SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - View Single Post - GWX 3.0 - Ship Recognition Manual

Zosimus · 06-29-14, 04:24 PM

All right, let's work this through and see where the communication is breaking down. Here's my procedure:

Normally my first step is to get a hydrophone contact. I generally hunt submerged, and I have found that I can get hydrophone contacts from much farther than I can see visually.

As soon as I get a hydrophone contact, I hit ESC twice to reduce my time compression to 1. I draw a small circle at the far edge of the hydrophone contact and then measure the bearing to the target using the protractor. I turn my heading to proceed directly for the sound contact and proceed submerged at flank speed. I up the time compression to 64 and wait for recontact. Depending on various factors that may take up to 15 minutes of game time.

When I get recontact I again hit ESC twice and then draw a line through the middle of my original circle to the end of the new hydrophone contact. This gives me the target's heading to within a few degrees. I surface and proceed towards the target based on its speed. If it's slow I assume it is traveling at 7 knots–the fastest slow speed. If it's medium, I assume it's traveling at 11 knots. I calculate my intercept course using the procedure at http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=88961

I proceed along the intercept course at standard if the ship is slow or at full speed if the ship is medium. The only time I encountered a fast target I couldn't catch it even at flank speed so now I give up on fast targets unless they're approaching. I usually arrive at the intercept point ahead of the ship because I err on the high side of the ship's speed. If the ship exactly on time then I know my guess of the ship's speed was on. If the ship arrives later, I know the ship is going more slowly than the guessed speed. Once I get the ship spotted notification, I ask the watchman for the range and write it down. If the ship is closing I call all stop, otherwise I reduce speed and try to parallel its course.

The ship normally shows as a small block on my screen. I center this block and zoom in until I get a fuzzy blob that kind of tells me something about the ship. Certain shapes make me think it's a coastal vessel. If I think so, I will try to get a visual on the target using the UZI. If it is a coastal vessel I close to deck gun range and engage the target, weather permitting. If the weather does not permit, I abandon the target and resume my previous course or search pattern.

Assuming it is some kind of a cargo or merchant ship, I get the mark tool and wait until it moves a bit. Then I slap an X down the ship's stern. I count "thousand-one-thousand-two-thousand-three" as I hit O and get the mouse near the stopwatch. I start it at the end of the thousand-three count. I believe this is pretty close to 3 seconds. I then time the target for 6 minutes 26 seconds. As you probably know, the target should cover 100m times its speed in knots in 3 minutes 14.4 seconds so I do double that: 6 minutes 28.8 seconds. I multiply the number I get by 5, so if I measure 1.4 on the compass, I calculate the target's speed as 7 knots. I write down the target's speed and then calculate its course from the first mark through the bow of the ship. I have never had this bearing be off by more than a degree.

If the target is closing, I try to take the shot immediately. I turn perpendicular, submerge, and enter the information into the TDC. I choose 2 meters depth, impact torpedoes, AOB 90, 0 bearing, and enter the target's speed. I try to get within 2000 meters of the target before firing. I am very aggressive with underwater speed to reach a good range. I won't hesitate to go flank speed underwater. I draw a 2.0 circle from the drawn intersection point between my course and that of the target. Once I pass the 2.0 circle I either call all stop and drift part of the rest of the way, or I call back slow if the target is close to the optimum firing point and call all stop once my speed drops to 0 knots.

I write down the gyroangle and draw a line from my new position to the perfect firing point on the map. I measure the distance to target down the gyroangle line, not the torpedo line. I use either the ruler or the compass tool to do so. I flood the torpedo tube, and then I turn my scope until the gyroangle reads zero and then ask the sonar guy for a report on the nearest sound contact. I do that every minute until the target is at or near the bearing I am looking at. Once it is, I go scope up, lock the scope, and fire. I don't wait for the "perfect" gyroangle. I prefer night shots and only abort the shooting procedure if the ship is lit. I don't look for a flag. I follow the torpedo progress on the F6 screen. When I see it is near the ship I go scope up and try to note where on the ship it impacts. Sometimes the ship notes my scope and zigs, but it's usually too late or the zig improves my shot.

If the ship is not closing I take another tack. I zoom out to where I no longer see the graph paper lines and draw the longest course I can for the ship from one side of the screen to the other. Then I calculate and draw a perpendicular line to that course. Ideally this line goes right through the ship. Next I use the compass tool to draw a circle large enough that the target should not be able to see me. I use the original range to target I got from the watchman and wrote down at the beginning. If I made visual contact at 4400 meters then I draw a circle the size of 5000 meters. I then plot my course to take me to the edge of that 5000 meter circle. If the target is quite close, I go slowly or submerge. If it is moving away, I usually proceed at full speed on the surface. Once I am beyond that 5000 meter circle (or whatever range) then I turn to parallel the ship's course and go to flank. If I can still see the ship I will make periodic course corrections to try to keep the ship's bearing at 90 or 270 once I have passed it. That will send me in slightly towards the line. If I have lost sight of the ship, I will just proceed parallel until I think I've passed it and then change course so that I intercept the very end of the drawn line. Once I'm close to the end of the line I submerge and go to one knot. I set up the shot the same as above.

Under no circumstances do I identify the ship. I don't know what I've sunk until after I've sunk it. It magically shows up on the captain's log with the exact time, type, and tonnage.

