[CaptBones]

Hello again Sailor Steve...yeah, you might have gotten the short end of the stick in some ways by being an RM, but then you didn't have to experience all of the really unpleasant topside evolutions in bad weather that the BMs and non-rated seamen did...or did you have a line-handler billet during UNREP "events" (always a millions laughs there)? Anyway, you're right, low to moderate speed was critical. The "Laffey" event was done at around 7-8kts max and I backed the "Grampus" (SS-523) up the channel to change berths at the D&S piers in Norfolk at about the same speed (or maybe it was the "Clamagore" (SS-343)...my memory sometimes confuses which ship goes with which event)...and just for "grins"...I'm amazed that two of those old sea duty assignments of mine are museum ships at Patriots Point in SC.

But, back to the subject. The reference material you provided a link to, is likely oriented to merchant ships, which for the most part have significantly different hull shapes than warships (and submarines especially). The merchant hulls are typically more "boxy" (have less dead rise in hull transverse cross-section and at the stern in longitudinal cross-section) and are almost all single-screw/single-rudder with a transom stern hull form.

The warship hull is more often multi-screw/multi-rudder with more dead rise and with skegs for each shaft-line. The physics of the action of the rudder(s) when going astern is also bass-ackwards, in that rudder angle going ahead produces a strong turning moment at the "trailing edge" of the hull, and rudder action going astern produces a weak turning moment at the "leading edge" of the hull. All that gives some advantage to the warship when going astern, but even with that it's seldom done at "high speed".

Another BUT...I also got my directions backwards thanks to that memory issue; I was recalling the handling characteristics of a couple of types of ships with large bow-mounted sonar domes (those puppies really "anchor" the pivot point near the bow when going astern at any speed). You're right about the movement of the pivot point aft (towards the stern) when going astern, for older DDs and "conventional" type submarines. It doesn't move beyond a point roughly amidships though; it's that hull-form thingy again...

Another "yup" regarding speed is also due. Because you're dealing with that weak "leading edge" moment, in any sea state above 2 or 3, or going astern at more than 7-10 kts, a surface ship helmsman will have an unpleasant time trying to keep a steady course. The submarine can do much better; the "Fleet" boat because of the hull form and "uniformly" deep draft of the hull as well as that huge single rudder (at the very front of the hull when going astern) and I'd suspect the U-boat also...hull form and twin rudders.

In SH, I haven't used sternway at more than 4-5kts, but in RL the "conventional" boat does handle well at astern speeds over 10 kts. You don't want to do any more than that though; the forces exerted on the rudder/rudderpost and steering mechanism that way, can seriously damage them all, starting with wiping the rudder post bearings and seals. I suspect the game has only one method of calculating turn rate and it doesn't change with a change in direction, so it's likely to be too good for steering with sternway.

Leandros's second comment hit another key point WRT the game, but I have to add that the rudder control in the SH games is not at all correct. Every course change ordered, more than a few degrees, gets the same response - 40 degrees of rudder - I'd keel-haul the helmsman who did that (or rather the conning officer who allowed it to happen). In warships you have three standard rudder commands; "right/left standard rudder", "right/left full rudder" and "hard right/left rudder". You can also specify the rudder angle; "-- degrees right/left rudder". "Hard" rudder is only used in extreme circumstances (that's why it's said differently than the other commands...gets the helmsman's immediate attention); it runs the steering engine mechanism "into the stops" where an actual mechanical device prevents further movement of the yoke or crosshead that turns the rudder post. That's asking for a jammed rudder. "Standard" rudder is usually half the travel, in degrees, as "hard" rudder (that'd be 20 degrees for our SH U-boats) and "full" rudder is usually halfway between "standard" and "hard". "Standard" is "standard" because it's the best compromise between loss of speed and good turning rate and size of the turning circle. For best maneuverability in a tactical situation, you'll typically sacrifice a little speed to increase the turn rate and tighten the turning circle...using "full rudder", not "hard".

Lastly...Aktungbby is clearly in serious need of psychiatric help...or another six-pack of Hamm's...same difference. My hat's off to anyone who can handle a big rig without power steering, parallel parking at that (!), regardless of "only" placing second.

Well, enough...I've got a five year old grandson standing here asking to go to the SH3 Naval Academy to do some target practice...get 'em "hooked" while they're young!