getting gunners to do something

[aj906]

Just a question, how do I get my gunners to engage a target? I've noticed that the standard response I have set is to engage aircraft when they are spotted. However, when gunners are at their stations they don't do anything. Ayone tell me what I'm doing wrong - or how to untick the box for always follow this order

[rifleman13]

Just order them to fire with the Watch Officer...:know:

Or you could be suffering from a bug!:o

[UnderseaLcpl]

The watch officer must be on deck and you must give them the "fire at will" command.
Sometimes they just don't shoot, even at targets that are right in front of them. No idea why.

[nirwana]

Some planes dont like to be shot and stay out of firing range.
Ure out of ammo.
The current order is "hold fire" or other orders where the gunner only fire in aparticulare situation.
The gunner is wounded or the gun is damaged or destroyed.
U can reset it in the ESC menu.

[Penelope_Grey]

Ok there is a bit of a bug within the AA guns... for some reason when you have a conning tower with multiple gun emplacement sometimes only one will fire... The only way to cure this is to cycle through each gun emplacement using F11 and fire a single bullet.

So say you have a IX/3 conning tower. Pressing F11 takes you straight to the heavy flak... fire a shot... then press F11 go to the light gun, fire a shot and then F11 again to go to the next light gun, fire a shot... then F4 to go to the bridge view.

After doing this... your gunners should theoretically start to rake the skies with gunfire.



Or it could be what nirwana has posted. If the plane is too far out of range the gunners won't shoot, if your guns are set to fire at short range, they won't fire at a plane that looks like a speck in the sky.

Also pay attention to the ammo count. U-Boat AA gunnery is not the most reliable science... and you will go through ammo like a Cadillac goes through fuel.

Make sure the Watch Officer is set to fire at will or else... no shooting... lol Also... check that your gunners are under orders to shoot at ALL types of aircraft... If you are being attacked by bombers and your flak men are under orders to shoot only fighters... they won't shoot back. Also on the subject of orders, check what they are under orders to shoot, any target, or closing targets only.

In any case, I don't know what version of SH3 you are playing... but in any version... even in stock... when harassed by aircraft, diving is your best option... particularly with the realism type mods :up:

[Sensekhmet]

I'll chime in in support of this theory, just the other day my flak specialist missed a goddamn Catalina with his twin 20mm guns. And the clips ended just as it closed in. Took one bomb aft of the tower (the dark area), funny enough the damage was minimal.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/Sensekhmet/SH3Img24-6-2008_203840_610.jpg

[Penelope_Grey]

You got very lucky! I'm guessing it was the Stern Quarters that took the worst of that... had the bomb landed a little further back, you may have found one, or both of your diesel engines out of commission. Believe me... I know!

[aj906]

many thanks for the info, but just two questions:

how do I give the "fire at will" command and when I hit ESC, how can I reset the commands?

:damn: It's okay to laugh - I have trouble with your average toaster, let alone a computer!

[Sensekhmet]

Penelope, it was lucky. The quarters were empty as the crew were on damage control duty (I tend to leave them there in enemy waters).

[Sailor Steve]

many thanks for the info, but just two questions:

how do I give the "fire at will" command and when I hit ESC, how can I reset the commands?

:damn: It's okay to laugh - I have trouble with your average toaster, let alone a computer!
Click on the Watch Officer icon. Click on the Flak Gun icon. Click on the Fire At Will icon. Passing the cursor over them will tell you which is which.

And I'm not laughing - I've been known to be outsmarted by the ocassional door.

[papa_smurf]

I've had this happen to me on several patrols, where my flak gunner would just stand there and not shoot at incoming aircraft:damn: . All this despite that my Watch Officer is on the bridge, and the firing commands are set to fire at will at incoming aircraft.

[danurve]

Sleeping Gunner Bug

I have found the only practical way to avoid this is cycle through from the bridge to the gunner back to the bridge to the next gunner back to the bridge ect.
F4 - T - F4 - G - F4 ect.
At least twice to be sure.

[Lzs von swe]

This is the only way to treat sleeping Flack gunners
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=292391&postcount=377:stare:

[Penelope_Grey]

Sleeping Gunner Bug

I have found the only practical way to avoid this is cycle through from the bridge to the gunner back to the bridge to the next gunner back to the bridge ect.
F4 - T - F4 - G - F4 ect.
At least twice to be sure.
Thats too slow. Especially with a plane bearing down on you full speed ahead, firing a single shot from each gun does the same job and only once is required. Guarantee.:up:

Of course, LVS has a good suggestion too! LOL

[Sailor Steve]

Funny thing - I've never had a problem with my flak gunners.

That's probably because anytime the watch announces a plane I instictively reach for the 'C' key.:rotfl:

[rls669]

Thats too slow. Especially with a plane bearing down on you full speed ahead, firing a single shot from each gun does the same job and only once is required.

Too slow? I can hit f-f4-t-f4-g-f4 in less than a second. Don't even have to think about it anymore :p

[Penelope_Grey]

That's probably because anytime the watch announces a plane I instictively reach for the 'C' key.:rotfl:

Just be careful of that instinct when you are still in dock! ROFL

[aj906]

Many thanks for the help, though of course now I want to test it - there aint a plane in sight!

Might have something to do with being assigned DJ25 as a patrol grid - Casablanca!

First Rekjavik, now this - I'm starting to wish I'd never slept with Dönitz wife

[nirwana]

and when I hit ESC, how can I reset the commands?

afaic noone answered to it yet

esc -> settings (1st line) -> reset to standard settings (below the gamesettings line)

havnt played the english version for a while but it should be a close translation to what i have in my localized version.

[Wreford-Brown]

I've also found something odd with the flak gunners:

If I have an experienced and qualified Watch Officer, man the flak guns with ordinary sailors and the bar above the flak guns is full (mainly due to the WO), they still will not fire. If I man the flak guns myself they will not even move from the stowed position.

If I man the guns with a mixture of sailors and POs then the guns will fire (and I can man them myself).

I have therefore assumed that each flak gun requires a certain amount of experience to allow it to fire, and the extra experience of the POs compared to ordinary sailors tips the balance and allows them to fire (or be fired).

Has anyone else noticed this?

[predavolk]

I just upgraded the heavy flak guns on my IXB to the quad 20 mount (Jan '43). Unfortunately, I can't access the light flak guns now, nor can I properly aim the quad. I just get to see "inside" one of the gunners. I can actually see his teeth- gross! Any suggestions? I've tried cycling the men on and off the station, hitting F11 multiple times, diving and resurfacing, etc. I haven't run into any air trouble (and generally dive if I do), but I'd naturally like to resolve this if possible.

GWX2.1, 16K mod, red contact line mod, and that's it I think.

[Wreford-Brown]

I just upgraded the heavy flak guns on my IXB to the quad 20 mount (Jan '43). Unfortunately, I can't access the light flak guns now, nor can I properly aim the quad. I just get to see "inside" one of the gunners. I can actually see his teeth- gross! Any suggestions? I've tried cycling the men on and off the station, hitting F11 multiple times, diving and resurfacing, etc. I haven't run into any air trouble (and generally dive if I do), but I'd naturally like to resolve this if possible.

GWX2.1, 16K mod, red contact line mod, and that's it I think.

What crewmen are you using to man the flak guns? Try changing some of the sailors for WOs (regardless of their qualifications) and see if it helps.