"Torpedoes for solo play" Topic

I've played a couple of games of General Quarters III, solo of course, and want to come up with a much simplified rule for determining if torpedoes hit. I.e, a torpoedo is fired in a turn at a target group, and the next turn roll a die to see if it hits.

My first thought was, roll a d6 and it hits on a 6. My second thought was, roll a d12 and it hits on a 10+, with these die modifiers:
-1 if the range if > half maximum
+1 if range is really really close
-1 if the slowest vessel in the target group is steaming at > x kt (say 30kt)?
+1 if the smallest vessel is BB/BC/CV
-1 if the largest vessel is DD
-1 if the targets are presenting their bow/stern

Any other ideas out there?

I am not familiar with those rules but I'll just throw this out there.

You may want to include something for the aspect the torpedo would intersect the target. A torpedo coming head on would have a pretty small chance vs. broadsides.

Hi Doc. That's what the last modifier is trying to achieve. thanks

Allow for the target to spot the target, and try to evade. Not sure about the penalty for destroyers. Every rule seems to include them, but reality speaks otherwise. Quite a number of destroyers were sunk by torpedo in the South Pacific.

Thanks CampyF. I might ditch the size/speed modifiers, and add an evasion "saving throw" for DDs and CLs

You may consider Mal Wright's convoy torpedo rules for Rising Storm for a method not involving visually plotting the torpedo trajectory.

How common was it for a DD/CL to see torpedoes early enough for them to take successful evasive action? (I know many rulesets have this.) I have read of two instances only.

Thanks

Joe

Not all that common, but it did happen. Most of the time, all you see the opposing ship in position, and jerk the helm (Empress Augusta Bay. Same effect. The Japanese seemed better at this than the Americans, (Japanese torpedoes were faster) but even then it didn't often work.

A lot of the strategy of torpedoes is not knowing what the other side is doing. Not much chance of that in solo play.

You could use a card-based system for determining if/when "the enemy" launches torpedoes, once they are in range.

Then, if indeed the "torpedoes launched" card is flipped, you can roll to determine if you observe the launch(es). Obviously, less chance of that at night.

Many good captains, commanders, admirals would assume fish were in the water, if they were within torpedo range of the enemy, and if their positions were favorable for such, just in case. It's never good to presume they aren't, when they might be.

Of course, there was that guy who is famous for saying, "…damn the torpedoes…".

I suspect there may be a lot more men that we don't know about who said something similar, since they and their crews didn't survive, to be quoted later, after the torpedo(es) impacted their vessel(s).

Mako,

My small ship rules "Release the Hounds" use the card system you describe. If the ships movement cards comes up before the next torpedo card does then that ship can take evasive action. The exception is if fired under 2K yards you roll for resolution immediately.
The reason I asked the question was I too have read some accounts. I just wonder how often they were seen in time to move.

Thanks

Joe