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Originally Posted by Threadfin
A simple test....
Set up a solution on the TDC. For example set the speed to 8 knots and the AoB to 90 and bearing to zero. First, set the range at 500 and check the gyro.
Next, set the range to 2500 and check the gyro. Has the gyro changed? If so, the range is important for the shot, and the difference in the two gyro angles is the amount of error you would have in your solution with a 2000 meter error in your range estimation.
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There's another factor too (at least with gas propelled torps) which is torp speed setting: at 500 m you can use fast settings but at 2500 you'd have to run them slow, which would also increase the bearing you'd have to fire from.
In my last mission I'd setup a manual spread for a 90 deg beam shot at 600 m but realized, when the target was at at a bearing of 330 degrees and I was still 2 km out from the point of intersection and closing at only 7 knots, that my preset 600 m fast speed set fan shot would leave my torps on fumes before they even got close to the target.
At that setting the "firing point" was bearing 352 and I quickly guesstimated I'd be more likely firing at about a 1600 m range - too far for fast torps. So reset them to slow, tightened the spread, increased the range to 1600 m in the TDC, and the solution increased to a 345 degree bearing (which his bow was just passing across by this time, I got the doors open & the torps out and scored 2/3 hits with one torp going wide). The bugger kept on chugging at 7 knots though (a C2 that I had to use impact settings on, 2 m depth, because of the weather) and later I did finish him with a 2nd fan shot from 600 meters at 8 degrees bearing with both torpedoes set to fast and almost cleaved the ship into thirds (instead he split down the middle in a very pretty and explosive display). 4 torps on a C2 is overkill I know but it was immensely satisfying all the same
Anyway I'd say range doesn't matter much at point blank (fast torps, range <600 m) but becomes more important as it increases and with slower torpedoes. But I'm still a novice to manual targetting so this is conjecture based on limited experience.