who's happy with using the deck gun

[ddiplock]

Simple question: Who's happy sinking ships with the deck gun?? I sunk a 6000 ton large merchant with the deck gun at night on the surface, but that was only because i must've got a bit too close and the bugger saw me and started panicking, screwing up my torpedo solution.

In all honesty I try to avoid the deck gun as much as possible, doesn't seem very "submarine like" sinkig ships with the deck gun :)

thoughts anyone? :P

[ddiplock]

ahhh damint!!!!! i've just tried loading my save game 3 times and 3 times its crashed out the game. guessing the save file has corrupted. noooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:damn:

[U873]

I love the deck gun, use it every chance I can weather permitting. Best in the early years. Late years stay away from Liberty Cargo ships they are loaded for bear with guns. Tankers burn very nicely.

[Platapus]

I guess I must be a frustrated Destroyer Captain wanna be.

I love using the deck gun. If I catch a lone unarmed merchant, I will hoist the jolly roger and uncork the cannon. Even with GW2, I still like punching small holes in the floaty things

[ddiplock]

haha. I've started a new campaign, still in the patrol, its January 1940 and U33 has been assigned a grid off the coast of Spain. For the hell of it, I attacked a lone coastal tanker worth some 1100 tons with the deck gun because it was alone and easy prey.

And now i've just sunk a 7000 odd ton large merchant with a very successfull early morning torpedo strike. Put 3 torpedos below her keel with magnetic detonators, fired a 4th thinking 3 wouldn't be enough but the 4th torpedo missed. No fires broke out on the deck of the large merchy but my 3 torps must have put several holes on the underside of him because he started listing at the bow, and then sank completely.

May the rest of this first patrol be as fruitful for U33 and her crew!!! :rock:

[sunvalleyslim]

"Save Those Torpedoes, Dammit"...........Hey if you've got a small merchie, or tanker unescorted in calm seas, by all means go for the deck gun.......Save those Torpedoes for the "BIG BOYS"..............:up::up::up:

[von Kinderei]

If it's an un-armed ship ...

I ALWAYS use the deck gun ... :up:

[Albrecht Von Hesse]

Normally I use the deck gun either to finish off a cripple, or to engage a merchant ship 2,000 tonnes or less. At least early in the war, until the buggers start shooting back!

There is something oddly satisfying about manning the deck gun myself and pasting shot after shot into a target. I don't look as it being 'unsubmarine-like'. A U-boat was a warship. One whose primary armament was, yes, the torpedo. But that wasn't the sole armament. I guess I look at it as using the right tools for the right job.

[Kaptain Hans Wolf]

the deck gun is great, weather permitting the use of it, but ill usually only use it if im looking to conserve torpedos, or if its a lone un armed merchant.

[Sniper_Fox]

if its a lone armed merchant, ill engage it at long range weather permitting, unless its a very large ship, then its just not economical. Ill charge in flank speed and torp it at 1000m to the broilers ( right under the smokestacks

[Kaleu. Jochen Mohr]

hell yea! :rock:

[Dekessey]

I wouldn't say it isn't submarine like. It's a perfectly valid weapon to sink ships! In fact, IIRC there was a famous U-boat commander who used the deck gun as much as possible.

Like others have said, I use mine whenever I can for smaller targets, I save precious eels for larger ships.

[Schwuppes]

During the second "happy time" in early 1942 off the North American east coast the deck gun was routinely used... I have seen a documentary where people on a beach witnessed a tanker being shelled by a U-Boat, in broad daylight (!!)... this happened very close to the shore.

One witness said he could make out the silhouette of a U-Boat against the horizon... so the distance couldn't have been much more than 10 kilometers or so....

I think especially commanders of Type IX boats would have used the deck gun as often as possible... because of the large range and potentially long duration of patrols.... in order to save as many torpedos as possible.

[Graf Paper]

I'm still waiting for the Uberboot mod to release a type XI "U-Cruiser" with four 127mm guns!:arrgh!:

[Kaptain Hans Wolf]

just had a good patrol deck gun wise, taking out a couple of lone 2,000 ton merchant ships, but then the weather started to get bad. ah well, ill try to use it a little more on future patrols.

