Sub Skipper's Bag of Tricks

[Rockin Robbins]

There's another way to set range there but since I'm not running that combo I can't tell you what it is. The only truly important thing is that the range is non-zero. Just do a fake stadimeter range and some kind of range will go in there. That will be adequate.

[Lancezh]

Your Manual Targetting Video is down due to overlength, is it this one ?



If yes, update the link will ya, thanks for these!!!

[Rockin Robbins]

That's the one! Thanks.

[maxklinger2001]

Does any one know what the approximate range of the hydrophones?

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by maxklinger2001

Does any one know what the approximate range of the hydrophones?

Hey Max! I'd say 20 to 30 miles. I've never bothered to find out. Ducimus can tell you to the yard but that's really cheating. You see, the range changed with conditions and the real sonar operators had no idea what their hydrophone range was either.

[Rockin Robbins]

Thought I'd repost something I put in a thread that's just going to fall into the abyss and never be seen again. I had a brain defect and suddenly gained clarity of thought long enough to post my best explanation of how the position keeper works in normal US submarine targeting. I could never remember that in my aged state (just when I had it all together I forgot where I put it....) so here goes:

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If you're missing astern there's something wrong with your procedure. I propose that it's probably that you are entering the information in the wrong order, since the order of operations is almost never talked about and of course is not in the manual, which seems to be a reprint of the manual for a 1955 Sunbeam Toaster, not a game manual.

When you are entering info to the TDC it is very important that the last piece entered is the range/bearing of the target. And the reason is very apparent if you can visualize how the TDC with position keeper works.

The TDC merely establishes a target position, course and speed. It's a dot with attributes. And that data is good for the instant your button is stabbed. If you were to stab the button, wait ten seconds and then fire a torpedo, guess what?

The target has moved past your aiming point and when the torpedo hits, if it hits, it will be behind the point you aimed at when you stabbed the send range/bearing to TDC button. That's pretty clear, no? So you can miss astern with the PK off. It's easy. Just take too long between your observation and when you fire.

Now lets involve the PK. Instead of a fixed target point, the PK actually takes that target point and moves it along the course you tell it to and at the speed you tell the TDC. Then that target point actually follows the real target over time. In theory you can fire at any time you want and the solution remains good, unlike the old non-PK TDC.

So lets do it wrong. We'll use our periscope and stadimeter to get the bearing and range of the target. As soon as we stab the send to TDC button the TDC plots the position of the target, right on top of the real target. So far, so good.

Now you do your mental gymnastics and get ready to enter the AoB of the target, which tells the TDC the target course. You enter the AoB and stab that send to TDC button. What's happened? Not much. The target position is right where you told it to be and it is moving at zero knots in the direction you just told it. That means it's not moving.

Finally you enter the target speed and press that send to TDC button. NOW the artificial target point begins moving at the course and speed of the real target. But since you just told it to begin moving and it's been fifteen or twenty seconds since you told the TDC where the target is, the artificial target is quite a distance behind the real one! You are going to miss astern aren't you?

How do you prevent this? Just be sure you tell the TDC target AoB and speed first, THEN as a last step pop up the scope and take your range/bearing observation. Since you have already told the PK how to move the target point, you'll hit the send range/bearing to TDC button, the TDC will plot that artificial target right on top of the real one and the PK will immediately begin moving it to follow your input course and speed.

Order of operations is critical. You won't read this anywhere else, no matter how hard you search. I can't tell you why because it is critical information. NOW you will not miss astern.

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On another note, I've had a software meltdown on my computer. I held onto my old motherboard long after it started to malfunction. It scrambled my Windows XP installation to the point that even with new hardware my computer was crashing three times a day or so. I put up with it for three months and then it began blue-screening on bootup with no access to Windows at all. It was time for a complete reinstall. That means I also have to reinstall all my programs and that is the delay in the Dick O'Kane Sonar Only video update. It will happen.

[derstosstrupp]

Hi all,

Does anyone happen to have Hitman's "100% manual targetting" tutorial they could send my way? Searched all over for a good link to no avail. I checked with Hitman himself and he doesn't have a copy available. I'd appreciate it!

hamacher@uwm.edu

[Berserker]

If you should come accross a small convoy comprised of 2 destroyers and 1 kiturn maru,leave them alone..Especially if you are in a flat sea and zero wind..I do not know what is so important on that transport,but the destroyer captains take great offence if you sink it..Its been 3 hrs now and they seem to have and unlimited supply of depth charges...

[Redmane]

Just wanted to shout out a big THANK YOU! to everyone here at Subsim for this thread. The great info here is going to take me quite awhile to digest completely, but I've mastered the O'Kane solution to begin with and have found it to be very adaptable. My first go-round with it bagged me a pair of unescorted freighters running together. I did get a bit lucky shooting the second one, as she turned toward me rather than away after I hit the leader, but all I had to do was back the boat up and wait until she crossed my bow, then let her have it. Also this solution is by no means limited to a 90' setup on the target's course line. I tested this by purposely setting up a stern tube shot at 110' on the course line, meaning the AOB on the target would be 110' when she crossed my 180 bearing mark. I used a 15' shoot line, so AOB for the setup was 95'. Sure enough, I launched 2 fish on the target when her engineering spaces were under my crosshair and totally gutted her. She sank a short while later. Several hours later I used a similar set-up on a target that had changed course, blowing my first approach. I turned the boat around, got to a 108' angle off her course, which was about the best I could do in that situation, again 15' shoot line, and fired 2 torps. The first one went dud, but I got lucky with the second one. It broke the target in half.

So again, big thanks for this great thread!

[Ale6]

[Rockin Robbins]

I'm very happy that it continues to have value and new players are finding that targeting isn't black magic, but something that you can do. So thumbs up to all who use this thread to become submarine aces! You're why the thread is here.

[Clean Sweep]

I'm sure these tactics are commonly practiced, but I've found adequate success with them.

When I'm targeting a convoy that has more than two escorts, I'll usually try to swing behind them, running loud and fast to draw the attention of the escorts away from the transports. Once they've begun tracking me and heading towards me pinging away, I'll dive deep and turn back towards the transports. Once I've closed in I'll go silent and get up to periscope depth. By now the escorts are several thousand yards behind still searching for my sub, this gives me a decent amount of time to strike one or two transports before the escorts flank their way back. When the escorts get in range I'll usually try a stern shot then dive down again and go silent. From there I break off the initial attack but maintain sound contact while my tubes are reloaded and I assess the situation and determine whether or not to attack again or to break contact all together.

If there's two or less escorts I'll pull the stunt I saw in "Run Silent, Run Deep" with Clark Gable. I'll go head on against the escort and at 500-600yds, shoot two fish down the escort's throat and then crash dive and pull hard to port or starboard and get outta dodge. I'll repeat the process until both escorts are destroyed and from there I'll make my attack on the transports.

[irish1958]

The link to the Dick O'Kane practice mission works, but the file is corrupted (7z) as it won't open. I lost my copy. Does anybody have one? I was working with my grandson on targetting but I can't get the mission.
(http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...o=file&id=1898)
Never mind, I found it. If anyone else needs it, drop me a PM and I'll send it.

[Rockin Robbins]

It's all there and working fine today! It's a mystery......

[grislyatoms]

Kinda like a jigsaw puzzle, Rockin Robbins helped me find the corner pieces with his tutorials and encouragement. Once I had the basics, pieces kept falling in to place, in the manner of "Ohhh! That's why that happens/works like it does". I still have those moments.

Rockin Robbins -