Best 'actual' snapshot & long-range shot techniques?

[derstosstrupp]

Originally Posted by John Pancoast

Yeah, estimating range, speed, aob, etc. in the games isn't that difficult really. Just takes a bit of game time.
i rarely bother with drawing all over the map other than a target course line so I can set up a fast 90 attack, in which case exact range doesn't matter anyway.
Firm believer in the kiss principle.

+1 to that! Plotting in Wolfpack while overtaking the target is somewhat problematic due to the fact that range in game is tough to eyeball At long range with the UZO, partly since hull-down over the horizon is not simulated. From what I’ve read, to the extent U-boats did any plotting at all, they used the mast tips’ height over the horizon as a clue for range, plotting own course and keeping the mass tips just above the horizon giving A relatively consistent clue of range which allowed a decent plot to be made (“Nibbling at the horizon” Mentioned in the U-boat commander’s handbook), Which could be further checked by matching course and Speed as well as the other methods later in the approach.

The “range doesn’t matter at zero Gyro angles” Is such an important thing, with newbies I’ve really been trying to drive that home.

[John Pancoast]

Originally Posted by derstosstrupp

+1 to that! Plotting in Wolfpack while overtaking the target is somewhat problematic due to the fact that range in game is tough to eyeball At long range with the UZO, partly since hull-down over the horizon is not simulated. From what I’ve read, to the extent U-boats did any plotting at all, they used the mast tips’ height over the horizon as a clue for range, plotting own course and keeping the mass tips just above the horizon giving A relatively consistent clue of range which allowed a decent plot to be made (“Nibbling at the horizon” Mentioned in the U-boat commander’s handbook), Which could be further checked by matching course and Speed as well as the other methods later in the approach.

The “range doesn’t matter at zero Gyro angles” Is such an important thing, with newbies I’ve really been trying to drive that home.

Yep, I don't even worry about the range if it's not in firing range. In other words, when overtaking.
I just keep out of their visual range, while keeping them barely in mine, whatever the range is (clear, overcast, doesn't matter).
Easy enough to guesstimate their speed/course by paralleling their course for a few minutes. Can fine tune it later if desired, but that will work just fine for setting up a fast 90.
Or longer if a wolfpack is being called in; I've covered conveys for hours/all day game time several times while waiting for the go ahead.
Early war of course; radar can throw a wrench in a surface overtake.