Newbie Question: Deck Guns

[navec]

I have had trouble finding an answer to my question and I figured you guys would know if anyone did.

How were the sub's deck guns typically used during the war? In SH3, I would often save my torpedoes by engaging lone cargo ships with my deck gun alone. It would take awhile, 20-30 salvos, but the boat would eventually go down, is this realistic? When I get SHIV, I want to make sure I'm not 'cheating' and stay as true to history as possible. I know that deck guns were often used to finish off crippled ships, but was it common for them to be used on their own?

I searched the forum and couldn't find the answer to this, so if it has already been discussed, sorry.

[AJ!]

You know thats exactly what i was wondering..... I feel like a bit of a cheat when picking off a lone merchant with the deck gun but i guess it was a viable option during the war to save torpedoes. Of course deck guns were generaly removed by late war due to increasing pressure from allied ASW :o (Atlantic theatre)

One thing that does greatly counter this though is rough weather.... some patrols the deck gun is simply not a option due to constant rough seas etc

Oh and welcome to Subsim :)

[boatfull]

Deck gun was used to finish off a ship that would not go down when torpedoed
or when a ship was not worth a torpedo(sailing ship or schooner,barge)there is
no set rules for using a deck gun as long as your sub was not in any danger.

[Godalmighty83]

deck guns werent very popular as it negated the subs advantage of not being seen putting it at high risk.

so many captains chose not to risk it.

for the sh3 the grey wolves team modelled this as not the damage of the shell sinking the target but the weight of them as they gathered in your target. this took a while as the gun was being loaded by a one armed hobbit who couldnt reach the breach.

thus replicating the historical lack of use of the weapon.

[tedhealy]

I think you'll have more opportunity to use the deck gun in a historical manor on the smaller Japanese ships - specifically the junk.

[XXi]

Deck gun was seldom used by the Germans - it was main weapon in WWI but in WWII it was used only to finish off ships not worth a torpedo and in as safe conditions as possible, or to take down small crappy vessels. Deck guns were used in the opeartion Paukenschlag due to the lack of ASW means but later they were removed. Keep in mind, that with manned and prepared deck gun it took much longer to dive.

Americans used deck guns against small vessels mostly - AFAIR the greatest ship sunk by an American submarine`s gun was like 2000 BRT.

[bookworm_020]

American use of the deck gun was different to German. From day one of the war, may skippers wanted a larger deck gun (as well as more automatic weapons, etc 20mm and 40mm) as there were plenty of targets that weren't worth a torpedo (and many that got away when they couldn't get them to explode). The main target of deck guns were picket boats, sampans, junks and fishing boats.

Larger ships were targeted when it was safe to, and the deck gun was also used for bombardment duty (cover fire for rescues of downed flyers, beach assults (yes it did happen) and targets of oppertuity)