Damn tanker wont sink after 5 torpedo hits???

DesertFalcon · 03-04-16, 02:11 AM

so I started the convoy training mission in sub school or whatever. I find the convoy, kill or wound the protecting destroyers, and then go to work on the first tanker I see. I thought, having gotten rid of the escorts (most fled instantly after they got hit once) I could leisurely wipe out the helpless convoy....

so I hit this tanker once, twice, but it doesnt even stop moving. I watch it for awhile, get irritated waiting for him to sink, and pop a couple caps in him with my deck gun (the big one). Third times a charm, right? so I blow him another huge hole in his side. STILL WONT SINK?? 2 more shots with my aft tubes continue to produce the same result. At this point I have zero torps left and deck gun is exausted, yet this damn tanker sails on, not even on fire. can somebody explain this ridiculousness??

TL DR - I torpedoed a tanker 5 times and shot him with my deck gun, and he sailed on alive.

vdr1981 · 03-04-16, 02:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DesertFalcon

so I started the convoy training mission in sub school or whatever. I find the convoy, kill or wound the protecting destroyers, and then go to work on the first tanker I see. I thought, having gotten rid of the escorts (most fled instantly after they got hit once) I could leisurely wipe out the helpless convoy....

so I hit this tanker once, twice, but it doesnt even stop moving. I watch it for awhile, get irritated waiting for him to sink, and pop a couple caps in him with my deck gun (the big one). Third times a charm, right? so I blow him another huge hole in his side. STILL WONT SINK?? 2 more shots with my aft tubes continue to produce the same result. At this point I have zero torps left and deck gun is exausted, yet this damn tanker sails on, not even on fire. can somebody explain this ridiculousness??

TL DR - I torpedoed a tanker 5 times and shot him with my deck gun, and he sailed on alive.

LoL...

Once upon a time, people were asking the same questions and then somebody invented MODS!

TMO and RFB are great choice for Pacific theater...

P.S.
And welcome to Subsim!

Florida Sailor · 03-04-16, 10:15 AM

Tankers, a few things to consider:

Tankers when empty are a series of sealed compartments so punching a hole in one or two of those compartments will not sink one. In order to sink one with the deck gun you will need to punch holes in several compartments. The entire drive train of a tanker is in the rear of the ship, a hit there will usually stop, but not sink it.

Full tankers are another story. If you hit a full tanker amidships with a torpedo it should go off like a bomb. Cargo is a always a factor when it comes to the damage one torpedo can inflict even with other types of merchant ships.

So the question becomes how do you determine if the ship is full or empty?
1. If the ship riding high in the water it is most likely empty, If it is riding low, very little water line showing, it is probably full.
2. What direction is the ship traveling? Headed South, to the oil fields of Indonesia it is probably empty. If it is headed North to Japan it is probably full.

Try this: Station your boat in the Straight between Formosa and the Philippines and go after tankers. You will find that the ones coming from the South will go off like a fireworks display if you hit them with one torpedo in the center of the ship and the ones coming from the North will take several torps to sink.

Good Hunting!

DesertFalcon · 03-04-16, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Florida Sailor

Tankers, a few things to consider:

Tankers when empty are a series of sealed compartments so punching a hole in one or two of those compartments will not sink one. In order to sink one with the deck gun you will need to punch holes in several compartments. The entire drive train of a tanker is in the rear of the ship, a hit there will usually stop, but not sink it.

Full tankers are another story. If you hit a full tanker amidships with a torpedo it should go off like a bomb. Cargo is a always a factor when it comes to the damage one torpedo can inflict even with other types of merchant ships.

So the question becomes how do you determine if the ship is full or empty?
1. If the ship riding high in the water it is most likely empty, If it is riding low, very little water line showing, it is probably full.
2. What direction is the ship traveling? Headed South, to the oil fields of Indonesia it is probably empty. If it is headed North to Japan it is probably full.

