Aircraft Evasion Tactics 1943-44 | Forums

[Kaleun1961]

Good to know, Beeryus. Thanks. Now all I have to do to test this is get into 43.

[winslynn]

I find it impossible to fight them off,they come in squadrons and the B-24s drop sticks of bombs from high altitude.I am almost out of 20mm flak ammo before I get out of the Bay of Biscay and that 37mm is not effective at all.It takes forever to get to a patrol grid,dive-surface,dive-surface,usw.It was so nice when I was the hunter and not the hunted.Must be how the fox feels in those English foxhunts.

[blastomatic1759]

im just waiting for that magic year to roll around where the Quad mount is available, and as long the waters are smoothe , bring on the aircraft and its on like donkey kong.... the planes will be coming up with evasion tactics when they see U124. unless they have depthcharge nukes or something.

[WilhelmSchulz.-]

Doge the first attack on the surface and then dive.

[The_Silent_O]

Dive...hard left or right rudder in the direction of the oncoming aircraft...

I wanna be the ballast vent guy in 'Das Boot' he's got to have long strong arms!

[DiveDevil]

I shoot it out with them unless its a swarm then its all ahead flank full left rudder and crash dive then after the boat starts below the water I shift to full right rudder and turn opposite and hopefully throughing off the aircraft; works most of the time.

[mbabbs]

As soon as an aircraft is spotted I crash dive, change course 90 degrees and go as deep as possible.

I suspect that once spotted the aircraft call in a destroyer so I tend to try and get as much distance as possible for an hour or so.

The best tactic though is to avoid them in the first place. Don't use your radar, don't go near the coast, stay submerged at night, during the day use your snorkel in rough weather or surface if you have good visibility. Later you will have to reverse this to being submerged during the day and then recharging at night.

I only engage aircraft if I cannot dive such as reloading external torpedoes or depth is too shallow, but this has only happened once in my 4 year career.

[KZS_Tartarus]

Originally posted by WilhelmSchulz.-:
Doge the first attack on the surface and then dive.

*nods agreement*

Absolutely the worst thing that can happen is to get bombed while diving. The death zone is from the surface to 30 meters down; you are hardly moving, a very predictable target, and your location is known: right under the swirl. You are a much harder target doing 18 knots in a hard turn on the surface, than doing 6 knots at 20 meters while crash diving! To avoid being hit in that position, I find that it is usually best to fight out the first pass on the surface and then dive, unless you detect the aircraft so early that you are sure to be well below by the time the bombs fall (rarely seems to happen to me at least ...).

But of course, the best tactics is to stay off the surface...

Best,
- B

[WilhelmSchulz.-]

yea thats how my last Kluen died. A bee caught me in the ***.