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- - Tell us what you are upto in your current campaign (https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=151090)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Riley (Post 1361748)

You must be kidding! :o:haha:
Just out of interest,I wonder if a laughing genie would make a good conning tower emblem? hmm.Not for me that is,but for yourself jim?,you like genies hehe.
Would it be pronounced "die laufen geist?"

to laugh = lachen
to run = laufen
emblem would be: "der lachende Geist"

or better: "der Flaschengeist"
(as in: genie in a bottle)

All
I've tattled around a lot within SH3 a few years ago when I first purchased the game, but was very limited on what I could do at the time because my dad's machine would barely run it.

Now a few years later, I've got myself a laptop sufficiently powerful to run all the internal views and zoomed periscope views at a comfy rate (ok my external frames still suffer but that's a graphic card prob I think) so I’m finally managing to get a lot of immersion with the game (esp. with the arrival of GWX - greywolves expansion)

During this week I've played through my second patrol and having been lucky enough to be given an IXB straight out of the box. (Based from Lorient) After leaving base I decided to head up the Irish sea on a northerly course and before long I'd reached just off Holyhead and had just sunk my forth vessel of this patrol, a "medium cargo".

Previously I had despatched an "ASW Trawler", "FAST Torpedo Boat" and a "small tanker"

I was barely N/W of Holyhead when I got word by radio of a medium/large convoy in my area (I say med/lg because it was reported by the game as large, yet when it arrive I only detected around nine/ten enemy ships).

I looked at its reported position and they were just beyond my copies' 8km rendering range. I plotted an intercept course on my map and realised that given their position I was in an excellent place to intercept. so I moved off west at full speed to meet the SE course line that I had drawn on my map, and upon reaching this I settled down to periscope depth to sit and wait for the convoy's arrival.

I was actually quite excited as this would be my first convoy encounter in the time I been playing this year (only did 1.5 patrol's back in 07 when I had to cope with it playing slowly on my dad's atiquainted machine!!)

The convoy duly arrived, but ahead of it was a black swan destroyer who patrolled the seas around my position. I was mid-way through changing course when he detected me (I was running A/Std) and this forced me to give up my position and take evasive manoeuvres. Before I did so I managed to get two snap shot's off towards the convoy and as I was fleeing two detonations were heard.

I later checked and it emerged I’d hit & sunk a tramp steamer and a small, light cargo. By now the convoy as a whole was upon me and my headphones were awash with sound...I was still evading that destroyer and each time I could quickly snap up a solution I decided to fire, which is where I had made a mess of this, my first convoy, as I only achieved two more hits from 11 launches!!!!

A quick glance to my rear through the periscope yielded the sight of the HMS Nelson, a huge gun battery battleship and she was about to pass 500m to my stern. I had an instant solution which I quickly worked upon, opening both rear doors and letting go two eel's. they hit onto their targets but either both were dud's or had failed to arm as they hit the ship but failed to detonate!

I began to flee and dropped to 60metres, running at ahead flank at times to evade my persistent pursuers who were still continuing to track me on & off. My next trip up to periscope depth yielded the destroyer in my rear sights and I let another eel go which this time ran right underneath virtually the whole ship before detonating at his stern!!!

No more screws on the prop-shaft and a large hole ensured that within five minutes, his wrecked hull was sliding below. I thought I’d won myself the opportunity at a second go at the convoy but quickly realised the impossibility of this as I had now expended 13 of my remaining 16 torpedo's for only three additional kills, five hits and the other eight eels all missing their targets.

I then noticed I had a flower corvette steaming towards me and I let my last eel go out of my stern (I did have two more but they were external reserves) this too was looking a dead cert kill until the corvette managed to turn and avoid the torpedo at the last minute, Amazed at this guy's skilful helming, I cursed, ordered a crash dive and we slunk below to 95metres with depth charges going off above us.

I was barely 15 metres above the sea floor when I took a quick look at external view to see more D/C falling around us, once bounced off my bow and exploded directly above!!! I had the simplified damage model enabled in the game options, but even still this dealt a fatal blow to my ship and within five minutes U-103 was lost to the corvette with all hands due to the overwhelming flooding in the bow.

