Exploding Boats

[Ravenna]

I have been looking at remote boat activities near the Belgian coast during the First World War. The type of boat used was radio-controlled, either from a companion boat or from a seaplane within visual range. The remote boats were targeted at coastal infrastructure such as jetties and wharves as well as RN Monitors bombarding German shore installations.
To explode against a ship the remote vessel needs to be an "aircraft", but which DP/s need to be altered to score a hit without sinking the target ship? Does the "target" need a tougher DP or does the remote "aircraft" need to have some alteration to its DP?

[UncleTgt]

Mike

I think this would take some creative mission building to achieve.

My understanding is that AI objects can fly/sail through other objects without causing damage.

Take a look at Pen32wins AF Kamikazes for some ideas.

In a nutshell, the salient points are:

1. The AI boat needs to be an aircraft, so you can deploy ordnance.
2. The AI "Boat" Engine hitbox calls out a runaway fire damage effect once it takes damage. This ultimately destroys the AI "Boat".
3. The ordnance allows the AI "Boat" to cause damage to the target vessel - see some of my kamikaze aircraft versions as I developed Pen32wins idea to use a "torpedo" weapon (Pen32wins skip bomb) - this allows for a low & slow attack approach path in MB. (Note. even then it may not work because you want the launching platform at zero feet, so it might involve hand-editing the mission weapon launch altitude afterwards). It's this "torpedo" weapon that damages the target vessel.
4. The event "launch torpedoes" ie torpedoes = 0 is created to trigger an engine fire on the AI "boat". The engine fire initiates the cascade damage effect, which destroys the AI "boat", thus giving the visual impression that the AI "boat" has blown up when it reaches the target vessel.

Because of the slow speeds you're after (compared to Kamikazes), it may not be a workable method...

Hope this helps.

[Ravenna]

Thaks for this John. Apart from the explosive effect I also want to avoid sinking the Monitor. The explosive impact on HMS Erebus left only superficial damage. I assume that the Monitor's DP will also need to reflect her resilience.

[stuart277]

Hi Ravenna The erebus can have its dp changed [SYSTEMS] system.0=%system_name.0%,10000,-1 system.1=%system_name.1%,10000,-2 system.2=%system_name.2%,10000,-3 system.3=%system_name.3%,10000,-4 system.4=%system_name.4%,5000,-5 system.5=%system_name.5%,5000,-6 system.6=%system_name.6%,10000,-7 system.7=%system_name.7%,10000,-8 system.8=%system_name.8%,10000,-9 system.9=%system_name.9%,10000,-10 system.10=%system_name.10%,5000,-11 system.11=%system_name.11%,5000,-12 system.12=%system_name.12%,5000,-13 system.13=%system_name.13%,10000,-14 system.14=%system_name.14%,10000,-15 system.15=%system_name.15%,10000,-16 system.16=%system_name.16%,10000,-17 system.17=%system_name.17%,150,-18 system.18=%system_name.18%,150,-19 I usually use the numbers to reflect ships tonnage, ie big shops take more to sink, but it just a guess. Try increasing the numbers 3x or more. Should take a lot of damage. Cheers Stuart

[Ravenna]

Stuart,
I did just that with the Erebus today, but hit it with Pen's Arty shell. The effect looks like the explosion is inside the ship rather than on it. At least it stayed afloat. I should add that I reduced the damage dice number.

[stuart277]

Hi Ravenna
Explosions 'inside the ship may relate to the 'damage box' position.
Erebus has a very wide torpedo bulge.


[BOXES]
box.0=%box_name.0%,-8.281,0,32.167,8.281,5.145,61.211
box.1=%box_name.1%,-10.791,0,0,10.791,5.145,32.167
box.2=%box_name.2%,-10.791,0,-38.635,10.791,5.145,0
box.3=%box_name.3%,-8.281,0,-61.037,8.281,3.522,-38.635
box.4=%box_name.4%,-2.394,5.145,-1.506,2.394,14.13,5.343
box.5=%box_name.5%,-3.25,5.145,8.676,3.25,11.595,17.111
box.6=%box_name.6%,-8.281,-3.437,32.167,8.281,0,61.211
box.7=%box_name.7%,-10.791,-3.437,0,10.791,0,32.167
box.8=%box_name.8%,-10.791,-3.437,-38.635,10.791,0,0
box.9=%box_name.9%,-8.281,-2.437,-61.037,8.281,0,-38.635
box.10=%box_name.10%,-2.174,5.145,17.111,2.174,7.644,19.303
box.11=%box_name.11%,6.566,5.145,-38.544,10.738,6.876,-34.353
box.12=%box_name.12%,-10.738,5.145,-38.544,-6.566,6.876,-34.353

Try increasing the central hull boxes to from 10.791 and -10.971 to 13.7 and -13.7
and the for and aft boxes from 8.281 and -8.281 to 10.045 and -10.045

Cheers
Stuart

[Ravenna]

That sounds as though the weapon explodes against the hull inside the torpedo bulge. I will try your boat/AC against Erebus with both sets of numbers. Thanks Stuart!