Torpedos bouncing in ships

[binakalgo]

I'm just still in the training missions and I find interesting that the torpedos bounce in the target without exploting.

I'm using auto-target because I pretty much still suck at it but I find it strange that in the training missions the torpedos fail.

The manual says that optimal distance is like 1,000 m but I've noted that most of the times the torpedos bounce when I shoot them from 1500-500 m so I've fired from afar, but then the ship notice it and changes course or speed.

Is this normal or a bug or is there a mod to fix it?

[Vuyek]

Depends on the angle of the hit from what I understand.

A torpedo has to hit at a correct angle otherwise bouncey bouncey :D

You can use the magnetic torp to assuage the problem but... it may not be as reliable (dependent on your realism game settings).

[binakalgo]

Hmm... strange, I'm sure that I will hit on on a 45 to 90º degree angle... But well, I should keep trying I guess.

[FourGreenFields]

Are you sure the torpedos hit their target? Without opening the torpedo bay door they may pass behind the target because the door needs to be opened first (key to open door is q iIrc).

[Woody]

Originally posted by binakalgo:

I'm just still in the training missions and I find interesting that the torpedos bounce in the target without exploting.

I'm using auto-target because I pretty much still suck at it but I find it strange that in the training missions the torpedos fail.

The manual says that optimal distance is like 1,000 m but I've noted that most of the times the torpedos bounce when I shoot them from 1500-500 m so I've fired from afar, but then the ship notice it and changes course or speed.

Is this normal or a bug or is there a mod to fix it?

duds if you have that checked in realism
bad angle
hitting the ship too far down the hull where it curves more

[Spuda]

Hi at angle of 45- 90 degrees and beyond 400m running distance for impact torpedoes, note also the torp- depth setting makes a big difference too. hitting the rounded lower belly of a ship often results in fail to deternate and of cause it can also be a dud too. hope this helps:)

[binakalgo]

It does, thanks.

[pusrob]

If you're using impact pistol than you really should try to hit the ship 90°± 5° for maximum chance for exploding (gyroangle -5° to 5° in the attack periscope view, if proper settings are set). Also, set the running depth to be no more than 3 m in case of big ships (because of curvature of the underwater hull) and probably like 1.5 for smaller ones.

If you decide to use magnetic pistol (where angle on bow (AoB) does not matter much), than always look up the type of the ship you're attacking, and set the torpedo depth to draft (keel depth from waterline) + 1.25 m (1-1.5 m, depending on weather conditions). This ensures that the torpedo does not hit the hull in a bit more rough weather (bounce, no explosion), but is still close enough to trigger the detonator. Also, it will cause massive damage, presumably much more than an impact triggered torpedo detonated at shallow depths (the depth of torpedo explosion is actually taken into account in the game when calculating damage and sink rate).

Be careful though, that magnetic torpedoes tend to explode prematurely, especially in salvos. I also found that firing salvos manually (one by one) doesn't affect this behaviour, so 1 torpedo out of any number will prematurely explode with about a 75% chance (depending on reality level of course). And there are duds which will not explode no mater what, which you cannot do anything about (again, depends on reality level).

Also, never forget to open the tubes prior to firing (it really makes that much difference in successful hit rates) and always choose the right speed (steam powered has 3, electric just 1 for quite a while). I recommend middle speed for steam powered for most cases, but later, when you will learn to hit multiple targets, that slower speed will really become handy (as you want the torps to explode with as little delay between each other as possible).

As an additional info, the highest speed setting for steam torps is historically not really accurate, only torpedo boats used such torps, and that speed did damage the torp in many cases as they say (~80 km/h is freakin' fast underwater!), thus I tried to avoid using that setting.

Also, never forget that light conditions really affect how well (or badly) your torpedoes are detected by ships. Steam torpedoes really should only be used at night (when the bubble trail is barely visible if at all), or when fired away from the direction of the sun (sunset and sunrise times are best, the sun is behind you when firing). In the latter case the ships will not see the bubble trail because it is hidden in the reflected line of light on the water surface coming from the sun. Obviously, the lower the sun is, the better line of light you have for such tactics.

In broad daylight you still can use steam torps from close distance (less than 1000 m, try to be somewhere between 500 and 700 m, the closer the better), as ships will not have time to react even if they spot incoming torps. In these cases don't even think about slow torp speed settings, medium speed is minimum! Also, never forget that torps need to run at least ~400 m before they arm themselves (it was a safety feature so that the sub does not get damaged of its own torp), so don't get too close!

Hope this helps, enjoy!

[Oparator Stalker]

What pusrob said...

Keep in mind when your sending a torpedo, it is almost like shooting a gun, if your angle is too sharp, then impact pistols will always have a high tendacy to fail on a hard angle hits, it is ricocheting off the hull. Like a bullet against the angle of the wall. Impact pistol have to strike in order to "boom". To increase that ability of suscess useing such a angle, you need to switch to magnetic pistol. Just like a real torpedo, the magnic is attractied to metal, so once it pass close to the haul, the pistol triggers the "boom".

The differences of the 2 type pistols?

Impact pistol is supose to be more reliable for a hit, but requiers to be more accurate on the target.

Magnetic Pistol just needs to be close to any metal serface of the target. Here a hit is aquiered by the magnet being close enough to be attracted to any metal serface to trigger off. Mainly the hull because it is a large serface. Advantage here is the torpedo could be less accurate dead on. So setting them lower so they can go almost under the keel will have the best results on any angle if the torpedo is close enough.. as long it isn't a dude or strikes the vessel and is knocked down..

If your useing dude torpedo's keep in mind, the torpedos were not that great, how ever for not great was still able to put over a million tons worth of ships to the bottom and cost the lives of over 500,000 saliors up until wars end. The electric torpedos issues of pre-detonation was at wars start because it was new. The steam topedo was in service as out of WWI. So what ever the problems were with this torpedo type, was resolved back during WWI. After all The steam torpedo is a type I.

So now in WWII when you have a dude, it would be once in a great awhile, A miss or depth keeping malfunction would be more realistic. The pre-detonation issue was on the electricle torpedos. Think about it, you have a device, useing electric power to make it go, and to do this, this, the electric motor has to have power and run, which create a magnitic feild, in which a magnet pistol can be attracted to, this would cause the pre-detonation, This issue was latter fix after the Norway war.

I do not use dude torpedos, the game itself, the torpedos tend to fail as is, and the game options is really a game thing. So its like the game takes advantage of it and all your torpedo's are junk, entire complament not working out at all, which is less realistic when you looking at the numbers of shipment lost and the dead.

At the beggining of WWII of US verses the ♥♥♥♥, the US steam torpedos were junk and the entire complament was garbege. So on the US side, it would be realistic. LAtter their torpedo issues had got resolve including a US productions of copied German homming torpedos

Anyway...

I think regarding to U-boats and weapons, most of Ubisoft reserch was out of WWI. In that year, everything is new age tech and would fit in with the none-relistic settings in this game. Not a latter WWII turn of a century war with advanced tech and equpiment..

So if your useing the dude torpedo option, could be another reason for the problem..