Y'know, maybe I should just stop starting campaigns until I finish tweaking all of the game files...

First patrol - June 1941

Lying off the east coast of Britain all lined up and waiting for a juicy Large Merchant to come into position. Just before it gets to me it gets dive bombed and sunk.

Damned Airdales.

U-451's commander transferred to a desk job
 

Oberleutnant z.s. Erich Scheide to report immediately to Kiel for reassignment to teaching duties.

Relinquish command of U-451 to your exec.

L. Buchheim
Kapitan z.s. und kommandant

U-552, 1st patrol
 

Leutnant z.s. Helmut Unger
U-552, VIIC
11. Flotille, Bergen
Orders: Patrol AK13


7.6.1942
04:00 AF84 very cloudy, no rain, visibility 8-9 kilometers, 15m/s from 48 degrees.

Traveling submerged to keep my now literally green crew from getting seasick all over the boat.

Yesterday an enemy taskforce was reported 270 km SW making 18 knots SE. Too far away to intercept and I am continuing towards our patrol grid.

Unger

I wish i could see that :(. In 1942 a HUGE convoy passed very close to French westcoast, i shadowed and sent reports for hours but no luftwaffles showed up :(.

U159 IXC. Patrol 4 status report.
 

Departed Lorient 11.apr.43. for grid GR82 and surrounding area.

2.jun.43
Present position is GR73. (about 150 - 200 miles from Capetown, South Afrika)
Light fog, wind 8 m/s. Fuel over 50%.
Only encounter to date was a warship sound contact.

If no contacts are made following the recon of our grid, U159 will proceed to a closer proximity to Capetown, fuel allowing (very tight).

AK13 out of Bergen in 1942?

Looks much more interesting than the activities I would have imagined for that flotilla and time frame.

Very promising area for convoys. Good hunting!

U-518 IXC
 

Patrol No11
Start : 30 May 1941
End : 18 July 1941
Grid CF98
50 days at sea
9 ships sunk
33783 tons
75% hull integrity
1 man dead from air attack on July 17 1941 at grid BF58 inbound for Lorient

Patrol No12
Installed Alberich anti sonar coating
Start: 17 August 1941
End : 22 September 1941
Grid DT54
37 days at sea
3 ships sunk
15745 tons
Increasing number of enemy ASW ships and air patrols
Alberich coating not very promising.

Kptltn vonHarris refused a tranfer to Wilhelmshaven for an instructor post and a promotion to continue active service.

U159(Kaluen Snestorm) is bound for Capetown , a very long and hazzardous trip. We wish that they return safe and sound.

U-518 IXC
 

22 October 1941
U-518 left Lorient , heading out to sea fully loaded with provisions and weapons.
When she was clear of the harbor a radio message came in:

From : Bdu
To : U - 518

Commander only
Seal

Kptlnt vonHarris rushed into his cabin and opened a sealed envelope:
Disregard all previous orders
Proceed to grids BB98 - 99 and attack any convoys there
Extreme caution
Do not engage any American ships
Good luck

So U-518 was not on a western adventure!

I've been reading the posts on this forum and it seems that the best chances of getting help from the Luftwaffe (or the Italians, Regio Aeronautica) is in the Mediaterranean theater. I haven't yet played there myself but that is a priority on my "to do" -list. I want to see air attacks, as well!

Thanks! I'm hoping to see one of those PQ -convoys and it would be nice to see some Russian ships too. The short, light nights at summer are a nice change in the battle environment too. AK13 is a well picked patrol grid by the game engine, it should be just of reach from the airpatrols from Iceland and there should be convoys. In GWX there is also a milchkuch sub nearby. I won't use it though, unless in some kind of emergency - I think the milkcows were reserved for the subs that operated near the American coast.

O yah. I played in the MED and have had some awesome encounters with air attacks on both sides, and some small DD combat as well.
Ran into a small italian convoy on its way back from tripoli. Decided to join it for extra protection since 2 german destroyers were escorting it. Then some RAF planes come out of sky and bombed us, i dived but 1 italian merchant was hit. It was awesome.

Even though I am one by heritage, I am getting very upset with the Irish. They keep sending these small, juicy, undefended convoys through my op area.

OMG, large tanker at 16000 meters! No escorts!!

Grrrrr...... it is lit up like a Ramachanukwanzmas tree!

Stupid Irish...

March 1940, Patrol 8.
Base: Wilhemlshaven

I finally have a VII, completed patrol somewhere in AN, North Sea, but encountered nothing. After patrol, sunk two coastal merchants. 10 Torpedoes left, so lying about close to Hartlepool.

Weather is abysmal, but other boats seem to be having fun. Twice I've been stalking a merchant, lining up, then suddenly they disappear. How other commanders manage it in this weather...

Hoping weather clears soon. Or, should I head south to the Dover? Lots of fuel, 10 torpedoes, what to do?

U-552, 1st patrol
Leutnant z.s. Helmut Unger
U-552, VIIC
11. Flotille, Bergen
Orders: Patrol AK13

12.6.1942 17:30 hours. AF45, clear, no clouds, visibility 8-9 kilometers, wind 7m/s. We suddenly sighted five icebergs. Noticed that they show up on FuMo 29, but not on the hydrophones. I let the crew practice some Flak and 88 mm gunnery on the icebergs, then continued our journey. If some other U-boat happens to be in the vicinity maybe they can try to spot the icebergs too - they were at the west corner of AF45, at the northern border of the grid.

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/8139/sh3icebergs.jpg

18.6.1942 08:00 hours. AE68, cloudy, no rain, visibility 8 - 9 kilometers, wind 15m/s. The patrol has been advancing really slowly, because of horrendous weather most of the time. No contacts, friendly or enemy. The crew seems to be sea sick and bored. We have to stay alert, but it's difficult to keep your guard up, when nothing seems to be happening.

Unger

The other way. Go north, young man.
The southern portion of AN18 & AN44 is a goldmine, usualy reserved for IIs.
All the north-south traffic has to pass that peninsula.
Good hunting.