As a follow up, for those that may not believe the type of mast height error I described in the previous post exists in the game (or one modded into it), I suggest you check for yourself.
Use this
"Hiryu Mission Test" to check the accuracy of the Stadimeter using the mast height of the stock game, or the TMO 2.1 mod, or any other mod you choose. It's JSGME compatible, just download it into the "MODS" folder of the Wolves of the Pacific folder and "activate" it like you would any other mod.
The "Hiryu Mission Test" will appear in the "Quick Missions" or "Single Missions" menu heading of the main game screen. Select the "Realism" option heading found along the bottom of the page, and set the options to
nothing "enabled" ("zero" realism). This way you will have the game auto targeting provide you the true accurate range of the 8 Hiryu's positioned around the Porpoise class sub. Just read the range off the Position Keeper and keep track of each target at the 8 relative bearing positions around the sub. Then, use the "Escape" key to return to the main menu of the game and "Enable" manual targeting as the only option for running the mission again.
This time pop the periscope up and take a stadimeter reading of the top of the flag mast (actually you won't see the mast, it doesn't exist. Just use the top of the flag where it would have attached to the mast, figuring it
has to be there, visible or not). Check the range found in the Position Keeper and compare it to the true actual range you recorded with auto targeting. Do the stadimeter check several times to get a good average of the range. You'll see the stadimeter found range is
quite different than the true accurate range (use the sonar to recheck the true accurate range to the targets. You'll find the sonar, when done by you and sent to the TDC/Position Keeper, are exactly the same as the auto targeting range).
This "difference" is caused by several things. The largest being the Mast Height found for the TMO Hiryu (in the Recognition Manual) is off by 17 meters (56 feet) than what it should be. It's too short!! The stock game lists the Hiryu as 31 meters, or 101 feet tall. Still too short. You won't get an accurate range with the stadimeter if the mast height measurement is this far off. What some of you have stated regarding following "procedures in manual targeting" are correct, however the correct procedure does not make up for the inaccuracy of listing the incorrect mast height (or whatever reference position you use for taking a stadimeter reading).
While you're at it, using the stadimeter, check out the difference between the bow target and the stern target Hiryu's. Compare them to the two port and starboard Hiryu's. You'll find a difference in found range of the two front and back targets compared to the two left and right targets. This is a result of the stadimeter not being correctly positioned on the sub model, resulting in different range distances when comparing these bearing positions. A target will have a different range finding due to what relative bearing it happens to be on, even though the target is at the same true distance away from the sub (give or take a couple of meters/yards)! This was not the case in real life. The periscope itself was the starting position for the real life stadimeter function. In the game, this function is done with a separate "camera" view, independent of the sub model's position of the periscope. This independent view is not correctly positioned matching the position of what the stadimeter math equation uses for finding manual range.
Throw in the fact that the stock TBT/Periscope Telemeter divisions (the hash marks found on the scope lens) are not capable of giving the correct measurement due to the "Field of View" not being set correctly, only adds to the manual targeting inaccuracy. If you want to read more, look at this
"Optical Targeting Correction" mods "Discussion" section found further down the page. It should show you what's wrong with the game (which no other mod has addressed) and what has been done to correct it (including corrected mast height/reference height measurements).