I Think I Just Shot Down A Betty w/ The Deck Gun!

PacificSwordsman · 04-01-07, 08:26 PM

I'm headed back to Pearl after a successful patrol and somewhere in the vicinity of Wake Island, the enemy decides to send the entire Japanese maritime air force after my sub. After fighting off repeated attacks, I am out of ammo for the anitaircraft gun. Furthermore, I am unable to submerge, as my crew is in the middle of repairing some damage to the bulkhead from an earlier attack.

I get attacked again by another pair of Bettys and decide to try to spoil their aim, or scare them off, with the deck gun. I fire several shots at them as they are inbound, and it does somewhat distrupt their aim, as their bombs fall wide to starboard.

As they start climbing outbound, I fire another round at them. I am stunned to see a flash similar to the flashes I have seen when my deck gun rounds impact a ship at long range. One of the Betty's then goes into a death spiral and explodes on impact with the ocean surface. I stare in disbelief.

Has anyone else taken down an airplane with the deck gun? If so, I would love to hear the story.

bookworm_020 · 04-01-07, 09:25 PM

Give your gunner a medal and buy him a beer. I don't know how real life taking down a betty with a deck gun would be, but it's nice to know that there is always someone trying there best to do so...

Did the kill count, and did it list tonnage???

Sonoboy · 04-01-07, 09:34 PM

One of the selectable shells for the deck gun is an AA shell. Does anyone know if it's actually implemented?

jesterofsanity · 04-01-07, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PacificSwordsman

Has anyone else taken down an airplane with the deck gun? If so, I would love to hear the story.

You've given me a reason to try, for sure. *loads up training mission*

edit: yep I hit one of those large bombers in the arty training mission with an HE shell on the right wing tank... blew up real good.

However it took me around forty five rounds to do it so personally its more of a "last resort" tactic.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonoboy

One of the selectable shells for the deck gun is an AA shell. Does anyone know if it's actually implemented?

Nope pretty sure it isn't.

In other news, hello SubSim community!

ccruner13 · 04-01-07, 09:49 PM

since most bombing runs come across the boat and the sides of the AA thing block out my view i just let my boys do the work for me. to get a good view of the action i man the deck gun and depending where i am in the trip (in or out) id let off a few rounds as the come in. easily spent 100 rounds on airplanes but i finally hit one and that with the combined effort of the aa gunner brought em down. lists in the kill book like anything else. the aa round if i had to guess would be a timed/proximity explosion to send shrapnel into plane/pilot. but its not implemented

U-Bones · 04-01-07, 10:31 PM

The deck guns were perfectly capable against planes.

"The 4 inch 50 caliber dual purpose cannon was standard issue to many submarines during World War II. This weapon had a muzzle velocity of 2,700 feet per second, a maximum range of 14,600 yards and was equally effective being utilized against both surface and aerial targets."

From this nice sites article on Deck Guns
http://www.valoratsea.com/arms1.htm

NEON DEON · 04-01-07, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by U-Bones

The deck guns were perfectly capable against planes.

"The 4 inch 50 caliber dual purpose cannon was standard issue to many submarines during World War II. This weapon had a muzzle velocity of 2,700 feet per second, a maximum range of 14,600 yards and was equally effective being utilized against both surface and aerial targets."

From this nice sites article on Deck Guns
http://www.valoratsea.com/arms1.htm

That is a missprint. It should have read the 3 inch 50 caliber, not 4 inch. The four inch gun was the same design used on old flush deck destroyers and had a rate of fire of only 8 to 9 rounds a minute as opposed to the 3 inch gun with a rate of fire of 15 to 20 rounds a minute and it was listed as dual purpose.

http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_4-50_mk9.htm

jesterofsanity · 04-01-07, 10:58 PM

The deck guns on the subs are, if I'm not mistaken, a very similar model to the "Bofors" AA guns on larger cruisers and battleships. So they are quite "dual purpose" in that sense. No reason why they shouldn't work on both-- assuming, as I am, that the AA guns on a battleship would be loaded with flak shells and not HE

StandingCow · 04-01-07, 11:20 PM

Actually, I had used all my deck gun ammo sinking ships.. switched off it, and my crew took over and continued to fire the deck gun even though it told me I had no ammo...

Bug?

Hylander_1314 · 04-01-07, 11:36 PM

Deck guns against the IJAAF, and the IJNAF, the guns would be very effective as the Japanese planes burned easily due to a lack of selfsealing fuel tanks, and armour plating for the vitals.

bookworm_020 · 04-02-07, 01:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jesterofsanity

The deck guns on the subs are, if I'm not mistaken, a very similar model to the "Bofors" AA guns on larger cruisers and battleships. So they are quite "dual purpose" in that sense. No reason why they shouldn't work on both-- assuming, as I am, that the AA guns on a battleship would be loaded with flak shells and not HE

The Bofors was a 40mm AA gun. It did find it's way on board subs but not as a deck gun. It could be used on small surface targets, but it's main job is AA

Grothesj2 · 04-02-07, 02:15 AM

Does not seem like the deck gun mounting would have the elevation to really be effective in the AA role?

