Aiming PT boat torpedoes now

[DoubleEagle]

I've been away for a while, and downloaded the new version of AH with the WASD controls for the PT boat.

I have a technique for aiming PT boat torpedoes that I used to use, but I will repost it now since the old way used the RPM gauge.

PT boats are faster than their torpedoes, and that is a good thing.  What you do is slow down to be the same speed as them, then get into a collision course with the enemy ship.

1.  first step, slow down.  On your left you have (I think) a speed gauge that goes shows knots.  Full speed is 45 knots for the boat, but torpedoes only go 40.  Tap the S button a few times until you get your speed to 40 on the money.  That is the speed of torpedoes.

2.  Collision course.   Easy.  Look at the enemy (might help to be in a gunner position with this).  If the target is not drifting left, or right, then you are on a collision course.  The thing will just get bigger, and bigger, and bigger, until you smack into it.  Well, if you are in a collision, so are your torpedoes.  Drop them (maybe turn a bit left and right for each subsequent torpedo if you want to fire a spread), and then go full throttle and veer off out of range.  Your part is done.

That is it.

[badhorse]

Interesting. Thanks for posting it. I'll give it try sometime.

[curry1]

Makes me wish I thought about that before thanks dude.

[StokesAk]

That just dawned on me, it makes so much sense. I'll have to try it out next time I am in a PT boat.

[fbWldcat]

Knights are already good at losing CVs!!! I will have to use this to try and make it even. Thanks for posting.

[mike8318]

How are avoiding ships defensive guns?

[bortas1]

thamks for the post. what about othjer angles like the side and such?
  thanks bortas

[hitech]

That fact is also what make plane spotting nasty. When your on a collision course there is no relative movement , hence hard to spot.

HiTech

[DoubleEagle]

This system works at any angle.  The only variable you really have to guess at is range.  Torpedoes don't last forever, so launching at a black dot on the edge of the draw distance will be pointless.  You still have to get close, and that also helps minimize errors in throttle or your own angle.

BTW, this is how sidewinder missiles work.  They null out the rate of bearing change so the target heat source is on a constant bearing.  Then it just gets close enough to set off the proximity fuse.

That is really all you need to do.  It won't help with airplane dropping torpedoes.  There you still need to guess where to drop, though generally you go in from the side and drop when the enemy ship is close to 45 degrees off your nose.  Their 35 knots plus your 40 knot torpedo will converge.  It doesn't make a perfect triangle, but it is close.  Because your torpedo is a bit faster, you will need to drop before 45 degrees, i.e. dead center of viewpoint 7 or 9 on the numberpad.  If the ship is past 45 degrees off your nose, you waited too long and should turn towards the target and do your best or go around and try again.

[Donzo]

What's the point of slowing down to the torp speed?
If you're point is be on a collision course with your target you're going to be either on it or off it no matter how fast you are going.

[bj229r]

OP fails to mention one important item: auto ack has YOUR range long before you have CV's range!

[DoubleEagle]

What's the point of slowing down to the torp speed?
If you're point is be on a collision course with your target you're going to be either on it or off it no matter how fast you are going.

You have to slow down so you can aim.  You want to "be the torpedo" so you can see if it will or will not hit something.  To do that, you slow down to the torpedo speed of only 40 knots, then get onto a collision course.  If you fire at full speed of 46 knots that a PT can go, then your torpedoes will be left behind and pass aft of the target ship, except for head on or rear shots where it doesn't mater.

Ok, here is a visual aid to help out guys.

[curry1]

You have to slow down so you can aim.  You want to "be the torpedo" so you can see if it will or will not hit something.  To do that, you slow down to the torpedo speed of only 40 knots, then get onto a collision course.  If you fire at full speed of 46 knots that a PT can go, then your torpedoes will be left behind and pass aft of the target ship, except for head on or rear shots where it doesn't mater.

Ok, here is a visual aid to help out guys.

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Haha Nice!

[DoubleEagle]

They show up for me.

[Krusty]

But the question is how do you know what angle to point your guns sideways? It also presuppose you're parallel to and maybe already in front of the fleet to make such near-parallel courses, no?