What's your procedure?

06-29-14, 04:24 PM	#11
Zosimus XO Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Chorrillos, Lima, Peru Posts: 401 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	All right, let's work this through and see where the communication is breaking down. Here's my procedure: Normally my first step is to get a hydrophone contact. I generally hunt submerged, and I have found that I can get hydrophone contacts from much farther than I can see visually. As soon as I get a hydrophone contact, I hit ESC twice to reduce my time compression to 1. I draw a small circle at the far edge of the hydrophone contact and then measure the bearing to the target using the protractor. I turn my heading to proceed directly for the sound contact and proceed submerged at flank speed. I up the time compression to 64 and wait for recontact. Depending on various factors that may take up to 15 minutes of game time. When I get recontact I again hit ESC twice and then draw a line through the middle of my original circle to the end of the new hydrophone contact. This gives me the target's heading to within a few degrees. I surface and proceed towards the target based on its speed. If it's slow I assume it is traveling at 7 knots–the fastest slow speed. If it's medium, I assume it's traveling at 11 knots. I calculate my intercept course using the procedure at http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=88961 I proceed along the intercept course at standard if the ship is slow or at full speed if the ship is medium. The only time I encountered a fast target I couldn't catch it even at flank speed so now I give up on fast targets unless they're approaching. I usually arrive at the intercept point ahead of the ship because I err on the high side of the ship's speed. If the ship exactly on time then I know my guess of the ship's speed was on. If the ship arrives later, I know the ship is going more slowly than the guessed speed. Once I get the ship spotted notification, I ask the watchman for the range and write it down. If the ship is closing I call all stop, otherwise I reduce speed and try to parallel its course. The ship normally shows as a small block on my screen. I center this block and zoom in until I get a fuzzy blob that kind of tells me something about the ship. Certain shapes make me think it's a coastal vessel. If I think so, I will try to get a visual on the target using the UZI. If it is a coastal vessel I close to deck gun range and engage the target, weather permitting. If the weather does not permit, I abandon the target and resume my previous course or search pattern. Assuming it is some kind of a cargo or merchant ship, I get the mark tool and wait until it moves a bit. Then I slap an X down the ship's stern. I count "thousand-one-thousand-two-thousand-three" as I hit O and get the mouse near the stopwatch. I start it at the end of the thousand-three count. I believe this is pretty close to 3 seconds. I then time the target for 6 minutes 26 seconds. As you probably know, the target should cover 100m times its speed in knots in 3 minutes 14.4 seconds so I do double that: 6 minutes 28.8 seconds. I multiply the number I get by 5, so if I measure 1.4 on the compass, I calculate the target's speed as 7 knots. I write down the target's speed and then calculate its course from the first mark through the bow of the ship. I have never had this bearing be off by more than a degree. If the target is closing, I try to take the shot immediately. I turn perpendicular, submerge, and enter the information into the TDC. I choose 2 meters depth, impact torpedoes, AOB 90, 0 bearing, and enter the target's speed. I try to get within 2000 meters of the target before firing. I am very aggressive with underwater speed to reach a good range. I won't hesitate to go flank speed underwater. I draw a 2.0 circle from the drawn intersection point between my course and that of the target. Once I pass the 2.0 circle I either call all stop and drift part of the rest of the way, or I call back slow if the target is close to the optimum firing point and call all stop once my speed drops to 0 knots. I write down the gyroangle and draw a line from my new position to the perfect firing point on the map. I measure the distance to target down the gyroangle line, not the torpedo line. I use either the ruler or the compass tool to do so. I flood the torpedo tube, and then I turn my scope until the gyroangle reads zero and then ask the sonar guy for a report on the nearest sound contact. I do that every minute until the target is at or near the bearing I am looking at. Once it is, I go scope up, lock the scope, and fire. I don't wait for the "perfect" gyroangle. I prefer night shots and only abort the shooting procedure if the ship is lit. I don't look for a flag. I follow the torpedo progress on the F6 screen. When I see it is near the ship I go scope up and try to note where on the ship it impacts. Sometimes the ship notes my scope and zigs, but it's usually too late or the zig improves my shot. If the ship is not closing I take another tack. I zoom out to where I no longer see the graph paper lines and draw the longest course I can for the ship from one side of the screen to the other. Then I calculate and draw a perpendicular line to that course. Ideally this line goes right through the ship. Next I use the compass tool to draw a circle large enough that the target should not be able to see me. I use the original range to target I got from the watchman and wrote down at the beginning. If I made visual contact at 4400 meters then I draw a circle the size of 5000 meters. I then plot my course to take me to the edge of that 5000 meter circle. If the target is quite close, I go slowly or submerge. If it is moving away, I usually proceed at full speed on the surface. Once I am beyond that 5000 meter circle (or whatever range) then I turn to parallel the ship's course and go to flank. If I can still see the ship I will make periodic course corrections to try to keep the ship's bearing at 90 or 270 once I have passed it. That will send me in slightly towards the line. If I have lost sight of the ship, I will just proceed parallel until I think I've passed it and then change course so that I intercept the very end of the drawn line. Once I'm close to the end of the line I submerge and go to one knot. I set up the shot the same as above. Under no circumstances do I identify the ship. I don't know what I've sunk until after I've sunk it. It magically shows up on the captain's log with the exact time, type, and tonnage. What's your procedure?