Sub Skipper's Bag of Tricks

[Rockin Robbins]

Okay guys, what's the greatest danger while you're setting up a shot? What can happen that will take away that shot, especially in the daytime?

Number one that comes to mind is getting your scope spotted. I just set up an attack like this: spotted a bogey on radar. Plotted the position, set a stopwatch for 3 minutes, marked that position. Gave me a speed of 10 knots and a course of 155º. So I extended the course past my sub. Waited about 10 minutes and observed his position a bit south of my projected track, so I adjusted the track. Ten minutes later he was still on the track, so I considered that I had his course and speed cold.

Then I maneuvered my sub to be 1000 yards off the track at right angles, a Dick O'Kane attack, with TDC set speed:10 knots, AoB 80º starboard. shoot bearing 350 and range at 1300 yards (not critical). What did I do next?

I set speed to half a knot and submerged to 90'. According to stock rules your tubes won't open at 100' of deeper, a gross innacuracy and I believe TMO is 150' still too shallow as fish were fired from as deep as 200' during the war and that was the target depth for shooting a Cutie. But 90' will get the job done. The important thing is that you don't get the message "too deep to fire torpedoes" when you go to open the tubes!

Now you just watch the sonar bearing. Set torpedoes to run fast, on the surface and magnetic exploder just for fun. Now we wait. No scope up. We're on the nav map screen or attack map screen. I prefer the attack map screen so I can see the torpedo controls. I like to shoot with the mouse and use the w key to switch tubes and shoot 2. I use TMOKeys so your keys may be different.

Watch the bearing and when it's at 348, shoot one. And when 352 shoot one. Kablooey! And he never had the chance to see you. You were 90' deep and nowhere to be seen.

[DrBeast]

RR, do we have an ETA on that manual targeting video?

[Rockin Robbins]

My career got corrupted, I had to dial back to my last departure from base and I'm just waiting to encounter a merchie and do the video. Sorry for the delay. RSRD sure can make 'em scarce when you really need to find one!

I also produced the video and Ironclads II Installation video and those kind of got in the way for a bit. Ironclads II vid has twice as many views as my SH4 video. Go figure! Stadimeter Targeting Video is next though no matter what.

[Rockin Robbins]

Spreads. Yeah, we know the principle: distribute torpedoes over the length of the target so no two torpedoes hit in the same place. But if you're stadimeter targeting you can shoot four torpedoes and if your solution is correct all five will hit the exact same spot! That's not so good, especially if you're using a realistic sinking mod.

So some of us tweak the spread dial. But we do it seat of the pants. Sure we hit targets, and miss them. On an upcoming video I'll be extending the still unmade Stadimeter Targeting Video to cover how we, who lack the spread tools the real guys used, might go about calculating a spread in our heads (no calculators, no trig, no outside computer activity--you know (or don't know) how I feel about those things) so that we know our torpedoes will hit.

The real submariners calculated spread with tool built into the TDC (which, of course we don't have). What they call a 100% spread would hit the tip of the bow, points in between, and the tip of the stern. In other words the pattern would cover the length of the target.

If they weren't quite happy with their solution they would cover their bets with a deal with the devil: a spread of more than 100%. In other words, the distance between first and last shot was longer than the target. Yes, that guaranteed at least one miss, but it also would hit if the target were a little further away or moving slower or faster than their settings.

How are we going to do all that? Stay tuned! Then I bet ColonelSandersLite comes out with the precise, mathematically refined, version. Mine will be based on that but in my cheap, dirty, rule of thumb, figure on the fly style.

This is a different kind of spread than the Dick O'Kane or other constant bearing shooting techniques. They use what is called a longitudinal spread, where all torpedoes follow the exact same course to the target. It is the timing of the individual shots that determine where on the target they hit. With your shoot bearing selected properly in a constant bearing attack, your torpedoes will hit exactly where your crosshair aims when you push the fire button.

The stadimeter spread system is more complicated but, as you'll see, has some interesting wrinkles too.

[Tshark]

Really looking forward to your new videos. I have watched and printed out your tutorials on manual targeting and it is one of my go to references as I learn. Thank you so much for all your efforts!

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by Tshark

Really looking forward to your new videos. I have watched and printed out your tutorials on manual targeting and it is one of my go to references as I learn. Thank you so much for all your efforts!

Thank you Tshark! Guys like you are what keep me going on this stuff eight years after this game hit the market. The special emphasis of my techniques has been to educate the beginner who is just making the step from auto targeting to manual targeting because that is the critical point in any player's history. If he survives the change he'll play for a long time. If not he'll get bored quickly and leave for Borderlands 2 or other FPS game. I'm trying to prevent tragedy here!

