More on Sonar I am Afraid

[georges]

I am sorry to be bombarding you with questions, but I am preparing for a game or two with my Gaming Group to try to convince them to take up Cold War Naval gaming. These rules cover the period so well and I love the fact that land units are worked in well with naval which makes amphibious scenarios really worth doing.

So, to detect active sonar using Table 5.5.4, presumably active sonobouys use their Active Rating (which is normal 2, 3 or 4) using the larger numbers on the table. This does mean that they will be detected at a much greater range than normal ship or submarine sonars.

Table 5.5.4 states that the range is subject to all active sonar modifiers except Anechoic Coating. As this is the use of passive sonar, using passive sonar modifiers seems more appropriate. Also, with sonar, crew quality is used to modify Table 5.5, but this is not use in Acoustic Intercept, so no crew quality modifier is used. Is this correct?

The range at which Acoustic Intercept will detect active sonar does not appear to change whether it is using CZ or not. Thus a CZ 2 active sonar could detect something at 3 hex range (say), but would only be detected using AI at T2 range (say). This seems wrong and goes against what is stated in Rule 5.5.6.1 at the top of the second column, but I cannot see how to extend that range.

Finally, can you use CZ and standard active sonar in the same turn or must the equipment be in different "modes". (The same applies for passive sonar in standard and CZ configuration.)

Thanks for you help and patience

George S

[williammiller]

1) There should be a note somewhere in the rules or tables that state that each hex covered by active sonobuoys have a BDR (base detection range) of '0' for purposes of acoustic intercept only (I am not at home & don't have the rules handy, sorry).

2) For CZ ranges, the problem is you may be able to pick up an active sonar ping that hits you from a CZ bounce, but you would not be able to localize it (i.e know the distance nor precise direction) very well. You can assume that an active sonar CZ detection bounce is likely detected by most targets (indeed as are most non-CZ pings), but the target really has no way to make use of that info other than deducing the fact that an enemy using active sonar is somewhere in the general area. The acoustic intercept table results are rated to give you a distance and direction (i.e. what hex or holding box the target is in) based upon the limits of technology analyzing the direct-path use of active sonar, so CZ detections don't fit into that. Now, there are some newer shipboard AI technology that can (using special separated sensors, high computing power, and complex algorithms) get fair tracking data from CZ pings, but that happens in the post ~ 2000 period or so.

3) Almost all sonars from the mid-1960s on, that are CZ capable, can perform direct-path and CZ or bottom bounce detections in the same general time frame, so the answer to that question is 'yes'.

Hope this helps a bit...