SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - View Single Post - Manual targetting and quick solution to hit closing or circling destroyers

Sniper297 · 02-22-14, 04:51 AM

That's why;
(1) They fired a spread of torpedoes - for a 90 degree attack on a slow moving steady course merchant, they would aim one to miss ahead, one to miss behind, and one or two (depending on the size of the target ship) to hit somewhere near the middle. If the target sped up, slowed down, and/or turned, one of the torpedoes aimed to miss would hit it.
(2) Other than Sam Dealey of the USS Harder, most sub skippers avoided shooting at destroyers since they're so difficult to hit - fire a spread of six at close range and the blasted tin can weaves through all of them like a ninja.

That said, my method for impossible shots;
Hit the minus key - that centers the periscope on zero. Select the stadimeter and crank the mast height to max. Set speed to zero, angle on the bow to zero.

Now you have the TDC set for a zero gyro angle shot, the fish will go straight ahead. Got a target crossing from left to right set the crosshairs on 345 to 350 (10 to 15 degrees left of center, depending on the speed of the target) and fire when he hits the crosshairs. Fire several a few seconds apart and one is bound to hit.

Got a destroyer coming straight at you, go through the same steps, but fire one with the scope straight ahead, aim 5 degrees left and click the "send range and bearing to TDC" button, fire two. Move the crosshairs over to five degrees right of center, hit the "send range and bearing to TDC" button again, fire three. That gives you a spread so if he turns left #1 will hit, turns right #3 will hit, doesn't turn #2 hits him in the nose.

Main thing is rather than trying to do all those calculations and measurements in a hurry, just set speed zero AOB zero and range to whatever the max is for the stadimeter with no target (around 1000 to 1200 yards) and use the "angle off" eyeball method - the theory behind that is the range doesn't matter if the angle is correct. For that to work you MUST make sure angle on the bow is zero and speed is zero, otherwise the TDC will try to compensate and the torpedo won't go in the direction you're pointing the scope.

02-22-14, 04:51 AM	#2
Sniper297 The Old Man Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Philadelphia Shipyard Brig Posts: 1,386 Downloads: 160 Uploads: 19	That's why; (1) They fired a spread of torpedoes - for a 90 degree attack on a slow moving steady course merchant, they would aim one to miss ahead, one to miss behind, and one or two (depending on the size of the target ship) to hit somewhere near the middle. If the target sped up, slowed down, and/or turned, one of the torpedoes aimed to miss would hit it. (2) Other than Sam Dealey of the USS Harder, most sub skippers avoided shooting at destroyers since they're so difficult to hit - fire a spread of six at close range and the blasted tin can weaves through all of them like a ninja. That said, my method for impossible shots; Hit the minus key - that centers the periscope on zero. Select the stadimeter and crank the mast height to max. Set speed to zero, angle on the bow to zero. Now you have the TDC set for a zero gyro angle shot, the fish will go straight ahead. Got a target crossing from left to right set the crosshairs on 345 to 350 (10 to 15 degrees left of center, depending on the speed of the target) and fire when he hits the crosshairs. Fire several a few seconds apart and one is bound to hit. Got a destroyer coming straight at you, go through the same steps, but fire one with the scope straight ahead, aim 5 degrees left and click the "send range and bearing to TDC" button, fire two. Move the crosshairs over to five degrees right of center, hit the "send range and bearing to TDC" button again, fire three. That gives you a spread so if he turns left #1 will hit, turns right #3 will hit, doesn't turn #2 hits him in the nose. Main thing is rather than trying to do all those calculations and measurements in a hurry, just set speed zero AOB zero and range to whatever the max is for the stadimeter with no target (around 1000 to 1200 yards) and use the "angle off" eyeball method - the theory behind that is the range doesn't matter if the angle is correct. For that to work you MUST make sure angle on the bow is zero and speed is zero, otherwise the TDC will try to compensate and the torpedo won't go in the direction you're pointing the scope.