So far I have three videos on deck. First, because it was promised first, will be a Stadimeter Targeting Video showing what most are calling "conventional" targeting, because it is the type described (poorly) in the SH4 manual. There are some important wrinkles in actual practice that are worth covering and bringing together in one place. This video will be accompanied by a written tutorial and flash card just like all my constant bearing attack methods.

Then I'm going to extend the Stadimeter Targeting Video with a separate video and tutorial on Divergent Spreads. This will show how to actually use the spread dial in a scientific way, helped by a nifty keen chart and some in your head mental gymnastics so you can twiddle that spread knob with panache and aplomb, not to mention confidence.

Finally, a video to accompany the above tutorial on the Dick O'Kane Blindfolded technique, where you complete your setup, position the sub and dive to 90', from which you unleash the fires of hell, shooting blindfolded! This will be extended slightly from the existing tutorial by the application of the principles in the Divergent Spread tutorial and video.

Stay tuned! I hope this will be a very interesting place. But you're the judge. If you sink ships you wouldn't have sunk before then I've accomplished something. My achievement is measured by your results. It's as simple as that.

[DrBeast]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

...So far I have three videos on deck...

Really looking forward to those videos! I'm an SH4 old-timer myself, but with all the extended breaks I take from the game, it feels like the first time every time I come back (having the memory span of a goldfish doesn't help, either), so these videos really help getting me back in the saddle again (auto-targeting is SO boring!). Plus your commentary is just as hilarious and entertaining as your posts

[ColonelSandersLite]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

So some of us tweak the spread dial. But we do it seat of the pants. Sure we hit targets, and miss them. ...Then I bet ColonelSandersLite comes out with the precise, mathematically refined, version. Mine will be based on that but in my cheap, dirty, rule of thumb, figure on the fly style....

I just measure the length of the target in degrees with the periscope when I really care. Is that cheating?

A rundown of a graphical solution would be to draw the torpedo track. At target range centered on the end of the track, draw a circle representing target ship length with a radius of 100y for medium, 150y for large, or 200y for very large ships. Draw a line representing target ship course through the center of the circle. Measure the angle from the center of the circle to one of the edges (radius, not diameter!) where the course line intersects the ship length circle. Divide by the angle by 2 for maximum left/right spread in degrees. It would be a little crude with the game's tool accuracy though.

Actually, a picture is worth 1,000 words so here:


Divide the result by 2 and be very careful about the way the game rounds.

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by ColonelSandersLite

I just measure the length of the target in degrees with the periscope when I really care. Is that cheating?

A rundown of a graphical solution would be to draw the torpedo track. At target range centered on the end of the track, draw a circle representing target ship length with a radius of 100y for medium, 150y for large, or 200y for very large ships. Draw a line representing target ship course through the center of the circle. Measure the angle from the center of the circle to one of the edges (radius, not diameter!) where the course line intersects the ship length circle. Divide by the angle by 2 for maximum left/right spread in degrees. It would be a little crude with the game's tool accuracy though.


Divide the result by 2 and be very careful about the way the game rounds.

The telemeter marks are supposed to be a quarter degree at high magnification, one degree at low magnification. But talk to Captain Scurvy about that one!

You're thinking like I'm thinking. I believe in two things working when the pressure is on: graphical solutions and tables. I'll show both and explain the concept of percentage spread. Actually, you're only drawing the torpedo track if we are straight shooting a zero gyro shot. Taking actual terms from the Submarine Torpedo Fire Control Manual, 1946, (which we really should and you are especially good at that) when we are curved shooting (gyro angle over 20º) that's the pseudo torpedo track.

The real torpedo track extends straight out from the sub to a point called the reach, then curves toward the target. Does in make any difference in twiddling the spread dial? Naw! Forgeddaboudit. (it might make a difference with extreme gyro angles) But it is good conversation around the swill pot on the night watch.

[Tshark]

Using the three minute tracking method to obtain target speed I seem to consistently over estimate speed by 2 knots. This has occurred in quick missions against warships and career against merchants. Any suggestions on what I am doing wrong?

Thanks

[ColonelSandersLite]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

The telemeter marks are supposed to be a quarter degree at high magnification, one degree at low magnification. But talk to Captain Scurvy about that one!

Not how I measure actually, since I know those are wrong. What I do is point the periscope at the bow, then point periscope at stern and note the bearing change.

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

that's the pseudo torpedo track.

The real torpedo track extends straight out from the sub to a point called the reach....

Yep, but for 95% of all purposes the pseudo track is good enough to get the information we need. If it's not, you really probably need a banjo.