How to intercept?

[maillemaker]

First of all, I don't know what a stadimeter is. When I measure range, I do it on the map with a ruler. That means I'm guessing whether the target is at 2400 or 2500 meters. It's somewhere in there. As we've covered in other threads, the range is usually not that important. Even in extreme cases it will only make a 1º difference in the TDC. Additionally you cannot put high degrees of accuracy into the TDC.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadimeter

There are markings inside the periscope that allow you to determine range to the target based on the apparent height of the masts of the target - if you know the height of the masts.

I've got custom optics (Hitman) so I don't even know if they work for me. Anyway there are so many ships in the recognition manual for GWX I don't bother trying to hunt them down to find their specs.

I just eyeball for range, or ask my WO if we are on the surface.

As for magnification, I didn't even know that the scope had a magnification switch. As far as I'm aware, however, the magnification only goes to 4.5x so I don't know where the 10x figure comes from.

Both periscopes have a magnification switch. The actual zoom factor depends on what mods you have installed. I think the Hitman optics gives you a 6X zoom.

On the Uzi maybe? For weeks I've been sinking ships with the 1.5 magnification provided by the attack periscope–sometimes at ranges of up to 4 km.

That's pretty darn good shooting. How are you measuring target speed? Do you have map contacts on?

As far as I'm aware, the binoculars in GWX do not include a compass. Yes, the Uzi does but the binoculars do not.

This is correct, though there is a mod that gives you bearing with binoculars. I've been tempted to find and install it as if you are standing on the bridge you would have some spacial perception as to which direction you were facing, which you completely lack in the stock view of the binoculars.

I do not use a Flaggen chart (I don't know what it is or how to use it) but so far I've only sunk English ships and those in convoys. I prefer night attacks and if the ship is lit I do not fire on it.

Depending on which mods you have, in the corner of the map screen you will see a little tab, which is the corner of some "maps".

One of them is a convoy/ship route map (the one that comes in the box with the box version of the game). Another shows friendly port mine fields and sub nets. Another shows time/knot/distance conversions. Some people have a "flags" overlay. Now that I think about it, maybe the flag overlay is only visible in the scope screens?

In conclusion, as I said, imo (which means in my opinion) using a scientific calculator in the game is cheating. As far as I'm aware, the crew didn't even use sine look-up tables. They aren't necessary.

Since I've started using no map updates, pretty much everything I do is bye guesstimation. A calculator would be of little use to me as I don't have inputs to put into it.

My primary keyboard key on the keyboard for driving the sub is the "=" key which means "Head thataway!". I usually use a default target speed of 6 knots and fire from 500-700 meters. I have probably an 80% hit rate.

Steve

[Zosimus]

Originally Posted by maillemaker

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadimeter

There are markings inside the periscope that allow you to determine range to the target based on the apparent height of the masts of the target - if you know the height of the masts.

I've got custom optics (Hitman) so I don't even know if they work for me. Anyway there are so many ships in the recognition manual for GWX I don't bother trying to hunt them down to find their specs.

I just eyeball for range, or ask my WO if we are on the surface.

Both periscopes have a magnification switch. The actual zoom factor depends on what mods you have installed. I think the Hitman optics gives you a 6X zoom.

That's pretty darn good shooting. How are you measuring target speed? Do you have map contacts on?

This is correct, though there is a mod that gives you bearing with binoculars. I've been tempted to find and install it as if you are standing on the bridge you would have some spacial perception as to which direction you were facing, which you completely lack in the stock view of the binoculars.

Depending on which mods you have, in the corner of the map screen you will see a little tab, which is the corner of some "maps".

One of them is a convoy/ship route map (the one that comes in the box with the box version of the game). Another shows friendly port mine fields and sub nets. Another shows time/knot/distance conversions. Some people have a "flags" overlay. Now that I think about it, maybe the flag overlay is only visible in the scope screens?



Since I've started using no map updates, pretty much everything I do is bye guesstimation. A calculator would be of little use to me as I don't have inputs to put into it.

My primary keyboard key on the keyboard for driving the sub is the "=" key which means "Head thataway!". I usually use a default target speed of 6 knots and fire from 500-700 meters. I have probably an 80% hit rate.

Steve

Yes, I use map updates. If I didn't, I'd just use the four bearings method. Speed can easily be determined by measuring how far a ship has moved in 6:29. If I cannot get a visual sighting on the ship, I'll measure it using the hydroscope for 9:43. Most of the time you kind of know the speed of the ship already. If the contact shows "slow" (either by hydrophone or on the map) then that's max 7 knots. So if you calculate an intercept at 6 knots and the ship arrives before you, then he must be going at 7 knots. If you arrive before him, he must be going 4-5. If you both arrive on time, he must be going 6.

The = key doesn't work for me, but I have the integrated orders mod that lets me click on the helmsman and order him to come to bearing.

[maillemaker]

Yes, I use map updates.

It would be interesting to see what kind of hit ranges you can pull off with no map updates.

Steve

[BigWalleye]

Originally Posted by Zosimus

Yes, I use map updates.

I agree with maillemaker. You should try playing with map updates off. It really changes the game.

Originally Posted by Zosimus

As far as I'm aware, the crew didn't even use sine look-up tables.

They did. Surviving examples of KM-issue trig tables can be found on the web.

They aren't necessary.

They are if you are doing Real Nav. Real U-boat commanders used celestial navigation to determine their position. They didn't have a 21st century computer to draw little circles on the map. They had a navigator guy who had to calculate the boat's position. And sometimes, they had to check it themselves.

Before I learned how to draw the triangles, I used the TDC to calculate intercept courses by doubling the target ship's known or estimated velocity and feeding the data into the TDC. That gave me the right lead angle to travel at 15 knots to overtake the ship so sometimes I had to pad it a bit by, for example, adding another knot to the ship's speed if I felt I couldn't make 15 knots.

It's called a TVR. The TDC was an American device which was quite different in function to the TVR. And I don't know if it was possible to use an historical TVR the way you describe. If not, then you are just using your computer to do the calculations for you. That would be rather like using a scientific calculator, only easier.