getting gunners to do something

[aj906]

Just a question, how do I get my gunners to engage a target? I've noticed that the standard response I have set is to engage aircraft when they are spotted. However, when gunners are at their stations they don't do anything. Ayone tell me what I'm doing wrong - or how to untick the box for always follow this order

[rifleman13]

Just order them to fire with the Watch Officer...

Or you could be suffering from a bug!

[UnderseaLcpl]

The watch officer must be on deck and you must give them the "fire at will" command.
Sometimes they just don't shoot, even at targets that are right in front of them. No idea why.

[nirwana]

• Some planes dont like to be shot and stay out of firing range.

• Ure out of ammo.

• The current order is "hold fire" or other orders where the gunner only fire in aparticulare situation.

• The gunner is wounded or the gun is damaged or destroyed.

• U can reset it in the ESC menu.

[Penelope_Grey]

Ok there is a bit of a bug within the AA guns... for some reason when you have a conning tower with multiple gun emplacement sometimes only one will fire... The only way to cure this is to cycle through each gun emplacement using F11 and fire a single bullet.

So say you have a IX/3 conning tower. Pressing F11 takes you straight to the heavy flak... fire a shot... then press F11 go to the light gun, fire a shot and then F11 again to go to the next light gun, fire a shot... then F4 to go to the bridge view.

After doing this... your gunners should theoretically start to rake the skies with gunfire.



Or it could be what nirwana has posted. If the plane is too far out of range the gunners won't shoot, if your guns are set to fire at short range, they won't fire at a plane that looks like a speck in the sky.

Also pay attention to the ammo count. U-Boat AA gunnery is not the most reliable science... and you will go through ammo like a Cadillac goes through fuel.

Make sure the Watch Officer is set to fire at will or else... no shooting... lol Also... check that your gunners are under orders to shoot at ALL types of aircraft... If you are being attacked by bombers and your flak men are under orders to shoot only fighters... they won't shoot back. Also on the subject of orders, check what they are under orders to shoot, any target, or closing targets only.

In any case, I don't know what version of SH3 you are playing... but in any version... even in stock... when harassed by aircraft, diving is your best option... particularly with the realism type mods

[Sensekhmet]

I'll chime in in support of this theory, just the other day my flak specialist missed a goddamn Catalina with his twin 20mm guns. And the clips ended just as it closed in. Took one bomb aft of the tower (the dark area), funny enough the damage was minimal.

[Penelope_Grey]

You got very lucky! I'm guessing it was the Stern Quarters that took the worst of that... had the bomb landed a little further back, you may have found one, or both of your diesel engines out of commission. Believe me... I know!