4-shot salvo or 4 separate shots?

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by danexpat

This is where I get off the verisimilitude train. I just play these things through my initial addiction until I'm ready to move on to my next --

Hey, look! Something shiny!

We all have our little vices. I've listed mine far too many times to repeat them here.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

We all have our little vices. I've listed mine far too many times to repeat them here.

But isn't that one of your little vices?

[Jimbuna]

Never resort to salvos personally....nver enough eels to play with as it is.

[Obersteuermann]

As a rule I only use salvoes against battleships and carriers. I find that a 2-torpedo spread against battleships, with the spread angle set to pop the eels into the fore and aft magazines, gives the best results.

Against carriers ... well, my evasion tactics aren't the best and generally I want to shoot as many torpedoes as needed in as little time as possible so I can get away quick. I've only fired a 3-shot salvo once, and that was when I found a Bogue class escorted by half a dozen Clemsons ... on 4th July.

Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch

Wow, looks like it's just me that does fire salvos. Only for the larger vessels and only ever two eels used. I use it to hedge my bets when I'm in the middle of a convoy (still early years ) and the escorts are bearing down on me. I'd never use it for a lone vessel, hmmm - unless it was a nice juicy carrier...!

Aside from the first time I ever fired a salvo, and missed, I've never forgotton to change the spread angle - you watch, tonight I will

I use salvos as well, quite often in fact. On any ship larger than 6k tons I do a two shot salvo, Battleships, cruisers, or anything over 10k tons I do 3 or more shot salvos.

[desirableroasted]

Originally Posted by USNSRCaseySmith

I use salvos as well, quite often in fact. On any ship larger than 6k tons I do a two shot salvo, Battleships, cruisers, or anything over 10k tons I do 3 or more shot salvos.

To me, that seems a way to waste torpedoes. Almost any ship under 10K will go down with one shot, and many over 10K will, especially if helped along wtih the deck gun (obviously of limited use later in the war, and in rough seas).

My goal (which I usually reach or get within knocking distance) in 39-40 is 3500 tons per torpedo, or 49K if I fire everything (but I usually dont). Deck gun fills in the blanks, and gives the gravy.

But with salvos, I can't see that happening.

Thank you all for your advice.

I think my doctrine from now on will certainly be.

1) No salvos unless in a snapshot situation against a fast-moving capital ship. And then only two.

2) One shot per ship. If the shot detonates, wait and see if it is showing damage. If it does not, set up a new shot.

[Gargamel]

Originally Posted by desirableroasted

To me, that seems a way to waste torpedoes. Almost any ship under 10K will go down with one shot, and many over 10K will, especially if helped along wtih the deck gun (obviously of limited use later in the war, and in rough seas).

I know I have sunk some 25k and 40k ton liners with single eel shots. They just took a while. 2 2 shot salvos, one eel missed from each, but hit liners behind them, so I sunk 4 liners, just really slowly.

And then I threw some mud at the Hood. http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...dy#post1528688

well in that regards how long does it usually take for those ships to sink?? I can put one into the bow of a small merchant and sometimes it even seems like even THOSE take forever to sink!

My thinking is I dont feel like waiting around for afew hours to watch a merchant sink and then have a destroyer bearing down on me because the darned merchant decided to send an S.o.S. which is another question, does the game model this? (Sinking ships or attacked ships signal for help and destroyers come-a-callin?

[Gargamel]

Originally Posted by USNSRCaseySmith

well in that regards how long does it usually take for those ships to sink?? I can put one into the bow of a small merchant and sometimes it even seems like even THOSE take forever to sink!

My thinking is I dont feel like waiting around for afew hours to watch a merchant sink and then have a destroyer bearing down on me because the darned merchant decided to send an S.o.S. which is another question, does the game model this? (Sinking ships or attacked ships signal for help and destroyers come-a-callin?

Only if they're within range, ie they've already spawned. I attacked a lone merchant off the north coast of the Orkney's (like AN1457 ish) at night once. I never saw the DD about 12-15km away. First torp hit, and I soon heard the report of a deck gun. This was late 39 or early '40. I didn't know what was going on, then the star shell exploded and the watch started screaming things about a DD headed our way. About face! Flank Speed!

So yeah, if' they've spawned in the world, they will sometimes respond to SSS calls. Thats why harbor raiding is difficult. Most of the patrols come running when you hit.

[Obersteuermann]

Originally Posted by USNSRCaseySmith

well in that regards how long does it usually take for those ships to sink?? I can put one into the bow of a small merchant and sometimes it even seems like even THOSE take forever to sink!

Where do you aim? I find that one magnetic eel running between 0.5 and 1m under the keel, aimed at the aftmost point of the foc's'le, does the job on all ships up to 11k tons.

[Hottentot]

I use 2 shot salvos occasionally with convoys that tend to have more valuable targets and better escorts. I fire single shots at the closest targets, but for that big thing in the middle I might use a salvo. The British Storm Generator makes sure the weather is always awful when I'm near a convoy, so if I'm not exactly sure of my solution, I fire a salvo with small spread to maximize the chance of hitting in the first place and preferably in two different spots.

Way too many times I have hit the target, but haven't managed to sink it or even slow it down enough to kill it later by following the convoy and seeing if it lags behind. So nowadays I'd rather sink the target with the first opportunity and use two eels for it rather than miss with one. That one opportunity might be the only one I get. Some of my most frustrating experiences have been like these: fire four shots at four targets. Hear four impacts. All sail on happily. The destroyer hydrophone operator finds my vessel by following the sound of my swearing.

And as for battle ships? I don't care how many torpedoes it takes, that thing is going down. I have played entire careers without even seeing one. I can afford it.

[Tessa]

Originally Posted by VONHARRIS

I rarely fire salvos. When I do , I fire a 3 spread torpedo against a high value target (BB or CV) and keep 1 more fish just in case.

Larger targets like those can be a double edged sword in terms of how easily they can be sunk. If going fast or in rough waters 1 torpedo can sink pretty much anything either by hitting a weak spot or a shot to the forecastle of the boat so its own forward motion forces water in faster. Then again if you bet you hand all on one card and miss rather than salvo when you do have the torpedoes to spare you'll feel like crap and probably not get off another shot.

If a large target like a BB is being stubborn and only marginally slowing down and still in target range I'll use the large merchant rule of thumb. 1 BB is worth the same as approximately 3 large merchants; a large merchant is easily sunk with just 1 torpedo, so as long as I can down the larger target with 3 or less torpedoes is a good exchange. If I've missed the first, hit the second and slowed it down and the third marginally slows it down (but not slow enough for it to still be able to easily outrun you) expending a 4th torpedo to finish it off becomes a tough situation, if you hit it's likely to be the finishing blow, if you miss you've pretty much wasted 4 eels and nothing to show for it.

Generally only time I consider using a salvo is on a BB with 4 turrets (with 2 fore and 2 aft) and will aim to hit under both magazines simultaneously, and that's only if I'm using a magnetic setting so that both torpedoes will have rougly the same draft to be aiming at (once they're hit and start to sink doing a magnetic shot become increasingly difficult). Even then I'll still usually set tubes 1/4, 2/3 to the desired depth and fire em individually as the target crosses the recticle.