Smoke on the horizon - how to intercept

[JiMeS]

Hello and good evening,
I am relatively new to the whole real navigation in silent hunter 5. I know my way around the tdc but i need a bit of help.
I am out patrolling in my grid and my watch officer shouts smoke on the horizon. Well i can not see the smoke myself but as time passes smokes comes up in my binoculars.
My question is how will i intercept the target? Using the 4 bearing method with my hydrophone? Is there anything else i can use?
Thanks in advance and greetings from Greece

[JiMeS]

Any help?

[THEBERBSTER]

Hi J

Do not know what mods you are using.
If you are using a version of TDW' NewUI you can use the Watch Officer Icon and he will give you the bearing and range to the target.

Add this bearing to your course bearing and this will give their course.

Example targets bearing 253 + your course 185 = 438 - 360 = targets course 78 degrees.

Use your binoculars to see which way the smoke on the horizon is going or after a couple of minutes ask the WO to give you the data again.

Measure the range from your boat and draw out the targets course.
You should now be able to adjust your course to close on the target.

Hope that helps, better than nothing.

Peter

[JiMeS]

I am using wolves of steel mod. Is the range given from the wo accurate? Can i count on it to do some rough calculations so i can plot the course of the ship?

Thanks for the help mate. I have a convoy in sight at last and i am trying to sink 2/4 ships.
Another question if i may. The convoy seems to not be traveling in rows and columns. How can i make calculations for 2 out of 4 ships and then set my tdc? Should i use fast 90 attack approach or is it only useful for a convoy traveling in rows and columns?
If not should i target the first ship figure out the heading aob and speed fire a couple torpedoes then aim for the second one, then figure out the same for the second one?
Or should i figure all the data beforehand then target the first input the data into the tdc fire the torps and then target the second input the data again and fire the rest of them?
Hope i make sense :)
Thanks again!

[THEBERBSTER]

Hi J

I have not tested out the WO for accuracy but my inclination from a logical point would that it could not be 100%.
Having said that all you need is a rough idea so that you can change course to take up a better position.
You can also use the UZO to get a range.

These 2 written tutorials I have done will give you a good idea of how to go about taking on a convoy in different situations.
The interesting thing is that the video in Post #60 where Stoianm fires 3 torpedoes in to 3 different columns for all the torpedoes to hit their targets at the same time.

Post #59 Convoy Hunting For Ships In The Same Row By Stoianm (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=2197867&postcount=59)

Post #60 Convoy Hunting For Ships In The Same Column By Stoianm (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=2199064&postcount=60)

Your difficulty level may not be the same as Stoianm's but the same principles apply.Peter

[JiMeS]

Thanks again you have been very helpfull!