That deck gun is about as useless....
 

...as a Brunswick Sardine Can Opener. Those armed merchants are killers!:-?

Think about it this way:

8.8 cm shell: 2 pound bursting charge (at most)
G7a/G7e torpedo: 661 pound Hexanite warhead

No wonder they usually just used the thing to finished off damaged ships!

I didn't want to be rude.. But if you think about it

Why are you attacking armed ships on the surface? They can probably outrun you outgun you and outweigh you by alot so they havE better speed firepower and armor/space to fill up with water

blow them sky high with a torpedo lol

cheers

Krauter

Well, I was used to attacking them on the surface until I found out in 1941 they were armed. I got a rude awakening.

Simple rule to remember:

They are designed to float.

You are designed to sink.

:up: Love that one Steve.

All ships are designed to sink, it's just the submarines that are designed to surface again.:arrgh!:

I've been attacked by armed merchants in Dec. '39! I didn't think that was the case. It's now Feb. '40 and most merchant convoys that I've encountered have some armed vessels with them. I'm no history buff, especially regarding sub warfare in WWII, but I really didn't think it was like this at this early period of time. I'm not even in the "Happy Times" yet and can get my butt kicked by these guys. I usually surface to finish off the ones that won't sink but more often than not I have to dive right back down because they're tearing me a new one faster that you can say "what the heck is going on?"! :o

But this ship can't sink!...

is made of iron, sir. I assure you, she can. and she will. It is a mathematical certainty.

:D

no no no.
all surface ships were designed to float.
your designed to teach em how to dive, just not surface

'Twas meant to be a warning. Surface ships are made to float, and it takes quite a few holes to put one down. Your u-boat is designed to sink, and one small hole can ruin your whole day.

Gun duels are always a bad idea. Read through Uboat.net's attacks pages, and see how many u-boats were driven off by merchant gunners. If the prey had a gun, the subs ran and hid.

They may have DIVED but ran away and hid? naw. Id liked to see a merchant gunner make a torpedo run and hide.