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British or German Ranging Method


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#1 W. Clark

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Posted 31 May 2014 - 11:50 AM

I'm looking for information on what ranging method (British or German) various navies used during WWI. I suspect that the Japanese used the British method but I've no clue about the French, US, Greeks, Russians, Italians, Austro-Hungarians or Argentines.

 

I'm putting together a multiple nationality armored cruiser scenario for a gaming convention where each player controls a squadron of a particular nation's armored cruisers (Brits, German, US, French, Italian, Japanese or a mixed squadron, Russo-Greek, Argentine or German Austro-Hungarian). It would help if the squadrons used the right ranging method and any advantage or disadvantage that entails.

 

So any information that shows light on the above would be greatly appreciated.



#2 Cpt M

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Posted 01 June 2014 - 09:41 PM

I'm looking for information on what ranging method (British or German) various navies used during WWI. I suspect that the Japanese used the British method but I've no clue about the French, US, Greeks, Russians, Italians, Austro-Hungarians or Argentines.

 

I'm putting together a multiple nationality armored cruiser scenario for a gaming convention where each player controls a squadron of a particular nation's armored cruisers (Brits, German, US, French, Italian, Japanese or a mixed squadron, Russo-Greek, Argentine or German Austro-Hungarian). It would help if the squadrons used the right ranging method and any advantage or disadvantage that entails.

 

So any information that shows light on the above would be greatly appreciated.

In the period in question most nations used fairly similar procedures for ranging salvoes.  This would have involved firing a salvo (or, ladder, in the case of the Germans) and then observing the fall of shot and making adjustments until a straddle is registered.  At that point, continuous fire would be ordered.  The German method was somewhat faster (and accounted for in the rules), and was adopted by the RN post Jutland. 

 

In game terms, the minor differences between individual national doctrines would not be sufficient to justify 'national differences' firing modifiers.  Remember, the game turn length assumes that several salvoes and the ranging and call of shot are automatically worked into the charts and modifiers.  As for the specific method in use by a specific navy, the default would be the RN method as their doctrine was for more influential (especially among those nations with direct ties to the RN).  And frankly, with regards to most of the other nations, the data just isn't there or is, at best, fragmentary.         



#3 W. Clark

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Posted 04 June 2014 - 03:04 AM

Thanks, I kinda figured that to be the case but I also thought I should check.






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