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[ralphnader23]

Does the sonar specialty not become available until you actually get some sonar equipment?

[sergei]

Sorry, I should have used proper period terminology.
From reading too many Tom Clancy books I'm used to calling both active and passive gear SONAR.
In WW2 only the active gear was called SONAR.
The passive was generally called hydrophone.

In SH3 the qualification is actually called 'Radioman' (I think).
This applies to any gear that is used in that compartment - be it the radio, hydrophones or sonar (when you get one).Give your guy the Radioman qualification, then you can stick him on the radio, or on the hydrophone/sonar gear.

I hope that's a bit clearer

[sergei]

Looks like Frau beat me to it

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by ralphnader23

Does the sonar specialty not become available until you actually get some sonar equipment?

You always have sonar equipment - hydrophones = sonar.

But it's passive sonar, meaning it only picks up on sounds that are being made by whatever's making them. It doesn't generate a ping to see if something bounces back.

Active sonar is the kind that sends out a ping and then picks up any echoes that come back from whatever it bounces off of. This is also how your u-boat's depth-sounding equipment works - by sending a ping straight down and waiting for it to bounce back to determine how far it is from your bottom to the ocean's.