Which heavy AA gun do you prefer and why?

[K-61]

I'm now into May 1943 and have installed the 3rd turm for my VIIC which gives me an additional flak gun. I have the twin 20mm gun on the wintergarten and the vierling for the heavy flak. I have the option of a 37mm gun, whose heavy punch could come in handy but for now I went with the quad 20's for its higher rate of fire. I am interested in the opinions of other players and their preferred AA gun installations. Thanks.

[timmy41]

I used the 37mm and 2 double 20mms since the 37mm has such good range and doesnt even need to hit to damage. however, its traverse is so slow that it wont be hitting anything close.
I rarely used it though, only on a few occasions of shooting PBYs while surfaced to bring in the external torps.

[K-61]

Thanks for your response, Timmy. I also got jumped once while reloading externals. I discipline myself to play historically. At that point I only had the twin 20's and let my flak gunner do his work. I took some minor damage, but no crew casualties. On its third pass my gunner lit up one wing and it flew off. As soon as we finished reloading I hightailed it out of there.

[Weiss Pinguin]

The twin 2cm (I believe) flak turrets on the Type XXI :arrgh!:

[bookworm_020]

The 37mm is my preferred weapon of choice, the twin barrel version is my pride and joy. Mixed with the twin 20mm, it's a good combination.

The quad 20mm is impressive, but lack the range to put off bombers early on and damage them before they start dropping bombs

[fastfed]

Wait a minute... I play almost 100% realism and while reloading my torps, I can still dive! Historically they would drop what their doing and crash into the tower and dive anyway.. probably take a while for everyone to get down though.

[Snestorm]

Wait a minute... I play almost 100% realism and while reloading my torps, I can still dive! Historically they would drop what their doing and crash into the tower and dive anyway.. probably take a while for everyone to get down though.

You can't close the hatch that the torpedo is being loaded through.
You can always dive. But it will be your last.

[Gerald]

You can't close the hatch that the torpedo is being loaded through.
You can always dive. But it will be your last. Well, talk about opportunities, :haha:

[K-61]

In the game you can dive while reloading externals, but in real life? Getting caught with your winch erected, a torpedo suspended from it and your hatch open did not make for a speedy dive. I discipline myself to abide by real world considerations, not quirky game defects. Recently my watch spotted an inbound aircraft as I was moving an external torpedo. I sweated bullets as it made three passes on me before my flak gunners damaged it and drove it off.

[VONHARRIS]

I prefer the M-42 37mm twin flak because of its huge punch. Not only it can drive away heavy bombers but it can be used (manually) to finish off crippled ships or even sink small ones like small coal tenders.

EDIT : I just got promoted!

[papa_smurf]

None - I see an aircraft I crash dive.

[Puster Bill]

None - I see an aircraft I crash dive.

This. My favorite anti-aircraft weapon is 70 meters of seawater.

[K-61]

Of course, of course! I'm just concerned about being caught with my pants down by a radar equipped plane or when in the situation described earlier, surfaced and moving an external torpedo. I know the game allows you to immediately dive, but in real life it could take some time to dismantle the winch and abandon the torpedo. If it's halfway down the hatch.... then the boat was in a very serious predicament. I try to simulate such operations by putting time constraints on how quickly I could abandon the operation, and if so, the external torpedo is "lost" for the duration of the patrol. I think it is very arcadish that the game allows you to suspend the reloading procedure and pick it up again exactly where you left off, or even allows you to reload them while sailing at top speed in a raging gale. The one time recently where I got caught like that really scared the dickens out of me. Thankfully it was a Catalina, not a Liberator VLR and my flak gunner was able to chase it off with the twin 20's. Now I'm in the summer of '43 and the only heavy flak available to me at the beginning of my patrol was the single 37 or the quad 20's. I decided to go with the 37 simply because it would be more likely to protect me from a Liberator VLR. I've got three flak qualified PO's but have not yet had to call on them. So far, my "Biscay Cross" radar detector has never let me down, but I do know that historically, Allied radar moved to shorter wave lengths and the BC no longer worked. I'm not certain yet if GWX reflects this, but the first upgrades I make when available are the latest radar detection gear and better flak guns. I'll forgo fancy torpdoes in favour of better gear and guns.

[fastfed]

You can't close the hatch that the torpedo is being loaded through.
You can always dive. But it will be your last.



LOL well.. Duh.. But how long did it take from the point the torpedo was entering the hatch (open) and getting inside (closed)

I would think the time consuming work was hosting it from the ext. and setting up the winch and pulleys?

[krashkart]

Twin 37mm is ideal on my boat. If I'm really on my game it will make short work of a Sunderland. :yep: Liberators OTOH... I don't like being caught with my pants down by one 'o them. AA is pretty much useless against them. :o:doh::dead:

[Gerald]

Yes, twin 37 is good,long range as well

[krashkart]

Yes, twin 37 is good,long range as well

That's what I like most about it. :sunny:

Too bad I'm limited to only one. :shifty: The things I could do with three of those badboys... my.... God.... WWII would never be the same. :D England wouldn't be safe, and neither would my crew. :rotfl2:

[JokerOfFate]

"Twin 37mm is ideal on my boat. If I'm really on my game it will make short work of a Sunderland. :yep: Liberators OTOH... I don't like being caught with my pants down by one 'o them. AA is pretty much useless against them. :o:doh::dead: "

I don't like getting caught with my pants down by anything, but a torpedo bomber is nasty(especially with my aft exposed like that, they're going up a street thats clearly marked Exit Only :DL )

[krashkart]

Good point. :haha: About the torpedo bombers; if you're referring to the Swordfish a 37mm will light them up rrrright quick. :D

[Gerald]

http://imgur.com/G2vvf.jpg
http://imgur.com/zowPw.jpg

[Gerald]

Good point. :haha: About the torpedo bombers; if you're referring to the Swordfish a 37mm will light them up rrrright quick. :D you take down Swordfish "like a picnik" :yep:

[Jimbuna]

The twin 37mm has the range and firepower to outmatch anything else availabe in the AA department.

[Snestorm]

LOL well.. Duh.. But how long did it take from the point the torpedo was entering the hatch (open) and getting inside (closed)

I would think the time consuming work was hosting it from the ext. and setting up the winch and pulleys?

Unknown. I don't carry external reloads, so it's never an issue to me.

[Snestorm]

Good point. :haha: About the torpedo bombers; if you're referring to the Swordfish a 37mm will light them up rrrright quick. :D

Bismarck's 37mm, and all her secondary armament didn't fair very well against them.

[K-61]

Bismarck's 37mm, and all her secondary armament didn't fair very well against them.

That's because those guns were aimed by automated fire directors that did not include calibrations for aircraft flying that slowly. The Germans never thought that a foe would field such "obsolete" aircraft. The 37's on the U-boats are manually operated and would probably be more effective.

[Jimbuna]

That's because those guns were aimed by automated fire directors that did not include calibrations for aircraft flying that slowly. The Germans never thought that a foe would field such "obsolete" aircraft. The 37's on the U-boats are manually operated and would probably be more effective.

Yes, precisely.....the British never realised the fact until the Swordfish were launched, they thought initially that it would be a one-way trip for the pilots but considered the risk worth taking because Churchill ordered that the Bismarck be sunk "at any cost".