US boats have a WCA sonar set. I'ts a combined active and passive sonar set. The "chin" mount you see is the WCA set. Stock, it has a ridiculously long range. It's prewar technology and its max range wasn't really that good, more like 10,000 yards.
Later on you get JP sonar, which has a max range of 15,000 yards or so. Its the deck mounted horizontal bar.
Later still JT sonar (i think its JT ), which has a max range farther still.
IN stock, none of this exists, its just one universal hydrophone (or so it seams). In realty, the game is acutally using both the WCA and JT . Yes both. In TM, and in RFB, the WCA sonar's range is reduced. So you'll get contacts at say 9,000 yards or so while surfaced. Great for those foggy days. While submerged the game is intelligent enough to know to use the JT sonar (if equiped) over the WCA, so your max range is that of the JT.
One interesting note is that fleetboats acutally had TWO sonar operators while at battle stations. Not just one operator. One sonarman would focus on/track the current target, the other would be sweeping around for situational awareness. (unfortunatly the game doesn't mimic this particular aspect)
ANother interesting note is nifty sonar the game is lacking called FM sonar. Its an active sonar that behaves sort of like an underwater radar. It was used primarly to navigate minefields. The model exists in game, but has no functionality.
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