Try this: Station your boat in the Straight between Formosa and the Philippines and go after tankers. You will find that the ones coming from the South will go off like a fireworks display if you hit them with one torpedo in the center of the ship and the ones coming from the North will take several torps to sink.

Good Hunting!

hmm never considered that. Thanks! I'll definitely try out that spot you mentioned.

Cybermat47 · 03-15-16, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Florida Sailor

Tankers, a few things to consider:

Tankers when empty are a series of sealed compartments so punching a hole in one or two of those compartments will not sink one. In order to sink one with the deck gun you will need to punch holes in several compartments. The entire drive train of a tanker is in the rear of the ship, a hit there will usually stop, but not sink it.

Full tankers are another story. If you hit a full tanker amidships with a torpedo it should go off like a bomb. Cargo is a always a factor when it comes to the damage one torpedo can inflict even with other types of merchant ships.

So the question becomes how do you determine if the ship is full or empty?
1. If the ship riding high in the water it is most likely empty, If it is riding low, very little water line showing, it is probably full.
2. What direction is the ship traveling? Headed South, to the oil fields of Indonesia it is probably empty. If it is headed North to Japan it is probably full.

Try this: Station your boat in the Straight between Formosa and the Philippines and go after tankers. You will find that the ones coming from the South will go off like a fireworks display if you hit them with one torpedo in the center of the ship and the ones coming from the North will take several torps to sink.

Good Hunting!

Does SH4 simulate cargo? I never noticed that

Florida Sailor · 03-15-16, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cybermat47

Does SH4 simulate cargo? I never noticed that

It sure does. Cargo is determined when the mission is created. The choices are freight, ammunition, fuel or empty. Hit a ship full of ammo or fuel and enjoy the fireworks.

Dave

Aktungbby · 03-17-16, 11:25 PM

slipf18!

DesertFalcon · 03-04-16, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vdr1981

LoL...

Once upon a time, people were asking the same questions and then somebody invented MODS!

TMO and RFB are great choice for Pacific theater...

P.S.
And welcome to Subsim!

thanks...I should probably start another thread for this, but sadly I cant use most mods...my version is only 1.0 and the patch for 1.4 says I dont have the game installed. I bought the game secondhand, wonder if thats the problem.

vdr1981 · 03-04-16, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DesertFalcon

thanks...I should probably start another thread for this, but sadly I cant use most mods...my version is only 1.0 and the patch for 1.4 says I dont have the game installed. I bought the game secondhand, wonder if thats the problem.

Ouch...I remember that SH4 v1.0 was a disaster ...You quickly need at least patch 1.4.

razark · 03-05-16, 01:41 AM

A. You sink ships by poking holes in them and filling them with liquid.
B. Tankers are ships that are designed to be filled with liquid.
:. Tankers can be hard to sink.

I wish we could at least get credit for damaging a ship. I remember Silent Service 2 would give credit for damage, and I think Silent Hunter 1 did, as well. Now with SH4, I can damage multiple ships in a convoy, but unless they sink or lose the propeller, they'll happily keep position in the convoy while listing 45 degrees.

Also, if you get into playing with mods like TMO, your deck gun is going to feel underpowered. It's good for sampans and fishie marus, but it's not going to be as effective in taking out larger targets (but it can be done). Aim for the waterline. You're looking to get not only an explosion, but also the column of water thrown up. That's when you know you're making those holes that let the water in.

Anyway, welcome to your new hobby of getting pissed off at bizarre ship physics. (Wait until you return from a patrol and find half the ships you sank wiped from the record.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by vdr1981

Ouch...I remember that SH4 v1.0 was a disaster

I don't really remember how bad 1.0 was. The 1.1 patch was released so quickly that I don't remember not having it. I think I downloaded it before the game arrived.

03-05-16, 03:48 PM

one thing to remember if you use auto targeting, the torps will almost always hit the exact same spot every time so its best to fire one then on the next torps you lock, unlock, move the crosshairs forward or back from the centered auto lock position and fire. that way you aren't hitting an already destroyed section over and over wasting torps. you have to lock first then unlock or it wont aim right.

another tip is if you fire one torp and wait for a result it takes more torps to sink that ship because the game simulates "damage repair" between torps. what that means is, if a ship would sink from 2 torps fired at the same time (even at the same spot) it will take 3,4 or even 5 torps to sink if you fire, wait to see what happens, and then fire again.

