[Fidd]

148. DF-ing using civilian radio-stations/DFing u-boats

This was a common technique, especially on long-wave, to establish the bearing to and from civilian transmitters known location, and therefore with a cross-cut bearing, to determine position deep into the Atlantic. If one assumes that the location of the u-boat was unknown to the crew initially, this might make for some interesting navigational use of DF's to fix their position. The more lines established, the more accurate the fix, and therefore the more accurate subsequent navigation to the convoy becomes. (assuming some form of time-compression to keep "time to target" roughly comparable to now)

With the multi-national player-base, it ought to be possible to create plausible sounding radio transmissions of stations in the UK, Germany, France and the low-countries, to which a radio-officer can tune the DF equipment to start DFing.

The allied counter to this is the use of DFing locations - spread from Iceland to the Azores, to fix the area of u-boats whenever they transmit. On a strategic level this has little bearing (if you'll excuse the pun) on the game, however, it could be used the more radio-traffic is sent between boats in game, to send detached escorts down a bearing to search for a surfaced or thence submerged u-boat. By counting the characters, or duration of morse signals sent, from a particular u-boat during the course of a game, a tipping-point might be reached causing such a detachment of an escort. Or aircraft.

DFing therefore could be engineered in game to both assist u-boat crews in locating a convoy and establishing their own position - or the position of other u-boats, but ALSO via the brevity, or otherwise, of radio transmissions from it, to cause AI or PVP escorts to be able to detach from their usual positions.....