Harpoon 2 Gun Battle Tactics
As most of you know, I am the Resident WW2 fan. I set this database to work a fair bit different to most. Sighting distances (Non-radar) are way shorter and much more in keeping with visual reality and as such, dictates tactics that many would never have considered as feasible, or indeed, they are not feasible in the harpoon databases based in the modern arena. Best ever daytime max sighting range on a large ship is 28 mile. It averages 25 mile in good weather. About 12-16 mile on a small ship. Bad weather sees these distances more than halved. A fair weather Night reduces it down to a max range sighting of about 8 mile. Bad weather (a force 4 will do) can bring it as low as 2 mile. Think about that while you read on.
There is nothing like a gun battle to get me 'fired' up. :)
Game: H2 AE
PC: P600 64 Win 95
Database: "Age of Steel"
Options: I play "Full Reality" Datalinks off, and weapon range circles up.
Right, I have sighted the enemy (by whatever means), I have maneuvered into a gun-line and am ready to engage. This is where the tactics begin. The fact that I have time to maneuver means that it's day time. Nights are scary. Larger ships against small: Try to keep heading away from them, not fast enough to lose contact, just enough to rule out their torpedo option, stand off and hammer. Smaller ships against large: Scatter your forces and attempt a 'wagon wheel' attack. Come in from all points as fast as you can close in. The AI will target the first ship detected. Keep him maneuvering to draw fire, keep all others closing.
When you open fire (Tip: set time at 1:1, set range ASuW circles), target and fire manually, watch your reload times, cycle through your ships. If you have several, you may need to pause. You will find that the larger ships -- BBs, BCs -- have big guns with slow ROF (20-40 seconds), plenty of time to work down the gunline. Smaller ships (Destroyers, Cruisers) have 4-15 second ROF; 3 or 4 ships and you can do it without wasting shooting time. I rarely give the AI control of any of my forces. This gunline is only ever on a "Plotted" mission. Plotted is closer to reality -- mount arcs come into play. A ship on an assigned mission will "Magically" spin around 180 degrees in a split second; on a Plotted mission, if you accidentally assign a portside weapon to a starboard side target, it simply does not fire.
Your ships can and will target non-threatening platforms even though others are shooting at them, for example shooting at a destroyer at 15 mile range (no threat) when there is a BB at 18 mile shooting at you. Read your messages as they scroll up, to know which are actually hostile. Know your battlespace. Watch ammo loads. Good luck.
Michael C. Deegan
At the going down of the Sun / And in the morning / We will remember them.. / LEST WE FORGET