Artillery range

[Buhring]

Where can I find the max firing range for the different naval guns in SH3/GWX?

Gute Jagd

Buhring

[Platapus]

When you say max range, do you mean max practical combat range or the absolute max range of the gun?

The difference between the two can be significant.

With my trusty rusty type VII I seldom shoot my deck gun past 5,000 meters. Even then I will only shoot at 180 AoB to compensate for the range error. The gun can shoot a lot further but the accuracy goes down the toilet. The further away the target the more effects the sea conditions and the range errors are.

A few careers ago I had a ship dead in the water. For S&G I backed away about 4,000 meters just for the practice of long range shelling. Even at a dead stop with calm seas the range variance where my shells were landing made shooting at that range very uneconomical.

Long range shelling with a non-directed gun takes a lot of rounds to get a good bracket. And if you or your target is moving, all bets are off.

[Buhring]

I mean both max range AND practical firing range. However my problem is not the range of our subs' guns (I know that by experience), but that of *enemy* artillery: I assume the safe distance from a PT boat, armed with 20mm guns is less than that from a trawler with 3" guns, and from a DD with 5" -- and so on.

While it's easy to know the number and the calibre of guns on enemy ships, I did not find any info on the range of these weapons, neither in the museum, nor in the SH3 and GWX manuals.

Gute Jagd

Buhring

[Platapus]

Ah sorry, I misunderstood. You are looking for the ranges of the ship borne guns shootin at YOU.

To find out the actual ranges you might check out http://www.navweaps.com

Now the real question is whether GWX modeled these guns accurately. I would recommend writing to the GWX team with your specific questions.

[Kaleun Cook]

If such data exists it's not a good idea to play according to them anyways. DD's will fire from anywhere within 16 km, no matter if it's effective since a random shell can always hit the boat.

[richardphat]

I have not check the link yet but artillery are not very effefctive from distance. Due to the accuracy problem, it can shoot many shells before it hit a target. But basically if ship are equipped with many artillery cannon it would be easier.
For small gun like the 20mm it would have not any problem to shoot since its range is not very far. But you know it depends also on the wind and the weathers, it would be useless to attack at a rainy days

[Kpt. Lehmann]

The maximum range of guns firing on you in GWX is dependant on the maximum possible range of the gun itself and environmental conditions at the time. Therefore it is not a constant range in-game... same as in real life.

Just to state the obvious in a general sense though, the bigger the gun... the farther it can reach.

[Heibges]

According to the Uboat Commanders Handbook, max effective range for Uboat Artlillery is 1100m.

[Kpt. Lehmann]

Originally Posted by Heibges

According to the Uboat Commanders Handbook, max effective range for Uboat Artlillery is 1100m.

This is a good point that Heibges is making. (effective range vs maximum range) Deck guns could certainly shoot farther than 1100... as you can in GWX... but good luck hitting much of anything beyond that range with any sort of accuracy if you are playing realistically and letting your crew do the shooting.

U-boat captains did not personally man the guns.

In GWX, if the player mans the deck gun personally... all the work done to destabilize said deck gun is temporarily disabled.

All guns, both friendly and enemy, have been 'destabilized' in GWX to remove the uber-accuracy of stock SH3.

That being said however, surface ships are always a more stable firing platform than are submarines. It is a simple matter of the differences in hull design.

[Buhring]

Originally Posted by Kpt. Lehmann

The maximum range of guns firing on you in GWX is dependant on the maximum possible range of the gun itself [...]

So my question becomes: where can I find the data for the maximum range of *each* naval gun modeled in SH3/GWX?

Thanks a lot

Buhring

[bobchase]

Originally Posted by Buhring

So my question becomes: where can I find the data for the maximum range of *each* naval gun modeled in SH3/GWX?

Thanks a lot

Buhring

They are in C:\Program Files\Ubisoft\SilentHunterIII\data\Library\guns.si m and guns.zon files. Use Time Travelers "SH3 MiniTweak" to look inside them.

The ranges stated in the game are somewhat aggressive. For instance, an 8-inch round is given as 33,500 meters max range. I can tell you that 21 miles is an impossible shot for an 8 inch shell, even with an end of the war gun. (cira 1945-ish)

Bob

[bobchase]

Originally Posted by Kpt. Lehmann

snip...
That being said however, surface ships are always a more stable firing platform than are submarines. It is a simple matter of the differences in hull design.

Kpt. Lehmann

Actually hull design doesn't factor in that much on the small ships like frigates and DE's. They always pitch & roll like hell in small seas. The reason they are better shots is a manually aimed gun vs. an electrically aimed and stabilized one. Stabilized being the bigger factor. The 'stable table' is a horizontal gyroscope (the axis is vertical) that allows gun plot to remove the sea-state from the guns barrel. The barrel stays where it is pointed no matter what the sea/ship is doing under it. (Unless the sea is so great that it hits the mechanical limits of travel.)

Which begs a question that I cannot answer. Did the merchants employ a 'stable table' in WWII or was it limited to military ships only? If they didn't have one both they and the subs are too accurate in the game.

Bob

PS. If you what a one-of-a-kind experience, shinny out the barrel of a gun to remove the sea caps and have someone throw the gun into stable-state on you. All of a sudden you are no longer moving and your inner ear goes hay-wire. But the ship is moving below you, and the sky is moving above you, and the sea is moving up & down all around you. If your stomach isn't made of cast iron, your last meal is going away from you too...