M4 Calliope, needs a graduated site

[stephen]

The rockets are VERY hard to aim...
Like the 8" battery, the Rocket pod M4 needs a way of RELIABLY locating just egsactly at what degree it is firing, since when at full elevation, the ground isnt visible, and you cant see where your rockets are falling...

All im asking for is some EZ way to show the pods elevation in degrees, so I can pan the gunsite down, see where my rounds fall, and adjust my aim using the 1st shot to adjust the laying of the gunsite.
Im sure that the Calliopes had a way of judging deppression, and elevation..., shouldnt we a have the same information as well?, mabey even a range meter like the 8"?

[stephen]

Actualy after further thought I realise that what is needed isnt so much a way to view degrees, but a "LAND MODE" setting like on the ship borne guns. (so the tank commander/gunner is looking straight forward, yet the rocket pods deppression/elevation can be changed WITHOUT making the gunner look up at the sky during firing.

When I think about it, the same rule should apply to the PT boat, as it suffers from much the same problem, (cant see the fall of the rockets because the site is pointed at blue sky)

Obviously if firing by line-of-site, the crew as a whole wouldnt be looking up at the sky at a 45% angle, they would watch the fall of the weapon, and adjust accordingly.
I really think this would be an OUTSTANDING addition to the game..., and it seems to fall in the realm of (historicaly accurate) 

[321BAR]

this thread...started by the remaining few who cannot aim with the calliope    
i've had no problem aiming the weapon since i got the hang of it and the M4A3 75mm full HE and calliope mount is my new base destroyer...It rivals lancasters now in destruction. I took out all 3 FH, and the VH at a small airfield yesterday and still had my 50AP rounds left...imagine if i brought the all HE loadout? and i have also sat on top of hills over towns, adjusted my aim with a rocket or two, then unleashed havoc on the towns. The calliope in every way is fine the way it is.

[stephen]

I can aim FINE as long as the target is still in the gunsite... HOWEVER, when the target is farther away, there no way to watch the fall of rounds without panning back down, and losing the angle at which the round was fired.

Even mortars have a site that looks straight ahead, so that if the target is under direct observation, the rounds can be seen, and the next round adjusted onto target.
Yes its a fine weapon, but there is room for improvment...
Why you would come out against such an obviouse improvment is beyond me..., but I expect this kind of narrow mindedness.

[WWhiskey]

I can aim FINE as long as the target is still in the gunsite... HOWEVER, when the target is farther away, there no way to watch the fall of rounds without panning back down, and losing the angle at which the round was fired.

Even mortars have a site that looks straight ahead, so that if the target is under direct observation, the rounds can be seen, and the next round adjusted onto target.
Yes its a fine weapon, but there is room for improvment...
Why you would come out against such an obviouse improvment is beyond me..., but I expect this kind of narrow mindedness.

try going to f-8 while in the barrel and push up then rotate,,, works for me!

[stephen]

tried f8 in the gunners site, did nothing...

[WWhiskey]

tried f8 in the gunners site, did nothing...

I use f-8 then i use page up, then i rotate the view with kp#8   works for me!   I am trying to perfect it as we speak tho, gonna do some offline firing tests

[gyrene81]

There was no "sight" to that thing...it could be "aimed" by facing the tank in the desired direction then adjusting elevation and launching...barrage effect when needed and artillery couldn't be called in. WWII rocket launchers were not precision devices like we have now...it was fire and forget but you didn't have precise control...and the vehicle mount/towed units were not long range devices.

[Lusche]

Main gun sight, barrel & rockets at maximum elevation, rockets selected,, view adjusted with PgUp and keypad arrows while being in F8 mode:



As one can see, no problem in observing the target area.

[OOZ662]

I agree to the topic's title, not so much the body of the OP. I remember reading that the rockets at least had tick marks (supposing it was just the same aiming optics used by the main gun) that could be used to aim them. Anything's better than a big red cross.

[stephen]

Now your going to tell me they didnt aim the thing...., and your going to tell me that the crew wasnt given a range table so they would know what angle to set the pod for a prescribed distance, nor was there a bubble on-board the tank so they would know that the entire contraption was level....
OK..., then WHY hook it to the barrel so it can be elevated or deppressed?

You honestly expect me to beleive that our troops in Normandy where just firing rockets off willy nilly, just bounding across the landscape firing off a salvo whenever the urge struck them.
Not aiming at any particular area, nor recieving any targeting information, (distance, elevation, salvo),there wasn't a way of setting the pod to a particular elevation so it could be done repeatedly, no compass, no map...no form of fire control at all..., just some shmuck with a button, and a will to succeed.

The Vets where less like soldiers and more like free spirits.....YEAH!, free spirits spilling thier mirth upon the earth in the form of lite hearted high explosive entertainment for the Germans to enjoy.
(Though in recollection they wouldn't be landing rounds anywhere NEAR the Germans..., because they weren't AIMING.)

I found another way of accomplishing the same thing..., i've started switching to the drivers position in order to see where the rounds fall at hi elevation, so I suppose that in hindsite, its a bit of a moot point now huh?

I agree OOZ662

[Lusche]

I found another way of accomplishing the same thing..., i've started switching to the drivers position in order to see where the rounds fall at hi elevation, so I suppose that in hindsite, its a bit of a moot point now huh?

No it isn't, because switching to the driver position is not as efficient. It's cumbersome, as you not only have to switch back & forth, but each time you go back to the gunner you have to re-select the rockets, or you will fire a cannon shell.

With F8 method you can simply shoot, adjust shoot, adjust very quickly.

[stephen]

Lusche, the F8 "mode" still elludes me, I got to the gunners station, and hit F8... and nothing happens.
What does hitting F8 accomplish in a GV? By that I mean, how is it diffrent than just sitting in the gunners seat and hitting page up?

[Lusche]

Lusche, the F8 "mode" still elludes me, I got to the gunners station, and hit F8... and nothing happens.
What does hitting F8 accomplish in a GV? By that I mean, how is it diffrent than just sitting in the gunners seat and hitting page up?

You seem to missed one step in our descriptions

Main gun sight, barrel & rockets at maximum elevation, rockets selected,, view adjusted with PgUp and keypad arrows while being in F8 mode:

F8 is pan view mode. Unlike the standard (f7) snap view, you can freely look around with those keys (or with the buttons on stick, of course). So hit PG up to raise your head, and then hit up arrow (8) to tilt your head down.

BTW, that's also the way "we" GVers can shoot and hit targets with the cannon at extremely long ranges.

[321BAR]

No it isn't, because switching to the driver position is not as efficient. It's cumbersome, as you not only have to switch back & forth, but each time you go back to the gunner you have to re-select the rockets, or you will fire a cannon shell.

With F8 method you can simply shoot, adjust shoot, adjust very quickly.

ive actually found that switching to the hull gun position when on a ridgeline will help in accuracy when testing to find your target with one or two rockets better than the F8 mode because sometimes you are way too far away to use F8 to keep visual on your target. once i find my target i shoot all 60 fast while only moving the sight little by little and half of town goes down from a distance of a mile and a half away or so.