SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - View Single Post - Struggling with attacking a zigzag task force

Bosje · 08-30-10, 03:56 AM

what i always do is treat a zigzagging target like it's sailing on a straight course, the Position Keeper can be your friend.

pick a ship and plot his course like you normally would, it helps if you know their original course already (they started zigzagging when you got close but you were plotting before the zigzag)

place marks across the path on 3 minute intervals like you normally would, enter the given speed in the TDC. warships going 15 knots, turning left and right, may translate to a speed of 9 knots along a fixed track.

as long as they are zigzagging rougly on their original course, you can fire a spread with good results, it's just that the TDC says speed 9 while the ships themselves are doing 15 knots.
if they are not zigzagging along a fixed course but rather turning about all over the place... wait for one of them to zag straight into your sights.

get lucky, get close, eyeball it, spread out your shots
or: use the zigzag as an advantage to get ahead. they are now effectively slowed down so you can use your surface speed to get into a good position ahead of them. (specially at night)

hope that was clear

08-30-10, 03:56 AM	#2
Bosje Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 732 Downloads: 89 Uploads: 0	what i always do is treat a zigzagging target like it's sailing on a straight course, the Position Keeper can be your friend. pick a ship and plot his course like you normally would, it helps if you know their original course already (they started zigzagging when you got close but you were plotting before the zigzag) place marks across the path on 3 minute intervals like you normally would, enter the given speed in the TDC. warships going 15 knots, turning left and right, may translate to a speed of 9 knots along a fixed track. as long as they are zigzagging rougly on their original course, you can fire a spread with good results, it's just that the TDC says speed 9 while the ships themselves are doing 15 knots. if they are not zigzagging along a fixed course but rather turning about all over the place... wait for one of them to zag straight into your sights. get lucky, get close, eyeball it, spread out your shots or: use the zigzag as an advantage to get ahead. they are now effectively slowed down so you can use your surface speed to get into a good position ahead of them. (specially at night) hope that was clear __________________ And when an 800-ton Uboat has you by the tits... you listen!