Torpedoes

[Amboss]

The other day after battling yet another nme CV, I decided to take out a PT Boat and take some measurements on the torps. I wanted to know how fast they run and how long they run. Should help me aim these babies better in the future.

Here's what I came up with:

Torp Speed: 24mph
Run time: 5 mins
= Range: 2 miles

*Scratches Head* Ok, I rerun the test and come up with the same result.

Now I don't know if the air dropped torps are the same as PT Boat ones, but one thing is strikingly clear: these torpedoes are absolutely worthless and there's definetly no historical accuracy at all here.

The american Mk8 torpedo which was deployed on PT Boats had a speed of roughly 30mph. Close enough to what's in game you say? Yeah but it also had a range of 9 miles (run time ~18 minutes).

I see the need for some gameplay concessions here, but with a range of just 2 miles and a speed that is only 4mph faster than a CV, torpedoes are quite useless and dropping them a suicidal effort since you have to be well in range of ACK to drop them, whether by aircraft or by PT Boat.

No wonder most CVs in AH are DBed or Lanced to death.

As for air dropped torpedoes, the USN mostly used the Mk13 torpedo that later in the war could be dropped from as high as 2400ft at speeds of over 400mph. It had a range of 3.6 miles and a speed of 37 mph. It is obvious that pilots had much better survivability with the late war Mk13s.

Earlier in the war, the pilots however weren't quite so fortunate. Various design flaws caused none of the roughly 60 Mk13 torps carried against the IJN at Midway to do any damage; however, 90% of the planes delivering them were destroyed in the process.

Why is the Mk13 important? Because later in the war it was also often deployed on PT Boats. You do notice a certain trend here, right?

Anyway, I guess all I am saying is that to make torpedoes viable, HTC should increase their speed to around 30mph and make them run 7 minutes instead of 5 minutes. That gives the torpedoes a range of 3.5 miles.

This change would make the torpedoes  in AH more useful and more historically accurate without compromising gameplay.

File this under section "constructive criticism"!
-Amboss

[LePaul]

What IS the official procedure for the torpedoes?  Air dropped, I was told under 200ft and 200mph...done that a lot in the Ju88 and never hit a thing.  Maybe too far out?  Dont know.

What's the CORRECT way to do it?

[Gloves]

LePaul,

I don't know if there is anything official about torps.  Some tips others have shared with me:

1)  Head on the CV with your attack.  This gives you a little more range and with the 0 degree angle, improves chances of a hit.

2) Drop when the ack starts firing at you

3) 200 mph @ 200 ft is about right.  One of the planes can drop at a higher alt I think, but all should be okay within these limits.  I drop from 100 ft at 150 mph, but that's just a preference I have.

4)  If 90 degree angel attack is being used, aim directly at the front of the cruiser to hit the carrier (so I am told).

I have also found the 88's carry a nice little bomb load in addition to the torps.  If you survive the torp run, you can grab some alt for a dive bomb run.

Glove

[Amboss]

Well, if all the torpedoes in the game are similar to the PT Boat ones, you would assume an aiming point roughly 1.6 miles  ahead of the CVs path for a drop popint of 2 miles away from the CV and a perfect 90° "broadside" launch vs the CV.

I can well imagine that those 1.6 miles are pretty close to where the cruiser usually is.

-Amboss

[SKurj]

Torps are faster than a cv.. the cv goes roughly 30mph i believe..


SKurj

[Amboss]

A CV does 20mph, a torp 24mph.

-Amboss

[SKurj]

Amboss? 20 mph?  are you sure?  Gonna have to time one to cross a sector...



SKurj