By the way, Penelope, ask away! You ask the questions others have but don't dare to ask themselves.
I just had an all-night battle with a convoy of two tankers, a medium split freighter, some other merchie and five escorts. It was a clear night, broken clouds, 10 kt winds maximum. I approached a tanker being led by a minesweeper from their port side with decks awash (indicated 30' keel depth on my Balao class sub) on main engines. I approached to 3200 yards and lost my nerve, electing to take two shots, which both missed. After they missed I shot a third, from about 3000, which incinerated the tanker.
That looks like it's closer than 3000 yards to me. But a two minute run at 46 kt is about a mile and a half. Each five small marks on the TDC is one degree. Using the real length of the tanker and a little trig we should be able to work out the range indepedently. No matter--it's a successful surface attack--the first I've seen documented in the SH4 part of SUBSIM!
Here's another part of the answer to Ducimus' poll: what is the external camera good for. Documentation. Anyone can CLAIM to do a surface attack. A screenshot like this one proves it took place. Oh.....that's not the external camera?...the external camera wouldn't have the validating information?........
never mind.
Oh, yeah, Silent Hunter 4 patch 1.4, Trigger Maru latest version, RSRD, Natural Sinking Mechanics, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.