[TomcatMVD]

Arrrrrgh! I'd use my Deck gun a lot more if it wasn't for that sissy crew of mine!
"You sure Herr Kaleun? Wind is like 8mts. per second, I might break a nail!"
Arrrrgh!!!!:arrgh!:

Anyways... seriously speaking, in my boat, shells are used only to finish off slow-sinking merchies, or to engage lone, small, unarmed vessels (and mostly only at night).

[trongey]

I would be happy to use the deck gun - if the wind weren't always 40 bazillion freaking meters per second when I encounter a target.

I've heard that among the Germans the deck gun was preferred over the torpedos because the torpedos were much more expensive and much less reliable. Of course this would only apply in the absence of armed escorts.

Tony

[TheBlackHand]

I just finished "U-Boat Ace: The Story of Wolfgang Luth". The book details a number of deck gun actions. Very interesting stuff.

I also got the impression that the reload times for the deck gun were up to a minute long. That would make sinking ships on the surface in SH3 a lengthy affair.

My question is, what is a reasonable reload time for SH3's deck gun? If a minute is realistic, it's a bit too long for my impatience. I've got it set to ten seconds via SH3 Commander. I'm thinking I might make it 15-20 seconds, so that firing the deck gun actually feels like work.

[headcase]

The 105 on my Boat is named Enid. She likes to be fed. Before the lambs start growing teeth I've had patrols where I have put almost as much or more on the bottom with her. Use it when you can, it's that much more that the tea-sipping fools won't ever see again.

[Wulfmann]

In GWX2 the deck gun has finally been altered to make some realistic sense.

U-Boats were not stable surface gun platforms so the way they roll now makes those old days of 100% 4000 meter shots impossible. I now close to 200 meters then fire with full deck view.

Plus, I edited all my trawlers to be crew rated 4 which means they can choose which Kraut to off from the horizon and I run or dive which is how it really was (really was matters to me). At 100% I do not chance fighting a one gun merchant. My crew is more important (DID)

I do not always agree with the team on everything (No, really, its true says K:rotfl: ) but it is opinions on details to make it more realistic not on making it so.

They did the DG super, best ever.

Wulfmann

[danurve]

Simple question: Who's happy sinking ships with the deck gun?? I sunk a 6000 ton large merchant with the deck gun at night on the surface, but that was only because i must've got a bit too close and the bugger saw me and started panicking, screwing up my torpedo solution.

In all honesty I try to avoid the deck gun as much as possible, doesn't seem very "submarine like" sinkig ships with the deck gun :)

thoughts anyone? :P

Not to be a smart @ss but Simple answer:

39-41 I am happy.
42- ? I am not happy.

[STEED]

1939 to early 1941 is great but after that I hardly use it and by mid 1942 it's time to say good bye to it.

[Laufen zum Ziel]

Love the deck gun especially at night. Got to watch those armed merchants though. Scary when she lights you up and your watch officer yells. Wir sind angegriffen.



Gib mir mehr Munition

[Grayson02sept1980]

I like the Deckgun but it is my "when every torpedo is fired and it is not a Liberty" :lol: weapon

yeah in GWX the Liberty is nightmare about guns... this thing has more guns than a hedgehog has spikes :yep:

I once sunk a Black Swan Firgatewith my 10.5 (IX boat) but that was in 41 ... I don't know how it'll be in the later years...

The 8.8 on the VII is not so strong and I only use it when it is 100% save and sane

[Ivan Putski]

I`m well into 1942 on one campaign, and going into 1942 on another, so I have to keep in mind the merchants are becoming armed, and with better escorts. I use it to pick off unescorted single merchants usually after a torpedo strike, the weather allowing. I served on a 105mm towed howitzer, using it in the direct fire mood, and anti-tank, of course we were on dry land, there was no rolling port to starboard, or pitching fore, and aft. That 1 minute firing time relates directly to that problem, being able to come back on target, and as mentioned a U-Boat is not a stable gun platform.

