Lesson Learned: GWX Aircraft

theluckyone17 · 01-22-07, 11:23 PM

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 · 01-22-07, 11:39 PM

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

CWorth · 01-22-07, 11:43 PM

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 · 01-22-07, 11:52 PM

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 · 01-23-07, 02:07 AM

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 · 01-23-07, 04:00 AM

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 · 01-23-07, 04:22 AM

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.

01-22-07, 11:52 PM	#4
mookiemookie Navy Seal Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 9,404 Downloads: 105 Uploads: 1	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. __________________ They don’t think it be like it is, but it do. Want more U-boat Kaleun portraits for your SH3 Commander Profiles? Download the SH3 Commander Portrait Pack here.

01-23-07, 02:07 AM	#5
filefool Loader Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Austria. Far away from any port or shore. Posts: 87 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	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. __________________

01-23-07, 04:00 AM	#6
Brag Navy Seal Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Docked on a Russian pond Posts: 7,072 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	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. __________________ Espionage, adventure, suspense, are just a click away Click here to look inside Brag's book: Amazon.com: Kingmaker: Alexey Braguine: Books Order Kingmaker here: http://www.subsim.com/store.html For Tactics visit:http://www.freewebs.com/kielman/

01-23-07, 04:22 AM	#7
stabiz Silent Hunter Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Norway Posts: 4,224 Downloads: 14 Uploads: 0	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. __________________

01-22-07, 11:23 PM	#1
theluckyone17 Captain Join Date: May 2006 Location: Niskayuna, NY Posts: 482 Downloads: 103 Uploads: 0	Lesson Learned: GWX Aircraft 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.

01-22-07, 11:39 PM	#2
Corrupt_File Sparky Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Canada's Western Naval Fleet Posts: 157 Downloads: 17 Uploads: 0	Yup, just too dangerous. PS: Right click on a dead crewman when surfaced to feed the sharks.

01-22-07, 11:43 PM	#3
CWorth Grey Wolf Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Gettysburg PA Posts: 845 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	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.