U-331, patrol 1, report 1
 

Lt.z.s. Theodor Wald
U-331, VIIC
1. Flottille, Kiel

5.3.1941
Left Kiel with a three man team that we are to drop on a peninsular in BB75, south of Halifax, Canada. We are still in training and my orders are to avoid convoy battles and warships. However we do have a full torpedo load and we are allowed to attack enemy shipping outside reported enemy air patrol areas if I estimate the situation to be favourable and safe. I am to conserve fuel and to resupply from Belchen supply ship, south of Greenland.

9.3.1941
AF73 BdU orders U-47 to report for the 3rd time. I can't believe Prien could be sunk. There must be something wrong with his radio.

12.3.1941
AE66 A radio news report heard partly, saying Prien has sunk. The part the radio man heard didn't specify how that could have happened.

13.3.1941
AE62 Eisberge!

17.3.1941
AL36 Radio reports say that now Kretschmer has been sunk and taken prisoner.

24.3.1941
0027 Clear, medium visibility, wind 5m/s, light, but no moon. BdU reports a large convoy 40 kilometers from us in AK53. Course NO, speed 6. We are in perfect position to intercept with minimal additional speed. I decide to check if we can spot the convoy. In the middle of the Atlantic it would not be impossible for it to be unescorted.
0126 A destroyer spotted. I decide to wait and see if there are more escorts. If not I might get a possibility for a long range shot from starboard side of the convoy. Course towards the destroyer.
0131 V&W, 7500 meters, 340 relative bearing.
0136 Merchants 300 - 320, V&W 340 relative bearing.
0138 KF zurück, V&W too close.
0139 Radioed contact report. AK61, 48 degrees, 6 knots.
0141 A destroyer spotted on the starboard side of the convoy. I decide to leave, since the starboard escort makes it impossible attack without putting the boat to risk. Course away from the convoy.
0143 Nearest destroyer 170 relative bearing. My speed LF, depth 5 meters. Range 5000 meters.
0150 Starboard escorts course estimated. Preparing to get 3000 meters away from it's course and then position the boat for a possible long range shot.
0202 Depth 6 meters, turning to 318 true bearing. Speed KF.
0204 My course now 318 true bearing. KF Zurück. Starboard escort too close.
0206 Front guard 320 rb, merchants 295 - 300 rb, stb guard 285 rb, 7000 meters.
0209 New estimation of stb guards position is closer than the former estimation - continuing retreating.
0213 Stb guard 5500 meters 285 rb. Periscope depth. I estimate that we will be out of the stb guards active sonar range in it's present course and it's more dangerous to stay surfaced now than to be submerged.
0219 New estimation of stb guard's course is much closer to us than previous estimations. The escort should pass us at a distance of 1200 meters.
0225 Stb guard, a Hunt, at 270 rb. I ordered engines stopped. The Hunt turns to it's port -side and gets back to the convoy at fast speed. The Hunt might have heard something while we retreated at LF, 100 RPM and maybe decided to check the noise out. I order 1 knot forward, 70 RPM.
0230 Depth 6 meters, Hunt 320 rb, 4500 meters.
0238 Hunt 347 rb, 3300 meters.

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/3...rayscale02.png

0243 Rohr 1, G7e, AZ, depth 3, 9000 BRT frachter, speed 6, gyro angle 0, bearing 349, range 4620, aiming point keel.
0243 Rohr 2, G7e, AZ, depth 3, 9000 BRT frachter, speed 6, gyro angle 0, bearing 349, range 4620, aiming point bridge.
0244 Rohr 3, G7e, AZ, depth 3, 9000 BRT frachter, speed 6, gyro angle 0, bearing 349, range 4620, aiming point stern.
0244 Rohr 4, G7e, AZ, depth 3, 6000 BRT frachter, speed 6, gyro angle 0, bearing 348, range 3420, aiming point funnel.
0245 Depth 5 meters, turning away from the convoy's course and the escorts. Speed LF.
0247 Hunt 183 rb. Speed HF.
0249 After a run of 5 minutes, 10 seconds three explostions, two on the 9000 frachter, one on the 6000 BRT Empire.