In the 1960`s we had an intersting sea exercise we were aboard an LSD, landing ship detachment. She was an old girl, her builders plate had U.S. Army Ship, Portsmouth, NH, 1917, forget the month listed. The Navy had welded 2 stop plates to her stern deck to support the 105`s spades at her trails, the guns wheel brakes were locked, and it`s wheels were chocked. we used a four man crew, all 8 gun crews in the battery got a chance to fire at large empty milk containers that had been thrown overboard. I don`t recall now how many knots we were traveling at, but remember the range was 900 yards. She was a fair gun platform, but you still had movement, pitch, and roll. None of the crews directly hit a target, but came really close, the target being about the size of a 55 gal. drum, only rectangular, and made of stainless steel. We were getting off rounds under a minute, but on dry land we could have gotten six well placed rounds off, and had our ass chewed out for being slow.:D

Don`t know what the Navy, and Marine Corps conclusion of those trials were, we never had another cruise like it, and afterwards we went back to Pendelton, and our firing range at 29 Palms (stumps). Puts:up:

[Brag]

I use the deck gun whenever possible and have a qualified officer and petty officer. That combo saves a lot of ammunition--Now, the weather . . .

[papa_smurf]

I use my Deck Gun as much as I can from '39 to around late '41, after that its too risky, as more merchants become armed and have a greater chnce of sinking you.

Love the deck gun especially at night. Got to watch those armed merchants though. Scary when she lights you up and your watch officer yells. Wir sind angegriffen.


Definaltey the best time to shoot ships, especially when its a tanker - its like the 4th of july!

[Blue_Ninja63]

Yes, I use the deck gun in good weather on most merchants that are unprotected, I save my torpedoes for bad weather use or convoys. Helps to get the tonnage up on a patrol!! :up:

[Buhring]

I switched to a IXB boat mostly in order to have a more effective gun. The 105 is quite deadly against unarmed targets, and it saves me a lot of second torpedoes.
Of course, I know the party will end quite soon -- and there will be times in which just the thought of surfacing with an enemy in sight will be pure madness...
But as far as Feb. 1941, I would trade my AA guns for a second 105 mount aft.

Gute Jagd

Buhring

[TarJak]

Early war single smallish merchant I'm more than happy to shoot the bugger rahter than waste a torp on them. Later than 1943 or in a convoy situation no chance my DG crew is going to get called on unless I'm finishing off a lame duck.

I tend to avoid DG battles with anything that has a gun although I have managed to sink a few in the past by out manoeuvring and keeping away from their gunfire.

[Turm]

I use the deck gun on small ships under about 2000t or on crippled ships (sometimes larger if I have no torpedoes left), but that said, last night I changed my usual routine.

I was surfaced ahead of a Coastal Freighter (~1800t), just 700m off its starboard quarter, in the dead of a moonless night. I quite wanted to use the deck gun, but wondered if, in reality, it was commonplace to do so at night due to the risk to the crew of working on the deck, transferring rounds, and loading the gun in the dark. Since I was concerned my crew would injure themselves or fall into the water, I used a torpedo :hmm: :D

In such a situation I expect a torpedo would have been used, primarily because the merchant hadn't spotted me and I had such a clear shot. However, I slightly regret using a torpedo on it when I had a perfect opportunity for a deck gun attack (bearing in mind the crew in the game have no difficulties whatever the time of day).

Does anybody have any info on this? I've read a handful of books with another handful waiting to be read, but don't remember reading anything about this area in particular.

[Brer Rabbit]

I am still into 12th patrol of my first career in the stock SHIII, but during the first year when patroling with the IIs. I loved working with the type II especially the D. I didn't mind the torp load,, but the inabilty to finish off damaged ships without wasting eels, or after usind your last eel. I damaged a C2 cargo ship withmy last torp. I tried ramming 4 times -- no dice nothing but scrapes on both of us so I submerged and went home. HOW EMBARASSING! the crew swears Bernard was at the helm and had paid me off to let him bounce off the C2. Love my deck gun, but I know that it will be worthlee in the nest two years.

