Tutorial tips for a relative beginner

[Nuggit]

Hi!

I know there are a lot of lists of tutorial pinned in the forum.
Just would like to ask (if allowed, if not please just delete this).
if anybody has any specific tips to a tutorial on how to actually sink ships.
I have looked at several tutorials on how to use the TDC. how to get the speed of the ship using map plotting and such.
BUT I havent found any good tutorial as how to "find" the ship and position yourself in an good enough position.

Any tips is welcome.
Still waiting to be able to sink my first;-)

[derstosstrupp]

Originally Posted by Nuggit

Hi!

I know there are a lot of lists of tutorial pinned in the forum.
Just would like to ask (if allowed, if not please just delete this).
if anybody has any specific tips to a tutorial on how to actually sink ships.
I have looked at several tutorials on how to use the TDC. how to get the speed of the ship using map plotting and such.
BUT I havent found any good tutorial as how to "find" the ship and position yourself in an good enough position.

Any tips is welcome.
Still waiting to be able to sink my first;-)

In this video I show positioning, there are also some more advanced things in here but if you simply focus on what I am doing in terms of positioning, hopefully this will be of help.

[Nuggit]

Perfect! thanks,I will review that right away!

[Nuggit]

One thing Im having trouble with...
When Im getting a report "smoke on the horizon bearing 310" for example.
Im currently on a heading of 110.

What I understood is that I plot the heading Im on...
then take the difference between 360 and 310 = 50 degrees...
So the difference between my course and the "smoke on the horizon" is 50 degrees.
(Am I even close to being correct in my assumption? )

But how would I know if that 50 degrees is to my starboard or port?

[derstosstrupp]

Originally Posted by Nuggit

One thing Im having trouble with...
When Im getting a report "smoke on the horizon bearing 310" for example.
Im currently on a heading of 110.

What I understood is that I plot the heading Im on...
then take the difference between 360 and 310 = 50 degrees...
So the difference between my course and the "smoke on the horizon" is 50 degrees.
(Am I even close to being correct in my assumption? )

But how would I know if that 50 degrees is to my starboard or port?

Relative bearings greater than 180 are always to port, so a bearing of 310° is to port.

You actually don’t have to plot the heading you are on. You can either use the attack disk, or do the following to get the true bearing to plot on the map. Take 110+310, which gives you 420. Since that is greater than 360, subtract 360, which gives you 60°. That is the true compass bearing to the target that you would plot on the map. Then with a range estimate, you know how far out to plot the point.

[Nuggit]

Originally Posted by derstosstrupp

Relative bearings greater than 180 are always to port, so a bearing of 310° is to port.

You actually don’t have to plot the heading you are on. You can either use the attack disk, or do the following to get the true bearing to plot on the map. Take 110+310, which gives you 420. Since that is greater than 360, subtract 360, which gives you 60°. That is the true compass bearing to the target that you would plot on the map. Then with a range estimate, you know how far out to plot the point.

Thanks for the help, just to check that Im on the right page:

Now Im on heading 128, just got a report "ship sighted! Bearing 346 Long range"

that means 128+346 = 474 - 360, the heading I need to go is 114? (to go to where the ship is spotted that is)?

[John Pancoast]

Originally Posted by Nuggit

Thanks for the help, just to check that Im on the right page:

Now Im on heading 128, just got a report "ship sighted! Bearing 346 Long range"

that means 128+346 = 474 - 360, the heading I need to go is 114? (to go to where the ship is spotted that is)?

Allow me to jump in to add to the good advice you've already received.

First, yes in your example heading 114 is correct.
However another way of determining the same thing that may be easier. Up to you. Might be easier than adding numbers like your example though.
Your heading, no matter what it actually is, can always be referenced as 360.
Simply subtract the targets bearing from 360 and then subtract the result from your actual heading to get the course needed.
I.e. in your example take 360-346 = 14. 128 - 14 = 114.

