Author Topic: Kate Torpedo Bombing Totally Explained! (Read 2120 times)

Kweassa · « **on:** December 18, 2002, 01:09:12 AM »

Alright AH fans!

One of our new planes we received in 1.11 is the B5N2-kate. What do you think of it? What? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know.

It's slow. No forward firing guns, too. Not very inspiring JABO capabilities. In fact, many of us wonder why this plane was introduced in the first place.

However, every planes has its ups and downs.

What this babe Kate's got, is a nifty torpedo sight which you can use to accurately destroy ships with a devastating torpedo run!

Well, how is one supposed to use it?

Sit tight, it's gonna be explained!

Kweassa · « **Reply #1 on:** December 18, 2002, 01:10:05 AM »

Let's sit at the cockpit of this babe. What do you see?

A strange " I " shaped sight with numbers underneath.

What can those be used for?

Kweassa · « **Reply #2 on:** December 18, 2002, 01:14:22 AM »

Well, AH fans, those numbers are the relative angles between the B5N2 and the target ship! For better understanding, look at the picture below. These angles are only effective when Kate and the target ship is approaching each other.

When you approach the ship in a straight Head-On, the angle is 0 degrees defelction.

When you approach the ship in a diagonal line like described right in the middle, the angle is 45 degrees deflection.

When you approach the ship like described in the third instance, rhe relative angle is 90 degrees deflection.

Kweassa · « **Reply #3 on:** December 18, 2002, 01:16:28 AM »

It is a little bit difficult to just simply judge these angles with your eyes, but that is the part where you need extensive training and experience.

When attacking a ship, always circle to its front side and attack in the position where you and the target ship both approach each other!

Kweassa · « **Reply #4 on:** December 18, 2002, 01:18:09 AM »

From the cockpit, a perspective like this is about 45 degrees relative deflection.

Kweassa · « **Reply #5 on:** December 18, 2002, 01:20:00 AM »

Look at the angles from a perspective outside your plane. At the beginning of my approach, I guessed I was doing about 35~45 degrees deflection. Looks like I was right!

Kweassa · « **Reply #6 on:** December 18, 2002, 01:29:38 AM »

Now, this is the part where the sight becomes useful. Match the target ship near the marked angle on your torpedo sight, and keep it there! Let's call this the "mark" process.

In our case, it was about 45 degrees. So, keep it a little outside of that "40 degrees" position on the sight.

Kweassa · « **Reply #7 on:** December 18, 2002, 01:40:11 AM »

Some people may wonder if this process is really effective. Because your Kate and the target ship is moving towards each other.

However, if your initial "mark" is correct(if you guessed your approach angle correctly in the first place), all you have to do is keep the target on your sight's angle marker.

If you keep the target on the numbered angle marker of the sight, as you and the target approach each other your "actual angle" will change and become something different than the initially guessed angle. However, because you are keeping the ship on the numbered mark, your heading also changes slowly with the movement of target ship. This means you keep on maintaining the correct lead amount for the torpedo drop, even if you and the target ship's relative angle keeps changing.

But this is purely theoretical, and most of the times, it works because ships are so large and slow, and you are much faster than them

The small difference in angles are almost negligable.

Kweassa · « **Reply #8 on:** December 18, 2002, 01:42:52 AM »

But the really important and difficult part is surviving through all those hideous fleet ack firing at you! This is one part where all the experience in the world does not help. It is mostly about luck, actually!

What you must do, is get within about 1000~1200 yards of the target. The closer the better, but your survival chances are slim anyhow!

Get as close as your guts can afford, and let 'er rip!

Kweassa · « **Reply #9 on:** December 18, 2002, 01:43:41 AM »

.... what are you doing? Get the hell outta here!!

Kweassa · « **Reply #10 on:** December 18, 2002, 01:44:12 AM »

.... and it's off...

Going.....

Going....

Kweassa · « **Reply #11 on:** December 18, 2002, 01:44:50 AM »

Going....

Kweassa · « **Reply #12 on:** December 18, 2002, 01:46:39 AM »

Gone!

cobra427 · « **Reply #13 on:** December 18, 2002, 01:54:16 AM »

nice ... but HO works good for me

Mogi · « **Reply #14 on:** December 18, 2002, 08:46:09 AM »

Great explanation, how does one use the sight for a 90 degree
attack or can it be used?