Periscope: Information gatherer or aiming device?

[Slick Wilhelm]

I'm sorry to spam with basic questions, but I want to make sure I have the correct fundamental understanding of how things work.

Is the primary role of the periscope information gathering, as opposed to being an "aiming device" for the torpedoes?

Am I correct in my thinking that it doesn't matter where the periscope is pointing once you've identified your target, input the range, AOB, speed and engaged the position keeper?

Thus, the less the periscopes are used, the better, to reduce the chance of being detected. Assuming, of course, that I raise the scope to input that final range data before I fire the torps. Right?

[Midnight Hunter]

You got it... use the scope to gather your info and toss it in the ol TDC... once you do that and have the position keeper on, theoretically if the target doesn't vary course or speed you never need to use the scope again. It is, as you say, always a good idea to do one last check before firing to update range.

[Slick Wilhelm]

Ok, great. But what if the target is zig-zagging? Wouldn't the AOB change many times? Is the best way to handle this to wait to fire until the target ship is back on the same part of the "zig(or zag for that matter)" where you took the last AOB reading?

In which case, using the scope is almost mandatory right before shooting?

[Midnight Hunter]

Yeah... zig zagging is a pain, I have found that for myself when a unit is doing this I use a larger spread on the torps and when he is very close to being on the original AOB when I took my readings for the TDC I fire away. It has worked a few times and failed a few times... I have since stopped wasting my torps on zig zagging ships and assuming they are unescorted just deck gun 'em

[Rockin Robbins]

The position keeper means that if nothing changes and you have a good solution you can even shoot with the periscope down.

However, lots of refugees from the SH3 world of U-Boats are used to a periscope with an always-on connection to the TDC. As they rotate the periscope the shoot bearing and AoB of the target are automatically adjusted. Now, in a collision of cultures, I'm trying to learn how that works to my advantage.

Just as I had trouble (don't think I really succeeded) in explaining to them how the American system works, I'm still in the confusion phase of learning their system. Once I can see the entire process in my mind at the same time I'll attempt to explain it in the SH4UBM forum! I'm just about 3,000 miles away from that right now!:rotfl:

[Major Johnson]

You should get WernerSobe to do a tutorial for manual targeting in Uboats!!