Aircraft attacks, or lack of!

[polynike]

Just finished my 2nd patrol November 39 and i havent even seen a sniff of an aircraft other than the Arado and the two 109's as i leave Kiel. Im running GWX3 and admitedtly the weather around Scotland has been pretty bad, but not attacks have been made by aeroplanes despite sailing on the surface in good weather just off the coast. Are air attacks generated randomly and are they affected by weather, detection levels and so on?

Cheers

[Weiss Pinguin]

During the early war, aircraft attacks shouldn't be too routine. In fact, I don't recall ever being attacked by aircraft before mid-1940.

[Piggy]

Its April of 42 in my game, operating out of St. Naziare... The only enemy planes Ive seen have been south of Iceland. (persistant bugger too, very rude, didnt he know I was trying to overtake a lone merchant)

And then one when I was near Gibralter...

I havent had one encounter in the Bay of Biscay... which I thought would be pretty dangerous at this point?

[A Very Super Market]

'42 is the turning year for Allies, so don't expect too much yet. Remember that air range is still fairly short, and the Amis haven't really gotten up to high gear yet.

[Steeltrap]

Use NYGM and it's a VERY different story. There are always aircraft around the north of Scotland/Scapa Flow, even late '39 early '40.

[Faamecanic]

I have only seen 1 aircraft with GWX 3.0 in 1939, and that is when I used my deck gun on a merchant about 15km off the east coast of England. I loitered around a bit to long and I guess the merchant got a S.O.S off. Bi-plane..cant remember name, its been a long day at work so cut me some slack :) Ahhh a Swordfish... brain is at 50% Hull intgerity...

I remember playing GWX 1.0 and around 1942-43 you will be CURSING the airplanes.... at least in GWX :)

[RoaldLarsen]

I wish I had your problems!

The last three patrols I have run were in early 1943 (three different Careers running concurrently.) The first and last were SW of Ireland, the middle one was NW.

The first boat was sunk before it even got to its patrol area, on the first pass, by aircraft flying at night with heavy overcast and 15m/s winds. There may have been rain too.

The second was attacked 9 times in 11 or 12 days, always at night, usually in bad weather.

The third has been attacked 9 times in 9 days, and taken signifcant damage. This patrol is not over yet. I lost two careers to aircraft in late 1942 as well. It has been 2.5 years since I lost a u-boat to surface craft in the North Atlantic. Aircraft are way more dangerous.

[polynike]

Thanks. Seems the lack of a/c in '39 is about par then. Was worried there was something wrong with my install.

[Piggy]

I wish I had your problems!

The last three patrols I have run were in early 1943 (three different Careers running concurrently.) The first and last were SW of Ireland, the middle one was NW.

The first boat was sunk before it even got to its patrol area, on the first pass, by aircraft flying at night with heavy overcast and 15m/s winds. There may have been rain too.

The second was attacked 9 times in 11 or 12 days, always at night, usually in bad weather.

The third has been attacked 9 times in 9 days, and taken signifcant damage. This patrol is not over yet. I lost two careers to aircraft in late 1942 as well. It has been 2.5 years since I lost a u-boat to surface craft in the North Atlantic. Aircraft are way more dangerous.


Yikes...
I was looking forward to a few more crash dives but now Im not so sure...:hmm:

Were you using the Metox radar warning in those careers?

[Dowly]

Use NYGM and it's a VERY different story. There are always aircraft around the north of Scotland/Scapa Flow, even late '39 early '40.
And that should be the case. :up:

AFAIK, RAF had 4 squadrons (three of wich flew the Hawker Hurricane) based to Wick to provide intercept and patrol sorties to the area of Scapa Flow and the Irish coast. Also, the bomber command had a squadron or two there, but IIRC, they started to be fully operational in the December of 1939.

There used to be only 2 squadrons at Wick, but after the sinking of Royal Oak, 2 more squadrons came to assist.

[RoaldLarsen]

Yikes...
I was looking forward to a few more crash dives but now Im not so sure...:hmm:

Were you using the Metox radar warning in those careers?

Of the three patrols in early '43, the second and third definitely had Metox. Most but not all of their crash dives were precipitated by a radar warning. However, only one of those warnings allowed me to get below without being bombed.

The boat that was sunk in '43 probably had Metox as well, but I am not 100% positive. I can't remember if the two I lost in '42 had Metox or not. The first of these two was a IXc on its first patrol, and I may have tried to shoot it out on the surface. It was in the Bay of Biscay, IIRC. It probably did not have Metox. The second was a VIIc, most likely with Metox, that got straddled by bombs and had all its engines destroyed but managed to surface after the aircraft left. I've listed the crew as captured.

All three of the '43 patrols were type VIIc, so they are fast divers. Additionally, the two that were not sunk were always running at 11 knots when they began their crash dive. This should also improve their dive times. The one that was damaged was hit in the aft torpedo compartment. The one that was sunk may have been going slower. Perhaps their relatively high speed is what saved them.

I also had a IXc lose two thirds of its hull integrety to aircraft SW of the Cape of Good Hope in late February 1942, just after I arrived in the patrol area. It had Metox too. In this case it was mostly due to my own stupidity. I was cruising on the surface after I had finished recharging. What a waste of a long haul. I turned around and crept back home. (Managed to bag 3 Liberty Ships on the way home, though, so it wasn't a total waste.)

[Piggy]

Isnt it early/mid 43 that the metox was useless, a giant beacon on allied radar that said... "here I am, here I am, come get me" :dead:

[bigboywooly]

Remember all that travelling at high TC means you will miss the bulk of aircraft in any variation of the game
Anything over 128 IIRC

Have been harassed by more than a few aircraft around the UK
Usually Ansons

[Task Force]

Just wait till 41.:-? Lots of little friends where ive hunted.:shifty:Lots of C button action.:lol:

[Piggy]

Remember all that travelling at high TC means you will miss the bulk of aircraft in any variation of the game
Anything over 128 IIRC

Have been harassed by more than a few aircraft around the UK
Usually Ansons

What???

Are you saying that as Im traversing the bay of biscay in June of 42 on 1024x I wont see aircraft because they dont show up at high TC???

News to me...

[bigboywooly]

Remember all that travelling at high TC means you will miss the bulk of aircraft in any variation of the game
Anything over 128 IIRC

Have been harassed by more than a few aircraft around the UK
Usually Ansons
What???

Are you saying that as Im traversing the bay of biscay in June of 42 on 1024x I wont see aircraft because they dont show up at high TC???

News to me...

Always been that way

They still show and occasionally you will drop TC with an aircraft right on top of you
Or miss them completely

[RoaldLarsen]

Isnt it early/mid 43 that the metox was useless, a giant beacon on allied radar that said... "here I am, here I am, come get me" :dead:

?

I thought I had read that this was just a ruse planted by the British. While FuMB did emit a signal, the Brits were never able to reliably track it. The real problem was the introduction of centimetric radar.

(But I suppose as German sub commanders we aren't supposed to know that.)