So that is the end of my first career within SH3 and I must say it was a joy to play. Other members have remarked in a different thread that most play the part of when you are dead, you're dead!

I will backup my save and will use it occasionally to practice convoy attacks as this one ran relatively freely, a lot better than I’d expected with a convoy and didn't slow my m/c too much. I'm wondering if they new convoy attack single player missions are like this too!

Loving the grey wolves experience.

exciting story! :up:

just one remark:
I try to stay away from the lead-escort at least 1,000-1,500m. the chances of being detected are quite low at this range. creeping at 2kn at a perpendicular course to the convoy's bearing will get you in a fine position. you either can surface amidst the convoy (early at war and in poor visability) or shoot all your 6eels submerged.
when the explosions are then all around you, the escorts seem to be puzzled where to look for you and you can safely escape at 160m .....

just my 2€-cents :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by KL-alfman (Post 1361780)

to laugh = lachen
to run = laufen
emblem would be: "der lachende Geist"

or better: "der Flaschengeist"
(as in: genie in a bottle)

Thanks for the translation Mr Alfman :up:
Just one thing,the 'die' 'der' always confused me.I understand die is informal,and der is formal?,like names or places,rivers etc...DER Rhine (interesting).

U502 IXC. 2. Flotilla. Patrol 4.

Assigned grid DC71. (150 miles east of Florida, USA)

Patrol dates: 15.jul.42 til 30.okt.42.

Decided to take this patrol a-little further, like the Gulf Of Mexico via Florida Straits.

24.jul.42 01.36 BE66
Little Merchant sunk in a night surface attack. 2.343 GRT.

3.aug.42 10.19 BD46
C2 Cargo sunk in daylight submerged attack. 6.446 GRT.

8.aug.42 02.28 CD16
Little Merchant sunk in night surface attack. 2.335 GRT.

26.aug.42 03.30 DC71
On station.

29.aug.42 13.50 DB98
Entering Florida Straights.

21.42
Coastal Merchant sunk after being disabled in daylight submerged attack. 2.017 GRT.

30.aug.42 20.32 DM26
Fishing Boat sunk in deck gun attack. 82 GRT.

1.sep.42 01.40 DM29
Alarm! Aircraft.

2.sep.42 23.34 DM27
Entering Gulf Of Mexico. 12 miles south of Key West Naval Base.

4.sep.42 03.46 DM19
Status report sent. Big mistake!

List of crash dives for aircraft:
5.sep.42 02.31 DM42
5.sep.42 22.13 DM42
7.sep.42 22.17 DL66 (Begin withdrawal south of Cuba.)
11.sep.42 12.41 DM73 (While overtaking merchant.)
13.sep.42 20.50 DM86 (Fighter. No depth charges. No injuries.)
14.sep.42 21.42 DM94

16.sep.42 13.00 DM95
Passing 5 miles south of Eastern Cuba.

30.okt.42 02.10 BF61
Docked at Lorient. Boat and crew intact.

Patrol results: 5 ships sunk for 13.223 GRT.

U502's history to date:
4 patrols between 29.sep.41 and 30.okt.42.
15 ships sunk for 56.504 GRT.

Note on the real U502:
4 patrols before being sunk in the Bay Of Biscay.
14 ships sunk for 78.843 GRT.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Riley (Post 1361820)

Just one thing,the 'die' 'der' always confused me.I understand die is informal,and der is formal?,like names or places,rivers etc...DER Rhine (interesting).

Der/die/das when used as the definite article (English the) before a singular noun indicates the gender of the word that follows (but not necessarily the gender of the person/place/thing the word refers to).

Der is masculine, die is feminine, das is neuter (singular). Die is also the plural form for all nouns regardless of gender.

The formal/familiar differentiation comes into play with use of the German words(s) for you when addressing other people. Du (sing) and ihr (pl) are the familiar forms, Sie (sing, pl) is the formal form.

I don't know how strictly the du/Sie divide is maintained in modern German as spoken by the younger generation but the old rule I remember is, "only God, children, pets, close friends, and family are du -everybody else is Sie!"

