(ask) problem with enemy's course and precisely fire torpedo with sonar

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by Daniel Prates

You must have some sort of visual, anyway, even if it just to identify the target. Wouldn't want a large liner on your conscience, would you?

That could be an interesting discussion. How frequent you captains actually use active sonar, and in which occasions?

Uh.... I was in the middle of the Japanese Ocean, detected a great swarm or warships on sonar, did three pings to track a large noisy target, fired three, hit with three and sank......the USS Essex.

That was the end of my longest career. Assuming the target has been identified, the scorecard looks like this. You've just pinged the target:

They--O Crap!!! Somebody just pinged us. There's an enemy out there somewhere.

Us--Target! Bearing 054! Range 3150 yards!

Now you tell me if you gain an advantage by pinging.

As a submariner you spend a lot of your time in fear for your life. Isn't it great to make the enemy fear for his?