Do you use a deck gun?

[meduza]

I wonder, how often do you use your deck gun? Is it just a last resort, or..?

Early in the war, the deck gun is my primary weapon against lonely, unarmed smaller ships (2500 tons or less). First reason is I want to save my torpedos for juicier targets, and second is fun.
I find it very pleasing blowing my tanks in close proximity to the unsuspecting ship, and sink her with the gun.

[rifleman13]

Yes, I also use the deck gun early in the war.

But as late war phase enters, would be insanely suicidal to engage a ship with the deck gun.

And also if the weather permits... I hate when storms get over two weeks long.
I know that in real life, storms can last longer than that, but come on!

I am I right people?

[meduza]

Originally Posted by rifleman13

But as late war phase enters, would be insanely suicidal to engage a ship with the deck gun.

Yes, the Brits killed all the fun when they started arming the merchants. . I'm in late 1940 and I already encountered an armed merchant. It was an Ore carrier,and I wouldn't engage her with the gun anyway, but it's a first sign that the differnt times are coming.

Originally Posted by rifleman13

And also if the weather permits... I hate when storms get over two weeks long.
I know that in real life, storms can last longer than that, but come on!

I am I right people?

Indeed, the storms seam to last forever.

[Sailor Steve]

Storms in the game can indeed last forever. So can perfect weather and calm seas. It's partly the way the weather state changes in the game and partly a save-game thing.

The only true instant solution is here:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...ight=stop+rain

[meduza]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

The only true instant solution is here:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...ight=stop+rain

True, but with all due respect to Rubini and his excellent mods , it feels like cheating to me. I will rather curse the weather and let the nature takes its course. I mean, the freaking storm must end sometime... I don't want to go home with all of my gun ammunition still aboard

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by meduza

...it feels like cheating to me.

I agree, and I don't use it either. But when the game itself is cheating I can understand why some folks would want to use it. It's like Dead Is Dead - I insist on playing that way, but when the game suddenly kills you because of high time compression or some such, you don't accept it and you reboot.

One player's cheat is another player's lifeline.

[papa_smurf]

I use my deck gun form 39 till late 41 in a Type VII. Then when it gets too hot I transfer to a type IX/C and pick of lone merchants, and in some rare occasions have used my deck gun in late '42.

[SandyCaesar]

The Deck Gun is fun, and plenty of times I've charged lone merchies or terrorized Flower corvettes with it. I can still remember that one time I netted 50k on a patrol in '39 when I stumbled upon an unescorted, unarmed convoy midocean. Only lost some renown because my weps got carried away and started blazing away at the Americans. Didn't bring a single weapon home, aside from 20mm and starshell.Even armed merchies were pretty easy targets, back in the vanilla days. With GWX, not quite so certain...

Still, I'm not about to engage warships with it. I draw the line at Flowers and armed trawlers, which go down pretty easily. In retrospect, however, maybe I shouldn't've taken on those four corvettes escorting that convoy...

[Brag]

In 41 Things would start to get sticky.
On GWX 2.1 I'm still in 1940. Had a streak of good weather and sunk 26,000 tons with the deckie. Have only one round left, so the rest of the sinkings on this patrols will be with eels.

Guess who is in command of the boat.

[SandyCaesar]

Originally Posted by Brag

In 41 Things would start to get sticky.
On GWX 2.1 I'm still in 1940. Had a streak of good weather and sunk 26,000 tons with the deckie. Have only one round left, so the rest of the sinkings on this patrols will be with eels.

Guess who is in command of the boat.

Let me guess: daily choir practice?

[Paul Riley]

As a rule of thumb I use my DG to engage lonely stragglers,and to finish off already crippled ships.
Another use ,and I have never tried this ,could be to actually LURE say a flanking or rear escort into a gun duel,in an attempt to thin down the military presence of the convoy?.Bloody risky yes,but...effective?,could be.:hmm:
I am currently In April 42 in my campaign and using the DG gets increasingly more difficult,and almost getting sunk by a C2 is,well...embarrassing. :rotfl:

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Brag

Guess who is in command of the boat.

I like to attack ships with combined fire. Deck gun + flak guns.

[Sensekhmet]

Pretty much like everyone else. One of the crucial weapons until merchants get armed, then it's just an auxiliary, for example to finish off stopped ships after surfacing in front of them (to stay away from the stern guns). I use flak on smaller things, mostly on my beloved schooners. I can't wait to try quad 20mm on those beauties *sobs*

But things happen. Just now I was crusing off US in my IXB when I got shot at from somehwere. Binoculars, it's some insect, coming at me hard, spraying small calibre fire in my general direction. To make long story short, he took 4 105mm shells and started to sink bow first. When I passed him he sprayed me with his stern cannon, I in turn used my twin 20mm, too bad I can't order the crew to fire the other one (2nd tower type wth 2 light flak emplacements). He got a hero's salute as he went down. No damage to my boat.

[Redwine]

Originally Posted by meduza

I wonder, how often do you use your deck gun? Is it just a last resort, or..?

I love it... i use it always it is posible.

Never expend a torp when i can use the deck gun.
I made a small mod to enlarge the size of the tracer bullet texture many time ago, it gives me the posibility to aim too far away because i can see if the shot is long or short.