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/9/unledgrayscale06.png

0251 Search lights. Continuing speed HF, away from the convoy.

http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/3...rayscale08.png

0253 Had to dive. The Hunt saw us at distance of 4000 meters. PD, 70 RPM, 1 knot.
0256 Hunt 191 rb, turning 2 degrees port. Three warships heard in the hydrophone.
0259 Hunt short distance 180 rb, fast. Crash dive, hard turn. Pinging!
0300 Wasserbomben! The boat shakes, but no damage reports.
0301 Depth 111 meters. 5 degree stb turn. 70 RPM.
0302 Straight ahead. Contact 306, entfernt sich. Listens.
0303 Explosions. No damage reports. Two - three warships on us.
0308 Explosions.
0309 Wasserbomben.
0310 Wasserbomben. Escorts all around.
0312 Loud pinging.AK stb.
0314 Wasserbomben. AK stb.
0315 A+90
0315 Wasserbomben.
0318 WB
0320 WB
0323 WB. Is the bombardment getting farther away from us?
0325 contacts 90 - 180 rb
0327 WB. The enemy seems to have lost contact but are very close.
0330 WB
0332 WB
0335 Slight pinging. Turning away from the probable listener.
0336 WB
0336 WB
0339 WB
0340 WB
0344 WB
0345 WB
0346 WB
0347 contacts 145 - 190 rb
0349 WB
0353 No more depth charges heard. There has been something like 20 depth charge sets of 5 - 6 DC's each dropped so far. Contacts 130 - 200 rb.
0402 Nearest contact reported at a long range, 173 rb. To periscope depth.
0425 Commenced loading torpedoes.
0434 Surfaced. Weather change: clear, medium visibility, 0 m/s.
0515 Looking for any possible stragglers on the convoy. BdU radioes a report in. U-64 has not reported and is presumed lost.
Prien, Kretschmer and Von Harris all lost in a matter of days. What a lousy moment for the Kriegsmarine and Germany. Radio Intelligence also reports that a 9000 BRT frachter has been sunk from an inbound convoy. It was the ship that was our main target.
0653 Continuing patrol. Course towards Belchen rendezvouz. 8 G7e's and 2 G7a's left.

Wald

Late November 1941 And I'm off to America in my IXC and hope to get my tonnage back up after a almost dreadful dull year.

Awfully kind of the Tommies to leave out the welcome mat! :yeah:

Indeed...if only said convoy had had bigger ships in it; most of them were just Medium Cargos or Small Freighters.

Oh, and can somebody please explain something to me: What the hell is the function of an RMM ship? What does RMM stand for?

-Matt

I run Vista. It didn't come with it (stock Vista), but it is available for download, which I did.
The Live Foto Gallery is better than the (Stock) Picture Gallery.

Replaced much of the Vista software with non-microsoft products.
As of now my self upgraded Vista is way ahead of 7, leaving no reason to pay Microsoft AGAIN for an "upgrade". This will be my last Microsoft product as I find it to automated, and too much of it is designed to limit MY control over MY computer.

Vista, and the shortly thereafter released 7, are the best thing that ever happenned to Linux.
I had thought of XP as the greatest thing since sliced bread, but have since learned a new lesson. When I fired up my old XP machine, Windows lost the drivers for the sound card.

I'm playing the newest GWX pack, and I installed the Titanic mod. Can anyone tell me the best place to find her in 1940?

Also: Where's the best place to sight Aquitania?

TIA,

-Matt

~Is there a mod that will allow you to EXECUTE crewmen? Please tell me there is!
 

Patrol 8 of U-47

Ordered to patrol off Stavanger, Norway; did so for required 24 hours without sighting any enemy ships. Headed north after this and spent 2 weeks chasing after what appeared to be ghost echoes. Sighted a single Coastal Freighter and sank it out of near-desperation.

Finally headed across the North Sea to the NE coast of England. Sighted Medium Cargo escorted by Elco-Type Torpedo Boat, which managed to get us to waste four torpedoes on the merchant - which naturally avoided all four - before we finally broke off attack. During this battle, the Forward Torpedo Room crew didn't seem to want to get it through their thick skulls that they need to load torpedoes during a battle, for the CO had to scream himself hoarse at them several times. Then the Engine Room crew got a case of the lazies as well, prompting even more threats from the CO.

We managed to attack a northbound convoy, sinking two Ore Carriers, but were depth-charged and driven off by an escort. Despite having four torpedoes left, the CO - by now thoroughly disgusted with this patrol - turned the boat for home. We arrived in Wilhelmshaven having sunk only 3 ships for a measly 18,036 tons, which brought our total score up to 170,357 tons.

Upon return to port, however, OLzS Hossel was promoted Kapitanleutnant for his troubles. The three Enlisted men stationed in the Command Room were awarded the U-Boat Badge as well.

