Estimating range in rough waters

[4saken]

It seems impossible to estimate range using the periscope while in rough waters (12 m/sec) so what I did while intercepting a convoy was to use the map,measure the distance (about 1.600 m) and enter it manually in the TDC.
Is this the proper way or there is another way too?it felt a little bit cheating...

[FIREWALL]

I know how you feel. I was chaseing a lone BB in 15 Weather. :arrgh!:

That is until his gunners got way too accurate. :haha:

[joegrundman]

this is only the proper way if you use map contact updates. You tell me - do you think this was the way actual u-boat skippers gathered range data in very rough weather?

SH3 makes using the periscope in rough weather a bit trickier than in real life because of the absence of split-prism scopes. This feature is present in SH4 and 5.

Even so, with practice it's possible but to no great degree of accuracy - but what do you need accuracy in range estimate for anyway?

Just maneuver to get close to that target and use other methods to get speed data than plotting, e.g. collision course method or fixed wire method

[Tessa]

this is only the proper way if you use map contact updates. You tell me - do you think this was the way actual u-boat skippers gathered range data in very rough weather?

SH3 makes using the periscope in rough weather a bit trickier than in real life because of the absence of split-prism scopes. This feature is present in SH4 and 5.

Even so, with practice it's possible but to no great degree of accuracy - but what do you need accuracy in range estimate for anyway?

Just maneuver to get close to that target and use other methods to get speed data than plotting, e.g. collision course method or fixed wire method

In rough weather the depth settings I've found to be the most important setting. You can aim low on large ships and be pretty sure that you'll either hit near the bottom of the keel or score a magnetic hit. Visibility is a (unreliable but realistic) quick way to gauge how close you are. The heavier the rain is visibility can go down to 300m or less before you see the ship coming. Long as you can either square of on the target for a 90 degree shot or go for a magnetic shot which will give you a wider range of aob to fire (+/- 30-50 degrees will still score you a solid hit).

Rough seas/poor visibility allows you to use steam torpedoes with a larger than normal degree of safety. Set the speed to 45 kts so the target will have little or no time to react and avoid the shot if they manage to even see it at all.

[Hitman]

In real life the main method of determining range was the human eyeball, i.e. they were well trained in the art of doing it. As a help, you can use the FOV (Linear field of view) of the optic you are looking through. F.e. in your average 38º periscope a 150 metres long ship will cover the whole lense at 1100 metres at 6x zoom. If it only covers the half, (From centre wire to the side of the lense), then it is at 2200 metres, if only 1/4, then it is at 4400 metres, etc.

There were printed tables for that, but most commanders had already memorized them :)

My GUI mod comes with such tables for quick range estimates (At the right side):

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/3964/obsperi.jpg