Another good idea is to install stock SH3, do the academy and then install a mod like GWX. That way, the flak exercise in the academy is not so unforgiving. In any event, it is not necessary to run the academy exams in GWX as you get 1500 renown to play with at the beginning. This way you will get to learn how to handle the flak guns without getting killed right away. Once you are in GWX, avoid tangling with planes unless you are forced to; even then, I do not man the guns myself as I suck at it. My boat's gunners do a better job than me. They fended off three passes by a Hudson last night. The reason I didn't dive was because I was surfaced and reloading externals. The game allows you to simply suspend the reload, but I simulate the time it would take to dismantle the external gear before diving. I took some damage, but the my flak gunners managed to send the Hudson away with smoke trailing from its port wing. I tell you, I was terrifed seeing that thing diving on me, machine guns blinking rounds which zinged around my head. He must have been a rookie pilot as we did not take any crew casualties and only minor damage which took a couple of hours to repair [I have the longer repair times mod installed.]
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