Post by stingray on Mar 23, 2021 10:50:50 GMT -6
My understanding of launching torpedoes from submerged launchers is that you can only launch at speeds of up to 25 kn, as stated on p46 of the RtW2 Game Play Manual v1.16 (Which I presume is the latest version).
This is understandable for forward facing launchers, as the faster the ship goes, the greater will be the water pressure (sometimes referred to as Ram pressure) pushing the torpedo back into the launcher again.
I am not an expert in hydrodynamics, but I don’t think that this would apply to stern mounted, aft facing launchers. The problem for those may be more due to launching into turbulent water (due to the higher speed of the props). Thus resulting in reduced targeting accuracy. (Which could be reflected in-game).
A possibly interesting situation would be with the broadside submerged mounts. These again would not be affected by Ram pressure in the same way as a forward bow launcher. But, the torpedo would be subject to a significant sideways force as it emerged. The higher the ship speed, the greater the force on the torp.
Now a torpedo is a long object, and the internal diameter of the launcher is not that much greater than the diameter of the torpedo itself. So if the sideways force on the torpedo were large enough, it may twist the torpedo so that the back end was wedged against the inside of the launch tube. Stuck torpedo PANIC.
Quickly reducing the speed of the ship MAY reduce the pressure enough to allow the fish to escape. Then again, maybe not. The torpedo would of course be totally oblivious to the fact that it was still attached to its parent, and after a short time would arm itself, DOUBLE PANIC. Plus once the torps limited fuel was exhausted, the only way of getting it out would be to heave to & send down a very brave diver to extract it. Reducing the ship to zero knots in a combat situation would not be something the captain would want to do. The concept of being a “Sitting Duck” springs to mind.
But leaving it where it is would be a bad idea, as a near miss from an enemy ship may well set it off. Plus given the experience the USN had in the Pacific in the early days of WW2, it may just decide to detonate itself anyway.
I believe that irl, internal rails were fitted by some navies inside launch tubes to guide the torp out, and prevent this happening. These could possibly be a researchable advance in torpedo operations, allowing safe launching at higher speeds, as could compressed air launching, so you could maybe apply another blast of air while at low or zero speed to flush out the tube).
Don’t know how much merit there is in the above, but I thought I would float the idea anyway.
This is understandable for forward facing launchers, as the faster the ship goes, the greater will be the water pressure (sometimes referred to as Ram pressure) pushing the torpedo back into the launcher again.
I am not an expert in hydrodynamics, but I don’t think that this would apply to stern mounted, aft facing launchers. The problem for those may be more due to launching into turbulent water (due to the higher speed of the props). Thus resulting in reduced targeting accuracy. (Which could be reflected in-game).
A possibly interesting situation would be with the broadside submerged mounts. These again would not be affected by Ram pressure in the same way as a forward bow launcher. But, the torpedo would be subject to a significant sideways force as it emerged. The higher the ship speed, the greater the force on the torp.
Now a torpedo is a long object, and the internal diameter of the launcher is not that much greater than the diameter of the torpedo itself. So if the sideways force on the torpedo were large enough, it may twist the torpedo so that the back end was wedged against the inside of the launch tube. Stuck torpedo PANIC.
Quickly reducing the speed of the ship MAY reduce the pressure enough to allow the fish to escape. Then again, maybe not. The torpedo would of course be totally oblivious to the fact that it was still attached to its parent, and after a short time would arm itself, DOUBLE PANIC. Plus once the torps limited fuel was exhausted, the only way of getting it out would be to heave to & send down a very brave diver to extract it. Reducing the ship to zero knots in a combat situation would not be something the captain would want to do. The concept of being a “Sitting Duck” springs to mind.
But leaving it where it is would be a bad idea, as a near miss from an enemy ship may well set it off. Plus given the experience the USN had in the Pacific in the early days of WW2, it may just decide to detonate itself anyway.
I believe that irl, internal rails were fitted by some navies inside launch tubes to guide the torp out, and prevent this happening. These could possibly be a researchable advance in torpedo operations, allowing safe launching at higher speeds, as could compressed air launching, so you could maybe apply another blast of air while at low or zero speed to flush out the tube).
Don’t know how much merit there is in the above, but I thought I would float the idea anyway.