Soviet_Sharpshooter · 04-02-07, 02:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hylander_1314

Deck guns against the IJAAF, and the IJNAF, the guns would be very effective as the Japanese planes burned easily due to a lack of selfsealing fuel tanks, and armour plating for the vitals.

If a subs deckgun hit even a heavy armoured American bomber, i doubt it would take it very well. I would think the average higher agility of Japanese planes would make them harder targets to hit.

Mush Martin · 04-02-07, 04:57 AM

Your Hired

mbthegreat · 04-02-07, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soviet_Sharpshooter

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hylander_1314

Deck guns against the IJAAF, and the IJNAF, the guns would be very effective as the Japanese planes burned easily due to a lack of selfsealing fuel tanks, and armour plating for the vitals.

If a subs deckgun hit even a heavy armoured American bomber, i doubt it would take it very well. I would think the average higher agility of Japanese planes would make them harder targets to hit.

a 3 inch hole in any plane will bring it down,if it can sink a ship, it can sure as hell shoot down a plane

04-01-07, 08:26 PM	#1
PacificSwordsman Watch Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 15 Downloads: 45 Uploads: 0	I Think I Just Shot Down A Betty w/ The Deck Gun! I'm headed back to Pearl after a successful patrol and somewhere in the vicinity of Wake Island, the enemy decides to send the entire Japanese maritime air force after my sub. After fighting off repeated attacks, I am out of ammo for the anitaircraft gun. Furthermore, I am unable to submerge, as my crew is in the middle of repairing some damage to the bulkhead from an earlier attack. I get attacked again by another pair of Bettys and decide to try to spoil their aim, or scare them off, with the deck gun. I fire several shots at them as they are inbound, and it does somewhat distrupt their aim, as their bombs fall wide to starboard. As they start climbing outbound, I fire another round at them. I am stunned to see a flash similar to the flashes I have seen when my deck gun rounds impact a ship at long range. One of the Betty's then goes into a death spiral and explodes on impact with the ocean surface. I stare in disbelief. Has anyone else taken down an airplane with the deck gun? If so, I would love to hear the story.

04-01-07, 09:25 PM	#2
bookworm_020 Navy Seal Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Sinking ships off the Australian coast Posts: 5,966 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	Give your gunner a medal and buy him a beer. I don't know how real life taking down a betty with a deck gun would be, but it's nice to know that there is always someone trying there best to do so... Did the kill count, and did it list tonnage??? __________________ "There is always one person in any organization who knows whats going on, That person must be fired"

04-01-07, 11:20 PM	#9
StandingCow Weps Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 355 Downloads: 17 Uploads: 0	Actually, I had used all my deck gun ammo sinking ships.. switched off it, and my crew took over and continued to fire the deck gun even though it told me I had no ammo... Bug? __________________

04-01-07, 11:36 PM	#10
Hylander_1314 Sea Lord Join Date: May 2006 Location: 5 Miles Inland West Of Lake Huron Posts: 1,936 Downloads: 139 Uploads: 0	Deck guns against the IJAAF, and the IJNAF, the guns would be very effective as the Japanese planes burned easily due to a lack of selfsealing fuel tanks, and armour plating for the vitals. __________________ A legislative act contrary to the Constitution is not law. -John Marshall Chief Justice of the Supreme Court ---------------------

04-02-07, 04:57 AM	#14
Mush Martin Eternal Patrol Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 4,398 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	Your Hired __________________ RIP Mush Tutorial

04-01-07, 09:34 PM	#3
Sonoboy Planesman Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: United States, CA Posts: 195 Downloads: 9 Uploads: 0	One of the selectable shells for the deck gun is an AA shell. Does anyone know if it's actually implemented?

04-01-07, 09:49 PM	#5
ccruner13 Navy Dude Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 175 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	since most bombing runs come across the boat and the sides of the AA thing block out my view i just let my boys do the work for me. to get a good view of the action i man the deck gun and depending where i am in the trip (in or out) id let off a few rounds as the come in. easily spent 100 rounds on airplanes but i finally hit one and that with the combined effort of the aa gunner brought em down. lists in the kill book like anything else. the aa round if i had to guess would be a timed/proximity explosion to send shrapnel into plane/pilot. but its not implemented

04-01-07, 10:31 PM	#6
U-Bones Grey Wolf Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Treading Water Posts: 847 Downloads: 56 Uploads: 0	The deck guns were perfectly capable against planes. "The 4 inch 50 caliber dual purpose cannon was standard issue to many submarines during World War II. This weapon had a muzzle velocity of 2,700 feet per second, a maximum range of 14,600 yards and was equally effective being utilized against both surface and aerial targets." From this nice sites article on Deck Guns http://www.valoratsea.com/arms1.htm

04-01-07, 10:58 PM	#8
jesterofsanity Swabbie Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 6 Downloads: 31 Uploads: 0	The deck guns on the subs are, if I'm not mistaken, a very similar model to the "Bofors" AA guns on larger cruisers and battleships. So they are quite "dual purpose" in that sense. No reason why they shouldn't work on both-- assuming, as I am, that the AA guns on a battleship would be loaded with flak shells and not HE

04-02-07, 02:15 AM	#12
Grothesj2 Medic Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 167 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Does not seem like the deck gun mounting would have the elevation to really be effective in the AA role?