IX air tactics...IX noob

[U-84]

hey all, as stated on the title, was curious what would be the most effective way to deal with enemy planes. This is my first time using a IX on career, and the dive time compared to the VIIC is enourmous (obviously) by the time I am able to spot or pickup any enemy aircraft it seems already too late too dive, so i order the guns manned and zig zag. Is this effective? I've suffered no damage so far and downed a Hawker Hurricane, but my luck cannot hold out forever espcially since it's somewhat early war (42). For those IX users and addicts here, what do u do? any certain evasive manuever that I'm probably not aware of? :hmm:

[A Very Super Market]

Radar warning Radar warning Radar warning Radar warning Radar warning

I admit I haven't used IX too much anyways, but the most effective tactic would still be crashdiving. You're too big of a target for experienced flyers to avoid hitting.

[Weiss Pinguin]

Running decks awash (Manually set depth to just below 7 meters) can also cut down your dive times. You lose fuel efficiency (and speed), but you're in a Type IX. :p

[RoaldLarsen]

Originally Posted by Weiß Pinguin

Running decks awash (Manually set depth to just below 7 meters) can also cut down your dive times. You lose fuel efficiency (and speed), but you're in a Type IX. :p

Can't do that in stock, ofc.

[Jimbuna]

ALLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARM!!....Dive every time

[Weiss Pinguin]

Originally Posted by RoaldLarsen

Can't do that in stock, ofc.

Ah, didn't know if he was playing stock or not. I think there are several mods floating around for vanilla SH3 that let you do that. :hmm:

[papa_smurf]

ALLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARM!!....Dive every time

Quite correct, if you try to fight it out in a type IX your most likely to be sunk.

[Nemisis]

Get a Radar detector. You are at just the point in the War when things start turning nasty, especially when it come to air attacks.

The damm planes start showing up all over the place, and as soon as one finds you you can get swamped very quickly by anything up to 8 planes at once, followed by a quick death.

So as said by everyone else Crash dive as soon as you spot a plane, try not to run at very high 1028X time compression as the plane will be on you by the time you start to react. If you do get caught out by that lone Hurricane and he is almost on you turn into him flank speed, this can (SOMETIMES!) cause them to over shoot on the bomb drop but as soon as he over flys you CRASH DIVE!!! Hopefully you can get underwater before he turns back into you.

Happy Fly swatting.

[mookiemookie]

If you're using SH3 Commander, make sure you set the time compression to pause the game when an aircraft is spotted. It gives you a couple of extra vital seconds to react.

[Brag]

Aircraft are your biggest enemy.
As suggested by others, going 6 meters decks awash will save you almost 20 seconds in dive time.
Also it will reduce aircraft ability of spotting you.

[Hanomag]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

ALLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARM!!....Dive every time

Everytime!!

Then hard to starboard or port.. choose your own doom...

[Willy Wink]

My last patrol on U-108 (Type IXB) ended off the coast of North Carolina in the spring of 1943, when after getting tired of yelling "ALARM!" every time we spotted a plane I decided to duke it out on the surface. We were well equipped with our heavy flak and two light flaks and managed to shoot down 4 planes, including two Sunderlands, but we were still no match. The planes kept coming and we kept taking damage. We dove when my entire damage control team was killed on the surface trying to fix the flak gun.

On that offense, I tried keeping the planes within my firing arc by going flank speed with the rudder in a 10 degree position (port or starboard) and when the planes came in for their bombing run I'd hit it hard to the opposite direction, sometimes even cutting off my speed altogether. This resulted in the planes overshooting me, but still they came close. It was also the first time I saw some sort of multiple bomb effect that was like bombs landing in a semicircle in close proximity to each other... that scared the hell out of me. Maybe some of the more experienced players can explain what the hell that was.

Ironically it wasn't the planes that did me in. When we dove we stayed put til nightfall which was a bad mistake, since a destroyer came to investigate. I decided to engage the destroyer which was another bad mistake, since a failed "down the throat" shot attempt ended up with me ramming the destroyer and losing my conning tower with periscopes, radio, hydrophones, and everything else. The destroyer was finished though. With 29% hull integrity left and no eyes or ears on the boat, I decided to head for the coast and scuttle her (ie - abandon career), ending an illustrious career, but technicaly still alive. It was a very difficult decision.

Moral of the story: engaging aircraft is suicidal. At best you have minor victories but there's more of them than you think, and they always report your position to nearby ships.

That said, I love the IXB and can't wait to go back to it (currently I'm on a boring patrol in the med with a VIIC, which isn't bad but I run out of torps when I need them most). On that particular career I sank more than 300,000 tons at 92% realism and only hitting an average of about 2 out of 5 torps.

[Praefectus classis]

Its fun to destroy those poor Fairey Swordfishes with my AA in early of the war. They usually cant get close enough to bomb me, before they got hit and explode. Just destroyed 4 Swordfishes in row may 1940, without damage or casualties. But later I think its almost suicide to attack planes.

[Erich dem Roten]

Stock game you can survive air attacks with relative ease; in my stock career there were many, many patrols where I'd have 10 or 20 planes shot down. I really only use GWX, however, and spent plenty of time using a type IX. While running with decks awash is almost a necessity later on, a type IX can get to a safe depth from the surface as long as you crash dive the moment the plane is sighted.

[Webchessie]

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

If you're using SH3 Commander, make sure you set the time compression to pause the game when an aircraft is spotted. It gives you a couple of extra vital seconds to react.

An outstanding idea! Gives you time to crash dive!