A Refinement Having played and refereed several Command at Sea (CaS ) games with lots of surface torpedo action, some interesting situations have arisen. It has been widely said that the essence of any good naval miniatures game is how it handles torpedoes. CaS is a great set of naval rules, and we should continue to perfect the torpedo rules in this game. This article will discuss the present CaS torpedo rules, highlight some problems, propose some solutions, and hopefully spawn some further discussion on how to handle torpedoes in CaS . In CaS Third Edition, the torpedo rule (6.3.1) requires calculation of the torpedo deflection angle and movement of a torpedo counter in movement phases as it proceeds toward its target. This process can slow a game down due to the relative complexity of calculating this angle (and adding to/subtracting the target bearing depending on position compared to target) and movement of many torpedo counters each turn. The optional torpedo danger zone size rule helps to improve the chances of scoring a hit. The torpedo combat results tables are used to determine the chances of hits based on torpedo run, target size and aspect, and #of torpedoes. The simplified CaS Torpedo Rules introduced in Naval SITREP #14 are designed to speed up torpedo attack resolution. They introduce a Torpedo Attack Box (TAB) and die roll modifiers based on torpedo run, size of target, #of torpedoes, and target speed &evasion profiles. These proposed rules are aspect-independent. Quarter aspect is assumed for all attacks and target speed between 16-30 knots. The strength of the simplified rules is the Torpedo Attack Box, which has a width of 500-2000 yards, depending on torpedo run and a length based on the last half of the torpedo's movement (see Naval SITREP #14 for a complete description) . Referees can make a plastic template of the TAB with scaled markings for the various torpedoes in a scenario. By positioning the TAB template on the torpedo's position, any ship miniature in the visible TAB is subject to hit resolution, beginning with the ship closest to the launch point (this speeds resolution even more) . Using the TAB method replaces the torpedo counters, speeding up the movement phase by reducing the number of object on the table-top and enhancing the fog of war. The TAB is a great concept, and liberates the player from having to calculate a torpedo intercept angle. A popular comment heard is, “I don't have to calculate mount bearing and azimuth for gunfire control, why do I have to calculate my torpedo deflection angle?Junior officers do that for me. ” [Ed Note: The reason is that we don't track each shell's path individually, as we do with torpedoes, but I agree that calculating the angles is a pain.] There is a problem with the simplified rules. If a target is dead in the water at a range of less than half of the torpedo'smovement, or maneuvering to close the distance to the launch point, it will not fall into the TAB and never be subject to torpedo attack. This is the “torpedo immunity zone.” While the rules state that the length of the box is the last half of the torpedo's run during the Movement Phase, the example at the bottom the same page (page 20, Naval SITREP #14) has a ship that is attacked after the TAB has passed the target. This confiicting guidance makes the TAB concept harder to use. A simple solution to this problem is to enlarge the TAB to the full length of the torpedoes' run. . The catch, though, is that the forward half of the box represents the torpedo salvo's future movement in the next turn. Example 1: A spread of four torpedoes is fired at a formation of ships in Turn 1, they do not begin moving until the Movement Phase of Turn 2. The torpedoes' speed is 46 knots, thus the Torpedo Attack Box is 4,600 yards long. The center of the salvo's general location at the end of Turn 2 is inside the circle in the diagram below. The old TAB was represented by the left-hand box, which is 2,300 yards long and for the sake of argument 1,000 yards wide. Therefore, with the simplified torpedo rules as originally written only Target #1 gets attacked. Target 3 would not be attacked, because the TAB will be long past it at the end of Turn 3's Movement Phase -even though the TAB will pass by the target during the Movement Phase. By extending the TAB to include the future first half of the salvo's movement in Turn 3, the geometry problem is corrected. Note: while the torpedo attack takes place at the end of Turn 2's Movement Phase for the left-hand box, the attacks in the right- hand box are resolved before any movement actually occurs. The results of those attacks take affect at the end of the Movement Phase. Perhaps the designers will release a more deadly set of tables for those inclined to a spicier torpedo game. [Ed Note: The torpedo tables as written are already biased a little bit towards a greater number of hits than historical information would suggest. Even though we based the tables on some pretty solid data from predominantly U.S., UK, and German sources, this data was not always precise on all the factors of the engagements. Therefore during the development of the torpedo attack tables, we tended to lean towards the more optimistic interpretation of the data. ] In general play, our group prefers to use the TAB method for torpedo hit determination, and then use the original CaS Torpedo Combat Results Tables to determine if and how many torpedoes strike the target. Determining actual aspect and selecting the correct table takes no more time than working through the simplified modifiers and does not slow play in any way. In addition to being more realistic, the original CaS torpedo combat result tables are more generous in their chances for multiple hits in identical quartering shots, and much more generous for single and multiple hits in a broad aspect shot. The only time using the simplified rules will benefit a player is in a narrow aspect situation. Example 2 The table compares the hit chances of a USN five-torpedo salvo at narrow, quarter, and broad aspects at a Size Class C, 20- knot, non-evading target with a run of 3500 yards between the original CaS Torpedo Combat Results Tables and the Simplified Torpedo Rules (STR) found in Naval SITREP #14. If the target was evading and changed course by 90° or more, the Simplified Torpedo Rules (STR) would have a 0% Ph. As displayed in this example, using the CaS tables will provide a benefit to all attacks at broad aspect, and additional chances for multiple hits at quartering and narrow aspect shots. For these reasons, our group has integrated the TAB and the original CaS Torpedo Combat Results Tables to provide easier and faster play with torpedoes. We propose the rules in this article to allow for situations where targets manage to avoid the TAB, but realistically should be subject to attacks. Overall opinion in our group is that torpedoes in CaS do not hit their targets very often. Through a combination of course guesstimate errors, and poor die rolling on difficult charts, we do not see many impacts or ships blowing up. Some suggestion has been made to look for more generous torpedo hit tables in other naval miniature products to bring the aspect of deadly torpedo waters to our games. Please send your comments and suggestions on this idea. Perhaps the designers will release a more deadly set of tables for those inclined to a spicier torpedo game. Until then, good hunting. May your fish swim hot, straight and normal … BT Back to The Naval Sitrep # 27 Table of Contents Back to Naval Sitrep List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List & copy Copyright 2004 by Larry Bond and Clash of Arms. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history and related articles are available at http://www.magweb.com