Deck Gun

[desirableroasted]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Mind you, removing it makes absolutely no difference to the performance of your boat.

Interesting! So you might as well keep it, even if its usefulness diminishes.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by desirableroasted

Interesting! So you might as well keep it, even if its usefulness diminishes.

Well I do if I've a VII or IX....it does save on the odd eel

[Obltn Strand]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

The deck gun can be useful in finishing off the mortally wounded thereby saving you an eel or two but come mid 41 (even earlier for some merchantmen) don't ever lose sight of the fact your boat was intended to be used aggressively under the waters surface and is quite vulnerable to shellfire whilst surfaced.

That's why I stopped excessive deck gunning. When small, "easy" targets not worth an eel suddenly opens fire with two cannons + flak, one torpedo is small price compared to damage it can cause.

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Did anyone mention the Q Ships?

Haven't encounterd them bastards yet. I wait wth anticipation.

[Missing Name]

Q Ships are nasty surprises. They look exactly like tramp steamers...

[PacificWolf]

Thats right, so its always better to have it.
More historical and risky.

[Jimbuna]

Oh I think they're rather quaint

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Missing Name

Q Ships are nasty surprises. They look exactly like tramp steamers...

In real life there was more variety. There was even one tanker converted to a Q-ship.
http://www.history.navy.mil/docs/wwi...#anchor1530236

[JazzJR]

But in WW2 the most Q Ships were sunk by german U-Boats. They didn't sunk any U-Boat but three of five Q-Ships were sunk by the U-Boats.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by JazzJR

But in WW2 the most Q Ships were sunk by german U-Boats. They didn't sunk any U-Boat but three of five Q-Ships were sunk by the U-Boats.

"Three of five"? The British commissioned nine Q-ships in 1939. Three were sunk, two in 1940 and the third in 1942 while in French service, and after the Royal Navy had abandoned the program. The US Navy commissioned five Q-ships, of which one was sunk.

Q-ships only work when the submarine policy is to board and search ships and then sink them with scuttling charges. If the policy is to torpedo them while submerged, then no, they have no real value. If you're going to make a surfaced attack against a lone merchant, then the Q-ship can be troublesome. But then so can an armed merchant, which is why Q-ships were eventually dropped.

[Jimbuna]

Q Ships in WWII

American

http://www.history.navy.mil/docs/wwii/Q-ships.htm

British

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q-ship

[JazzJR]

What a nice picture U-123 under command of Reinhard Hardegen. One of the most sucessful U-Boat commanders.

[Obltn Strand]

Originally Posted by JazzJR

What a nice picture U-123 under command of Reinhard Hardegen. One of the most sucessful U-Boat commanders.

As I recall it, Hardegen was a commander who often used a deck gun.

[Jimbuna]

He was also an individual who was initially mistaken for an SS officer of the same name and very lucky not to be executed after the war.

[JazzJR]

And he is the oldest still living U-Boat Commander of the Kriegsmarine.





Btw: This is Rainhard Hardegen (on the right)

[Jimbuna]

Good to learn he is still alive