Torpedo aiming

[NoMan]

I'm trying to learn manual targeting, but I can't seem to get it right. I always wind up with rediculous speeds. I don't rally understand the manual.

[Jimbuna]

Welcome aboard

There are many threads you can read on this subject. here's a link to get you started

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...nual+targeting

[Platapus]

NoMan,

Welcome aboard!

Calculating speed can be tricky. Any errors in your range or AoB will result in unrealistic speeds if you use the speed function in the game.

There are two really cool ways to calculate speed without using the ingame calculator. These ways can serve as a way to double check your calculations.

The 3:15 rule

When your target is sighted, zoom in on the map so that you can still see the target’s “box”. On your tool bar in the upper left of the map screen are your plotting tools. Number 6 from the left is the marker. It...well... marks on your map.

You will need a timer of some sort. Either a stopwatch or your wristwatch will do.

Note the time (or start the stopwatch) and mark the center of your target “box”. Lower your periscope

Do not use Time compression

Wait three minutes and raise your periscope. After a total of three minutes and fifteen seconds Mark where your target is on the map using the Marker tool

Lower your periscope

The fourth tool from the left is the ruler and is used to measure distance between two points (or in your case two marks)

Measure the distance between the two marks.

Lets say it reads 0.6 (which means 0.6 Nautical Miles). This will equate to 6 knots.

0.7 NM = 7 knots

Pretty cool huh?

If you ever want to use this system in SH4 (which uses yards instead of meters) use the same system but only time for 3:00

Another cooleo way to determine speed is to use the periscope to help you time the movement of your target. This system works most accurately the closer your AoB is 90 degrees and the slower your submarine, but it works pretty cool.

Find your target in the periscope

Unlock the periscope and put the cross hairs on the bow (pointy end) of the target.

Do not move the periscope

start your timer

Your target ship will appear to move across your crosshairs. When the stern passes through your cross hairs, note the total time of crossing (from bow to stern)

Speed in NM = (length of target in meters) times 1.94 divided by the number of seconds it took for your target to cross your cross hairs.

The really cooleo thing about this method is that you don’t need to know the range!!

While you are learning how to manually target, try to figure out your own solution and then ask your weapons officer to give you his solution. His will be right and you can see the differences between yours and his

Congratulations for trying manual targeting. Once I started Manually targeting, this game became much much more fun

Good luck and good hunting

[TomcatMVD]

You can try out the 3,15 rule.
Mark the target's position on the map, start the chronometer, exactly 3'15'' after that mark, mark its position again. Measure the distance in meters it has travelled and multiply that for 10, that her speed. hope it helps!


edit: ooops, too slow! sorry.

[Brag]

Welcome aboard, Noman!
Now you have enough to get you started. Happy hunting

[NoMan]

How do I get Angle on Bow?

[Platapus]

Angle on the Bow is the killer question for all of us.

First of all, let’s make sure you understand what it means.

AoB is the angle from your target's heading to YOUR sub. If the Captain of your future doomed target were to be looking helplessly at your sub, the bearing he is looking is the angle of (his) bow. AoB is always the angle from the point of view of the target.

AoB is completely independent of the heading of your sub but is totally dependent on the heading of your doomed target.

The most common and crappiest way to determine AoB is to estimate it by the appearance of your target in either your periscope/TBT. Your recognition manual gives some angle views of the specific ship to help. This is quick but inaccurate.

If you have enough time you can plot the course line of your target on the map. Then it is a simple task to measure the angle from the course line to your sub.....but where do you measure along the course line?????

That’s the kicker. You have to measure from where the ship is on the projected course line. Any errors will result in large errors in AoB. Rats.

Target Zig-Zagging kills AoB calculations (that's why they do it)

There are manual AoB calculators that some of the smart guys here have made and have links for. These are very nice but some of them can be complicated. But then calculating AoB IS complicated.

Sorry I don’t have a more precise answer for you. This is one aspect of the game where your personal experience (in the game) makes you a killer Kaluen.

Good luck and good hunting

[rob3566]

Hi, this is my first post here!

