Use of Nuclear Devices - Safe engagement range

[serjames]

Is there a way to work out the safe distance at which I can drop a Nuclear device e.g. a B57 Depth Charge onto an enemy sub without sinking my own fleet ?

Was feeling very pleased with myself I had finally destroyed a pesky Alpha sub that was able to out dive all my Torpedo's.. only to find I managed to sink half my fleet with an Atomic own Goal.... There doesn't seem to be anywhere in the DB that references ranges or Damage radii.

Perhaps I've missed it ?

Cheers for the pointers.

EDIT: for reference The destruction radii for that 20KT Bomb dropped on a sub at -2000 odd feet was +/-7NM (!) for surface ships...

[cns180784]

Just say "oi, Alpha, nooooooo take this you maggy caaaaaant.

[serjames]

Not sure that's "in the Manual" before anyone else comments...

[mikmykWS]

Not sure we ever documented that. Sounds like its needed. Added to a list somewhere.

M

[Randomizer]

I write a test scenario with platform and weapon and use the data from that for mission planning. Too much effort for some of course.

-C

[ultradave]

I'm thinking there's a lot of variability in that number based on the depth of detonation.

And to add a facetious comment, back in the day I was nuclear artillery qualified. We decided that it was just a bad, bad idea because no artillery piece can shoot that thing far enough away from you (the good guys). The most useful thing we thought we ever learned was how to blow them to tiny pieces and make them unusable when the Russian overran West Germany.

[Cik]

hey man, it's probably worse to be at the epicenter than at the edge of the fire plate.

sounds like a successful weapon to me.

[SeaQueen]

One trick is to shoot the nuke past your target so that the target is within the weapon's lethal radius but you are not. It's one use for BOL mode.

ORIGINAL: serjames
Is there a way to work out the safe distance at which I can drop a Nuclear device e.g. a B57 Depth Charge onto an enemy sub without sinking my own fleet ?

[ultradave]

Now that you say this it seems so &*#&* obvious. [slaps head]

Thanks.

ORIGINAL: SeaQueen

One trick is to shoot the nuke past your target so that the target is within the weapon's lethal radius but you are not. It's one use for BOL mode.

ORIGINAL: serjames
Is there a way to work out the safe distance at which I can drop a Nuclear device e.g. a B57 Depth Charge onto an enemy sub without sinking my own fleet ?

[SeaQueen]

It definitely makes those super-cavitating Shkval's seem a lot more scary doesn't it?

ORIGINAL: ultradave

Now that you say this it seems so &*#&* obvious. [slaps head]

Thanks.

[serjames]

ORIGINAL: SeaQueen

One trick is to shoot the nuke past your target so that the target is within the weapon's lethal radius but you are not. It's one use for BOL mode.

ORIGINAL: serjames
Is there a way to work out the safe distance at which I can drop a Nuclear device e.g. a B57 Depth Charge onto an enemy sub without sinking my own fleet ?

Great point. I ended up doing it this way myself after a re-load. I couldn't get my fleet to sail away fast enough - so kept the Alpha turned & Burned by dropping Asroc's behind it - then worked out where it was gonna roughly be in 5m time. Dropped the bomb there....

Interesting observation was that it detonates VERY quickly after release at 1000ft is there any simulation of it trying to reach a depth ? Doesn't appear so as I imagine it would take a good long while to get to -2000ft etc... Anyway thanks for all the comments, good fun messing with it...

This is basically what I ended up with....

[Schr75]

This is basically what I ended up with....

Which is why you fly fast and high when you drop these things. I have "shot" my self down more than once, by dropping an NDC at low altitude and then not being able to escape the blast.[:D]

Interesting observation was that it detonates VERY quickly after release at 1000ft is there any simulation of it trying to reach a depth ? Doesn't appear so as I imagine it would take a good long while to get to -2000ft etc...

Considering the lethal radius of such a weapon I don´t see much point in letting it descend to the targets depth.
A few hundred feet off don´t matter much with a lethal radius measured in miles.[:)]

I would think it is detonated by a simple timer, but I could very well me wrong.

Søren

[SeaQueen]

It's probably not so much a matter of descending to the target's depth in the same way one would try to get a "direct hit" with a regular depth charge. Since the whole point of a nuclear depth charge is to create shock and over-pressure, my suspicion is that depending on the water depth and the target depth, there might be an "optimum depth" at which the ocean, acting as a wave-guide, ducts the energy most effectively. You can imagine the detonation depth as somehow effecting the boundary conditions which govern the propagation of the shock wave.

This is purely speculative on my part, however. I have no experience with nuclear depth charges.

ORIGINAL: Schr75
Considering the lethal radius of such a weapon I don´t see much point in letting it descend to the targets depth.
A few hundred feet off don´t matter much with a lethal radius measured in miles.[:)]

[serjames]

Quite right.. it's certainly over-pressure that does for the sub... assuming it's not close enough to be "vapourised" in an instant.

I think the point about sinking the charge down, is to avoid blue on blue etc i.e. use the water to absorb as much as possible... keep in contained in a specific area.

I'm Sure there must be some de-classified material out there somewhere on the procedures... will have a look purely for interest

[OldSarge]

You may find this document fairly interesting: Operation Hardtack
Some very nice tables at the end, well worth a look by those interested.

You may also like this calculator: Nuclear Weapons at Sea Effects Calculator

[OldSarge]

You may also like this summary of: U.S. underwater nuclear testing and derived effects.

[stilesw]

OldSarge,

Thanks for two excellent references. I've included them in the unofficial CMANO reference library.
Anyone who would like access to this DropBox library please PM me with your real email address.

-Wayne Stiles

[HalfLifeExpert]

Yeah I think there should be an entry in the DB for the blast radius, so that you know if your units will be safe or not when the weapon detonates.

Or perhaps a warning from the unit that is launching/dropping the weapon if it is too close, this in would be particularly be useful for Submarine launched Nuclear torpedoes and ship borne Nuclear depth charges.

[Sardaukar]

I have taken out my own sub in game with SUBROC... OK, took out enemy too..but... So, it is sometimes something one fails to notice...that one is too close.

[StellarRat]

I suppose you could fire over a hill unto the enemy on the other side. That would seem fairly safe.