Air attacks, are there supposed to be any?

[Shikkapow]

I started a career in 1939 and its now jan 1943, and I have yet to see an enemy airplane. I have the GW mod installed and have planes buzzing around friendly ports, but not a single enemy aircraft in the skies.

Not that I'm really complaining, but something doesn't seem right.

[AVGWarhawk]

I hear the amout of time compression you use affects this. 256 or lower and the planes will appear. This is what I'm told but have not experience it yet. I was attacked once while on the surface using the cannon. That is about it.....very strange to me too:hmm:

[stabiz]

Yes, it seems the planes will not spawn if you are at higher than 256x tc. This meens you`ll probably run into them while you are busy with something else. :D

Oh, and have a look at the draggable map in GW, it shows areas covered by allied airpower.

[andy_311]

Apparently I had this problem myself so in this career I have started(7th)my attacks are more dareing and very close to the brithish mainland and I do have on occdasions been attacked by Hurricanes in 39-40.

[Shikkapow]

Must be the TC. I patrol from point to point at 1024 or 2048.

[Hartmann]

I was attacked by a plane near gibraltar at 512 TC ....

All hands lost :dead:

but i had the 3d render to 1024... could this influde in the planes ??

[Jimbuna]

Must be the TC. I patrol from point to point at 1024 or 2048.

Then you'll be very lucky/unlucky if you ever see a plane :cool: Try TC at 128 :rock:

[Corsair]

Starting a new career yesterday from Wilhelmshaven (after my old U 104 type IX finally met its fate near Gibraltar earlier this week, crushing at 140m after an unlucky depth charge hit) I was surprised so early in the war to be under attack of a couple of hurricanes 200+ km NW of Scapa Flow at daybreak (06h45) just when I was planning to go submerged for the day. Not much damage but one sailor killed... May be the large merchant I had sunk during the night had time to send a report giving my position away ? (although it sank almost immediately after a 2 torps salvo at 600m in the engine room region) - I run NYGM 2.2.

[cobalt]

planes dont drop bombs on me, but at least they come. ];

[Shikkapow]

Must be the TC. I patrol from point to point at 1024 or 2048.
Then you'll be very lucky/unlucky if you ever see a plane :cool: Try TC at 128 :rock:

I'll take my chances at 2048/4096... haven't been hit yet, but it really sucks when a Destroyer show up.
:doh:

[Jimbuna]

Must be the TC. I patrol from point to point at 1024 or 2048.
Then you'll be very lucky/unlucky if you ever see a plane :cool: Try TC at 128 :rock:

I'll take my chances at 2048/4096... haven't been hit yet, but it really sucks when a Destroyer show up.
:doh:

What I meant was 'planes will not spawn/be created at anything higher than 256 tc' :up:

[Steeltrap]

Starting a new career yesterday from Wilhelmshaven (after my old U 104 type IX finally met its fate near Gibraltar earlier this week, crushing at 140m after an unlucky depth charge hit) I was surprised so early in the war to be under attack of a couple of hurricanes 200+ km NW of Scapa Flow at daybreak (06h45) just when I was planning to go submerged for the day. Not much damage but one sailor killed... May be the large merchant I had sunk during the night had time to send a report giving my position away ? (although it sank almost immediately after a 2 torps salvo at 600m in the engine room region) - I run NYGM 2.2.

NW of Scapa is Hurricane alley, even at the start of the war. I find there are a few things to consider:

1. If I use high TC, will I avoid aircraft, or will I get unlucky and contact one at point blank range?

2. Should I simply dive at dawn?

3. Does heavy fog prevent them from seeing me?

I find that I run TC at no more than 256x and that usually gives me enough warning to be diving by the time a/c actually reach an attack position. In light fog I dive, because a/c will find me but my ability to spot them is reduced. In heavy weather/fog, I can stay surfaced as a/c either don't fly or tend not to spot me (which is accurate - a/c actually spot a vessel's wake, not the ship itself, so a sea with whitecaps makes spotting a vessel from the air very difficult).

I'm also using NYGM 2.2.

I've been straffed and bombed, but I've not lost any crew as I immediately order a CD when an aircraft is reported, so the crew is below even if I'm straffed. Never had a bomb closer than about 30-40m, and I've been at about 10m at least when they've landed.

I NEVER attempt to fight a/c, which is how it should be.

[stabiz]

Yes, you will avoid aircraft by using high tc, they just dont have time to spawn. Although I`ve heard several reports of people meeting planes when cruising at 512x. Dunno.

[Corsair]

I always run also max TC 256, more usually 128. I don't fight aircraft either, this time I was surprised as I really didn't expect them so far away and at this time, so I guess I made the mistake to try and have a look at what it was before ordering the crash dive... Matrosegefreiter Willi Blank paid for this mistake from his Kapt'n...:cry:

[squirrel777]

At the beginning of the war, planes seem to have a quite a short range, I've never met one when at more than 100km of the British coast (when crossing the North Sea).
But I prefer cruising at periscope depth during day hours when the weather is good.

[stabiz]

This is correct. They expand throughout the war, and in 1943 they cover almost all the Atlantic ++.

[squirrel777]

I don't know how they are influenced by the weather though. But I think it's safe to cruise on surface at night and by heavy fog. But I don't know how much they like 'medium fog'.

[AVGWarhawk]

I tried the 128 and 256 TC this weekend. The patrol date was 1942. I still did not experience spawned aircraft. My base is Bergen and I went north of Scapa flow over to Nova Scotia and down toward NY. The only time I experienced aircraft was my own at 1x TC. They attacked an escort carrier that I was shadowing. It seems I had more aircraft attack in the vanilla version. I will say this, who needs the aircraft in 1942???? The darn destroyers sniff you out like a bloodhounds!!!!:damn:

[Corsair]

Personnally, I don't send complaints to the RAF when I don't see planes... ;)

[Hartmann]

At the beginning of the war, planes seem to have a quite a short range, I've never met one when at more than 100km of the British coast (when crossing the North Sea).
But I prefer cruising at periscope depth during day hours when the weather is good.

it changes later in the war... at the beginning is safe stay surfaced at night, but when the radar an leight lights arrives is better stay surfaced at day in clear water, when you can see the planes incoming