Torpedo bombing tips?

[Jed]

Below 200 mph, below 200 ft sound about right?   I tried 4 times the other day and hit nothing and I don't see many guys attacking carriers these days?  What are the general concepts? 45 degrees off angle from your cockpit? These are all things I have heard.  Thanks Jed

[GNucks]

This is what you're looking for: http://trainers.hitechcreations.com/torpedoes/torpedoes.htm

I am no go-to guy on torpedo bombing. In fact, I've never fired a torpedo. So I can't really help beyond that link.

[Muzzy]

It's probably one of the toughest things to do in the game.  I don't know of many pilots who have mastered it, let alone claimed hits.

[Rolex]

Scoring hits with torpedoes is challanging, but not impossible. You have to be a little methodical, otherwise you'll just be wasting your time and energy if you just "wing it."



You can always hit with a direct bow attack, but, as in all cases, be careful to not to use any rudder at the time of release. Your nose should be aligned on the correct heading without skidding.

Here are some additional comments to the training writeup. I'll teach you how to fish instead of giving you a fish. Your reward for figuring out the aimpoint will be your ability to hit with torpedoes. I think that part of the game is exploring and figuring ways to derive answers to your problems.

1. Since you read the training writeup, you know that your target should be 41° off centerline, flying perpendicular to the fleet path at your release point just as the auto ack begins to fire at you using Allied torps (PT boats and TBM).
 
2. Your aim point from the cockpit depends on the field of view (FOV), which depends on your video resolution you have set for the game on your PC. You can find your FOV by clicking on the Video Settings tab of the first clipboard at game startup.



In the example below, my  FOV is 106° for my resolution of 1920 x 1080.



We're interested in the horizontal resolution, the first number, so I have 960 pixels (1920 pixels/2=960) left and right of centerline, and my FOV is 53° (106°/2=53°) left and right.

3. My aim point of 41° is 77.4% of the way from the centerline (41°/53°=.774*100), or 743 pixels (960*.774=743) from centerline. It is also 217 pixels from either edge of my monitor (960-743=217).

Therefore, this is 217 pixels and how far off either edge of my monitor I align the target at release:



4. If you divide your horizontal resolution by your vertical resolution to get your display ratio, you can use this handy-dandy chart:

Ratio   FOV
1.77  106°
1.66  103°
1.60  100°
1.33  90°
1.25  86°

Good luck and good hunting, er fishing!

[Jed]

Thanks!!   Hardest part was turning up graphics full effects to even be able to see the torpedo once it was in the water????     I was able to hit the carrier group in the training area..  I will be working on it.    And hopefully coming to a Main Arena near you!

[Jed]

I am still finding I can't see the torpedo  once I circle around it.. in the training area.  Once it is in the water I circle to see where it goes, and eventually lose it everytime.  Frustrating to practice something when You can't tell if you are long or short.  An Icon would be nice ?  Is there a specific graphic that needs to be up all the way to see it?>   I have been monkeying around and haven't found it yet.

[Rolex]

I think everyone has a hard time following torps in the water. They have been very hard to see for about the last year or so.

[GNucks]

It might be time confusing but I think the best thing you can do is save the film and then look for the torp in AH Film Viewer so you can tell if you're long or short and by how much.

[Peyton]

Rolex...Am I supposed to count pixels on my monitor to torpedo and what does FOV mean in regards to the game? Does a larger FOV mean you can see better? 
I have a resolution of 1680X1050 and an auto view of 100.  Can I change my FOV and what will that do?

Do you have a high end graphics card?

Can you explain some more as I am confused.

Thanks

[RTHolmes]

surely your FOV is irrelevant if you use the aim points shown in the tutorial?

[oneway]

It might be time confusing but I think the best thing you can do is save the film and then look for the torp in AH Film Viewer so you can tell if you're long or short and by how much.

The film viewer last I checked does NOT show the ships in the same position as they were when the film was taken...in fact sometimes they disappear altogether.

[Black Jack]

You are right oneway, actually looked at films when I was dive bombing ships and was not even close to the ships in the film. Noticed same thing last night when I was a gunner for set of bombers going for the cv. According to my views we were way off the cv's path. He dropped his bombs way too fast for my views but actually scored perfect hits and sunk cv. ??? 

Black70

[Soulyss]

There's a quick and dirty method that I picked up somewhere along the way, I think it was on the BBS here someplace but I doubt I could find it again.

In the TBM with the normal forward view, there are three sets of canopy struts on either side of the gunsight.  If you approach the task group from the front but offset 45 degrees from it's path you can use the middle (2nd) set of canopy struts as a point of reference.  Put either one over the ship you're targeting and get in as close as you can before ack blasts you from the sky and drop your fish. 

This is not as scientific nor as accurate as some of other methods, it's similar to the approach that appears on the Trainer's page.  Basically I'm too lazy to use a more complicated approach but I do score hits.  Last night I sunk a destroyer (I think it was a destroyer at least from the list of guns destroyed, I was in the tower at the time ) sure I was AIMING for the cruiser but you take what you can get.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you repawn before the torpedo has a change to finish it's run it will disappear, I launched got hit with ack then went got a drink from the kitchen and came back to see I actually sank something.

[oneway]

Lets boil this down

All of these methods discussed about lining up canopy rails and what not are impracticable at best

In the MA, with ack lethality set to default, and ships constantly manned and turned...you virtually have NO CHANCE of ever hitting a ship with a torpedo with these methods

A turning carrier does 45 mph...a turning cruiser can hit 75 mph...land on cruiser and check your E6B when you turn it.

In special events...when ack is turned down you have a chance...but only a chance if you can hit a turning boat. The only way to hit a turning boat is to release well inside of the destroyer defensive ring...and set yourself up for an attack on the bow of the boat

How do you achieve this?

You fly your torpedo plane at altitude until the last possible moment to begin a very rapid descent. The Kate can spiral down directly over the boat; the TBM can use a combination of flaps, doors and gear as brakes. A cross controlled linear or spiral descent that puts you inside of the destroyer ring doing the 200/200

Forget lining up canopy rails and pixel offsets...go F3 and simply drop that fish about 200-300 yards out with sufficient lead (that you practiced in TA airspawn launches on the bombing range)...

You want to kill ships with torpedo bombers? Your going to need to do it up close and personal...and is virtually impossible in MA...its a special events thing

Anybody wanting to be trained in this most lethal method of attack utilizing either the Kate or TBM...shoot me a pm

Out

Oneway

[Jed]

Yes... I have given up on trying to use torps..    NO easy way to train, as it tough to see where your torp goes in the 1st place.  Not to  mention the ack is a little out of hand near Carriers.  I constantly get nailed in my 47 at 500mph.. way to far away to be realistic IMO.    So  thanks for the post replys.. but until things change ........ I quit...  torpedoing.      Jed