Japan Torpedos Range

[GrdAdmiral]

Is it normal for Japanese Cruisers and Destroyers to drop torpedoes at 4 or 5+ tiles away? I'm trying to set up range battles with my battleships and cruisers with a destroyer screen, but the enemy keeps just launching torpedoes from miles away and blowing my ships out of the water. My own destroyers and subs can only launch at best two tiles from my target. Is this normal? I'm on Captain difficulty.

[Brenmusik]

Not sure about 5 hexes, 4 is usual. The extra range is to represent the Long Lance torpedo... pity it doesn't make a bigger bang

[Erik2]

I think it was during the night battle of Savo (near Guadalcanal) that the US forces thought they were being shelled by cruiser fire, but the Japanese used the long Lance torpedo. It had a range of up to 40.000 yards if I remember correctly.

[Brenmusik]

.. and their accuracy over those sort of distances was amazing, I think due to their speed. I read it somewhere

[simcc]

Japanese naval have clear advantage over US. All ship torpedoes are range 4 and even cruisers have torpedoes and subs have range 3 torpedoes.

1 thing I learn from US campaign is that you need lots of destroyers and battleship fighting the IJN and I don't use cruisers as they are totally out class except Baltimore class IIRC. I was force to redo my fleet admiral difficulty play due to wrong naval build and my cruiser heavy navy was totally crush my IJN. 2 Mogami will dmg my New Orleans so bad that if I don't withdraw it will be sunk nxt turn and believe me those strength 13 mogami are real danger.

[kverdon]

If anything , the Japanese "Long Lance" Torpedoes in OBP are toned down from real life. The specs were:

Range / Speed
24,000 yards / 48-50 knots
44,000 yards / 33-35 Knots

This compares to the U.S. Specs of:
6000 yards / 45 knots
15,000 yards / 26.5 knots

A single hit from a Japanese Type 93 "Long Lance" Torpedo was enough to sink a Destroyer or seriously cripple a Cruiser. They continued to be a serious threat late into 1944. At the Battle of the Phillipine Sea, Admiral Willis "Ching" Lee whose BB Washington has sent the IJN BC Kirishima to the bottom off Guadalcanal, declined the offer from Admiral Spruance to try to force a night surface action with the Japanese fleet, largely out of respect for what the mayhem the "long Lances" had done to the U.S. Navy Cruisers and Destroyers in the Solomons.

[GrdAdmiral]

I appreciate the information. I'll have to work on getting a new strategy to work around the extended range of the torpedoes. I'm thinking that destroyers just became cannon fodder.

[simcc]

In my experience invest in DD summers they can take torpedoes hit and cruiser hit better.

[Erik2]

Capital ships usually don't inflict too many hits on destroyers, especially if the DDs are moving each turn.
When the DD has a ready torpedo launch, dash forward within torpedo range and fire against a capital ship. The next turn, withdraw as far as possible and wait for the torpedo reload.
Repeat & rinse.

[simcc]

thats wat i do Erik except if there is a few strength 13 Mogami then those dashing DD will perish hehehe

[Yogi the Great]

Not really a complaint just a personal opinion comment.

This is something I don't like about the game. I get tired of Japanese ship after ship on the AI turn appearing 3 - 4 hexes away and firing the torpedo's at the US ships often ganging up on one or two. It seems to be one of the more devastating abilities in the entire game. Realistic? not sure I guess but it is surprising to see such a huge difference in torpedo ability. The difference in sub torpedo's also a nice advantage for the Japanese.

[simcc]

Japanese torpedoes are far better than the allied at that time hence the big advantage in game.

[kverdon]

Annoying, Yes, Realistic, Definately. Read my post from earlier. They WERE that much better. Don't believe it, read the account of the Battle of Tassafaronga.

Thanks,

Kevin

[RandomAttack]

I get the torpedoes are better, faster, longer range. But they weren't *decisive* in any "large" battle that I've heard of. In general, the farther the range the harder it should be to hit your target. It doesn't take much of a course/speed change to cause a miss at longer ranges. And the general toning down of specs across the board is because of the larger combat mechanic (which I am not a fan of) which prefers lots of "small" hits versus a couple of rarer but "big" hits. I'll admit it does help make the battles last longer. Not to mention the whole LOS thing, which allows destroyers/planes to "spot" (which simply didn't/couldn't happen in naval engagements) for long-range battleships that can then shoot almost twice as far as they can see...