[Hartmann]

I was very happy using my 105 mm deck gun against a damaged troop ship.
it started to burn in a huge fire some time before sinking, :roll: :88)

[NealT]

I will use deck gun early on until they start getting their own.

Then I will reserve it only for the really small stuff a fish would not sink anyway...

[Blacklight]

I *heart* my deck gun !! Come here deck gun !!! *smootch...kiss...smootch....rub*
:o

[Abd_von_Mumit]

In my last patrol (career mode) I lost a man in a deck gun fight with a crippled tanker - night, 3 km distance, January '41. Current patrol - got hit by a crippled Large Merchant upon surfacing before my crew was ordered to man the gun (March '41). :shifty:

No more deck gunning. :nope:

[DirtyACE]

I actually take down some big fish sometimes with just the deck gun. In my current mission I took out a lonely Large Merchant (~11,000 tons). She took about 30 shots though.

[JScones]

My boat has a deck gun now? :hmm:

[ryanwigginton]

I took out a lonely Large Merchant (~11,000 tons). She took about 30 shots though.

In reality it would have taken a couple of hundred shots and maybe an hour or two on the gun.

[Abd_von_Mumit]

:x :cry: :o :nope: :shifty: :down: :damn:

March '41, somewhere near Freetown. A British passenger/cargo sucked allready two torpedoes (steam, impact at 2 metres), both starboard, 1 amidships, 1 at bow, and still seems absolutely healthy after 6 hours (going at initial speed od 5.5 knots, no listing). I decide to deck gun it from long distance (as it is armed).

It took me 94 shells, distance 6500-4000 metres, finally we hit ammo storage and it went up.

94 shells out of 220.

We're definitely not happy with our deck gun. :88)

[TheBlackHand]

On my last patrol I sunk a small convoy of three ships and it's escort. I sunk one small merchant first. Then I dispatched the escort quite by accident. She must've crossed the path of one of my torps. After that I disabled the last two ships with my last four torps. One dud and one miss. I surfaced and finished the ships off out of effective range of their guns. It was a clear day with calm seas so my shooting was bang-on.

Amidst all the action I wasn't even aware that I had sunk the destroyer. She went down fast! I thought she might've just sailed on and the AI wasn't behaving properly. Then I eventually saw the sunken ship icon & put two & two together. Sure enough, the log showed that I'd sent her under!

I received the Diamonds to my Knights Cross.

Very nice!

[StarFox]

I use it when ever I can

Sank an armed tugboat and a PTn boat off the US East coast yesterday with the deck gun, were not worth a torpedo.

[Sniper_Fox]

i dont see what all the fuss about armed merchants is, they are not that deadly, if you cannot take one out wiht your deckgun, you need to go back to naval academy, they teach you its use for a reason.:know:

ive taken out 2 flower corvettes with my deckgun, one on my VIIC and the other in my XIB. sure i took extreme damage (both times i was forced into the situation, the first one i was trying to get away from a convoy and he knew were i was so i tried to make a run for it ( shallow waters in the mediterranian) and the second one i was recharging batteries when he spotted me, and i again tried to out run him, eventually changing course and goin behind him to destroy his prop and rudder.

if i can merk flower corvettes, and still make it back to port on my own diesels, you can take out single armed merchants no problem.

dont overstate the danger, your quicker and more manouverable, use it for a change.

[ryanwigginton]

i dont see what all the fuss about armed merchants is, they are not that deadly, if you cannot take one out wiht your deckgun, you need to go back to naval academy, they teach you its use for a reason.:know:

ive taken out 2 flower corvettes with my deckgun, one on my VIIC and the other in my XIB. sure i took extreme damage (both times i was forced into the situation, the first one i was trying to get away from a convoy and he knew were i was so i tried to make a run for it ( shallow waters in the mediterranian) and the second one i was recharging batteries when he spotted me, and i again tried to out run him, eventually changing course and goin behind him to destroy his prop and rudder.

if i can merk flower corvettes, and still make it back to port on my own diesels, you can take out single armed merchants no problem.

dont overstate the danger, your quicker and more manouverable, use it for a change.

