What do you guys do against the divebombers?

[havaduck]

Cruisers spamming HE at you? ..... (zensored) please! Yes I have been rosted by cruisers with 3-4 fires at once, but generally I can deal with that - its simply nothing compared to the "skillships"

 

I really have to ask how you guys deal with the !"§$%&% divebombers ..... I am simply not able to avoid them .... I need to turn to get my bow in a position to avoid  to take the torpedoes preferably to the bulges ... so what the hell am I supposed to do against the other I-win-button a carriers posses?

 

and dont get me started on fires and/or flooding ... 2 or 3 fires are rather a death sentence because you will nearly burn out if you wait, with the vultures circling, or flood to death because of the unavoidable torpedoes. 

 

 

 

Shot down 2 planes _total_ from the first picture .... BIG BLOW to the CV right?

 

Second image is against a lower tier CV, I was even albe to abuse the then unpatched spotter ... and gues what: 1 plane killed on both sides - mine and his ..... this is just insane.

 

With you trying to point your bow at the planes, they just fly straight trough the AA bubble, over your bow and drop from the other side while your rudder hasent even moved from full-right/left to neutral.

... but the maybe one plane shot down on they way home sure is ... something. 

 

 

... but I digress, the question stands: how to avoid/mitigate dive bomber damage?

 

 

 

PS: @ the devs: Since all this "has been tested" (yeah like the CV MM was, or the tier difference between planes of different tiers and so on ...):

http://www.hark.com/clips/sfrmmcbtrb-get-off-my-damn-boat-dot

It might be a mistake because the CV are not done with me, but yeah I am done with the whole AA-reainheads(/leader heads) against the I-win-buttons .... get all that useless crap off my damn boat.

 

... and I am not asking for anything in return, just get rid of it.

 

 

[Siagor]

When they come at you (start to wiggle in the air), cut the speed in half & make at least 45 degree turn (preferably more), then immediately full speed back and resume previous course. All this takes 3-5 seconds and usually I can dodge them.

[RAIDBOSS]

If it's only DB squads hitting you, then give them your side if possible while turning hard. From my experience they tend to miss if not bombing along the ship's longitudinal axis, because you reduce your ship's available length to them. If you're being hit by TBs and DBs too, then it get's a lot more difficult. Generally the best defense in this case is running from the planes as long as you can to maximize your AA's destruction. But only attempt this if you're already perpendicular or running from the attacking squads at the point where you spot them ( 5-7 km). If you're headed towards them keep doing that, trying to do a full turn at that point would kill you. Other than that, watch your repair, if you get flooded you're gonna take a lot more damage than a fire or two. Also having a CA or two, or another BB around can help you. Maybe ask CV for cover.

[MAD_3R_Marauder]

When they come at you (start to wiggle in the air), cut the speed in half & make at least 45 degree turn (preferably more), then immediately full speed back and resume previous course. All this takes 3-5 seconds and usually I can dodge them.

 

I guess you are talking about a DD because my BB sure can´t change direction by 45° twice within 3 to 5 seconds and even a CA will have a darn hard time doing that

 

@OP:

As for avoiding them, I´m as much at a loss as you are. I am maneuvering wildly (well, as much as I can, depending on what class I am in atm) and try to show the DBs my side (as has been mentioned) but with a BB I feel I am pretty much out of options, as the DBs can just choose which side they will hit me from and the best I can do is make them fly for 5 seconds longer to attack me from the stern if I maneuver while they are approaching instead of just keeping going in the direction I was going in the first place.

[Siagor]

 

I guess you are talking about a DD because my BB sure can´t change direction by 45° twice within 3 to 5 seconds and even a CA will have a darn hard time doing that

 

 

 

CA. Sorry, should have been clearer on that.

 

Those are the moves you have to make (drastic change of speed & direction, more than once) when under any areal attack, regardless of your ship. How fast your current ship can do it - that's another story, but that's the tactics IMHO.

[Figment]

Just show them your broadside, at most one bomb tends to hit if any. Just turn and show your side as they approach, from about 3km they can't change their approach route without having to go a long way around (which would cost them aircraft). That is enough. 

[Tomerell]

At T5 where I'm mostly playing DB's are only irritating not dangerous, so in BB I don't pay as much attention to them as I do to TB's.

As the usual tactic against BB is to first hit you with DB for fire, and hope you use your repair for it, and then hit you with TB for floods. There fore the main defense I do against DB's is never use Repair after they have attacked if TB's are around...

[RepSrb]

yolo noob player who cant play megawhine thread , DB meganerf incoming...

[Siagor]

yolo noob player who cant play megawhine thread , DB meganerf incoming...

 

And a nice morning to you too.

[kiteohatto]

I go towards them and then ignore them, not like they will hit me and do a lot of damage anyway.

[viceadmiral123]

I am confused. IJN dive bombers are very underpowered, and they have only a small chance to score a fire on enemy ship. Do you mean USN dive bombers?