Note from KL Hossel: Overall crew performance rating for Patrol 8 - ABYSMAL

A rare sight: five Heinkel He111s going overhead as we depart on our ill-fated patrol off Norway.
http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/a.../Patrol08A.jpg

Ship #1: Coastal Freighter
http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/a.../Patrol08B.jpg
http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/a.../Patrol08C.jpg

Convoy Attack: Ore Carrier #1 goes down
http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/a.../Patrol08D.jpg

U-46 VIIB
 

01 September 1939
17:13 hours
U-46 sailed off with orders to move to grid BF16

13 September 1939
Grid BF16
09:01 hours Small freighter sunk with 18 88mm rounds (SS Sandland)

16 October 1939
Grid AN48
16:17 hours Ship seen
16:20 hours Positive ID: Repair ship - dived to PD
16:23 hours 2 TI (bow) fired
16:25 hours Impacts - ship slowing down
16:47 hours Lined up for stern shot - TI fired
16:48 hours Impact
16:49 hours Ship sunk (HMS Beachy Head F 02)
16:50 hours Surfaced

21 October 1939
08:24 hours U-46 returned to port
51 days at sea
2 ships sunk
7443 tons - waste of fuel for that tonnage
no damages or casualties

Hossel (U-47) has been promoted to Kptltnt (well done) but he had some troubles with his crew during his last patrol, I know he will settle things one way or another.

Wald (U-331) is on his way to East Canada coast to land agents.

U-331, patrol 1, report 2
 

Lt.z.s. Theodor Wald
U-331, VIIC
1. Flottille, Kiel

Statusbericht 28.3.1940
1621 AJ23 clear, medium visibility, wind 1 m/s. Refueling and taking more food provisions onboard from Belchen supply ship. The trip from Kiel to Belchen only took us 20 % of our fuel.

Wald

Nice shot, thanks for sharing! :up:

Thanks for the congrats!

And yes, come hell or high water, my crew will learn what to do and when to do it. There's one in particular - an Engine Room NCO - who thinks it's OK to lounge in the Diesel Engine room when everyone else on duty in Engineering troops back to man the Electric Engines. This is - if I remember right - the fourth time I've had this problem with him; if I have to go through this one more time I'll either transfer him out or redecorate the Diesel Engine room in 'brain matter gray' courtesy of my Luger. :arrgh!:

only 20% ? i think this is impossible,what mode you use ?
from kiel to belchen greenland,taked over 40% and i run economic both submerged and surfaced

Why destroy your engine room and use a bullet? I am sure you want one more torpedo!


Game wise: A petty officer with no qualification will not be moved automatically from the diesels to the electric motors and opposite until he gets a machinist qual.

U-46 VIIB
 

21 November 1939
23:53 hours U-46 left for her 2nd war patrol at grid BE99

12 December 1939
Grid AM52
05:13 hours Moving to intercept convoy after BdU report
Grid AM02
07:53 hours Sound contact with convoy - rain - poor visibility
09:13 hours 1 TI (bow) fired - impact on Tanker 04
09:18 hours 1 TI (bow) fired - impact on coastal freighter
09:19 hours 1 TI (bow) fired - no impact or dud
09:20 hours Sinking sounds - SS Adherence (coastal freighter) sunk
09:41 hours 1 TI (stern) fired - impact on Tanker 04 - explosion seen
09:57 hours Surfaced - Tanker 04 DIW - 1 TI (bow) fired - SS Vendémiaire sunk
10:16 hours Almost run into the stern of a V&W destroyer - crash dived
10:23 hours Sinking sounds - MV Varanger (Tanker 04) sunk
12:48 hours Surfaced safe and sound

16 December 1939
Grid AM52
04:01 hours Ship seen - Medium cargo
04:16 hours 2 TI (bow) fired
04:17 hours Impacts
04:21 hours 1 TI (stern) fired
04:22 hours Contact lost in rain and fog

20 December 1939
Decided to return to port

25 December 1939
01:20 hours U-46 docked at Wilhlemshaven
35 days at sea
3 ships sunk
19431 tons
No damages or casualties

Christmas and New year at port. VonHarris was promoted to Ob.Ltnt z.S. and given command of U-111 IXB boot. The whole crew came along.
U-331 is currently refueling from SS Blechen
U-47 is refitting at Kiel.

Ooh, the U-Boat's version of walking the plank...firing someone out of an empty torpedo tube! Positively EVIL idea...thanks!:arrgh!:

-Matt

GWX, h.sie's realism mod, SH3Commander. Nothing that should effect the fuel consumption. I was pretty surprised myself too. I used the manually set 8 knots almost all the time and didn't submerge except for a few times. I'm now planning on returning from Halifax to Kiel without refueling during the trip back. Let's see if it's possible.

It's amazing what going slow and not diving will do for your fuel efficiency. Also, I think I remember reading something about GWX fixing fuel efficiency in the higher latitudes to account for the map type?

If not have the oars on stand-by... :03:

Not the efficiency, but they did increase the amount you're supplied with when you start a patrol to make up for what the "flat world" map does to distances the farther north or south you get. :yep:

Ah, yes, found it. Took the average of the map differences between real world and SH3 at different latitudes and made the changes a flat rate per boat.