Realistic attacks!

[siber]

Hi guys and gals!

I was wondering; how many torps would a real life captain fire at a target? Would that number change depending upon whether the target is alone or in a convoy, or merchant or warship?

To be honest, I feel that the 1 torpedo per ship rule results in vastly unrealistic tonnage scores. Why are we all so good here, but (in general) uboat's averaged only few ships sunk each? What's the unrealistic factor? The number of torpedos fired in the salvos?

At the moment, in my Type IIA (Jan. 1940) I'll generally fire 2x spreads of two torps in a patrol, saving one torp for the return journey. However, how would I fire torps if/when I upgrade to a VIIB to be faithful to real life tactics?

More torps fired = better chance of hitting, but fewer salvos available.

[flakmonkey]

The one ship, one torpedo rule only applies if you are Otto Kretschmer for everyone else it varies depending on the ship and weather conditions.

Generally i fire a full salvo of 4 if the target is 7000 tons or more so i can be sure of at least 1 hit, this helps especially in rough weather when your range/AOB calculations may be a little off.

I seem to recall real life patrols of 80`000 tons or more so if your aiming is up to the task you can cartainly acheive realistic tonnages.

+ Although it can take DAYS for a large ship to sink with only 1 hit, if it sinks at all! So its probably best to be sure you sink it on the first attack and fire more than one fish.

[Brag]

Sinking 2 - 3 Ships in a convoy attack is realistic enough. Historically, the lower tonnages were not so much due to misses or pumping large loads of torpedoes out, but lack of contacts. IN SH3 finding targets is easier than in RL. Usually we return to base with empty tubes and plenty of fuel left. Historically U-boats returned short of fuel and torpedoes left in the tubes.

So this is a question of playability vs historical accuracy.

Now do what Onkel Neal says to do on this thread:http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=129239

[Grayson02sept1980]

anything above 5000 gets at least 2 torps...

anything under 5000 is not worth it ... nah! if I stumble accross a single one and if it is a little 2000t sahiop I shoot it with one and hoping/praying it is enough

In convoys I pick the two biggest with my fron tubes 2per ship and the third ship also is a big or I take two smaller ones (type IX I have now)

6 torps on 3-4 targets not more.

[melnibonian]

It depends on the target really. If the merchant is alone one torpedo was usually used to wound it or stop it before it was finished off by gun fire (early in the war). During convoy battles the usual practice was to fire a salvo of two torpedoes per target to ensure a hit and to maximise the chances of a kill. Generally speaking though each Captain had his own style and based on their experience they were taking the choice on how many torpedoes they would use.

[Keelbuster]

Two per target makes sense. You can straddle the ship's midline and thereby hedge your bet on its speed (if you're slow you turn it into a midship + stern hit, if you're fast you turn it into a midship + bow hit). Two hits almost always kills a ship. If it's bigger (like a BB, or an aircraft carrier) I'll give her three. If I'm really unsure of the speed of a BB (which sometimes happens because they go so fast) I'll give her four, spaced evenly along her. In the IX, two per target is great because it means 3 ships, almost certainly destroyed, per convoy raid. In convoys, it's not worth shooting one torp at a target because if it takes her days to sink, you have to hang around to make sure, and thus lose distance on the rest of the convoy. You want to inflict sudden destructive hits on all targets, and then start the overhauling maneuver. I don't really know what they did in real life , but I sort of imagine that having played the game for long enough on high realism, you'll basically end up behaving like a real Kaleun.

[Captain Nemo]

This is an interesting thread. From what I have read, generally speaking two torpedoes were normally fired at a target by U-Boat captains to try and ensure a hit and a kill. In comparison, British submarine captains tended to be more generous with their torpedoes firing four to six at a target. Deck gun actions by British submarines, especially in the Med, were also quite common.

Nemo

the rule generraly follows...

1 fishing boat 1 torpedo.

stationary elco... 1 torpedo