torpedoes vs deck gun

[salamis protector]

i prefer torpedoes because i am not good to aim with the deck gun

[convoy hunter]

Originally Posted by salamis protector

i prefer torpedoes because i am not good to aim with the deck gun

practise makes better

[pickinthebanjo]

I'm big on the deck gun, usually takes 20-30 rounds though once I sunk a small merchant with one but I was to close and was damaged severly

[ryanglavin]

The only time I usually use my deck gun is on trips to the American Coastline.

I don't want to waste my precious torps that I want to use on merchants, so I use my deck gun on the transit.

[maillemaker]

Here is why you use the deck gun:

http://www.forth-armoury.com/SHIII/wreckage.bmp

But from 1941 onwards they shoot back.

Steve

[firefighter26]

I think I will echo what everyone else says, I usually use the deck gun for lone and unescorted merchants. I get especially annoyed when I line up a target and the torpedo bounces off its side when it was on a damn near perfect line to target.

Before I installed GWX it would take 20-30 rounds to sink a ship. These days, I've picked up what parts of the ship seem to be easier to damage.. well, at least have a bigger explosion when I hit them... explosion = damage in my opinion!

One patrol I was frustrated that my last two torpedoes bounced off the ship that I alternated firing on it with the deck gun and while it was reloading, strafing back and forth across its deck with the AA flak gun. It probably didn't do anything to sink the ship any faster, but it helped easy some of the frustrations (though, I am sure the war crimes tribunal would be looking for me if I had have made it to the end of the war)!

[Falkirion]

I only use the deck gun if my targets crippled by an eel I've put into her or its completely black out and early war. Otherwise its periscope depth to 200m in a couple of minutes to escape the DD pounding headed my way.

[Hook]

I figure you don't get renown for bringing back deck gun rounds, so you might as well use them if you can. You can't use them in bad weather, so you're already limited in what you can do.

Someone once mentioned one U-boat captain that used the deck gun to good effect. I don't remember who it was. It would be nice to read about him.

I prefer to limit deck guns to lone merchants under 3000 tons. However, if I'm low on torpedos and I have 200 deck gun rounds and I'm going to be passing just north of Scapa in good weather on my way home, anything I find there is fair game. As long as it's not shooting back.

As far as I'm concerned, once a convoy has started weaving, it's no longer fair game because they'll scatter in real life. I get one good attack, as many torpedos as I can fire, and I'll return later to pick off stragglers. I don't go head to head with destroyers, as that's a good way to end up exercising the Dead Is Dead rule.

I generally avoid convoys anyway. There are a lot of lone merchants available. Under 3000 tons gets the deck gun. Over that gets a torpedo or two.

Hook

[maillemaker]

Someone once mentioned one U-boat captain that used the deck gun to good effect. I don't remember who it was. It would be nice to read about him.

It was me. I'll try and post more often.

Steve

[convoy hunter]

Originally Posted by maillemaker

Here is why you use the deck gun:

http://www.forth-armoury.com/SHIII/wreckage.bmp

But from 1941 onwards they shoot back.

Steve

what was the tonnage reading after that?

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Hook

Someone once mentioned one U-boat captain that used the deck gun to good effect. I don't remember who it was. It would be nice to read about him.

Hardegen seems to have used it a lot during his Paukenschlag patrols, which are covered extensively in Operation Drumbeat.

Wasn't use of the deck gun also a part of Kretschmer's "one ship, one torpedo" thing? For single or unescorted merchants, anyway, that's what I favor early on. Especially in daylight and good weather, if one eel doesn't take them down. I've had a couple run-ins with armed merchants as a result but nothing too serious. Granted I've only gotten as far as spring 1940.

[firefighter26]

Originally Posted by Hook

Someone once mentioned one U-boat captain that used the deck gun to good effect. I don't remember who it was. It would be nice to read about him.

Ironically, I found this earlier today during my random travels.... Amazing resource, this 'internet' thing....

Vice Admiral Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière

(March 18, 1886 – February 24, 1941), born in Posen, was a German U-Boat commander during World War I. With 194 ships and 453,716 gross registered tons (GRT) sunk, he is the most successful submarine ace ever. Нis victories came in the Mediterranean, almost always using his 8.8-cm deck gun. During his career he fired 74 torpedoes, hitting 39 times

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by firefighter26

Ironically, I found this earlier today during my random travels.... Amazing resource, this 'internet' thing....

Vice Admiral Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière

(March 18, 1886 – February 24, 1941), born in Posen, was a German U-Boat commander during World War I. With 194 ships and 453,716 gross registered tons (GRT) sunk, he is the most successful submarine ace ever. Нis victories came in the Mediterranean, almost always using his 8.8-cm deck gun. During his career he fired 74 torpedoes, hitting 39 times

He carried out non of those exploits during WWII though.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by firefighter26

Ironically, I found this earlier today during my random travels.... Amazing resource, this 'internet' thing....

Vice Admiral Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière

(March 18, 1886 – February 24, 1941), born in Posen, was a German U-Boat commander during World War I. With 194 ships and 453,716 gross registered tons (GRT) sunk, he is the most successful submarine ace ever. Нis victories came in the Mediterranean, almost always using his 8.8-cm deck gun. During his career he fired 74 torpedoes, hitting 39 times

Yep - killed in a plane crash whilst flying into France to take up some KM staff position during WWII. I believe he'd left the service after WWI, I think he was teaching at Turkey's naval academy during the 30s. Don't know if he was called back up or returned to Germany when war broke out (or before that).

[Hook]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

He carried out non of those exploits during WWII though.

In other words, he did all that with a WWI vintage deck gun.

Thanks for the great info, everyone.

Hook