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Originally Posted by Pitts2112
Thanks for the welcome, guys!
Nisgeis, you've caused me to go back into "Wahoo" and read for more detail. What I've discovered is that O'Kane did seem to have favored working stern to bow, though not always, and seldom did he shoot from bow to stern. This implies he was shifting his point of aim for each shot. And that makes sense, now that I think about it because if he worked from bow to stern, and simply held the bearing fixed for all shots, then the torpedoes would have all gone down the same track, giving no spread at all.
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Yeah you're right. I think it's been too long since I read it - perhaps time to read it again. To shoot multiple times he just selects a point ahead of his aiming point, places the scope wire there, matches the bearing on the TDC and then fires when the desired part of the ship touches the wire. It's a minimal amount of effort as the TDC does all the work for you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pitts2112
He does also make mention of the TDC operator "holding the bearing steady" which implies he was doing something to the TDC, maybe that it wouldn't do on it's own, or had shut off the PK. I don't know how the TDC operated well enough to truly understand that passage, though.
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The PK wouldn't have been shut off, as that's a prime piece of technology there. The key is holding the bearing steady, which means the TDC operator winding it back at the same rate that it advances to hold it steady at the same angle that the periscope was pointed at. Then you know your shot will hit the part the wire is touching (assuming your solution is correct).