Hello and a bit help about manual TDC

[Starkad]

Hey all
I'm new to these forums and new to the whole SH series. So hence, my first SH game is SH5 and I must admit, no being a die hard subsim fan, I'm quite pleased with the game.
But having been messing a bit around with how to do stuff I have a few problems with manual TDC. I figured out how it works and have been missing the targets with only a few meters several times now, so I have a hard time hitting. Does anyone have any tips on how to get the most correct AoB? How to get the most precise course you and your target are traveling? Cuz I think that is where I miss.
Beside that, when I have all the data I need for my firemission, then how do I figure out what speed I need the torpedo to travel at? I have been attacking a ship at a distance of 3000meters with medium torp speed, but to be honest that was only a guess. How can I figure the speed out?

Thanks!

[Lognoreng]

Alright, for starters make sure you take the stadimeter reading from the top of the funnel, that seems to give better range results. That could be one cause of the misses. The AOB is mostly guesswork (But can be precisely calculated aswell). Just make sure you know how it works. The arrow you slide around is where your sub is in relation to the target, not the other way around as one might assume. I also noticed that the torpedo solution moves along with your periscope. (Correct me if im wrong). So having the periscope at dead center would give you a better margin of error.

As for the torpedo speed, you can see the tooltip of the torpedo what ranges it can travel at certain speed. Personally i fire them as fast as the range allows, so the targets will have less of a chance to evade them if they are spotted. Also, the torpedo solution adjust itself for speed selected for the torpedo.

Also, how do you calculate the speed?

[XLjedi]

I'm responding based on SH3 experience, so not sure how everything translates to SH5 (cuz I might not even buy it).

But anyhoo...

One thing I recall about torp speed is that with magnetic detonation turned on, the higher speed and wave action caused more torpedos to prematurely detonate. So as a general rule, if I was going for an underkeel shot I would ALWAYS set the torp speed to slow.

To determine contact true course just leave map updates enabled and plot an X on the target, wait a bit, plot another X and draw a line that intersects both points. Extend it as long as you need.

The easiest way to start in on manual targeting is to use the Fast-90 technique.
1) With target true course plotted, put your sub in a position ahead of the target on a 90° beam.
2) Make sure your attack scope or UZO is pointing at 0°.
3) Set TDC dial for AoB as either 90°S or 90°P. It's pretty easy to determine in a Uboat, the AoB dial will be pointing in the same direction as the target ship is heading.
4) Set target speed for 6-12-16 knots depending on whether ship is reported as moving slow-med-fast by your Hydrophone operator.
5) Set distance for about 1000 or so... not important actually, if you fire at close to a zero-gyro angle (when the target appears in your scope at 20° or 340°)
6) After making the adjustments, don't forgot to re-lock the TDC and then go to your attack scope or UZO, pan, aim, and fire at will!

Great thing about Uboats is the TDC AoB calculator is linked up with your optics and automagically adjusts itself.

Happy Hunting! :ping:
(and good luck staying connected)

[XLjedi]

Also, how do you calculate the speed?

There are some more complicated methods that you'll learn with time.

However, in the meantime you could do one of the following:

You could guesstimate, as I mentioned in previous post above.
6-12-16 (slow-med-fast)

Of if you have map updates, you could use the good ole 3:15 rule:
1) Plot an X on target position.
2) Wait exactly 3 minutes and 15 seconds.
3) Plot another X
4) Measure the distance between the two marks in KM and it will equal the target speed in knots!

:ping:

[Lognoreng]

read the wrong post m8 :)

Altho that was the method i was gonna advise him to use if he used the stadimeter calculated one :salute:

[Starkad]

Okay, thanks. I'm slightly starting getting an idea of what I am doing.
Now I started to use the stadimeter (I didn't before, it was all mapworks instead) but I find it kinda hard. I can see on the map that the steamer I am attacking is about 3050 meters away, but the stadimeter claims everything from 2500-3500, even if I use the funnel on the ship. But I suppose it just takes some practice. I also started using the rangefinder, but jesus crist those crewmembers do drink alot or else I just didn't figure it out. What is the trick for that one? Last they claimed the steamer was going 49 knots, but my map claims 11.

Now for AoB again. When I select the menu for typing in AoB do I select just where I want the torp to hit or do I use the My course-Target course +/- periscope angle? And how precise do I have to be to hit with it?

Also, is there a smart way to find out which course I am heading? Right now I am using the map, a ruler and the compas thing. Oh, and can anyone tell me how come 0/360 degrees is south instead of north?

EDIT: Oh yea, one more question: Where is it, in generel, best to hit ships? I had quite good succes by hitting them in the bow. Hitting them in the middle (starboard or port) seems to be less damaging in generel. But those are only small observations.

[B_O_L_T]

You will need to take several observations with the stadmiter to get the correct target speed, the torp calculator works out how long it takes to travel x distance and calculates accordingly.

Sh5 works slightly differently from earlier versions, previously you adjusted the calculator yourself based on observations, in this one, it is simulating you giving your observations to your xo for him to do the calculations.

For aob, I explain it like this, ask yourself how many degrees from the bow a crew member on the targets bridge has to turn to look directly at you, that is the aob. Aob is the most important factor to get right if you are not crossing the T, more important than range or speed, even 1 degree error at range can result in a miss by several meteres.

The best use of your torps, is to set them to detonate a couple of feet below the hull in the centre of the target, water preassure from the explosion forces the ship upwards in the middle, seperating hull plates and can even break the ship in two.

[Lognoreng]

Aiming for the engine room can also be good, If the engines die, they are sitting ducks..

[gandalf71]

...

Now for AoB again. When I select the menu for typing in AoB do I select just where I want the torp to hit or do I use the My course-Target course +/- periscope angle? And how precise do I have to be to hit with it?
...

The required AoB precision depends on the range you´re intending to launch a torpedo. In the early days of war you can always stalk your prey at 750-1000m and shoot Torpedos when your target is "crossing the T", with an AoB of +/-90° depending on what direction your enemie's bow is pointing.

The most important thing to know about the AoB dial is that the Sub in the centre is your target and the arrow you move around it is your position relative to the target's bow.

Hope that helps a bit manual TDC is just a matter of practise.

Cheers,
Michael

P.S.: The Stadimeter readout is quite uncertain, especially in rough seas, it´s more precise to plot the target's course on the map and use the map tools to measure the distance. ...you only need to know the distance from where you intend to launch the weapon, otherwise it gets a little nasty plotting positions of (multiple) targets.

[XLjedi]

The 0° and 180° are "backwards" so you can use them to easily determine a course heading by creating a line, dragging in a direction, and seeing where the line crosses the opposite side of the compass. Where it crosses the compass will tell you the heading for that line you're drawing.

If it wasn't reversed, it wouldn't be very useful. :ping: