Best way to practice determining AOB?

Skweetis · 04-11-07, 10:26 PM

Seems I was leaning on my WO in SH3 to much to give me details, as I seem to not be able to determine AOB very well, unless they are at 90, 0 or 45, Im pooched.

However, the very few torpedos I actually get to hit are VERY VERY satisfying when I calculate the solution myself.

I went a head and changed the settings so that I nolonger have Manual Targeting active for this patrol, and have been basically guessing the AOB, then pulling the slidout to get the real AOB from the auto solution. My accuracy is still way off on the odd angles, so Im curious if any of you vetern skippers out there have any little tricks and ditties you have used to help improve your AOB accuracy?

Cheers

tater · 04-11-07, 10:50 PM

One thing the recognition guide lacks are some of the top views.

Not that the masts, kingposts, etc, are marked. If you are in a position where two recognizable parts are just superimposed, you can place a protractor on the plan view lining up the two parts and read off the AOB. That's what they did in RL.

tater

nattydread · 04-12-07, 01:31 AM

Get a merchant ship model, mounted it on a AoB card and practice at various angles.

Yeah, little specifics of a ship given to you on an ID chart at various AoBs help, but when it comes down to it, the similar shapes of merchants translates across the board for given AoBs

The big thing is the angles on the superstrutures and longitudinal(nose to tail) hull lines.

Egan · 04-12-07, 06:18 AM

Getting closer helps a lot..:p

To be honest, i think experience helps a lot, probably more than anything else. I tend not to have many problems with AOB Unless I'm lining up a shot on a dark and stormy night and can't see them too well. I tend to be able to visualise the view from the target which helps a lot. If I'm targetting a ship that has started zig zaggin after an attack I try to dial in the probably AOB for where he will be when the torp hits him, based on observation. This isn't recommended if a DD has zeroed in on you though.

I also run a manual track on the nav map if there is some distance between me and the target and I have the time. I just take the bearing and distance (distance is often just guessed but uisually an educated one,) mark it on the map, repeat over a period of time and see what the base course is. This can provide you with lots of usful information. Actually, I'd love to take the bearing, dial in a probable range, press a button called 'Mark' and have one of my officers update the Plot - they should be working for their money, I think!

don1reed · 04-12-07, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nattydread

Get a merchant ship model, mounted it on a AoB card and practice at various angles.

Yeah, little specifics of a ship given to you on an ID chart at various AoBs help, but when it comes down to it, the similar shapes of merchants translates across the board for given AoBs

The big thing is the angles on the superstrutures and longitudinal(nose to tail) hull lines.

...the above is exactly what, Dick "Killer" O'Kane, did when he was the XO of the WAHOO.

The crew rigged a ship model on a large relative compass card and, O'Kane, practiced getting the AOB by viewing the model through binoculars held backwards from across the wardroom. He got to where he was never more than 2° off.

(Saw this on a Historychannel VHS tape)

Cheers,

Torpex752 · 04-12-07, 08:45 AM

Another method to determine AOB when the taget is closer is looking at the bridge and superstructure which is the flattest surface 90deg off the side of the hull.

Frank

nattydread · 04-12-07, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by don1reed

Quote:

Originally Posted by nattydread

Get a merchant ship model, mounted it on a AoB card and practice at various angles.

Yeah, little specifics of a ship given to you on an ID chart at various AoBs help, but when it comes down to it, the similar shapes of merchants translates across the board for given AoBs

The big thing is the angles on the superstrutures and longitudinal(nose to tail) hull lines.

...the above is exactly what, Dick "Killer" O'Kane, did when he was the XO of the WAHOO.

The crew rigged a ship model on a large relative compass card and, O'Kane, practiced getting the AOB by viewing the model through binoculars held backwards from across the wardroom. He got to where he was never more than 2° off.

(Saw this on a Historychannel VHS tape)

Cheers,

Dicky was the greatest wasnt he?

If anyone wants to be a kick ass skipper you need to read up on O'kane, Morton, Fluckey and Calvert

Bubbles68 · 04-21-07, 11:08 PM

Another hint for determining AoB that I use is this: the sine of 30 degrees is 0.5, so if you compare the view in the periscope to the side view in the recognition manual, a target at 30 degrees AoB will look half as long as it does at 90 degrees. The same way, a target at 45 degrees looks 70% as long, and at 60 degrees, about 85%.

04-11-07, 10:26 PM	#1
Skweetis Watch Officer Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Cambridge, Canada Posts: 335 Downloads: 39 Uploads: 0	Best way to practice determining AOB? Seems I was leaning on my WO in SH3 to much to give me details, as I seem to not be able to determine AOB very well, unless they are at 90, 0 or 45, Im pooched. However, the very few torpedos I actually get to hit are VERY VERY satisfying when I calculate the solution myself. I went a head and changed the settings so that I nolonger have Manual Targeting active for this patrol, and have been basically guessing the AOB, then pulling the slidout to get the real AOB from the auto solution. My accuracy is still way off on the odd angles, so Im curious if any of you vetern skippers out there have any little tricks and ditties you have used to help improve your AOB accuracy? Cheers __________________ "Is the glass half-empty? Or half-full? Either way, when you're thirsty, there's water to be had in that glass." - Neal Stevens

04-11-07, 10:50 PM	#2
tater Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Mexico, USA Posts: 9,023 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 2	One thing the recognition guide lacks are some of the top views. Not that the masts, kingposts, etc, are marked. If you are in a position where two recognizable parts are just superimposed, you can place a protractor on the plan view lining up the two parts and read off the AOB. That's what they did in RL. tater

04-12-07, 01:31 AM	#3
nattydread Captain Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 498 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Get a merchant ship model, mounted it on a AoB card and practice at various angles. Yeah, little specifics of a ship given to you on an ID chart at various AoBs help, but when it comes down to it, the similar shapes of merchants translates across the board for given AoBs The big thing is the angles on the superstrutures and longitudinal(nose to tail) hull lines.

04-12-07, 06:18 AM	#4
Egan Admiral Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 2,020 Downloads: 15 Uploads: 0	Getting closer helps a lot..:p To be honest, i think experience helps a lot, probably more than anything else. I tend not to have many problems with AOB Unless I'm lining up a shot on a dark and stormy night and can't see them too well. I tend to be able to visualise the view from the target which helps a lot. If I'm targetting a ship that has started zig zaggin after an attack I try to dial in the probably AOB for where he will be when the torp hits him, based on observation. This isn't recommended if a DD has zeroed in on you though. I also run a manual track on the nav map if there is some distance between me and the target and I have the time. I just take the bearing and distance (distance is often just guessed but uisually an educated one,) mark it on the map, repeat over a period of time and see what the base course is. This can provide you with lots of usful information. Actually, I'd love to take the bearing, dial in a probable range, press a button called 'Mark' and have one of my officers update the Plot - they should be working for their money, I think!

04-12-07, 08:45 AM	#6
Torpex752 Lieutenant Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Deep River, CT Posts: 255 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	Another method to determine AOB when the taget is closer is looking at the bridge and superstructure which is the flattest surface 90deg off the side of the hull. Frank

04-21-07, 11:08 PM	#8
Bubbles68 Swabbie Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 6 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	Another hint for determining AoB that I use is this: the sine of 30 degrees is 0.5, so if you compare the view in the periscope to the side view in the recognition manual, a target at 30 degrees AoB will look half as long as it does at 90 degrees. The same way, a target at 45 degrees looks 70% as long, and at 60 degrees, about 85%.