[Nuggit]

Originally Posted by John Pancoast

Allow me to jump in to add to the good advice you've already received.

First, yes in your example heading 114 is correct.
However another way of determining the same thing that may be easier. Up to you. Might be easier than adding numbers like your example though.
Your heading, no matter what it actually is, can always be referenced as 360.
Simply subtract the targets bearing from 360 and then subtract the result from your actual heading to get the course needed.
I.e. in your example take 360-346 = 14. 128 - 14 = 114.

Thank you for the help.
just a stupid question.
In my case I just got now.

My heading is 114.
Got a report bearing 165

so in your example.
360-165 = 195
114-195.... .... .... ....


Then I get stuck, this is probably something my brain should be able to figure out...

[derstosstrupp]

Originally Posted by Nuggit

Thank you for the help.
just a stupid question.
In my case I just got now.

My heading is 114.
Got a report bearing 165

so in your example.
360-165 = 195
114-195.... .... .... ....


Then I get stuck, this is probably something my brain should be able to figure out...

114 + 165 = 279 true bearing to target

John’s way you will get to the same place, but in this case, since the answer would be negative, you need to add 360. That’s the general rule, if you get an answer that doesn’t make sense meaning it is less than zero or greater than 360, add or subtract 360 as necessary.

My advice would be to pay very close attention to my use of the attack disc in the video there, because that is what the disc does for you. When you use it, you just have to be sure that you have the toggle switch flipped so that it slaves to your course.

[Nuggit]

Originally Posted by derstosstrupp

114 + 165 = 279 true bearing to target

John’s way you will get to the same place, but in this case, since the answer would be negative, you need to add 360. That’s the general rule, if you get an answer that doesn’t make sense meaning it is less than zero or greater than 360, add or subtract 360 as necessary.

Thanks, both of you!
I'll try this and see if I can make use of it and have my first successful attack

[John Pancoast]

Also, think simply if you will to give you an initial idea. I.e., your heading of 114. You know the four cardinal directions; 360 is always straight ahead, 090 is always to your right, 180 is always straight behind, and 270 is always to your left.
Then you can easily visualize the general area a target is via it's heading.

Thanks for answering derstrosstrupp !

[Nuggit]

Hi!
I have been watching this youtube clip and found it very helpful. ( )
However, one thing I noticed...
When this guy gets ready to fire his torpedoes. his bearing on the periscope is 0, and the gyros are at 0.

However, to get my gyros to be at 0, the periscope points at 180 degrees?! which if I understood things correctly is viewing over the back of my sub?.

Its starting to get a bit frustrated now that I finally had a nice juicy ship close to me...

[derstosstrupp]

In order to achieve a 0 gyro shot, your scope needs to be pointing at a bearing that corresponds to the lead angle that the TDC computes. Once you know the data is entered correctly, simply turn your scope until the gyro angle dials both point to zero.

The easiest way to set things up for a beginner is to turn on a perpendicular course to the target, put the scope at 0°, and set the angle on bow either 90 left or right depending on which way the target is pointing. Of course, set speed, and simply guesstimate the range, because it’s not important for a low or zero gyro angle shot. Now, turn the scope until the gyro is zero. That is the shoot bearing, and simply fire when the desired part of the target crosses the wire.

That is as difficult as manual targeting needs to be for anybody. The only other potential hurdle is of course getting the data, and that is covered in my video if you choose to not use any tools or the recognition manual, or in the RAOBF video there if you do choose to go the route of using the rec manual.

[John Pancoast]

Originally Posted by Nuggit

Hi!
I have been watching this youtube clip and found it very helpful. ( )
However, one thing I noticed...
When this guy gets ready to fire his torpedoes. his bearing on the periscope is 0, and the gyros are at 0.

However, to get my gyros to be at 0, the periscope points at 180 degrees?! which if I understood things correctly is viewing over the back of my sub?.

Its starting to get a bit frustrated now that I finally had a nice juicy ship close to me...

Sound like you may have your stern torpedo selected.