Method for resolving a group of ships - in particular, a formation of naval vessels - or an assemblage of watercraft, wherein the group of ships or the assemblage of watercraft includes at least two watercraft , and the watercraft emit underwater sound waves, the method comprising the following steps: - Receiving the underwater sound waves by means of a sonar antenna during a time measurement series [t 0 - t M-1 ] with M measurement time points, - Determining the individual spectra for each beam (B) of a beam zone with N beams and for each measurement time point, so that N x M individual spectra are obtained, wherein each individual spectrum has a frequency range (f 0 - f END ) with individual frequencies, and each individual frequency has an associated amplitude (A), characterized in that the method comprises the following steps: - Determining a maximum amplitude (MAX[A]) for each individual frequency over the full beam zone for each measurement time point and correspondingly determining the beam associated with the maximum amplitude, - Determining an overall amplitude based on the determined maximum amplitude for each frequency over the time measurement series and notation of a temporal beam path B(t) corresponding in each case to each overall amplitude and/or each frequency, thereby producing a total spectrum with, in each case, a corresponding temporal beam path B(t), - Determining the K greatest overall amplitudes of the total spectrum or the K overall amplitudes lying above a threshold amplitude, wherein K is less than or equal to the number of individual frequencies, - Determining and selecting characteristic beam paths of the K overall amplitudes, - Producing an analysis spectrum of the overall amplitudes corresponding to the selected beam paths, and - Carrying out a pattern recognition process based upon the produced analysis spectrum, so that one of the watercraft is identified. - Receiving the underwater sound waves by means of a sonar antenna during a time measurement series [t 0 - t M-1 ] with M measurement time points, - Determining the individual spectra for each beam (B) of a beam zone with N beams and for each measurement time point, so that N x M individual spectra are obtained, wherein each individual spectrum has a frequency range (f 0 - f END ) with individual frequencies, and each individual frequency has an associated amplitude (A), characterized in that the method comprises the following steps: - Determining a maximum amplitude (MAX[A]) for each individual frequency over the full beam zone for each measurement time point and correspondingly determining the beam associated with the maximum amplitude, - Determining an overall amplitude based on the determined maximum amplitude for each frequency over the time measurement series and notation of a temporal beam path B(t) corresponding in each case to each overall amplitude and/or each frequency, thereby producing a total spectrum with, in each case, a corresponding temporal beam path B(t), - Determining the K greatest overall amplitudes of the total spectrum or the K overall amplitudes lying above a threshold amplitude, wherein K is less than or equal to the number of individual frequencies, - Determining and selecting characteristic beam paths of the K overall amplitudes, - Producing an analysis spectrum of the overall amplitudes corresponding to the selected beam paths, and - Carrying out a pattern recognition process based upon the produced analysis spectrum, so that one of the watercraft is identified. <EOS>