Heading, Course, Bearing, AOB, Magnetic, Relative?

This guide aims to clarify some of the terminology many players commonly use in wolfpack

INTRODUCTION

TLDR

If you don't want to read the entire guide, then here is a quick reference image

If you want to know more, then continue reading this guide and it will cover terms such as:
Heading, Course, Bearing, Magnetic, Absolute, True, Relative and Angle on Bow.

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1. CONFUSED? LETS CLARIFY!

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- 1.1 Heading & Course

The course and heading is taken from the magnetic and/or true North

Definition of Course
Course is the direction the boat is traveling
Definition of Heading
Heading is the direction the boat's bow is pointing towards.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Course_(navigation)

Difference between Heading and Course?
In Wolfpack for the most part, the Heading and Course is the same. In real life wind and/or currents can push a boat sideways causing it to drift and the helmsman needs to steer the boat slightly sideways to correct for the drift. In Wolfpack there is no wind applied to the submarine nor are there currents but the waves hitting the boat can toss it off course which can force a helmsman to have to correct for drift.

Target Course/Heading Example

Target Course is 120°

Own Course/Heading Example

Own Course is 080°

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- 1.2 Magnetic, True & Relative Bearing

What is a Bearing
A bearing is a direction of something, it could be another ship, a u-boat a lighthouse a island. Commonly used to reference a direction for another crewmember to look towards.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearing_(angle)

Relative Bearing
"Relative" bearings is a bearing referenced from your own bow. Bearings is assigned in degrees ranging from 0-360 going clockwise.

• 0 being your front/bow
  
• 90 your right/starboard
  
• 180 your aft/stern
  
• 270 your left/port

Magnetic, Absolute & True Bearings
In real life there is a difference between "Magnetic", "Absolute" and "True" Bearings but Wolfpack does not simulate any difference so it does not matter which one you say, however the term "Magnetic" is commonly used over "True" or "Absolute" because it tends to be more self-explanatory than the other terms. The "Magnetic" Bearing uses North as its zero reference point:

• 0 = NORTH
  
• 90 = EAST
  
• 180 = SOUTH
  
• 270 = WEST

Magnetic Bearing Example

Merchant at Magnetic Bearing 033

Relative Bearing Example

Merchant at Relative Bearing 313 Front Left of our bow

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- 1.3 Angle on Bow

Breaking down the word Angle on Bow
If we look at the term word for word and start with "Bow".
The "Bow" of the ship is it's "Fore"/"Front". The ships rear and side also have other names such as "Stern" which can be used instead of "Aft" or "Rear" and the ships side can be referred to as it's "Beam".

So the term "Angle on Bow" means the angular difference one need to turn in degrees away from the "Front"/"Fore"/"Bow" of the ship.





In other words, you can imagine that you can see the ship's lookout and they see a enemy sub (your sub) so they therefor will be calling out in which direction they see the enemy sub. Imagine that the same time they also will be using their entire arm and point towards the sub it. The direction of the arm and what the lookout will say is the Angle on Bow.

Do note that it does not matter your distance, how fast or what course you have when it comes the AOB.

Reference: Angle on Bow Guide
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2553649456

Angle on Bow Example

The Angle on Bow is 94 Right/Starboard

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- 1.4 How are they connected?

All of the things we talked about above have a mathematical relationship with each other.

Mathematical relationships:

Own Course, Relative Bearing & Magnetic Bearing

Own Course + Relative Bearing = Magnetic Bearing

Some calculators don't know you are working with results between 0-360 degrees, to correct any answers outside the range, you can apply below formulas.
If MBER > 360:

MBER - 360 = Corrected MBER

If MBER < 0:

MBER + 360 = Corrected MBER

Target Course, Magnetic Bearing & AOB
If AOB is right:

Target Course = Magnetic Bearing + (180 - AOB)

If AOB is Left:

Target Course = Magnetic Bearing - (180 - AOB)

Example:

Magnetic Bearing = 033


AOB = 94 Right

Course = Magnetic Bearing + (180 - AOB)

||
V

Course = 033 + (180 - 93)

Course = 120

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2. ABBREVIATIONS

Heading = HDG
Course = CRS
Target/Convoy Course = CCRS
Bearing = BER
Magnetic Bearing = MAG BER / MBER
Relative Bearing = REL BER / RBER
Angle on Bow = AOB

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AUTHORS WORDS

I encounter many new players who gets all these terms in a twist so this guide is to offer players of wolfpack some understanding in the terms. Knowing what term to use will help in communicating what you want to happen as a captain and understanding what a captain means when they use these terms. So my hopes that with this quick little guide, with a lot of graphical aide, that the reader will be less confused.

OTHER GUIDES

Other Guides By Fox

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2553649456
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2894764377
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2870513651
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2842875340
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2595952369
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2568475031
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2871279241

[Fox]

Added: New section in 1.4. Mathematical relationship for Magnetic bearing , relative bearing and own course

[Fox]

New TDC Guide available! https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2894764377