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Straight Running Torpedo Attacks
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TDZ Definition
As previously
stated, you must get inside the TDZ to even have a
chance of hitting. For our purposes the TDZ must meet two
criteria:
a. The torpedo warhead is armed. This
requires the torpedo to have traveled its minimum arming distance,
generally 450-500 yards.
b. The torpedo can reach its target, i.e., it does not run
out of fuel before target interception.
The inner size and shape of the TDZ depends on three factors.
They are:
a. The distance the torpedo must travel to arm.
b. The chosen torpedo speed setting.
c. The target speed.
The outer size and shape of the TDZ depends on three factors.
They are:
d. The maximum distance the torpedo can travel at the chosen
torpedo speed setting.
e. The chosen torpedo speed setting.
f. The target speed.
The size and shape of the TDZ holds
only as long as these factors remain constant. The moment
any one of them changes is the moment the size and shape of
the TDZ is redrawn. Also, note that the TDZ is relative
to the target ship. You might be in the TDZ when a change
of course or speed by the target throws you out of the TDZ.
TDZ - Stationary Target
Constructing the TDZ around a stationary
target is very simple. First, since the warhead must arm,
draw a circle around the target with a radius equal to the
arming distance. Don't shoot from inside this circle! If you
do (and you hit), nothing will happen as the dud torpedo impacts
without exploding. Second, since the torpedo must reach its
target, draw a circle around the target with a radius equal
to the torpedo range for the chosen speed setting. Don't shoot
from outside this circle! If you do you won't hear anything
because the torpedo will never reach the target.
TDZ - Moving Target
Things get a bit more interesting
when the target is moving because the TDZ gets shifted along
the target's line of motion.
At a chosen speed setting, a torpedo
has a finite amount of run time before it exhausts its fuel.
Let's assume we are shooting a hypothetical torpedo with a
speed of 60 knots (!) and a range of 6,000 yards. This torpedo
has a maximum run time of 3 minutes. In addition, let's assume
our target is travelling at a speed of 25 knots.
If the torpedo is fired from dead
astern of the target, the torpedo obviously has to catch up
to the target. At a range where the torpedo must use its maximum
run time (here 3 minutes), the range to target at the time
of firing will be considerably less than the maximum distance
the torpedo can travel. During the 3 minute run time, the
target will travel 2,500 yards and the torpedo will travel
6,000 yards. This means the maximum range we can fire from
astern and still hit the target is 3,500 yards astern of the
target.
Likewise, if the torpedo is fired
from dead ahead of the target, we can fire from as far as
8,500 yards ahead and still hit the target.
The standard method of constructing
a TDZ is as follows:
- Compute
the distance (PP-AP) from the target's present position
(PP) to its advanced position (AP) as follows:
- Plot
point AP along the target's line of motion at a distance
= PP-AP from the target's present location.
- Draw a circle centered at AP with
a radius = Torpedo Range. This circle defines the outer
limit of the TDZ. Don't shoot from outside this circle!
The inner edge of the TDZ is drawn
in the same manner, except the radius = arming distance. Again,
don't shoot from inside this circle. In general, it will be
very rare indeed that you will need to worry about arming
distance. Note that the inner TDZ boundary is not necessarily
within the circle describing the outer TDZ boundary.
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