suggestions for techniques for attacking warships?

[I'm goin' down]

I have bitched and moaned about repeatedly being sunk when trying to attack warships, especially in TMO, the mod I live with. The dd's and de's find me too early in attack, and I usually never get a chance to "get my torpedoes off" in a manner of speaking. Then, once my boat is spotted I spend the rest of my short lived mission jumping around like a cowboy who is attempting to dodge pistol shots at his feet from a six shooter fired by an angry outlaw - just before he empties its chamber with a shot that finishes me.

Then ducimus, bless his soul, reposted his thread that a link to tutorial on active and passive sonar. http://www.ducimus.net/sh415/ai.htm. Apparently RR posted it his sticky thread re Bag of Tricks after I posted the link in this forum about a week ago.

With that background, we now move forward.

I recently played a single mission from 1943, Tsungaro Gauntlet, which I believe was created by a member. After making it through the straights to the sea of Japan, I came accross the task force. The goal is to destroy its carriers.

First mission - could not intercept as the task force was running 16.5 kts.

Second mission - I replayed first mission from point of map contact. I submerged to 300 feet, followed radar until the dds passed, and surfaced to find that the carriers had also sailed by, leaving me to take on a dd, which I declined to do for reasons discussed above. I was not in position to complete the mission, so I exited stage right.

Third mission - I replayed first mission from point of map contact. I submerged to 350 feet and followed the same strategy used in the second mission, but this time surfaced earlier. Just my luck --the prime target was bearing down on my position and almost ran my boat down. I switched to aft tubes and fired four shots, and then switched to forward torpedeos and tried a hail Mary with a single shot, all of which missed. I never got a good aspect ratio although I was not far off in the calculations considering I had no time to id the carrier, prepare for the course adjustment, etc.

Fourth mission - I replayed first mission from point of map contact. I submerged to 200 feet and followed the same strategy used in the second mission, but this time surfaced when the carrier was closing from 16 degrees port at fairly long range. I set deep depth for the torpedeos, and target course at 180 degrees. I could not get a great aspect ratio because the carrier was far out, but I fired six shots and sunk the bastard. My course was off, but it made no difference in the end, as I hit 6 for 6 from the forward tubes. I used the Easy AoB mod to get range and aspect ratio.

The dds did not pick me up under the above scenarios, because my boat was below radar depth.

I still have my reserve torpedoes in the fourth mission, and as the mission continues and I am on the hunt for the other carrier.

The radar tutorial seems to be quite useful when going after warships. The downside is that it is difficult to identify and follow your target (i.e. a capital ship in a task force protected by dd's and de's) because you are submerged below radar depth if you use the strategy I employed. You can gauge speed and plot the task force course while at a long distance with map contacts on easily enough, but getting close enough to fire without being spotted is really tough. So, you submerge, follow the task force on radar, wait till the escorts pass, surface, make adjustments to the traget dials on the Attack Data Tool (as it is defined by Capn Scurvy's tutorial on High Realism), time permiting, and either engage or withdraw. Time works against you in this scenario.

Here are the ways I think an attack on a task force could work, but they are limited.

1. The technique above. You can use manual targeting with the Easy Aob. mod (i.e. avoid the dd's and de's and fire from close range, but your time to check target course, range and aspect ratio will be compromised.)
2. Gutted's constant bearing techique using the Solution Sover. (Long range, and probably outside of radar/sonar defense perimeter.) I have not tried this technique at long range, but theoretically it should work.
3. O'Kane technique. Using this technique at long range is risky because you are estimating the lead angle and the technique was intended to apply to targets at close range.
4. Cromwell technique. Long range, and probably outside of radar/sonar defense perimeter.) Time consuming to set up, but accurate at long range.
5. Easy AoB at any range as long as you can get a good aspect ratio.

Here are my questions, and I invite comments/answers, if you have something to say.

1. Are there other techniques available to avoid escorts at short range when attacking warships, assuming that the enemy is at battle stations with their radar and sonar fully operational?

2. Has anyone figured out if gutted's Solution Solver can be used to plot attacks at other than 90 degrees? If so, please post the technique. Eg. I you could use the Solution Solver at an attack angle of 45 degrees (i.e. the Cromwell technique), it provides the lead angle automatically once you input the target's speed. If so, it could be the answer to a lot of the problems arising from attacking a task force at long range (day or night attacks).