Quote:

Originally Posted by frau kaleun (Post 1361967)

Frau Kaleun, you are a genius in linguistics!
I'm deeply impressed by your knowledge.

http://www.my-smileys.de/smileys3/happy05.gif

Quote:

Originally Posted by KL-alfman (Post 1362008)

Frau Kaleun, you are a genius in linguistics!
I'm deeply impressed by your knowledge.

http://www.my-smileys.de/smileys3/happy05.gif

Thanks, but if I really were a genius I could actually speak another language instead of just knowing something about how bits of them work. :O:

Quote:

Originally Posted by frau kaleun (Post 1362038)

Thanks, but if I really were a genius I could actually speak another language instead of just knowing something about how bits of them work. :O:

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/6228/pbgoogler1.gif :DL

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbuna (Post 1362047)

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/6228/pbgoogler1.gif :DL

According to Google Translate, what I should've said was:

Danke, aber wenn ich wirklich ein Genie ich eigentlich eine andere Sprache sprechen könnte, anstatt nur zu wissen, etwas darüber, wie Bits von ihnen arbeiten.

Close enough for gubmint work?

Quote:

Originally Posted by frau kaleun (Post 1362066)

not exactly:
Danke, aber wenn ich wirklich ein Genie wäre, könnte ich eigentlich eine andere Sprache sprechen, anstatt nur zu wissen, wie Bruchstücke von ihnen arbeiten.

but it was quite close.
if you remember "babble-fish" five years ago ..... :o

Quote:

Originally Posted by KL-alfman (Post 1362095)

Well I figured "sprechen" as an infinitive should've been at the end of that clause but the rest I wouldn't even have guessed at. And I thought surely "arbeiten" wasn't the best translation of "work" in that context.

You see? I'm NOT a genius. :O:

Quote:

Originally Posted by frau kaleun (Post 1362116)

you are again right.
the clause (german translation by Google) could have been more elaborated and some expressions like "arbeiten" are not quite elegant.
"funktionieren" might be a better one. :up:

Quote:

Originally Posted by KL-alfman (Post 1362120)

you are again right.
the clause (german translation by Google) could have been more elaborated and some expressions like "arbeiten" are not quite elegant.
"funktionieren" might be a better one. :up:

It's twoo! It's twoo! I is smart!

Quote:

Originally Posted by frau kaleun (Post 1361967)

I don't know how strictly the du/Sie divide is maintained in modern German as spoken by the younger generation but the old rule I remember is, "only God, children, pets, close friends, and family are du -everybody else is Sie!"

It´s not quite as strict, i.e. coeds and coworkers are usually "per du", but still lots of possibilities to **** up and embarace yourself.

I guess it´s something you get used to rather fast, tho. Like people you just met the other day greeting you with hugs and kisses in francophone countries.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoN (Post 1362194)

ja, du hast recht.
(you're right)

a german lesson thread might be useful, for not hi-jacking the "recent-patrol"-thread. :hmmm:

Captains log - November 19, 1940, 00:57 hours..

Currently being depth charged. Forth pass should be about 3 minutes away.

British destroyer chasing because I took the liberty of attempting to sink an Auxillary Cruiser. One sec... More spashes... Charges going off. They sound a bit further away now. My current depth is 187 meters. Silently Sneaking away South-East.

Good news, my sound man says he hears the ship going down. Aux Cuiser 13850 tons.

01:00 just commanded my chief to hold this depth at 190.

Memorandum: Convoy was 15 merchant ships strong. Only one destroyer for protection. I did radio in earlier about 8 hours ago to ask for sub-pack help. No response.

More splashes...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Immelman (Post 1353503)

1st War Patrol
Date: 08 Mar 1942
Time: 20:24
100 km NW of Alexandria

Man o'War

"Hydrophone contact Herr Kaleun, multiple screw sounds bearing 150, moving fast and closing." "
"How far away Johan?"
"Extreme range but getting louder"
"All ahead two thirds, take us up to PD Chief and make your course South South East" time to take a quick peak make sure there are no surprises up top. "Up scope" Quick scan of the sky and one more of the sea, nothing on the horizon. "Surface the boat chief all ahead full, give me standard propulsion we will recharge the batteries later. Are your men ready Gerhart?"
"Men are assembled and standing by sir"
"Very well, stay sharp up there men we are expecting a fast moving convoy not long from now. Extra rations of beer for the first one to spot it! That got their attention and some cheers out of the men!
"Its not fair sir Leutnant Gerhart always wins" said one of the lookouts and everyone laughed good heartedly. The men where up the ladder in a heart beat as the conning tower broke the surface of the calm water.

