'target acquisition system' of the XXI
 

Anyone notice how the description for the default sonar set given to type XXI's says that it can estimate a target's speed? I've been reading a book:

ttp://rapidshare.de/files/12143977/History_of_the_Kriegsmarine_U-Boats.pdf.html

and it says the submarine was, "...fitted with a target acquisition system to attack Allied ships without surfacing." Is this just another feature which was left out of the end game? Can anyone tell me how tis 'targeting system' would have worked?

Re: 'target acquisition system' of the XXI
 

Yup. Left out. Doesnt work. From my understanding it was all about the active sonar. Now, you can get the targets bearing easily enough through passive, active sonar would ping for distance, the XXI sonar (unless im mistaken) was supposed to estimate target speed as well as distance.

So from there you have
bearing, range, and speed, wtihout ever popping a periscope. Now how they worked out the Angle on the Bow from there is beyond me.

Well all I would have wanted was the target's heading and speed! From that I could get into position and get a constant update on range and bearing, Britain may as well consider her sunk... :ahoy:
Mind you, I wouldn't use this system for convoy attacks...all that active sonar would attract a lot of attention from dastardly escorts. however with this system, single merchant and tandem merchant shipping would've been driven to a halt...too bad that by '44/'45 when the XXI came into fruition, it was mostly convoys bringing supplies to the war-effort.

I have the impression that the XXI can fire up to 40 or 60 m deep. There is an old post somewhere with a guy that was giving instructions how to do manual firing without the periscope.
Interesting... :hmm: