Flak any good ingame?

[GoldenRivet]

A uboat is a very poor AAA platform.

They did experience some successes against aircraft, however the number of uboats sunk by airplanes far exceeds the number of airplanes shot down by uboats.

If you want to upgrade your boat you'd be wise to use the renown on some of the more passive defenses like bold decoys, anti sonar coatings etc.

If you choose to fight it out on the surface with planes... Especially in GWX you might experience a couple of successes, but for the most part you probably won't last long.

[flag4]

dive! dive! dive!

[Vince82]

IS it worth to upgrade to the heavy flak conning tower? Has anyone had any rewarding experience fighting back airplanes?

I don't think it's worth to upgrade. Usually you should dive when your crew spot an aircraft. I think there's not much to gain in trying to shoot it, while at the same time you could lose your boat.

If my crew spots a aircraft at medium range, I'm staying at the surface gaining as much speed as possible and turning hard left or right if needed. It's too late to dive, so staying at the surface is better. But once the plane dropped it's bombs/DC's (and hopefully missed) I'm crashdiving before it turns around for a second attack.

[BrucePartington]

Nice, sounds great. Thanks Vince. And thank you all for your input.
Of course diving is always best. My concern is regarding a situation where I cannot dive because its too shallow. From time to time I feel tempted to raid a port. I miss SH2 Tieffenmesser showing available depth.

Originally Posted by Vince82

I don't think it's worth to upgrade. Usually you should dive when your crew spot an aircraft. I think there's not much to gain in trying to shoot it, while at the same time you could lose your boat.

If my crew spots a aircraft at medium range, I'm staying at the surface gaining as much speed as possible and turning hard left or right if needed. It's too late to dive, so staying at the surface is better. But once the plane dropped it's bombs/DC's (and hopefully missed) I'm crashdiving before it turns around for a second attack.

[RustySubmarine]

I don't take chances with aircraft, I get under as fast as I can, until the coast is clear. I have used my flak gun on small unarmed merchants, with quite good results, which usually takes about 200 rounds to destroy, thus saving a torpedo for something bigger, or an armed merchant, where the flak gun would be pretty useless against more heavy armament. I have never yet used my flak gun against an aircraft.

[Kelly621]

Originally posted by Flag4: dive! dive! dive!

You've got that right! Taking on a plane on the surface has never ended well for me....nor did it end well for most U-Boats caught on the surface during the war.

Kelly
621

[MantiBrutalis]

Sometimes when I get surprised by a plane and it is too close (or I am going too slow) to dive, I do engage it during its run (making evasive maneuvers and picking up as much speed as possible), then diving once too far to shoot.

So far, with GWX, the score is -

4 planes downed : 3 men dead, 2 interrupted patrols due to damage

[Raptor]

Even with GWX, you really only have a decent chance of downing a Swordfish. Against everything else, even if you have a flak-qualified gunner or Watch Officer, you are on the short end of a short stick, and it gets shorter fast as the war progresses.

An aircraft can fly with several holes in it. A U-boat only needs one hole in the pressure hull to make diving impossible.

Crash-dive and avoid the risks inherent in a confrontation.

[flag4]

Originally Posted by Kelly621

You've got that right! Taking on a plane on the surface has never ended well for me....nor did it end well for most U-Boats caught on the surface during the war.

Kelly
621

...you should read Ralph Kapitsky: Battle in the Caribbean and the Death of U 615.

its in the book Silent Hunters: German U Boat Commanders of WW2.

..talk about flak being any good....an unbelievable story of courage.

link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silent-Hunte...silent+hunters

[Kelly621]

Originally posted by Flag4...you should read Ralph Kapitsky: Battle in the Caribbean and the Death of U 615.

its in the book Silent Hunters: German U Boat Commanders of WW2.

Recently finished Operation Drumbeat and I am in the middle of Black May and Hitler's U-Boat War....will have a go at the book you mentioned once these are done....thanks for another good recommendation.

Kelly621