deck gun inacurate.
 

I have noticed that the deck gun seems highly inaccurate in SH3. I've got GWX and the lifeboat mod enabled.

At zero magnification, it seems pretty spot on. You still have to adjust elevation for range , to drop the shells on target, but the shells still hit in line with the reticule.

But at full magnification, the shells frequently and consistently drop far to the left or right of the center tick mark. Sometimes as many as 5 tick marks away from center. Once you figure out where the shells are landing, you can adjust your fire left or right, but why aren't the shells landing where the center of the reticule is?

Steve

You'll have to ask my gunnersmate.
He doesn't drive my boat, and I don't fire his gun.

Poetic Skipper..
 

.... :hmmm:

Poetic?

Yes in some way..
 

He can hardly have contact with you gunner,the only way will be,more subnormal fiction,in good way naturally.

Windage? One or both ships moving?

If both the U-Boat and the target were absolutley still then you could expect the shot to land where the sight was pointing when the piece was fired.

Otherwise...:nope:

In the real world it is called leading your target when you compensate for movement by aiming to the right or left trying to anticipate where your target will actually be when the shell arrives.

While you are certainly correct about having to lead targets, if I fire the gun and do not traverse the gun, nor turn the u-boat, it the shell should hit the sea still in line with the center reticule.

What I am seeing is that with the rudder amidships and the gun stationary the shell fires as far as 5 tick-marks to the left or right of center. This only happens at high magnification. I have not tried it at mid-magnification. I cannot see the effect at all when firing with zero magnification.

I am not using Commander so it is not sabotage.

Steve

i know it has always been a plauge in the silent hunter series

The only thing I can think is that perhaps the sea itself has turned the u-boat.

Steve

Stock bug I'm afraid.

From GWX manual, page 19.

'When using the deck gun with the rangefinder in zoom mode in stock Silent Hunter III the deck gun will occasionally fire a round several degrees in azimuth or elevation away from where the previous shell went even in calm seas with no wind. The only way to work around this is to get really close to the target so that these ―wild shots will still hit the target.'

I would add - or fire in zoomed out mode.

Well that sucks.

The problem with firing in zoomed-out mode is it is hard to hit targets that are 3000m or more away that way, without the benefit of the telescopic sight with range indicator.

After 1941, when the merchants get armed, I like to trail convoys at night, after I've wiped out the escorts, and pick off the ships from the rear corners, at about 3500m. I can hit them, but they usually can't hit me. And by approaching from a rear corner, much of the convoy can't see me and doesn't fire.



Steve

I hate to say it but this tactic of your is highly irregular at best and suicidal at worst. Your ideal firing position is for you to be exactly perpendicular to the ships project track closing at small speed. You are thus presenting a small target to the enemy while having the advantage of her entire broadside. What is called in maritime warfare crossing the "T". Hard for them to hit you is easy for you to hit them. :arrgh!:

Lest we forget we are driving subs NOT battleships!
Regards,
Immelman

Crossing The T goes back to the days of sail.
The obect is for YOUR ships to fire a full broadside, while denying the enemy use of his full ordnance. When you cross his heading, you are crossing the T.

The concept became seriousely flawed by the introduction of torpedoes.

Not to mention ahistorical.

But it's fun and challenging. I enjoy wiping out convoys. I have done it twice.

Steve

You are of course referring to the Battle of Kula Gulf where the Americans were waiting for the Japs in text book formation and the Japs negated this advantage with torpedoes.

Fine but my point still stands because the sub is the one with the Torpedoes. Thus if you place your boat perpendicular to the ship's project course then you can bring all your weapons to bare 4 torpedo tubes and a deck gun. You are presenting a small target to the enemy while having the advantage of her entire broadside to shoot at.

I don't see what exactly you are arguing against. I took and old concept for surface vessels and modified it to suit submarines. Most importantly it works.

@Immelman

Your concept is 100% right.

The only thing wrong was the terminology.
To cross the T, means to present YOUR (emphasis) broadside to your opponents bow.

The old sailing ships carried their guns along both sides, with very little, or more likely, no cannons in the bow.

Wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_the_T

It actualy goes back further than wikipedia states, with it's origins in The Royal Navy. but the examples they show will suffice.

(And again, your tactic for attack is perfect.)

I just recently met a pair of T2s moving at 12 knots. Normally I'd not use my deck gun on something so large, but T2s are a pain to sink with torpedoes, and it was winter so I knew the weather was going to go sour on me very shrotly and then no DG. So I got in front of them so the one behind can't see me past the front one and started pounding. Used a lot of rounds but sank both, and a gale blew up the next day which has been blowing ever since so on the whole I think it was a good call using up those rounds while I could, and baging 15000 tons of tanker for no torpedoes.

There is currently no solution or fix Steve other than to compensate a degree or so either side of the target I'm afraid.

Or... turn your deck gun into a big shotgun. :D

I did it just for fun, though. The framerates take a serious nosedive whenever I fired. And... ten rounds is ten rounds no matter where they land.

Thanks, Jim, I was waiting for the expert opinion on the matter.

Steve