Karls the navigator covered his maps as water gushed down the tower. His latest grease marks noted the estimated position of the convoy as well as our approximate position. Looking at the map I drew a line from the convoy towards the port of Alexandria the predictable course. I decided to try to sneak in since I was lucky enough to be ahead of them. Karls and Helmuth were watching me expectantly. "We run another 8km on the surface then Chief run us decks awash for another 5km. The last leg we will run submerged. The Tommies will certainly have radar on those escorts and I don't want to ruin the surprise we have in store for them." The men smiled conspiratorially. It will be dark when we engage so I better tell Fritz to load all tubes with TIs. Might as well have him recheck all the detonators, better be safe then have duds.

1st War Patrol
Date: 08 Mar 1942
Time: 21:47
100 km NW of Alexandria

“Lead ship bearing 64 degrees Herr Kaleu” we were close enough now that Johan could distinguish individual screw sounds in all that infernal cacophony that he listened to on his head set. It was pitch black outside and I couldn’t see anything in the scope. “We will have to be real close to fire accurately I murmured to Fritz.” We all have taken up the habit of talking in whispers when attacking submerged, as if the enemy could hear our plans. We are running silent at PD the control room is suffused in the red glow of the night lamps that are preserving my night vision.

A hazy form slowly becomes distinguishable despite the pitch black moonless night. Slowly it materialized in the distinct silhouette of a destroyer. There’s your lead ship Johan. “Destroyer moving fast” Everyone froze in their tracks in the control room. “Breath people she hasn’t detected us she going on her merry way.” Sighs could be heard all around me as I started enunciating my observations. “Moving right to left, Bow angle 70, estimated speed say 20kts, range 3000 meters. Down scope” Let’s give her a minute and check again.

Lather rinse repeat and we finally have a workable solution. We can’t use it to fire yet, we have to firm it up but it’s a start. As I raise the scope yet again and do my usual check, I notice more forms emerging from the dark night. They are big, massive! Three of the in a row moving fast! “What is it Herr Kaleun” Fritz probably noticed how my knuckles turned white as my grip increased on the scope.

“We are about to stir up a hornet’s nest. This is not a regular convoy, this is a task force. We need to work fast on this one boys and get the hell out even faster. Chief 5 degrees to port all ahead one third, Fritz prepare to fire a salvo, flood all fore tubes and open all outer doors. Set depth 6m, speed 40kts spread angle 1 degree.” I want to line up nice and proper on the last one in line and get as close as I can. “My God she is so big she doesn’t fit in my scope even when zoomed out!” Fritz snaps me out of my trance. “What about the range Herr Kaleun?”
“Make it 1800m, fire all tubes on my mark.”
“LOS!” I bark out my orders while my eyes stay glued on the four white fingers of death extending towards the unsuspecting prey. “Chief take us down fast. All ahead full!” With my last few moments before the scope gets smothered by the waves I make a quick 360 sweep of the horizon to make sure that we have not been spotted. “Down scope.”

I look at Fritz questioningly but his eyes heed only the needles of the chronometer. “Passing 30 meters” the Chief calls it out. No one pays him any attention all eyes are on Fritz. The bow planes man gets smacked on the back of the head “Eyes front mind your station sailor!” the Chief scolds him. “Passing 50 meters” says the Chief and I sigh in relief. “All ahead one third”, I give the order, we are not out of the woods yet, but there is no need to be calling more attention to ourselves then we have to. All is quiet in the control room barring the sound of metal being compressed as we descend and of course the tic tac of the chronometer. “10 seconds” my Weapons officer manages his voice hoarse with tension and starts giving us the count down.

