Lesson Learned: GWX Aircraft

[theluckyone17]

My boat's crusing just north of Scotland, at 128x, when the watch crew calls out "Aircraft Spotted!". Now normally I don't press the situation, and just order a "crash dive" just as soon as I verify I've got enough water underneath me. Not today. I'm feeling lucky (well, since I'm the Lucky One, duh), and I've got this brand-spankin' new Petty Officer with a Flak Gun Rating. I order him up on deck, and send everybody else below. All ahead full, and rudder hard to port.

I climb out topside, and watch as my flak gunner opens up... tracers flying towards not one, but two Mosquitos (or so I assume, 'cause they're twin-engined, and look a lot like 'em). They start to dive, as my flak gunner reloads, and continues to fire away as they continue their dive.

At this point, I'm thinkin' this Mos' driver is pretty brave. Can't say I'd be all that comfy watching those tracers fly up towards me as I'm making my run on target... he seems to have no problem, though. Flak keeps firing away, as I get to watch that bomb detact from the bottom of the fuselage. It arcs downwards... and splashes not too far away, on the port side.

As the crew starts calling out damage reports, it occurs to me that I should've turned to starboard. This little nugget of goodness comes into being just as I watch the bomb drop from the other Mos'. It arcs down even closer... and darn near hits my boat. The crew starts calling out even more damage reports, but more importantly, overlaid is the sound of a dying man groaning/screaming/whatever in his death throes.

Yep, that fancy schmancy flak gunner was riddled with shrapnel from the bomb.

So now my boat's all bent up, my flak gunner's dead, and I haven't even gotten past Scotland. This is in January of '40, keep in mind... things like this aren't supposed to happen. I dive, and flee the scene.

The repair's are going to take days. Not hours, days. Nothing's destroyed, however, so it's not like I can crawl back into port, dive into a big ol' beer, and lament my worries away. Nope. Stick the dead guy somewhere in the boat where he won't smell too badly (fat chance), start cruising towards the patrol area again, and repair the ship in the mean time, hoping there's no destroyer around to make my day even worse.

Lesson #1 learned: You see aircraft, you dive. January of '40 or '44, you just dive.

Lesson #2 learned: Don't waste ratings on flak gunners. Crazies will just get themselves killed.

[Corrupt_File]

Yup, just too dangerous.
PS: Right click on a dead crewman when surfaced to feed the sharks.

[CWorth]

Very good lesson to learn...to bad it had to be the hard way.

Aircraft are your worst enemies next to DD's.You see them you get under as fast as you can..do NOT sit on the surface and duke it out with them(as you found out) as that is simply suicidal and a really useless risk to your boat.

As the saying always goes and holds very true to a Uboat..

He who in a battle is slain,shall never rise to fight again.
But he who fights and runs away,will live to fight another day.

[mookiemookie]

I learned this the very first patrol I tried in GWX. Taking a bomb to your bow decks is not good for hull integrity.

It bears repeating....do NOT mess with the planes in GWX. You WILL be sorry.

[filefool]

Confirmed!

July '40 and i am heading towards the rockall as a plane comes along. Since i got a newly installed double-barreled 2cm, a flak gunner and the bogey is a swordfish biplane i expect an easy victory.

The result was a dead gunner, hull at 68% and the aft torpedo tube destroyed...

Maybe I'll give it a another try when i get the U-flak conning tower.

[Brag]

In 1940 it is probably Ansons, which were used by Coastal Command. I was attacked by them in the same area. The bestards kept appearing every time I surfaced.

Yes! Dive, dive, dive, is the only answer. I lost my flacker to a tugboat, of all things. In GWX surface combat for U-boats is the absolute last resort, when you're gonna go down in a blaze of useless glory.

[stabiz]

It depends on the type of planes too, those fast buggers are a real pain in the rear torpedo tubes.

Oh, and if you decide to fight it out, go to flank speed, and zig-zag alot.

[AirborneCZ]

but two Mosquitos

you also have been really "lucky"

Mosquitos in ´40 must have been test prototypes!!!!

[Paajtor]

Get the Radar Warning Receiver-upgrade (if year permits).
The moment you get a warning, immeadiatly order flank-speed, and dive to periscope-depth...at 12m, make a hook (this is to change course as soon as possible, without the wake of your disappearing conning-tower giving away the course-change).
Now stop engines, and listen...if you hear nothing anywhere, then you've just escaped from an air-attack, and go full speed again, to leave the area, and put some kms between yourself and your last known location. If you hear screws, then you can decide whether to setup for evasion or attack.

If you can't get the RWR - or enemy isn't using radar - then the warning of your watch-crew will come much later...don't bother fighting the plane, just dive full speed without hesitation, and speed away.
My '42 VIIC has double flak-twins, but I hope I'll never have to rely on them.

[AVGWarhawk]

After I loaded up GWX you get that option to engage or dive to scope depth. I clicked the dive to scope depth as the automatic response. At the very least my boat is diving and at that point I can hit C for crash dive if the depths are deep enough. Screw those planes...not worth the headach or taking the deep everlasting 1000 fathoms for good tour

[melnibonian]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

After I loaded up GWX you get that option to engage or dive to scope depth. I clicked the dive to scope depth as the automatic response. At the very least my boat is diving and at that point I can hit C for crash dive if the depths are deep enough. Screw those planes...not worth the headach or taking the deep everlasting 1000 fathoms for good tour

Well said. In one full career (1939-1945) and the current one (1939-1941 and going) I haven't shoot down a plane. I've been bombed a couple of times but I always try to avoid them. That's why I'm still alive I think, although some will say I'm a chicken Don't listen to them. They say this because their boat blew up as they were firing at planes :p

[Mooncatt]

planes suck, even when you dive and stay down for hours then surface again they still know where you are though evn though ive changed course and traveled miles

[Captain Nemo]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

After I loaded up GWX you get that option to engage or dive to scope depth. I clicked the dive to scope depth as the automatic response. At the very least my boat is diving and at that point I can hit C for crash dive if the depths are deep enough. Screw those planes...not worth the headach or taking the deep everlasting 1000 fathoms for good tour

I agree. I'm on my second patrol (1939) with GWX and when ever a plane shows up I order a crash dive if I am in deep water. Most u-boat commanders did the same in real life until 1944 when u-boat control ordered that they fight it out with their quad 20mm and 37mm flak guns on the surface. These flak guns were deemed adequate for the task but the 37mm had parts that were made of metal that corroded when it got wet so were unreliable. In the end Coastal Command were more successful at sinking u-boats than u-boats were at shooting down aircraft.

Nemo

[johan_d]

I think the flak in GWX is toned down too much, I have tried a dozen of times, manual, or with a crew member in it, but was not able to shoot down, or hit a single plane.
But when you see them, dive is the easiest way out.

[stabiz]

I have shot down dozens of planes in GWX, so I disagree about it being dumbed down too much. (I have been sunk a dozen times too)