I've also started to play with manual targeting recently, with mixed results...the method I've been using, and i'd appreciate any feedback on this, is as follows: Using the nav screen, i zoom in on my target ship, and accurately as possible, draw a straight ruler line along it's anticipated course. Then i click the protractor, make the first mark on the ruler line ahead of the target, draw a line back to the target and make the second mark on it's bow, then trace a line to my boat and click a third mark. If i'm not mistaken, and i'm doing this properly, the angle between the mark on the target and the mark on my boat should be the AOB. Since i've been doing it this way, i still miss a lot, but i think my misses are related to under or overestimating the target's speed, since the torpedo usually just misses the bow or stern. I've been using the periscope/stopwatch method of estimating speed, but i think i'll start using the 3:15 nav map method...i'm sure it's much more accurate.

Of course i've been leaving the 'weapons officer assistance' option turned on so i can consult my IWO if i feel like i need some help.

I love the forum BTW!

Rob

[Jimbuna]

Welcome aboard rob3566

Your method is not too dissimilar to the one I use (when I have the time for playing)

There are numerous threads here on the forum debating this subject for you to read/learn from

[flag4]

for NoMan: Puster Bill very kindly did this diagrame for me with notes on ' how to..'

OK, it really isn't that hard.

I don't happen to have any graph paper right now, but you don't *HAVE* to use graph paper, it just makes it a bit easier.



Excuse the crappy webcam picture, by the way.

First, we draw a vertical line representing our course. On graph paper, you can use one of the lines already there.

We first observe our target at 55 degrees off the starboard bow, at a distance of 3,250 meters. So using the protractor we make a line 55 degrees from the vertical, and extend it out to 3,250 (I used 3.25 inches in this case, so an inch = 1000 yards).

I marked that contact 'Y'.

I take another sighting in 3 minutes and 15 seconds (to take advantage of the 3:15 rule). Since I am travelling at about 7.5 knots, I put a mark on my line .75 inches above 'A', and call it 'B'. My observation from there is the target is at 56 degrees and 2,500 yards.

Using the protractor, I make a line from 'B' that is 56 degrees from the vertical and 2.5 inches long. I mark the end of it 'Z'.

I now draw a line between Y and Z, and extend it all the way to where it crosses my course. I measure the angle at Z - This is the Angle on Bow (AOB). In this case, it is 62.5 degrees.

I then measure the distance between Y and Z. The distance between Y and Z is .625 inches (which in our scale is 625 meters), meaning the target is moving at 6.25 knots.

hope this helps to clear the way.... i have since printed it off and added it to my sh3 file

[XLjedi]

Originally Posted by Platapus

Angle on the Bow is the killer question for all of us.

First of all, let’s make sure you understand what it means.

AoB is the angle from your target's heading to YOUR sub. If the Captain of your future doomed target were to be looking helplessly at your sub, the bearing he is looking is the angle of (his) bow. AoB is always the angle from the point of view of the target.

AoB is completely independent of the heading of your sub but is totally dependent on the heading of your doomed target.

The most common and crappiest way to determine AoB is to estimate it by the appearance of your target in either your periscope/TBT. Your recognition manual gives some angle views of the specific ship to help. This is quick but inaccurate.

If you have enough time you can plot the course line of your target on the map. Then it is a simple task to measure the angle from the course line to your sub.....but where do you measure along the course line?????

That’s the kicker. You have to measure from where the ship is on the projected course line. Any errors will result in large errors in AoB. Rats.

Target Zig-Zagging kills AoB calculations (that's why they do it)

There are manual AoB calculators that some of the smart guys here have made and have links for. These are very nice but some of them can be complicated. But then calculating AoB IS complicated.

Sorry I don’t have a more precise answer for you. This is one aspect of the game where your personal experience (in the game) makes you a killer Kaluen.

Good luck and good hunting

If you have the target true course line plotted, AoB can be completely taken out of the equation (distance too for that matter).

You just have to understand how your SH3 TDC works. The TDC will calculate the AoB for you.

Just take a quick look at this patrol report, and pay special attention to the paragraph where I re-explain the Fast-90 concept to Wolf (my XO).

10th Patrol of U-53