Strange bearings in Peter Huchthausen's Hostile Waters

[ferenci]

In Hostile Waters ( https://www.amazon.com/Hostile-Water.../dp/0312169280 ) by Peter Huchthausen, Alan White and Igor Kurdin, there is a part (Chapter 3) where USS Augusta is chasing the K-219.


At one point, we get information from both subs at almost the same time:

• USS Augusta: "Course is two five five." (p. 56)
• K-219: " "Engines all slow," said Britanov as the submarine slipped through the layer and cruised in the deeper, colder waters. "Course one eight zero." [...] "One eight zero." " (p. 57)
• K-219: " "Evaluate as a possible submarine. Bearing zero nine five!" " (p. 57)
• USS Augusta: " Possible contact bearing zero one zero" (p. 58)

For me, these doesn't add up.


If the reported bearings were absolute, then both would be west of the other, so that's not possible. But even if these are relative bearings, they don't make sense: if K-219 is going exactly south, then a 095 bearing would mean Augusta is west from it, and, if going to 255, K-219 would be behind it, more precisely at (15+180+5=) 200... almost exactly the opposite of 010! (Okay, I could accept a slight deviation, as the subs perhaps maneuvered meantime, but this is a drastic difference.)


So my questions are:
1) Is it customary to report relative or absolute bearing? (I was sure in the former, but I'm somewhat confused now... not that it makes sense either way.)

2) Whatever the answer is to the previous question, how is it possible? Hostile Waters is said to be a well-researched, technically accurate book, so I don't think they would just drop in numbers randomly, especially in such a trivial issue.... (Or at least they'd do it in a consistent manner, authors are all experienced naval officers, including submariners.)


Thanks!