Firing the AA gun.. need advice

[jscharpf]

Just starting out and I'm wondering what advice anyone can give me with regards to firing the AA gun. I've had my first experience with a very slow Japanese plane passing overhead multiple times.. at first I assigned a guy and he just fired and fired but never did anything, then I took over..
OK I tried everything I could.. I wasn't just spraying.. I tried leading.. I waited until the plane was directly overhead.. just feet above me.. and I never seem to even score one hit. He just kept passing over slowly.. where I feel like I would have been better off with a pistol.. he was that close.. but my AA gun just kept firing into him.. no hits.. nothing..
Am I missing something?

As an alternative, is there some setting that I can change to make my gun a little more accurate? (I know I know it's cheating but so is playing a simulator lol)

TMO 2.5
RSRD 5.xx

Jeff

[Armistead]

The best advice, DON"T FIGHT PLANES..., eventually you'll lose.

However, sometimes you must. Place your best gunners on the guns, usually a torp or watchman member. Forget trying to shoot them down yourself, waste of time....

There are gunners with special abilities, but not sure if TMO still has them.

[jscharpf]

Ok I got it :)

I won't be screwing with them anymore. All I did was get hull damage when I could easily have dove and avoided all of it.

[jldjs]

Shooting down planes adds fun to a dull patrol. Put your best gunners on the guns, make a save before the plane gets in range so u can recover the patrol if u get too much damage in the fight. I let the gunners shoot by selecting Fire at Will, and aim for closing aircraft, then watch from binoculars or external camera. It's kind of fun, and instructive on how dangerous being caught on surface by an attacking airplane can be. Try manning one the AA yourself, it's a real hoot if you can hit one.

[jscharpf]

It just doesn't seem right. I've been cruising around Japan from Dec 41 to March 42 and all I've seen is the same airplane that looks like a Japanese version of the Catalina but it can literally float over my boat at 100 feet and nobody including me can kill it. It will just fly over, drop a few bombs, then continue to buzz me until I get bored.. I don't understand how ONE BULLET doesn't hit the plane. This has been my only action in the game since I don't think Japan actually owns any boats lol..

[merc4ulfate]

When I am bored I will risk dueling with aircraft but most of the time you really do come out the loser. Some AA guns simply do not pack enough punch until later in the war when you get a better one. Small caliber against a rocket or a 250 lbs bomb simply is not good odds. Couple that with your lack of quick maneuverability and your just sinking to the bottom in no time.

I crash dive at every radar signal detected. I only surface quickly again for one reason. My sonar man picking up shipping on the sonar. If I have radar and sonar from the same bearing I know it is shipping and we are on a more equal footing for speed and maneuverability. Then I plot an intercept course and seeing how may I can sink.

[TorpX]

I don't understand how ONE BULLET doesn't hit the plane. This has been my only action in the game since I don't think Japan actually owns any boats lol..
You may be getting some hits, but hitting one, and killing one, are two different things.

[raygamhu]

During my way to the patrol zone, from time to time I use the the AA guns instead of diving.
When in port, I am taking good gunners to the AA guns, the green bar on left side show how skilled is the gunner is(above 50 % is pretty good).
I always choose for the AA gun, the three buttons: firing at will, firing at short range, and fire at planes attacking the sub.
When the crew has visual contact, I give order Battle stations, and increase the speed of the sub to 12-15 knots.
For subs with twin machine guns and later with 40 mm Bofors and good gunners, they will shoot down approx 50-60% of attacking planes, specially the Zeros, and some slow Nell patrol planes.
It's true that from time to time there are also casualties.
Playing TMO 2.5+RSRDC+OTC

[Rammstein0991]

The best advice, DON"T FIGHT PLANES..., eventually you'll lose.

However, sometimes you must. Place your best gunners on the guns, usually a torp or watchman member. Forget trying to shoot them down yourself, waste of time....

There are gunners with special abilities, but not sure if TMO still has them.

I've actually never taken dmg from them, and shot down several personally, maybe just a little lucky eh? :haha:

In all seriousness though, idk why the OP isnt able to shoot them down as whenever I aim at them they take damage, it could possibly be a conflict with a mod or something, but I wouldnt know since I'm not exactly a coder.

[Admiral Halsey]

My advice is wait until you get the 40mm Bofors before you take on any planes.

[jscharpf]

Thanks again for the responses, it really must be me. I mean literally I fire away at the belly of the plane as it lumbers overhead, back and forth back and forth.

I even let him kill several of my crew just to see if I could EVER get anything.. perhaps I messed up a mod. I don't know

I've been trying different mods lately, trying to stick to protocol (first in first out).. but perhaps it's time for a re-install. :)

[TorpX]

All this talk of planes reminds me of my first career in SHCE......

I had just been given command of a new S-class boat. [Ok, it wasn't really new, but it was new to me.] Anyway, I was eager to go out on patrol and avenge the destruction that occured at Pearl Harbor. My first patrol assignment was to go from Manila to an area off Indochina. I didn't know what to expect, but I was young and eager.

When we arrived at our patrol zone, we layed to, and came to a stop. Fuel is precious. Nothing but water as far as the eye could see. I knew sub patrols are largely a waiting game, so I went below.

It wasn't long before one of the lookouts shouted: "aircraft spotted, sir!". I go up and take a look. It certainly couldn't be friendly, not here. At first I couldn't tell how far away it was, but within seconds, I realized it was making a bee line for us at high speed. I yell "Crash dive!", but it was too late. I could see the bomb seperate from the plane, and slowly fall as the plane roared over. The explosion was deafening, but incredably we were still in one piece. As we tumble down the ladder and start clawing for depth, I am holding my breath. I know we will not be at a safe depth before he has time to make another pass. Sure enough, before we reach 200 ft., another explosion shakes the boat. After we get to 200, I order a 90 degree turn, and then reduce speed. Though our nerves are frayed, we have sustained no serious damage. I feel better now; we are safe.

..................................

A half hour later, the sound man hears pinging coming from at least three different ships, closing, getting louder. I think to myself, this is great, just great. The last thing I wanted to do is tangle with a gaggle of destroyers. Thank God, I remember what they taught us at the Naval Academy. I order 2/3 speed, and have the helmsman steer a Normal Evasion Course. After a while we reduce speed, and wait, carefully monitoring the hydrophones. After a very tense period, their sounds fade out. We can finally relax.



The moral to the story is:

1. Do not wait to the last minute to dive your boat.

2. It is better to not even let aircraft spot you at all.

[Snarf]

My recommendation, IF and only if you want to tangle with planes, load up the submarine school, get on the deck gun and start practicing with the deck gun instead, that way once you get good, you let your gunners man the AA and you fire away with the deck gun. one good hit from the deck gun and the plane is obliterated. 40mm's are a must for AA though.

[Aktungbby]

fighting on the surface in any of the SH games as in real life is 'a low percentage maneuver' there is no advantage whatsoever in taking on anything specifically designed to kill you; and gaming 'boredom' should not be a factor at all. Dive each time, every time and sink merchants; that is the task at hand. K.I.S.d.S.: Keep It Simple dive Stupid! Von Clausewitz: Rule 2 : "whenever possible increase firepower" works in reverse too; if you can't increase yours, reduce his and in a u-boot-to-plane encounter, that means diveBBY!...ASAP...'nuff said nubs!:salute:

[jscharpf]

you guys have convinced me :)


No more messing with planes, there is no reward anyway.

It just looks cool.. except I always come out on the short end of the stick.

So for now I will just dive.