To everyone that thinks manual targetting is too difficult...

RGA · 06-14-11, 05:21 PM

With some practice and auxiliary tools such as U-Jagd, manual targeting is indeed quite easy. Ship speed can be measured using chronometer. AOB is measured with U-Jagd tool, or even estimated. A 10-degree deviation of AOB doesn't make much difference, given that target ship isn't moving too fast. Positioning yourself in the right place is difficult, on the other hand. First you must find out the target's course, get ahead and come closer. And everything must be done absolutely secretly. I personally refuse to fire torpedo from less than 2000m if escorts are nearby. When the first torpedo hits, I should be about 50m deep and moving away from the convoy showing only my bow.

Another thing is measurement error. Like in real life, you always get some deviation, therefore multiple reading is necessary. I find the stadimeter terribly inaccurate, especially in bad weather and avoid using it as much as possible. Speed on the other hand can be measured with resonable accuracy. My targeting method is thus as follows: I get 3 bearing in interval of 5 minutes, use geometry to get the target's direction (thought usually I must do at least 5 reading to ensure the accuracy). Then I measure his speed, use it to obtain the range and its exact course. Get the AOB and compare it to the number obtained by U-Jagd tool.

Sometimes you don't have that much time to do all those fancy things. I once spot a cruiser coming straight toward me. Crash dive, 90-degree turn and when I raised my periscope, the cruiser was about to pass right in front of me, just a few hundreds meters away. Just barely enough time for one speed measurement, 18 knots. AOB was estimated of about 90 degree. All four forward tubes were fired, two hit and the cruiser went down immediately.

06-14-11, 05:21 PM	#2
RGA Swabbie Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 7 Downloads: 49 Uploads: 0	With some practice and auxiliary tools such as U-Jagd, manual targeting is indeed quite easy. Ship speed can be measured using chronometer. AOB is measured with U-Jagd tool, or even estimated. A 10-degree deviation of AOB doesn't make much difference, given that target ship isn't moving too fast. Positioning yourself in the right place is difficult, on the other hand. First you must find out the target's course, get ahead and come closer. And everything must be done absolutely secretly. I personally refuse to fire torpedo from less than 2000m if escorts are nearby. When the first torpedo hits, I should be about 50m deep and moving away from the convoy showing only my bow. Another thing is measurement error. Like in real life, you always get some deviation, therefore multiple reading is necessary. I find the stadimeter terribly inaccurate, especially in bad weather and avoid using it as much as possible. Speed on the other hand can be measured with resonable accuracy. My targeting method is thus as follows: I get 3 bearing in interval of 5 minutes, use geometry to get the target's direction (thought usually I must do at least 5 reading to ensure the accuracy). Then I measure his speed, use it to obtain the range and its exact course. Get the AOB and compare it to the number obtained by U-Jagd tool. Sometimes you don't have that much time to do all those fancy things. I once spot a cruiser coming straight toward me. Crash dive, 90-degree turn and when I raised my periscope, the cruiser was about to pass right in front of me, just a few hundreds meters away. Just barely enough time for one speed measurement, 18 knots. AOB was estimated of about 90 degree. All four forward tubes were fired, two hit and the cruiser went down immediately.