I have a torpedo testing mission in my torpedo mods you should use and practice sinking stationary ships to see how many torps each takes to sink and how different the results are if the aiming point gets changed after the first torp is fired. you might also like to use the mod itself to increased torp power the mod gives you

03-04-16, 02:11 AM	#1
DesertFalcon Nub Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: USA Posts: 4 Downloads: 7 Uploads: 0	Damn tanker wont sink after 5 torpedo hits??? so I started the convoy training mission in sub school or whatever. I find the convoy, kill or wound the protecting destroyers, and then go to work on the first tanker I see. I thought, having gotten rid of the escorts (most fled instantly after they got hit once) I could leisurely wipe out the helpless convoy.... so I hit this tanker once, twice, but it doesnt even stop moving. I watch it for awhile, get irritated waiting for him to sink, and pop a couple caps in him with my deck gun (the big one). Third times a charm, right? so I blow him another huge hole in his side. STILL WONT SINK?? 2 more shots with my aft tubes continue to produce the same result. At this point I have zero torps left and deck gun is exausted, yet this damn tanker sails on, not even on fire. can somebody explain this ridiculousness?? TL DR - I torpedoed a tanker 5 times and shot him with my deck gun, and he sailed on alive.

03-04-16, 10:15 AM	#3
Florida Sailor Eternal Patrol Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Seffner, Florida Posts: 81 Downloads: 27 Uploads: 0	Tankers, a few things to consider: Tankers when empty are a series of sealed compartments so punching a hole in one or two of those compartments will not sink one. In order to sink one with the deck gun you will need to punch holes in several compartments. The entire drive train of a tanker is in the rear of the ship, a hit there will usually stop, but not sink it. Full tankers are another story. If you hit a full tanker amidships with a torpedo it should go off like a bomb. Cargo is a always a factor when it comes to the damage one torpedo can inflict even with other types of merchant ships. So the question becomes how do you determine if the ship is full or empty? 1. If the ship riding high in the water it is most likely empty, If it is riding low, very little water line showing, it is probably full. 2. What direction is the ship traveling? Headed South, to the oil fields of Indonesia it is probably empty. If it is headed North to Japan it is probably full. Try this: Station your boat in the Straight between Formosa and the Philippines and go after tankers. You will find that the ones coming from the South will go off like a fireworks display if you hit them with one torpedo in the center of the ship and the ones coming from the North will take several torps to sink. Good Hunting! __________________ Dog down the hatches and take her deep boys!

03-17-16, 11:25 PM	#7
Aktungbby Gefallen Engel U-666 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: On a tilted, overheated, overpopulated spinning mudball on Collision course with Andromeda Galaxy Posts: 27,894 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	Welcome aboard! slipf18! __________________ "Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness; and I'm not too sure about the Universe"

03-05-16, 03:48 PM	#11
Webster Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	one thing to remember if you use auto targeting, the torps will almost always hit the exact same spot every time so its best to fire one then on the next torps you lock, unlock, move the crosshairs forward or back from the centered auto lock position and fire. that way you aren't hitting an already destroyed section over and over wasting torps. you have to lock first then unlock or it wont aim right. another tip is if you fire one torp and wait for a result it takes more torps to sink that ship because the game simulates "damage repair" between torps. what that means is, if a ship would sink from 2 torps fired at the same time (even at the same spot) it will take 3,4 or even 5 torps to sink if you fire, wait to see what happens, and then fire again. I have a torpedo testing mission in my torpedo mods you should use and practice sinking stationary ships to see how many torps each takes to sink and how different the results are if the aiming point gets changed after the first torp is fired. you might also like to use the mod itself to increased torp power the mod gives you Last edited by Webster; 03-05-16 at 11:20 PM.