I'm totally hopeless when it comes to torpedo attacks...
 

In the years and years of my on-and-off playing of this game I don't think I've ever made a successful torpedo attack on a target. I don't want to use the auto solution because that's cheating IMO. I've watched and read plenty of tutorials but somehow that knowledge doesn't transfer to actual gameplay for me. The sheer amount of dials in the TDC is dizzying to me. I just draw a blank whenever a target gets spotted. I could go on and on but that's the gist of it.

Anybody got any words of wisdom for me?

I'm not that good either but I improved somewhat doing this:
1) create a "test" career at the very beginning of the war
2) find yourself a suitable target, a single merchant on a fine day is ideal
3) save the game as soon as you spot the target
4) stop there, pick up pen and paper and plan your attack in advance, write down a checklist of the things you are going to do. My advice is to run you first attacks from very close (600m or less) and an ideal angle (90°, either port or starboard)
5) do every step, take your time by pausing the game when needed and write down the data you got (target heading, speed, torpedo settings, and so on)
6) write down (or take a screenshot) of your TDC settings just before the attack and write down what you expect to happen (i.e. hitting the ship right under the funnel)
7) open the torpedo tube (I find this difficult to remember)
8) fire your torpedo!
9) cross your fingers! this is a very important step! :haha:
10) see what happens, write it down and compare it with what you expected trying to figure out what was wrong (i.e. wrong extimated target speed, incorrect AOB and such)
11) add or remove steps from your checklist if need be
12) save and exit, reload the engagement and run it again trying to fix what went wrong
13) rinse and repeat
14) once you get it right most of the time, change your attack plan (i.e. increase the range, attack from ahead or from astern with less than ideal angles, give yourself less and less time to gather the data, etc)
15) rinse and repeat
16) when you are confident on your results let yourself be spotted so that your target will be zigzagging and...guess what?...see below :03:
17) rinse and repeat
18) play as much as you can and have fun!


Some people have the talent, others need practice...I need practice and lots of fingers crossed! :har:


Have fun! :salute:

"Fast 90" attack. Simple, accurate, etc. Google it for various links. Also, learn how to tell the target speed via just looking at the smoke/bow wave of the target(s). Just takes a little game time experience/experimentation.

I use the attack disk either the one that comes with ARB GUI mod or the other one that comes with MAG UI. easy instructions to follow and once you do it a few times its like second nature.

ARB Widegui RAOBF
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwDOIO9WicU&t

MagUI RAOBF
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JQbA-BgWD4

Thanks guys. I've also heard of people using the mission editor to make a practice scenario. I imagine that's an option as well?

Yes, but the ones in the academy will work just as well.

If I could chime in. The real secret to a successful torpedo attack is a structured plan.

1) identify your target.

Without properly identifying your target in the recognition manual, you will not have the information on the ship to calculate the numbers you need. It could take a while to do this.

2) calculate the speed

Once identified, you MUST calculate speed. The ID and speed will not change once you figure them out (unless you are discovered), so once you have this information, you can rest easy at having 2/3 of the vital information needed to make your attack.

3) Angle on the bow

This is the one thing that will prove most troublesome. This can change several times because it gets more accurate as the target gets closer. It is dependent on your point of view. But once you figure this out, you are in the zone.

Other aspects such as weather, depth under keel, draft, will add more complexities to your calculation but stick with the big 3. Practice in the academy. You will get there. But stay structured.

As you play as long as I have, you can learn how to shoot snapshots, and 33 deg convoy attacks.

Good hunting

Do you all mean the Naval Academy where the basic tutorials are located? Because if so, that is a very controlled environment. I'd rather practice in as close to actual patrol conditions as possible, but that's just me.

Update: I just tried practicing in the Academy but once again I drew a blank on what to do and quit. See what I mean guys?

I just gave you videos on how to do it, it doesn't get easier then that following those videos. We can't do it for you so your going to have to watch those videos and maybe write down what they say in steps.

MagUI ROBAF Training
Legend
Top outer ring = Length and Mast Height
Top Inner Ring = Range
Bottom Inner Ring = Speed
Bottom outer ring = AOB

Pause the game if you can when doing these steps to save on critical aiming time

Measuring Speed
Step 1: When ship's bow hits desired mark (ex. at 30 degree mark on your periscope) then start stop watch or chronometer until mark is lined up with the ship's stern then stop timer and record the time. Take top inner ring and line up the time value with ship's length in top outer ring, then whatever red line is over bottom inner ring at that time is the target's speed, input into TDC.

Measuring AOB
Step 2: Move bottom inner ring and line up mast height value with ship length outer ring, then measure horizontal marks and find that value on the bottom inner ring and read what the bottom outer ring is at that point, that's your AOB that you input into TDC.

Measuring Range
Step 3: Measure vertical marks from waterline of ship to highest mast at 6x magnification then find that value on bottom inner ring move it so it lines up with the 90 value on the outer bottom ring.
Step 4: Look at mast height in rec manual and find value on top outer ring then look at top inner ring at same point, that will be your range that you input in your TDC.

P.S. if your not willing to put the time in to learn from these tutorials and vids then you might as well have weapon officer on and ask him for the torpedo data and ship identification so its more suited to your play style. Captains didn't take the calculations anyways it was the 1st officer that took the visual readings and weapon officer that inputted the info into TDC, captain just gave overall orders it was the specialists that got into the specifics.

Point of clarification here from a historical standpoint. The first watch officer delivered the values to the TDC operator (who was the chief bosun, there was no “weapons officer”) for surface attacks under the supervision of the commander, but for submerged attacks all of the data gathering and targeting was on the shoulders of the commander.

That said however, the data was usually gathered even for surface attacks even before the first watch officer or commander put his eyes to the optics. And that was done typically by matching course and speed (called “Ausdampfen”), and was a joint effort between the commander, the first watch officer and the navigator. When the first watch officer put his eyes to the UZO, he was simply refining the values at that point. Same for the commander at the scope when submerged.

So indeed a joint effort, but something the commander was directly involved in.

Mungojerry, matching course and speed as mentioned is a big step and easy to do too via just your own eyes (binoculars, uzo assisted). Keep it simple, no need to make things a math/physics experiment. It only takes a short time to do. Even when it's not summertime. :D

Once you have course and speed, you're set for the attack.

If you are having issues in the academy, under near perfect conditions, I believe you are having issues with speed or AOB. The tanker is a relatively easy target. I think your problem may be the second part of this video. You are not setting your TDC correctly.

https://youtu.be/LO7uOs5IUH8

I'm going to go out on a limb here regarding identifying the target: cheat. Let the WO ID the target. Initially, the target is too far away to effectively ID. When it gets enough, by the time you click through the rec manual, the target has gotten too close for a good solution.

Everything else, do manually.

Be a good idea to post your install/mod list too.