'Stuck in the Middle With You'

[Von Tonner]

Couldn't help but think of the lyrics to 'Stuck in the Middle With You' in the below situation.

"Yes, I'm stuck in the middle with you,
And I'm wondering what it is I should do,
It's so hard to keep this smile from my face,
Losing control, yea, I'm all over the place,
Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right,
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you"


http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa130/shazavaar/stuckinthemiddle2.jpg
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa130/shazavaar/Stuckinthemiddle.jpg

[Rockin Robbins]

Found a very nice convoy: 4 destroyers, at least 12 merchant ships. Approached convoy and can't see a thing. I'm in a storm, it's a moonless night and foggy. But the destroyers still want to play. I can't see a thing so I can't fire on anybody, can't even IDENTIFY them! Time to calm the situation down. I become one with the merchants, running on the surface with decks awash. At six knots and 2:00 am I can't submerge because my batteries would be flat long before morning. Can't see ships when they're 300 yards away, so I'm stuck in the middle. You can sing along if you wish, the words are in the previous post. Me? I don't feel like singing here... Can't use time compression too much because I'd collide with somebody. If I go outside the formation destoyers want to play, although can't figure out how they see me! I feel like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs... at least until morning, but just you wait!

http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos3532/1/67/68/48/3/4/403486867109_0_ALB.jpg

http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos3532/1/67/68/48/3/6/603486867109_0_ALB.jpg

That's some kind of freighter at 300 yards. Guenther Prein eat your heart out. Yup it's also the inside of your closet at 3:00 am. :damn: It's mighty tempting to just put the torps on point and shoot (I'm on full manual. how do you do that?) and take some random shots. Gotta hit something! Or does the storm (as in real life) make the torps ineffective? Suggestions appreciated.

[switch.dota]

Full-manual point-and-shoot:

Range irrelevant
AoB 0'
Speed 0knots



Do try to aim at least 250m away (think it's 500+ if you use the RFB mod), else the torps won't arm. Also if the seas are heavy have your torps run a bit deeper than usual.

[Bando]

Full-manual point-and-shoot:

Range irrelevant
AoB 0'
Speed 0knots

Do try to aim at least 250m away (think it's 500+ if you use the RFB mod), else the torps won't arm. Also if the seas are heavy have your torps run a bit deeper than usual.

I totally agree with you. I always shoot like that in bad weather.

Reg
Bando

[Rockin Robbins]

I'll do a bit of analytical geometry, apply your settings and let's waste a few torpedoes!!! I'll keep you posted. Still can't see a blasted thing. Can't wait to feel confident enough in my abilities to hook up RFB again. When I get off work it's time to rumble.

[Rockin Robbins]

I haf ze gut news und ze bad news... The good news is that thanks to a brilliant tutorial by WernerSobe on firing torpedoes with sonar data only, it is child's play to use a combination of optical and sonar to get high percentage hits in total blackout storm conditions. Remember, I can't identify my targets. If I could, I still cannot see the masts. I was ready to put torpedo targeting on full manual and shoot away at the convoy. Actually I tried that with about 25% hits. I reverted to the saved game to try something else. Then I discoverd Werner's tutorial and the wonderful anwer to my problem!

First of all go to WernerSobe's tutorial (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=112591) and see his incredibly clearly explained and entertaining videos on target acquisition using sonar only. It is necessary especially in order to learn to operate the instructionless sonar panel. Also I found out that the destroyers were really making random search changes. They really couldn't detect me so I was just paranoid, a healthy state of mind for a sub skipper. OK, ready to 'splain this mess.

Stick yourself on a paralell course with your merchant of choice, about 600 yards away. If you aren't too good about setting up stern shots, here's a golden opportunity. Just get ahead of your target and leave him at about bearing 250º or so. Select your torpedo, set depth at 10' or 13' it's very important not too shallow in rough seas, fast setting.

Estimate the bearing from your map view and get on the observation scope. Although you can't see diddly (technical submarine term there) you will eventually get a lock on your target. This is only to verify his bearing. You know his speed because you have matched it on your parallel course: enter it into the TDC. Using the protractor on the map tool, get the angle on the bow by making the angle from ahead of target on his course to the target to your boat. That's your angle. Enter into the TDC.

Now all you need is range. Heh, heh, heh! A little Werner wizardry (note the poetic alliteration there unless you speak German and the words begin with differing consonant sounds) and this guy is toast. Note your present bearing. Go to the sonar station and use the <home> and <end> keys to find your target near that bearing. You'll have to go to periscope depth to do this as your sonar won't work on the surface. Ping him several times, each ping that returns data clicking the buttons to enter range and bearing into the TDC. You're in a convoy. If your ping indicates a distance of twice what you have been measuring, that's another ship. Do not enter that ping into the TDC if you want to sink your target. If you're running stock SH4, you can go to the attack screen and see that you have a good solution. You can shoot now. Don't need to look in the periscope, you can't see anything anyway. You'll be lucky to see the hits!

But hits you will have! I have 5 of 7 so far for a 71% hit ratio on full manual. How's that for shooting blind! And you can do it too.

The bad news? Of the three ships I have hit, none have gone down. I have 2 hits on two boats and one on a third. I see the impact splash from about half my hits, but no chance of seeing damage. I doubt I could see a fire. I'll continue shooting until something sinks!! How do you get 300k tons in a patrol when 5 hits distributed among 3 ships didn't sink one of them? You'd have to get one ship per torp (with no misses) plus lots of deck gun kills, which would be totally unrealistic. If results are way out of whack with real results you're not playing a simulation, but a video game. (dig, dig, dig). I like it the way this cruise is working out much better. Frustration is part of simulation.

[Rockin Robbins]

Ended up expending my entire torpedo load on this convoy. Had 5 total misses, one dud, sank 4 merchants and one destroyer, 25,000+ tons and a great learning experience! Try sonar ranging and bearings. It works!

[ATR-42]

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e53/klehmann/SH4/SH4Img3-5-2007_20-1.jpg


http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e53/klehmann/SH4/SH4Img3-5-2007_20.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e53/klehmann/SH4/SH4Img3-5-2007_20-2.jpg

[Rockin Robbins]

Hope you brought the barbecue sauce. I'll have mine medium rare.