I agree. I tried to "stay up and fight" with U-flak in 1942, in Biscay Bay and lost the boat.

I think some of the issue with the airplanes is they have overpowered guns realistically the guns where for suppression while the plane got in close enough for missiles and bombs. Any damage done by the bullets was just bonus but normally easily repaired. Also the game doesn't simulate the loss of power the further a bullet goes and makes it the same damage that a bullet would do 1 mile away as a bullet 20 feet away.

I think it's worth mentioning that hindsight is always 20/20. Now we know that airplanes are too dangerous to deal with, but at that time, when you had no chance to respawn, people believed it was possible. Or at least, it seems that way considering the development of the U-flak platform.

If your goal is to last as long as possible, I would advise against a U-flak conning tower, but not everyone had/made the same choice. Taking a U-flak and dealing with the consequences could provide an interesting experience.

Secondly, there are times that you simply cannot go under, ie when loading externals using H.sie patch. You are stuck on the surface for a while while they load, and even if you try to put them back. In that case, running and shooting with the flak is your only chance (and by '44 B-24s had the whole Atlantic covered, so there's no place to hide either).

I've never gotten that far in the war, but I plan to take a U-flak at least once, just to try it out.

Thank you all for your insight. I am addressing the issue of being caught on the surface without being able to submerge. The U-flak conning tower became available, for some renown of course, and for a moment I hesitated. In the end I decided for the "regular" tower and cannon. Based at Brest all I have to do is avoid the shallow just before entering the Bay of Biscay. In the Bay I always go Ahead Full. Whenever I have to crash dive, this way the boat gets under a lot faster.
Sometimes they show up in swarms. More than once I've seen them bump each other and crash. Serves them well for coming after my boat.

The problem with the U flak isn't that you might lose your boat, at least that's how I feel about it. The problem is that you might be able to rack up a lot of points undeserved.

After the first 2 months the British knew what was going on and changed there tactics, but this is not simulated in silent hunter. The range was very limited and the U-flak didn't have the full torpedo loadout.

It was used for two things really
1 trap aircraft
2 protect other u-boats while transiting (the gulf of Biskay).


It wasn't an attack boat.

We do have the benefit of hindsight as well as not having to follow standing orders. There were many standing orders that came out throughout the war from Bdu. Many during 1943 and 1944 concerned whether to dive in the face of aircraft or stay surfaced and fight it out. I'd bet many a sub went down following orders.

It is pretty easy for us just to hit the C key upon spotting a aircraft and heading under.

For any die hards out there, the Just Folllow Orders Mod has many of those standing orders incorporated.

I've gotten tired of spotting aircraft at the same safe distance all of the time so I've started experimenting with a random dice roll when I get the aircraft sighted message. I roll two dice and multiply the amount by 15 seconds. That is how long I have to stay on the surface before I can dive. I have some dice roll modifiers that will change the roll(year, night, picked up a radar warning, etc.). Still experimenting and tweaking but it seems to work pretty well. It seems to simulate aircraft attacking out of the sun, from behind clouds, or a daydreaming lookout fairly well.

Watching a Sunderland bore down on you for a couple of minutes with your finger hovering over the "C" key makes for some pretty tense waiting. It is even worse if it is a Mosquito-those things move quick! :o

Haven't been sunk yet, but I've suffered some damage but have been able to continue on. :arrgh!:

:)

I see where this is coming form... :yeah:, Sharkbit.