Best TDC instruction?

[MarkShot]

Originally Posted by bstanko6

Click on my signature. I have many videos for SH 3/5 and they work for both!

I watched 4 bearing method. During that time an escort could in theory cover 7-8 miles ... might this be a little dangerous in setting up a convoy attack which will take almost 15 minutes?


Thanks.

[derstosstrupp]

Originally Posted by MarkShot

I watched 4 bearing method. During that time an escort could in theory cover 7-8 miles ... might this be a little dangerous in setting up a convoy attack which will take almost 15 minutes?


Thanks.

The 4-bearing method is not the best option, nor is it historical to World War II. It’san early form of TMA (called Spiess TMA) that was invented in the 1950s as submarine warfare was transitioning to stalking with passive sonar.

The historical methods below are really all you need, shouldn’t get any more complicated than this. Here were the primary ones:

1. Ausdampfen: this is matching course and speed at a distance, on the surface. Can be done in game even without map contacts by carefully watching the target and adjusting own course and speed until a) the bearing no longer changes and b) the target appears to stay at the same range. To be accurate, best to do it over 30 minutes. 10 can suffice. It is most accurate at AOBs near 90, or near zero. The target course and speed are then your course and speed.

2. Koppeln: this is plotting based on exact bearings and estimated ranges. The real guys were able to accurately estimate range based on how much mast was showing over the horizon and could use a Peildiopter (a pelorus) to get accurate true bearings. Also can be done in game with adequate practice estimating ranges by eye.

3. Schätzung: plain old seaman’s eye estimation, but also could include the “fixed wire” method of estimating speed by timing how long it takes for the target to transit the vertical line. They estimated length for this purpose based on an estimate of tonnage. The real guys (same as the Americans) did not rely on or have good rec manual data.

[MarkShot]

I liked the metallic circular slide rule method around the scope. I would say about 90 seconds to get a solution.

[derstosstrupp]

Originally Posted by MarkShot

I liked the metallic circular slide rule method around the scope. I would say about 90 seconds to get a solution.

The RAOBF. Yes indeed, is very quick. In my personal play style I don’t use the recognition manual because it makes the game far too easy. It’s perfect information. Makes it far more interesting for me and forces historical procedures. Plus saves flipping though the rec manual. The RAOBF did indeed exist on early attack periscopes. It was interwar technology or possibly 1918. The C/2 attack scope (big one with pedals you see in game) didn’t ship with the RAOBF since by then (1938 or so) they realized scope exposure would be an issue at the ranges they intended to shoot at, as well as the unwillingness to rely on any ship data.