[aboomination]

yolo noob player who cant play megawhine thread , DB meganerf incoming...

 

Coming from the guy that started two whine threads regarding CV nerfs and Cleveland AA.

[havaduck]

Just show them your broadside, at most one bomb tends to hit if any. Just turn and show your side as they approach, from about 3km they can't change their approach route without having to go a long way around (which would cost them aircraft). That is enough. 

 

My mistake I forgot to mention: In a (IJN) BB - silly me, thats important ... sorry all. I think you thought in a cruiser or destroyer because the above for example would outright be suicide.

 

its like this: db and tb sighted, usually db in front.

 

starting to turn my bow onto them - or im dead.

 

bow point at or near tb usually still full rudder to accomplish that, dives coming in and: 1-2 fire/group, massive damage from the bombs. 3 or more fires? I repair. 2 or less, I wait.

 

Now come the tb they wait for the fire to burn or they go right trough the aa bubble to the other side, turn and drop. I ussually counter ruddershift and set throttle to reverse and sometimes topedoes miss (inexp. cv captain only) or I select on torp to take on the bulge and drive though the spread avoiding the others.

 

and that over and over and and over again ... the first picture is _not just one_ attack wave ... but wih 2 planes lost in total, he might getting problems sending new waves in a few houres ...

 

 

also tactics involving other players are not viable. Either you have the Atago player which firmly believes you dont need aa or it the late game, sky cancer is still going strong and you cant simply get the survivors together fast enough while the cv pillages at his descretion.

 

 

also I am not a stats guy but just for this: 

 

 

yolo noob player who cant play megawhine thread , DB meganerf incoming...

 

You may find that I have better stats than you, even including the massive amount of IJN sealclubbers you played .

 

[Spellfire40]

Working as intended. 17 hit what tir you play ? looks like lev 5 Captain skills in action vs a Strike Lexi up?. Really would you be more happy if you were hit by 17 airdroped Torps? DB hits are very unpredictable and do very lttle damage to a BB. its only source of Damage are the fire it cases and that you can instantly kill with the Damage controll ability.Also fire is light and can be repaired by the BBs Repair skill. And once the DBs are flown off you wont see them again for some miutes. Would you rather be under Mogami or Cleaveland fire for a copple of Minutes? I bet you get more than 17 hits and more fire ,-)

 

 

Just another case of I cant fight back the real sorce of the atack and feel helpless BB skipper in my opinion.

 

 

Cya

 

Spellfire40

[RepSrb]

i post that because he didnt even mention what cv and what tier and  what divebombers -you  know most important facts.... just a general loser whine thread...

infact i am certain it was usa cv.

jap cv  is just trash especially db.

[havaduck]

Working as intended. 17 hit what tir you play ? looks like lev 5 Captain skills in action vs a Strike Lexi up?. Really would you be more happy if you were hit by 17 airdroped Torps? DB hits are very unpredictable and do very lttle damage to a BB. its only source of Damage are the fire it cases and that you can instantly kill with the Damage controll ability.Also fire is light and can be repaired by the BBs Repair skill. And once the DBs are flown off you wont see them again for some miutes.

 

A 4 skill captain Fuso with advanced firing training is the first picture, with multiple attack runs ..... and since when is 37k bomb damage alone very little damage - not even including fires the unavoidable torpedoes and the ensuing flooding?

Second would be Kongo or Fuso again with 4 skill and advanced firing traing.

 

 

And just to clarify: the first picture are USN dive bombers with multiple waves. To contrast, the second part of the picture in op is a IJN carrier (the flames are him dying) with just one attack wave.

 

 

Just another case of I cant fight back the real sorce of the atack and feel helpless BB skipper in my opinion.

 

wrong,  still stands: how to mitigate the damage from the divebombers without getting obliberated from the following tb.

 

Since the attack pattern dont change much I am asking for a generalised pattern like pointing bow @ tb and cutting speed when they cross your bow to drop.

[Figment]

 

My mistake I forgot to mention: In a (IJN) BB - silly me, thats important ... sorry all. I think you thought in a cruiser or destroyer because the above for example would outright be suicide.

 

its like this: db and tb sighted, usually db in front.

 

starting to turn my bow onto them - or im dead.

 

bow point at or near tb usually still full rudder to accomplish that, dives coming in and: 1-2 fire/group, massive damage from the bombs. 3 or more fires? I repair. 2 or less, I wait.

 

Now come the tb they wait for the fire to burn or they go right trough the aa bubble to the other side, turn and drop. I ussually counter ruddershift and set throttle to reverse and sometimes topedoes miss (inexp. cv captain only) or I select on torp to take on the bulge and drive though the spread avoiding the others.

 

and that over and over and and over again ... the first picture is _not just one_ attack wave ... but wih 2 planes lost in total, he might getting problems sending new waves in a few houres ...

