How to calculate ACCURATE range without having to use the stadimeter?

[onelifecrisis]

OLC GUI won't make your range calculations from the periscope any more accurate, I'm afraid. But you really don't need any more accuracy than you have. If you have accurate target course and speed data then the range does not need to be super-accurate in order to get an excellent firing solution.

The reason you're having difficulty getting an accurate course is because (if I understand your post correctly) you're trying to get it in five minutes. IRL commanders spent hours (sometimes days) tracking a ship/convoy in order to get accurate course data, and this is what works best in SH3 also. Spot a ship/convoy, mark it's position and approximate course on the map as you are doing now. Then track it at the edge of visual range for... lets say 50km. This is quite arduous and requires constant adjustments to your course to make sure you don't get too close or too far away, so if you're feeling lazy/lucky just flank it and position yourself 50km ahead of it and wait for it to re-appear. Either way you mark it's position again once it's moved 50km. You now have two marks separated by at least 50km, which means each mark can be innacurate by a couple of kilometers and you'd still have good course and speed data. For even more accurate data go another 50km... but beware of the ship/convoy changing course!

When such manouvers are impossible (because the target is moving too fast to be flanked, or is heading into dangerous/shallow water, or whatever) you can use the tools in the OLC GUI to get an immediate firing solution without any prior course or speed data, provided you can get into a firing position (and the mod is "historically accurate/realistic" as well).

This video shows that with accurate course and speed data gathered over a long time/distance, the range doesn't need to be that accurate to score perfect hits.

HTH
OLC <- (that's me )

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by onelifecrisis

This video shows that with accurate course and speed data gathered over a long time/distance, the range doesn't need to be that accurate to score perfect hits.

HTH
OLC <- (that's me )

Anyone else having problems with the audio on this clip?

[onelifecrisis]

Originally Posted by Platapus

Anyone else having problems with the audio on this clip?

Do you have DivX installed?
www.divx.com

[Paul Riley]

Thanks OLC (finally got round to speaking with yer)

My main problems (with god view off don't forget) are getting accurate range plots,in order to get my course estimate,as you can no doubt appreciate,being new to 100% realism.I found that by turning on the stabilize view this improves the stadimeter considerably,at the expense of realism %.Ultimately,playing in super realism and playing practically realistic there is a very fine margin,if any.And for all I know stabilizers might have been used,so enabling it ingame is feasible.

Your 50km method is a good one,for getting a very definite result on the ship's course,but as you said not very practical for when you need to fire under emergency conditions.
I never realised such time and effort (IRL) would have gone into sinking just one ship (observations over days),but aginst a convoy it is perfectly justifiable.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by onelifecrisis

Do you have DivX installed?
www.divx.com

Yes. I get the background game sound but no voice over.

[onelifecrisis]

Originally Posted by Platapus

Yes. I get the background game sound but no voice over.

Oh, lol, there is no voice over. It's just a gameplay recording.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by onelifecrisis

Oh, lol, there is no voice over. It's just a gameplay recording.

That would make it very difficult to understand if no one is explaining all the lines and circles would it not?

[Hitman]

Using the WO to give you reports every 3m.15s seems a great and easy way to get the plots needed (with god mode off) .Is he fairly accurate then,and are his reports to be relied upon?

He does round up the values to the next hundreths, i.e. 5634 metres is 5600 metres, but that is not just close enough, but also realistic for what you would expect when using a small hand-held rangefinder (In fact may be even more at long distances) and is good enough for plotting while surfaced. Once you are underwater, at periscope depth, it will be just you who can look through the periscope and construct the firing solution -again realistically-

I have seen copies of the UBCH on Amazon,and it is extremely rare to get hold of,do you know any other places that might sell it?,ideally UK suppliers.But if it can only be ordered overseas I may have to open a paypal account,something i'm not too thrilled about doing...still

Get it here for free and print it:

http://www.hnsa.org/doc/uboat/index.htm

But be aware that there are some minor translation errors in the text.

Good hunting

[Hitman]

The reason you're having difficulty getting an accurate course is because (if I understand your post correctly) you're trying to get it in five minutes. IRL commanders spent hours (sometimes days) tracking a ship/convoy in order to get accurate course data, and this is what works best in SH3 also. Spot a ship/convoy, mark it's position and approximate course on the map as you are doing now. Then track it at the edge of visual range for... lets say 50km. This is quite arduous and requires constant adjustments to your course to make sure you don't get too close or too far away, so if you're feeling lazy/lucky just flank it and position yourself 50km ahead of it and wait for it to re-appear. Either way you mark it's position again once it's moved 50km. You now have two marks separated by at least 50km, which means each mark can be innacurate by a couple of kilometers and you'd still have good course and speed data. For even more accurate data go another 50km... but beware of the ship/convoy changing course!

Very, very well summed up

From the U-Boat commander's handbook (The official doctrine for the U-Boot commanders in WW2):

112.) The overhauling maneuver requires a high degree of tactical ability; its success is the pre-condition of the following underwater attack, and therefore the success of the operation. As a tactical masterpiece, the overhauling maneuver is therefore the exclusive business of the commander, and its preparation and execution require his unremitting attention.
113.) In fighting its way forward to the position ahead of the beam of the enemy, in borderline conditions of visibility during the day, the submarine is engaged in a long, drawn-out and extremely tiring overhauling operation. It is an incessant "nibbling at the horizon" [i.e.; to keep the enemy on the dip of the horizon] - going in again and again as soon as the tops of the masts get smaller, and sheering off again at once, as soon as they rise higher again. These strenuous efforts to overhaul the enemy are continued, in the Atlantic, hour by hour, and can only succeed as a result of indomitable resolution and an unchanging, obstinate refusal to let the enemy escape, even when the submarine finds that progress is very slow. Any change of course on the part of the enemy, or engine trouble, etc., occurring on board the enemy ship, may immediately alter the position in favor of the submarine.
114.) The overhauling maneuver should always be exploited, in order to obtain the particulars of the enemy (course, speed, pattern of the zigzag course) by careful observation of the course of the submarine itself, exact D/F of the enemy ship, estimation of range and position at regular intervals of time. These particulars are almost always more reliable than those obtained underwater.

You will never get good and accurate values if plotting quickly in 5 minutes, as OLC said, and that is correct because nobody got them like that in real life. If needed to shoot quickly, real commanders (and IWOs) just estimated with the MKI eyeball. And trust me, once you have practiced enough it is not a bad method at all

A suggestion that will not decrease realism, but will make life much easier: When overhauling at surface, ask your IWO each 3:15 minutes to tell you range and bearing to target, you will be able to plot it fairly well that way.

And in any case, AVERAGE the results of the plot. Never, never, plot the enemy in two observations and take the data from them. This can only work in ideal (And unrealistic) conditions.

Good hunting

[Paul Riley]

Thats exactly what I wanted to hear Hitman.

Using the WO to give you reports every 3m.15s seems a great and easy way to get the plots needed (with god mode off) .Is he fairly accurate then,and are his reports to be relied upon?

I have seen copies of the UBCH on Amazon,and it is extremely rare to get hold of,do you know any other places that might sell it?,ideally UK suppliers.But if it can only be ordered overseas I may have to open a paypal account,something i'm not too thrilled about doing...still

Again,cheers! <-- double thumbs up for that mate!