Deck Gun, For or Aft Mount

Platapus · 01-15-12, 12:08 PM

In ship to ship gunnery action, it is safer to be broadside to your target than nose/tail on.

Consider that in targeting with a gun, there are two separate parts of the targeting, each with its own circle of error.

Bearing and range.

Now the error in bearing is pretty small. It is pretty easy to to get the bearing of the target to within one degree.

Range is another matter. First there is the error in determining the range to the target, and then there is the error in hitting that specific range from a non-motionless platform (ship/sub). This applies to ranges where indirect fire is used. If the ship is close enough, range errors are insignificant. Any effects of the waves will most likely increase the range error and not the bearing error.

So to be safe from enemy gun fire you want to be in a position that increases the failure due to range errors.

If you are broadside, the enemy can determine the bearing as easily as if you were nose/tail on. But by placing yourself broadside you are exposing the narrow width of your sub against the multiple errors in range from the enemy. They may have the bearing but it is more likely that they will under/overshoot due to range errors and errors in platform stability.

If you were end on, your entire length of your submarine will be in the range error direction. An under/overshoot has a better chance of hitting some part of your submarine.

This is easily tested by placing a stationary ship in the game. Maneuver your submarine so that the ship is either end on or broadside to your submarine. See how the difficulty changes in hitting the ship using indirect fire. It is much easier to hit a ship that is end on than broadside.

So keep your submarine end on to avoid detection, but once the gun play starts. broadside for the survival

01-15-12, 12:08 PM	#14
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,381 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	In ship to ship gunnery action, it is safer to be broadside to your target than nose/tail on. Consider that in targeting with a gun, there are two separate parts of the targeting, each with its own circle of error. Bearing and range. Now the error in bearing is pretty small. It is pretty easy to to get the bearing of the target to within one degree. Range is another matter. First there is the error in determining the range to the target, and then there is the error in hitting that specific range from a non-motionless platform (ship/sub). This applies to ranges where indirect fire is used. If the ship is close enough, range errors are insignificant. Any effects of the waves will most likely increase the range error and not the bearing error. So to be safe from enemy gun fire you want to be in a position that increases the failure due to range errors. If you are broadside, the enemy can determine the bearing as easily as if you were nose/tail on. But by placing yourself broadside you are exposing the narrow width of your sub against the multiple errors in range from the enemy. They may have the bearing but it is more likely that they will under/overshoot due to range errors and errors in platform stability. If you were end on, your entire length of your submarine will be in the range error direction. An under/overshoot has a better chance of hitting some part of your submarine. This is easily tested by placing a stationary ship in the game. Maneuver your submarine so that the ship is either end on or broadside to your submarine. See how the difficulty changes in hitting the ship using indirect fire. It is much easier to hit a ship that is end on than broadside. So keep your submarine end on to avoid detection, but once the gun play starts. broadside for the survival __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.