using the deck gun
 

Is there a way to either
-have the range displayed while manning the deck gun
or
-have the deck gun retain its elevation setting while going to the binoculars to check the range

Not that i know of.
The "trick" you can use, is press F5 to go to the map, and using the ruler measure the distance to the target, then come back and adjust elevation as appropiate. Take only a few seconds.

The trick is to ask the WO for the range - without leaving the gun optics screen.

This may be tricky with several targets around. The WO reports the closest target.

Leaving the gun resets the elevation. Your crew is turning the wheels.

Coming back by “I take over from here!” makes them hand you the gun in safe mode.

Thanks. Tried that, but when I return to the gun it's back to minimum elevation, and it takes so long to crank it back up to around 2000m that the range has changed a couple of hundred metres.


Thanks. How do I ask the WO?

I rarely use the deck gun if more than one enemy is nearby ...it too often ends up an embarrassment ...for me. The last time, I surfaced about 1500m from a small merchant chugging along at 4kts; I popped up the scope and scanned the horizon, nothing but a fishing boat about 4500m in the other direction. How much threat is an unarmed 80ton fishing boat nearly 5km away? Lol. As we watched the merchant sinking, suddenly my boat heels over, alarms sound, "we're taking damage!" "we've been rammed!" ...by that stupid little fishing boat. (Which leads to the question - why does the watch go below when the deck gun is in use?)

"safe mode"?

How do "I take over"?

Hi jgf
Try using the arrow keys.
Peter

Click his icon, then click the graphics representing “range to target”.

Only a few guys handled by the game engine. Five in the Conning tower - up to 4 at the flaks - plus three at the gun is too much. “Outside”, the rendering tends to be laggy with some harbour and ships around anyway.
Remember the game is 11 years old.

You order to man the deck gun, but then you jump at it, to do the shooting yourself?
“Step aside, Bernhard! I'll take over from here!”

You leave the gun, to do whatever - and are upset the crew changed the elevation when coming back.
I want you to consider it your crew to work by the book - handing over a gun in safe mode - not ready to shoot. They follow orders.

You can change the elevation pretty fast by zooming back with the mousewheel - out of the optics - and catch the mousepointer by clicking if necessary. Then control the gun elevation by dragging. Zooming forward brings you back to the gun optics. Catch the mousepointer and adjust/finetune the elevation.