Does SH4 have an auto spread ability, where you can turn that on and the TDC will calculate the spread for torpedos?

spread seems kind of like something i wouldn't want the computer figuring. For me i set it depending on the distance and if i think i might be shooting a bit right or left.

I always fire all 4 of my forward torpedos when playing since realism is on high. at about 600 yards I will shoot one straight, 1 one click left and 1 one click right. The forth one i put either 2 clicks left or 2 clicks right depending on how i think my aim is going to be.

But there is no auto spread as far as I know.

Yes, there is a similar function, but it works not exaktly like in SH3. In SH4 you set the spread angle and hit the fire button for each topedo.

I read somewhere that this difference is because of how it was in reality. The US TCSs didn't have that kind of "full spread support". Personally I never use it, neither on SH3 nor SH4. It is harder to do the calculation than just aiming for two or three different spots on the target.

See thats where the problem for me comes in. In SH4 I can do all the calculations of range, AOB, bearing, etc. The problem i'm having is if I have a transport off my port bow and ready to fire how far should i turn the gyro dial to make the torpedos course change while heading for the target? I've watched many tutorials on manual aim but still am having problems on making the fish hit when the target isn't in front of me.

Eh, I am confused as to what your wanting. I have difficulty at 100 and when i see a ship even if it isn't directly in front of me, I lock the ship, do the range, aob, and speed. Once that is done the torpedo is on a course to strike the boat right in the middle if I input it right. I use spread to spread my shots out to make sure I hit it and to hit it in differnt spots rather than all topedos hitting the same place.

Sorry if I am just making frustration to the topic hah. But is when I lock on the target and make a range estimation what your looking for? Because say a ship is off my port. When I lock and do the range estimation and go to my battle map, it shows that my torpedos are ready to launch from the ship and curve out that direction that I range estimated the ship.

Or are you trying to avoid this thing that I am doing to make it more realistic or something?

I'm talking about if you need to use the gyro to alter the course of the torpedo to the target, if the target isn't dead ahead and is left or right. I never know how much to turn the dial to make the torpedo go left or right and still hit. Most of the time I turn it too much or not at all. And I always miss.

Ok yea, when I lock onto the target and do a range estimation and turn auto track on it sets the gyro angle for you. Thats on 100% realism setting too

Im making an assumption in saying that I think youre talking about the Offset Angle dial...and if so, that dial plays no part in a proper solution.
What it does is modify the solution the TDC already has, and if that solution is wrong, nothing is going to save it. I dont use it. Instead I generate a base solution (which is basically a lead angle) and then without locking the ship, fire at the ship as the points I want to hit move past the cross hairs.

Your way sounds much harder.

I believe you can pre-set multi shot spreads in the U-boats. If you have SHIV v1.5 UBM.

Instead of fooling with the spread knob, do what many US skippers actually did and just aim to hit.Meaning....if on manual targeting...put crosshairs on center of target, hit the red "send range and bearing" button and immediately fire one torpedo, then aim crosshairs on different area of ship say a funnel or mast, send new bearing, fire two.This ensures torpedo heads for different area of ship(making for more effective sinking) and wont miss because you set the spread too much or too little with the stupid spread knob on TDC panel.

If on auto target, all you have to do is unlock the scope, place crosshairs on descired point of impact for torpedo(mast, funnel) and hit the fire key.Trust me, its not hard and it works very well.The real skippers like O Kane, Morton etc used this method.Good luck.

quote:

Originally posted by bubblehead1980:
Instead of fooling with the spread knob, do what many US skippers actually did and just aim to hit.Meaning....if on manual targeting...put crosshairs on center of target, hit the red "send range and bearing" button and immediately fire one torpedo, then aim crosshairs on different area of ship say a funnel or mast, send new bearing, fire two.This ensures torpedo heads for different area of ship(making for more effective sinking) and wont miss because you set the spread too much or too little with the stupid spread knob on TDC panel.

If on auto target, all you have to do is unlock the scope, place crosshairs on descired point of impact for torpedo(mast, funnel) and hit the fire key.Trust me, its not hard and it works very well.The real skippers like O Kane, Morton etc used this method.Good luck.