Easy tiger! :rotfl:

[Smooth Operator]

are you kidding me!?!?!?!?

I LOVE THE DECK GUN!!!!!!!!

Full Broadside!:arrgh!:

When I see a lone merchantman or 2-merchant packs, I submerge then surface right in fron of them when I'm within 500 meters and order to man the deck AND flak guns! Then the U-boat captain turns into an Admiral Nelson. I do that with lone corvettes and armed trawlers too, but only on rare occassion since you mostly only see them guarding harbors or escorting convoys. When they shoot back, it's more rewarding to sink them, and you don't feel as bad :rotfl:

I man the flak guns myself since the flak gunners won't train their guns on ships.:down:

[papa_smurf]

Yup, its the deck for me in the early years. First sight of a lone merchant, im intercepting, surface at close range (about 3000m) and open up with the deck gun:arrgh!: .

Think the next time im back in port, my U-boat, U-46, is getting a jolly roger painted on the side:D

[Smooth Operator]

Yeah, every time I am engaging a target with my deck gun, I am saying to myself "damn, I wish this was an Admiral Hipper Class heavy cruiser."

[Wulfmann]

i dont see what all the fuss about armed merchants is, they are not that deadly, if you cannot take one out wiht your deckgun, you need to go back to naval academy, they teach you its use for a reason.:know:

Couple questions.

What realism setting do you play?

Do you think that statement would also apply to real Kaleuns? That is, if this is a sim (as compared to a game) and we are trying to place ourselves in the position of a real kaleun then it seems you could direct that comment to them as well.

Wulfmann

[Avatar]

Abd von Mumit, are you playing GWX2.0? Passenger/Cargo ships sink better in GWX2.0, I think. In gwx1.03 they were the work of the devil.

edit: yep, I just saw that you are... sorry

I love blasting unarmed ships outta the water with the ol' 88. Makes for good mess conversation.
But be wary later on in the war, because aircraft will surely spoil the fun!

[Abd_von_Mumit]

Abd von Mumit, are you playing GWX2.0? Passenger/Cargo ships sink better in GWX2.0, I think. In gwx1.03 they were the work of the devil.

edit: yep, I just saw that you are... sorry

I love blasting unarmed ships outta the water with the ol' 88. Makes for good mess conversation.
But be wary later on in the war, because aircraft will surely spoil the fun!
Hmm, this one was a naughty bastard then. :D

Oh, it's not only he aircraft. It's their guns too that make sings harder, MUCH harder. And I enjoy it... :88)

:arrgh!:

[Hartmann]

:x :cry: :o :nope: :shifty: :down: :damn:

March '41, somewhere near Freetown. A British passenger/cargo sucked allready two torpedoes (steam, impact at 2 metres), both starboard, 1 amidships, 1 at bow, and still seems absolutely healthy after 6 hours (going at initial speed od 5.5 knots, no listing). I decide to deck gun it from long distance (as it is armed).

It took me 94 shells, distance 6500-4000 metres, finally we hit ammo storage and it went up.

94 shells out of 220.

We're definitely not happy with our deck gun. :88)

Nex time try this... pop up from periscope depht very close to the target and blow up the big guns with your AA guns.

[Kptlt. Siegmann]

I find the deck gun rather handy. Over half sinkings were from the deck gun. Of course it's only early 1940 for me, and the two convoys I ran into so far had negligible escorts, which made the merchants easy pickings.

[bookworm_020]

If it's small and unarmed, it's deck gun time!:arrgh!: Later in the war I give up the deck gun for more AA guns and a better hope of seeing the end of the war!:yep:

[Marriott]

i dont use it often. Maybe to finish of a ship or attack a small ship not worth a torpedo.

[Jimbuna]

Late war I use it as the coupe de grace if the ship is totally immobilised and unable to fire back. It also saves using a precious eel. :arrgh!: