88/105 used as AA-gun ?
 

Have you ever used a deck gun against planes ?

Was that successful ?

The 88mm gun was created as an AA gun- later it was turned into anti-armor gun.

1 shell should smash any bomber (when hit)...

The Problem is...well, to hit. It's Nearly Impossible without Explosive AA Ammo. And that you don't have in Silent Hunter 3, not for the Deck Gun...i think.

And i believe that the 88 that was on u-boats was unrelated to the 88 used in AA/AT roles

I´ve also heard that the 88 used in the land forces were different than the kriegsmarine 88. Havent even tried to shoot down a plane with it, but IIRC one real life kaleun shot down plane with it.

Nope. The 8.8 cm/45 (3.46") SK C/35 is unrelated to the 8.8 cm guns mounted on german tanks.

Large calibre guns aren't really very effective against fast moving aircraft. AA guns them selves didn't really advance too much over the WWII. However, fire control technology really did. At the start of the war, most aa guns used where linked to simple fire control systems. By the end of the war. The US moved to radar fire control with VT "varible time" fuses.

The short wave length radar allowed for accrate determination of range and height. With mechanical computers, speed, and course could be accurately determined and a firing solution would be sent to the point the AA guns at the right lead angle..

The VT "varible time" fuse despite its name was nothing to do about varible time at all. Traditional AA fuses required the fuse to be se for a correct time of alititude for detenation before it was fired. VT basically put a simple "radar" device into the fuse and turned it into a proximity fuse. No fuses to set before hand, just pass your shell close nuff and the plane will be toast especailly with the 5" shells.

Of course, if you use SH3C and put the reload time to zero, it's a great laugh and also having ago a destroyers as well. :rotfl:

There was a case of a Type IX using the 105mm, destroying a russian aircraft!! :yep: however this was probably just a lucky shot, even so I want their artillery crew on my u-boat!

I ´ve tried for several times now. I think you cannot shoot down a plane because the maximum ankle is too small and the gun cannot shoot high enough

Peter Cremer in "U333 - Story of a U-Boat Ace" clearly recounts using the 88mm against aircraft. He was a trained gunnery officer (initially served in a destroyer) and said it wasn't difficult for him to give the correct commands. So it could be done.

He also points out, of course, that a U-Boat would only 'fight' aircraft if caught with too little time to crash dive to safety.

I think it's best from a simulation perspective if staying on the surface around aircraft is usually a losing, or at least very risky, proposition. I've seen posts by people saying they've shot down 10+ aircraft on a patrol which is, frankly, ridiculous. Cremer made the point that bringing down an aircraft was very difficult, and U-Boats did all they could to avoid ever being found on the surface by them (rather difficult later in the war!).

I suppose if a slow aircraft flew just above the water directly at the submarine's deck gun (no deflection angle) that a lucky deck gunner with plenty of warning just might pull it off.

But I would think that a "one-in-a-million" shot.

Pablo

Anthrax has it: The FlaK 36 (the dreaded "88") is completely different from the C/35 naval gun. The only similiarity is the bore size.

But to answer the original question, yes you can shoot down Aircraft with you main gun. Its pure ass and a **** load of good luck but its doable. Best targets are the bombers and you aim well above them as they either approch on their bombing run or departing on their way back to base. Either way they fly steady so thats your best time. Ohh and when they are on the Bombing Run and you miss....TURN!!!!! :)

I used to shoot planes down with star shells :p
It's easy when you get the hang of it :up:

Bloody show off!!! (joke) :lol:

HEHE :rotfl:

And i believe that the 88 that was on u-boats was unrelated to the 88 used in AA/AT roles

:cool: Yes. Dont confuse these. The original 8.8 cm was an AA battery. It had speed range & velocity. The AT potential was discovered quite by desperate accident in 1940 during the battle of Arras I believe, when the Germans stripped them of their sighting equipt. and trained them horizontally on the seemingly invincable French Somua and Char B tanks. The At version showed up quite later on tanks and towed guns in 1943. The marine version on the U-boats had no where near the muzzle velocity of the At and AA version.

what about torpedo bombers they flew real low and fast surely a lucky shot could tear one down

Wolfgang Hirschfeld states in his book "Hirschfeld"(Feindfahrten), that the 10,5cm cannon of the Type IX could be used against aircraft, the even had a trained gunner for that aboard.
The probability of the success of such an attack or better the usefulness is questionable, since the aircraft, especially later in the war, using radar, usually attacked quicker than that gun could be made ready.
So it could be used for that purpose but probably was very rarely used on the front lines.

I once managed to take down a liberator with the 88 deck gun, very close range going over me directly from stern to bow. Near zero deflection shot at super low altitude. (It had dropped its bombs on the last pass, so i was reasonably safe i guess...)