So what you are saying is just lock on to the target aim for 1 point. Once you have the range and bearing send that to the TDC then unlock and don't change course just move the scope to a different part of the ship and lock again and fire, correct? Since you are manually targeting before you fire the 1st shot won't you have to find the range, bearing, AOB, and speed (I like that challenge or since its auto the computer does it for you)

Won't this only work if the target is dead ahead and not to your port side a little where you have to lead the target?

First I am assuming that your playing stock, no mods.

This example is the torpedo school mission with map contacts ON.

The two dials on the upper right are the TDC Torpedo Data Computer.
Input your speed at 9 knots. send to PK (Position Keeper). That is the two dials on the upper left.

Input AoB of about 55° and send to PK.

Lock on the target and get range with the stedimeter, and send range and bearing to the PK.
You should get a range some were close to 1400 yards.

On the PK is a red button, GSP, click that button to turn on the Position Keeper. This will automatically fallow the target. Check this on the attack map, The green torpedo track line should point in front of the target, the white X should be almost right on the target.

If you have a good firing solution the white X should move right with the target. If it isn't than adjust range, speed or AoB as necessary to put the X right on or very close to the target.

You can than fire a torpedo and than unlock the periscope and point at a different part of the ship and hit the send range button and fire immediately, DO NOT lock the target again. Do this for each torpedo as bubblehead suggested.

I personally don't have much luck with this method (I haven't really practiced it yet) and use the spread wheel moving it one degree or so for each fish.
one at left 1°, one at zero and one at right 1°, much as Askis said earlier.

Hope this helps Good luck and good hunting

Magic

Okay i'll get into some detail to help you.
Your target is approaching from port at 7 knots.Take a range reading when possible, send it and bearing to TDC, activate Position Keeper.Then enter your AOB, get your speed, enter them.When target is nearly at bearing Zero in front of you, up scope, take a quick range reading or have your sonar do it and send to TDC.Up scope, put the crosshairs on center of target, send bearing to TDC and FIRE 1, then move crosshairs over the forward mast, send new bearing, FIRE 2 and repeat if needed, depends on size of target.

If on auto target, simply point crosshairs where needed and fire.

If making an off angle shot(sometimes forced to, cant get that desired 90 degree shot, best is to fire at middle of target.

Hope this helps, its fairly simple.

but how can you fire at a target directly ahead? If it's moving then you have to aim 1 torpedo ahead of the target and then the rest a little to the left of the 1st, correct?

Do you always want to fire directly ahead or sometimes add an angle to the torpedoes?

If you have the PK turned ON then IT will lead the target for you and as long as the white X is on the target and stays there you will hit where the X is. Just watch the target for a time and see if the X stays on target.
The TDC and PK will up date the firing solution for you.

You don't have to fire straight ahead but the closer you are to 90° the better because you will have the biggest target to shoot at but anything above say 70° is OK as long as the X stays on the target.

If you fire 4 times with the target lock on, all will hit in the same spot, where it X is, and won't do much damage.
What bubblehead is describing is a very good way to spread the torpedos along the length of the target.
By firing as soon as you send range you should hit the part of the ship you were looking at when you fired.
Make sure you open the doors first.

It all takes some practice but once you get the hang of it, it's not really that hard.

Magic

Thanks, I guess I just haven't practiced enough. but over time I won't be asking questions but rather telling what happened when I sank this ship on this patrol due to better training and understanding the TDC.

No problem, it definitely takes practice to learn this sim since it has a large learning curve.Half of the battle is conning into a good firing position depending on conditions.In middle of the day, shots with steam torpedos(Mark 14, 23, 16) are usually a waste of fish if you fir from more than 2500 yards...since enemy has ample time to spot the wakes and make evasive moves.If you have Mark 18 electric torpedos, which leave no wake, no worries.

I prefer to fire at targets at about 900-1200 yards, rarely do they have time to evade, of course this is not always easy to do, but possible.

Other half is while conning the boat into ideal firing position, working up your solution...speed, AOB, range etc.Although PK keeps track for you, its good to update info...esp the AOB if there are dramatic changes....say you first entered the AOB when target was at 30 degrees now its at 70, well the TDC does keep track of the change, but updating it never hurts, I do it just as a fail-safe measure.

Just keep working at and try the shooting method i told you, you'll get good results.

burner Keep us posted as it always nice to see when the light bulb goes off and you really get it.
Sometimes it seems like it will never happen than all the sudden it all comes together and BOOM BOOM your sinking ships.

Magic