The "thing" is to get target's speed vector and range from "passive" sensors (hydrophone or distant optical observations). When you are close enough to ID the target of course you can "stad" or measure the time the it takes the target to pass the "wire" etc. The trick/problem is that when you start getting optical details on your target any drastic change of your positioning maybe difficult. I think that most of the maneuvering of a WW2 sub would be on the limit of the target's optical or radar range (later in the war). In a sense it is classical (pre-modern) "positional" naval warfare. The captain's decisions hours before the final approach may have already decided the success or not of the encounter!
Bearings-only-TMA anyone?
Beerings are on me !!!
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