Torpedo Manual Targeting discussion

Bosk · 10-02-07, 03:15 PM

Hi there,

I've been using manual targeting for the past couple of weeks in SH3, having been a 'full auto' kind of guy for many years. I've found it really adds another level of satisfaction to the game making going back to weapon office assistance very difficult indeed.

I know it's possible to use mathematics to calculate AOB when you aren't able to use the "easy method" of simply approaching perpendicular to your target each time.
What I'd like to know is does calculating AOB become something that experienced captains (who've been manually targetting for years) can do off the top of their heads, simply by looking at the angle of an approaching ship and estimating it's speed?
I ask because I've tried using such a method and have had a small amount of success, but are concerned that I might be getting myself into 'bad habits' and limiting the accuracy of my torpedos unecessarily.

Another thing that interests me is setting the torpedo bearing in manual TDC.
I'm aware that to ensure maximum accuracy the bearing should ideally be as close to 0 as possible to ensure 000 gyro angle, making the torpedo head do as little work as possible.

The thing is though, when coming to periscope depth near (or in the middle of) a convoy it is often very, very difficult to perfectly line the sub up with the approaching target to guarantee a 'perfect shot' in time before the escorts spot you. It would often be very useful to "slingshot" torpedos using a gyro angle much greater/less than 000 to attack targets to the far left or right of the submarine without having to come around.
My question is, does taking this sort of approach compromise the accuracy of one's torpedoes unecessarily?
And does it lead to an anacceptable percentage of dud's due to the shallower angles at which they strike their targets?

I would like to get the views of experienced high-realism captains on these matters.

I'd also be very interested to hear if there were any protocals/guidelines in place during the War which dictated the way real German captains were encouraged or forced to used their torpedoes- or were these matters that weapons officers tended to handle instead?

10-02-07, 03:15 PM	#1
Bosk Watch Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Ballarat, Australia. Posts: 28 Downloads: 6 Uploads: 0	Torpedo Manual Targeting discussion Hi there, I've been using manual targeting for the past couple of weeks in SH3, having been a 'full auto' kind of guy for many years. I've found it really adds another level of satisfaction to the game making going back to weapon office assistance very difficult indeed. I know it's possible to use mathematics to calculate AOB when you aren't able to use the "easy method" of simply approaching perpendicular to your target each time. What I'd like to know is does calculating AOB become something that experienced captains (who've been manually targetting for years) can do off the top of their heads, simply by looking at the angle of an approaching ship and estimating it's speed? I ask because I've tried using such a method and have had a small amount of success, but are concerned that I might be getting myself into 'bad habits' and limiting the accuracy of my torpedos unecessarily. Another thing that interests me is setting the torpedo bearing in manual TDC. I'm aware that to ensure maximum accuracy the bearing should ideally be as close to 0 as possible to ensure 000 gyro angle, making the torpedo head do as little work as possible. The thing is though, when coming to periscope depth near (or in the middle of) a convoy it is often very, very difficult to perfectly line the sub up with the approaching target to guarantee a 'perfect shot' in time before the escorts spot you. It would often be very useful to "slingshot" torpedos using a gyro angle much greater/less than 000 to attack targets to the far left or right of the submarine without having to come around. My question is, does taking this sort of approach compromise the accuracy of one's torpedoes unecessarily? And does it lead to an anacceptable percentage of dud's due to the shallower angles at which they strike their targets? I would like to get the views of experienced high-realism captains on these matters. I'd also be very interested to hear if there were any protocals/guidelines in place during the War which dictated the way real German captains were encouraged or forced to used their torpedoes- or were these matters that weapons officers tended to handle instead?