 

Doesn't matter what ship. You want to avoid dive bombers? You simply don't let them get a angle down the length of your ship, period. IJN BB included. (Look at my IJN BB stats, they're fine). Since they're easy to dodge, you minimise the amount of fires they start. You immediately go back to dodging torpedo bombers. One or even two fires is simply acceptable if torp bombers are that close since you'll repair so soon after (when the TBs drop, unless they deliberately wait for you to burn a bit) it can't have done more than 4-5K damage total.

 

Meanwhile, be sure you at all times manually focus AA fire on the torpedo bombers when they reach 4km. If you can manually target dive bombers with plenty of time between drops, do so, because it will reduce the chance of them hitting you through AAA panic.

[havaduck]

Figment could I please get a video of that, I dont see how such maneuvering could be done with lets say 1-3 km between approaching db and tb groups. And yes you have similar stats (F the stats,  to me more important lots of games in IJN BBs without complete sucking), I would relly like to discuss it over ... there could be little differences that allow a whole other outcome ...

 

fox example: do you by chance use the rudder shift upgrade on Fuso and upwards?

 

Aside from that you seem do describe exactly what I wrote above about standard pattern, repair kit policy and so on.

 

 

 

Well exept for: My BBs AA doesnt panic anyone (litterally ) (I do however assign manual targets ... but again if it a lower tier carrier lets say Bogue in a Fuso thats 1 approching plane shot down max, if the CV is equal or higher tier ... well ....). The spotterplane was sometimes able to do that to one squad, and with the Nagatos fighter nowerdays sometimes again too, IF the CV doenst wipe him outright out of the sky with fighters or rear guners and if he is dumb enough to run into it in the first place.

[Figment]

You start maneouvring as soon as you see the aircraft. Not by the time they drop.

 

 

Try playing some more CVs, it'll help you understand the way a CV player thinks and you'll notice that BBs do incite a lot of panic, just not as much as a Cleveland.

[DtXpwnz]

DBs are there mostly only for fires. Use your repair and heal inteligently.

[Siagor]

You start maneouvring as soon as you see the aircraft. Not by the time they drop.

 

 

Try playing some CVs, it'll help you understand the way a CV player thinks and you'll notice that BBs do incite a lot of panic, just not as much as a Cleveland.

 

This is the best advice given today.

 

Only when I purchased Langley and tried it in a Training room, I saw what they do and how they do it. Helped me immensely in dodging torps.

[havaduck]

You start maneouvring as soon as you see the aircraft. Not by the time they drop.

 

 

 

well thats clear ..... let me put it this way:

 

the divebomber and torpedoe bomber are mere seconds between them ... so there is not like you could present silhoutette A at the db and then B to the torpedoe bomber, not with 14 seconds rudder shift time of Fuso C for example.

 

If you put your bow at the tb you automatically present a lengthy carpet bombing sight for the db. If you present anything but your bow directly at them you immediately get 3-5 torpedoes (depending IJN/USN) per squad into your sides.

 

And its not I am straight lining against the db, the rudder is usually fully engaged in one direction at that moment and yet they still hurt like hell.

 

Also afterwards (fires burning) the tb cann afford to reside 40 seconds in your aa and maybe loose 1 plane (thats the crossing the bow to attack from the other side). Just from experience I would say its 35-40 seconds to kill a plane for example with a Fuso (with AF skill) against a equal tiered IJN torp bomber squad.

 

So just to just to do a little reality check (again Fuso with AF skill): Its calculatable @ ~ 35 seconds equal tier cv (with +5 % hp skill) for a single plane WITH focusing staying in the 3,6-6 km layer. So its no wonder maybe 1 or 2 planes total of a complete wave gets shot down, considering you will be switching AA-focus from the db that just dropped to the incomming tb and each layer can only attack a single squadron. The maybe second plane kill comes from the combined layers layers and still takes 14 seconds (upto 3,6 km and 6 combined). (the 2,6 km layer is useless and dead theoretical dps anyway).

[Figment]

If they're that close between drops, you just ignore the TBs altogether. They don't do much direct damage, it's the fire damage you have to worry about with DBs.

[JohnHusky]

Do nothing, its really rare they hit, even on ships not moving

 

[Leif_GG_Persson]

If it's only DB squads hitting you, then give them your side if possible while turning hard. From my experience they tend to miss if not bombing along the ship's longitudinal axis, because you reduce your ship's available length to them. If you're being hit by TBs and DBs too, then it get's a lot more difficult. Generally the best defense in this case is running from the planes as long as you can to maximize your AA's destruction. But only attempt this if you're already perpendicular or running from the attacking squads at the point where you spot them ( 5-7 km). If you're headed towards them keep doing that, trying to do a full turn at that point would kill you. Other than that, watch your repair, if you get flooded you're gonna take a lot more damage than a fire or two. Also having a CA or two, or another BB around can help you. Maybe ask CV for cover.

 

This. As a rule of thumb, I turn my side towards dive bombers and turn head on towards torpedo bombers. Dive bombers have an elliptical are of effect and you want to force them to place it across your ship and not along the length of your ship.