Finally success against aircraft.

[maillemaker]

Ever since GWX many years ago fighting aircraft has largely been a waste of time. Between getting the flak stations to actually start shooting by themselves and then getting them to actually hit anything, and the amount of damage you would take in the meanwhile, I largely gave up trying to shoot anything down.

However last night it was April 1940, and I had ripped up the east coast of Britain in my brand new Type IXB, cut over the top and done a little work around the Rockall Bank, and had come home with only 2 fish left in the rear tubes. I had just made it through the gap between Scapa Flow and Lerwick when there were aircraft sighted.

I had 100% HI and was going to go home anyway so I figured why not.

After jumping manually between the flak stations finally they started shooting. I manually took over the 108 on the back and was banging away when BOOM, the guy on the 2cm nailed one! Made him explode!

Before it was all done, we had taken down four Swordfish! I may have gotten one myself but most of it was the guy on the machine gun up top.

I carefully pulled each man off of flak duty and went back up to the bridge until I figured out which man it was. His name was Wilhelm-Bernhart somethingorother.

When we got back to port I gave that guy a promotion and a medal!

The planes took me down to 83% HI but it was worth it.

Steve

[RussaX37]

great work. it's damn hard to fight with aircrafts like you said when they start to shooting and until they shoot anything it's already over
But also I tryed to shoot US navy zepelin and I was unable to take it down?

[Mittelwaechter]

SH3 Swordfish are easy meat - even for a single barrel 2 cm flak with a trained PO.
They appear 39/40 around "England" - often two or three of them as a wing.

If you are man enough to stay surfaced to identify the reported aircraft as Swordfish, you may want to turn on its course to keep it directly at your six. Speed up to provide a stable platform, let the gunner start at long distance and watch the fish BBQ - without being hit yourself.

To down bigger "flying fish" you need more firepower. To engage a Short Sunderland it takes 8 barrels of 2 cm - or better.

Keeping them at your six is dangerous. If they make it to drop their cans you will take damage. They are good in "dropping in the right direction". Along a 70 meters boat it is no art.

But they are not as good in "dropping in the right range". So to provide a stable platform for your gunners, turn to a course 90° to the incomming aircraft and slow down/stop the boat. The aircraft won't do a better job and probably drop short or long - but your gunners will.

Shoot only at incoming aircraft - or waste your ammunition.

The longer the war the better the crews, so consider diving to be the better choice.

[RConch]

With night attacks and better planes and crews later in the War-diving quickly is the only option.