To autocrew or not to autocrew, that is the question.

[Gray Lensman]

Originally Posted by ET2SN

Gray, I would argue that your auto TMA is only as good as the way you drive the boat.


For example, if you hold the same course and speed during a two hour leg- of course you're going to get a crappy solution from TMA. TMA relies on how your bearing information changes over time. Many times, its up to you to force that change in the raw data. If you start out in a lag situation, change over to lead (or at least a different lag solution) and watch how smarter your auto crew gets.

I'll stick to RedBook information. It does in fact suggest course changes every 10 minutes accompanied with Speed changes to screw up the opponents TMA (especially AutoTMA). Now, if you use those same course changes to keep your course relatively perpendicular to the target LOS, then you will also help your own TMA gather better raw data since you are maximizing speed "across the LOS".

Another thing the RedBook points out is that if you have a bearing on a target, he almost always will have one on you, even AutoTMA, or you should at least assume so.

This being a pretty good assumption, you really don't want to purposefully place your ownship in a LEAD situation in regards to your target. due to the advantage it gives his Torp weapons if he decides to solution fire or snapshot your bearing. Basically, it will take you much longer to evade/turn out of the torps' lead targeting course since you are heading into it already.

Besides, attempting TMA on a LEAD LOS on a "single array" is generally useless, read the RedBook to understand why.

Dual array is different. Once converted to a master contact it represents "truth" on the enemy solution, no matter LEAD or LAG. It only takes 2 such readings to determine a reasonably accurate solution, if the target does not change course or speed of course. Basically, the last two tick marks of the ruler placed on the intersecting dual/master "hits" gives you a pretty good solution without all the other dots lining up. A third "hit" (using the last 3 ticks of the ruler) pretty well eliminates "eyeball" error on the TMA display.