The silence is shattered by four loud booms followed by a thunderous bang. A few seconds later the boat shakes as the turbulence hits us all the way down here at 80m. “Massive flooding sir, metal grinding, bulkheads breaking, sounds like a train wreck up there.”
“I certainly hope so” says Fritz “A four eel salvo will ruin anyone’s day. Just what in the hell did we shoot at sir” I never got the chance to reply since Johan reported “Fast screws coming in hot, depth charges in the water”
“All ahead full come 30 degrees to starboard new course bearing 210. Once we complete the turn resume silent running. Relax men they got nothing on us, standard procedure to make sure that our heads are down not a PD looking for more targets. They are keeping us busy while they wait for reinforcements. I figure there is another two destroyers on their way over here. But we’ll be long gone, by the time they get here, will be on the other side of that train wreck. Keep heading down chief all the way to 180 meters.”

1st War Patrol
Date: 09 Mar 1942
Time: 01:12
100 km NW of Alexandria

“Think it’s safe to go back up there sir” Chief asks me warily.
“Don’t worry chief I doubt they are lying about waiting for us. There were travelling quite fast over 20kts they were in a hurry to get somewhere. Besides they got nothing left to shoot at us that can reach us down here.” I say with a chuckle “Never seen Tommies so pissed in my life”
“With good reason sir, we infiltrated a task force and planted four eels in the side of their flagship, I would be pretty pissed too sir wouldn’t you?”
“Oh yes I was! I was livid Chief. I still am pissed at the loss of the Bismarck and this is payback for my brother and all the other sailors that died along with him. Now surface the boat and let’s see if we can find anything in the debris field.

“Anything Gerhart?” I call up to the bridge
“Alot of junk still floating sir, but nothing useful… Wait I think we got something. Sailor get that orange thing with your hook. Good throw it here!”
“I got something sir! It’s a personal flotation device, there is something stenciled on it but I can’t make it out its too dark.”
Don’t use lamps up there! Just throw it down!
The PFD hits the floor of the command room and I grab it and walk straight to my bunk. I find my lamp that I keep there for emergencies and shine it on the black markings. All the off duty crew has gathered around my bunk looking at me expectantly. I turn to Johan look him straight in the eyes. “Fire up the wireless son and tell BdU that U-83 and its crew just sunk the Flagship of the British Home fleet the HMS Nelson. :rock:

1st War Patrol
Date: 10 Mar 1942
Time: 15:35
100 km NE of Alexandria

Not to shabby...

“You will have to do better then that men.” I said to Gerhart and Fritz who were both standing at attention on the bridge. I take one last look through my binoculars at the burning ship and turn to them. “These sailors need serious practice. Over 80 shots to sink the coastal freighter yesterday and we emptied our stores on that small merchant today before it finally sunk. We must do better next time.”

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...deckgunned.jpg

The deck gun party busily went about the task of securing the 88mm for diving, but their ears missed nothing. “I want Willy to become our resident expert, he is a natural marksman with that gun but he needs practice and professional instruction. I want you to arrange for him to be trained by the best as soon as we return to port. As you have noticed it’s not like the old times anymore. Even these small ships are armed to the teeth now days, so we must dispatch them to the deep quickly and efficiently. See to it men.”
“Yes sir” They both replied in unison.

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...P1subandTS.jpg

“Now let’s go home and get some rest I think we earned it after the patrol we had.”
“Over 70000 tons not too shabby for a first patrol.” Gerhart said with a smile.
“Lets not forget that we sunk the British jewel of the Med, their prized flagship” chipped in Fritz.
“Which reminds me Captain” said Gerhart with a concerned look darkening his handsome features “We have plenty of white cloth for the merchies but have no red cloth on board to tailor a pennant for the HMS Nelson.”
“That’s no problem at all, our little souvenir will do nicely for pennant don’t you think?” I ask as a strike a match to light one of the last Monte Christos I have brought with me. My two officers exchange quizzical glances and turn to me for an explanation. I puff on my cigar twice to make sure its well lit and answer them
“Unless of course you gentlemen can think of something more fitting for the occasion, then the life preserver we recovered from the stricken battleship to hang from our flag pole?

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...SubfromTS1.jpg

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n.../U83/P1Log.jpg

concerning hijack: campaign stories still welcome!

I could count in Spanish by the 3rd grade, Japanese by 6th. I have run sh3 since the start with German speech and STILL can't even count to 10.

WHY is that language so difficult for me to grasp?

Side note, when I was a kid, we played army. I always wanted to be the Germans. Thought they had the best looking everything (planes, ships, tanks, uniforms, flags.)

Nice post, Immelman