alter the torpedo
pistol so that it might be set for either AZ or MZ detonation. By the end of September, it had
come up with such a device, which was known as Schalterstellung A (Switch Setting A). The
introduction of the device to the fleet on October 2 came just in time, as it now made it possible
to carry out Dönitz***8217; previous orders that all boats were to fire using only the AZ setting. A new
directive to this effect was issued to the fleet.69 The downside to this order, however, was that
although it theoretically gave the German U-boats a way to switch to a more reliable detonation,
the resultant AZ induced explosion lacked the sheer destructive power of the MZ type. Hence
the Schalterstellung A was never considered by anyone to be a permanent fix to the torpedo
problem, but rather a temporary emergency measure to buy the TI some time in which to perfect
the MZ type, which had always been envisioned by the Marineleitung as being the primary
detonator system for the U-boat. In any event, from October 2 onwards boats equipped with

pistols using the Schalterstellung A option were to use only the AZ option until further notice.

So literrraly speaking this was very short period of time - The first MONTH of the war during which U-boats could not switch pistols AZ-MZ and vice versa

However I must admit I would never realized the mass of malfunctioned torpedoes Kriegsmarine had especially with MZ pistol without this document.

Perhaps H.sie was right while introducing his torpedo fix. On the other hand I never trust MZ pistol in early war anyway.

After reading it all I might reconsider using that fix.

[Sailor Steve]

Fair enough. I missed that part, and I don't mind admitting when I'm wrong.

On the other hand, there is no need for this kind of rudeness:

Originally Posted by PapaKilo

I must notice Sailor Steve spoke a nonsence on this topic If you ever read the document yourself Mister, you should know that in page 51 there is following text: