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aj906 09-29-12 03:49 AM

19 August 1941:

Having spent a very unproductive time tooling around EQ33, having left Lorient in mid-June I've since relocated to EE48 and since arriving have thus far sent five tankers and a medium cargo totalling 49,999 tons to the bottom in the space of a week. I still have 11 eels left aboard my type IXC (I've not used the stern tubes). Despite the time and distance spent on patrol, I'm thinking it will be a lack of eels that forces a return before fuel considerations do. Here's hoping for another 30K tons before I have turn tail for France!

Hardigen 09-29-12 04:04 AM

Lucky merchant
 
Ahoy there ship mates,back up yer t,psails and heave to,an listen to this echo sound,,,,,, I was dogging this C 2 after putting a torp into her the weather was atrocious so it was a topside attack, she spotted me and went onto an evasive course ,ablaze from stem to stern I followed for many a league unable to get in a good position .Eventually managed to get about 990 metres on her port quarter ,fired my last forward tube when she suddenly swung over to starboard and showed her stern ,the turbulence of her screws exploded the torp before it hit the ship . Could,nt use the gun crew because of the weather , so let her go on her merry way, I think she deserved to survive she put up a good fight .

Jimbuna 09-29-12 11:28 AM

My usual haunt....250km west of the entrance to the Med.

TabbyHunter 10-01-12 12:58 PM

Assigned Grid BF17 to patrol. Set out Feb 4th or 5th...maybe 6th.

On the 9th, I entered the English Channel, got shot at by a PT boat that came out of the fog (only 50 to 75 meters of visiblity, so I was running on the surface). Took minor damage, surfaced an hour later and got the most interesting message from BdU. The Ark Royal is comeing to the Channel on the 13th, with Renown possibly the 14th. I've been patrolling the western entrance for two days now (its the night of the 12th) and I am hoping I get the play with an Aircraft Carrier.

U-51 (My boat), U-48, U-26 and U-37 are forming a nice little wolfpack right about now.

TabbyHunter 10-01-12 01:47 PM

Ark Royal was a noshow. Patrolled the entrance for an extra two days, then made a flank run to Portsmouth, the estimated berth of the massive ship. After sneaking near, sending a landingparty to scout out the port, no carrier.

Return to port with only 7k sunk.:nope:

Set out for my next war patrol and had a chicken match with the KM Admiral Hipper...And won!:har:

Nobon 10-07-12 12:45 AM

1940, January 2.

The U-50, Type VIIb U-Boot, after a thorought refitting, and replacement of the crew,
(Installed GWXv3 Gold, and painstakingly syncronized with my
older mods- restarted career.. sigh...) finally runs out of the pen again.


To its first patrol in the series.
___________________________________


Her orders is to Reach BF44, so travel around the Danish semi-isle, and go
through the shallow and well protected La manche canal, to reach its
destination under the Brit isles.


The voyage spent without any drama, Thou' the Kaleun (khm.. Me.) realised,
that the officer he chosen into the CE position, has a very... High pitch voice,
almost comical... And VERY annoying. No matter, hes a mechanic, so I sent
him -back- to the engine room, -period-.

Listened to loud Gramophone music after that, to forget that jester.
(as well as the whole crew)



First encounter:
______________

As gotten close to the canal, we received a BdU message, which located a
ship, near our position, headed almost the same way. (Sout-south-east)

Quickly planned the course, and went before the victim, planned a
perpendicular approach to the roughly estimated course
(as in GWX there isnt any direction showing spike, the contact is only a square,
and the direction is 'south-south-east
)
with the help of its Hydrophone contact, so corrected the course a bit- and
finally found out, with some anger, that its only a small fishing boat...

Why BdU send us contacts, that clearly visibly civilian?

No matter, whe shot it to pieces with the 88's. Traffic is heavy here,
survivors got a chance.



Hunt for clues:
________________

As we submerged, to listen to the sinking sounds of the ship, instantly discovered alot of contacts via Hydrophone.
(by me, not by the sonarman, that joker doesnt have a
radioman skill yet, so when we ran over by a destroyer, he finally recognise,
and tell me with a smile: "Warship, medium speed, closing, being exactly at
our position. Do I get a candy, mein herr?"
)

First I thought that its the La Manche canal's traffic, and the patrols, as the
signals came from west.

But as the U-50 darted out to follow, the Hydrophone sounds seemed to turn
more over to the south...

Anything it is, it goes -exactly- to the French shore... To south. Near the
canal entrance, but not in that direction.


As the evening came, U-50 continued on surface, in flank speed, all hands with mechanics skills
in the diesel room... Those two lying down ladies shaked their asses so fast, that our boys
barely could keep up, to care, and oil them...
Soon the Second Watch discovered a merchant ship. And another.
First we saw this two, then it took me a half hour in the target
speed calculating excitement*, to look up from the geometry, move my head left,
and frozen to stone discover many.. many... more.. ships...

(* it isnt that easy, when you -doesnt- have a visible
contact in the map if you see a ship, so you have to ID-it, estimate the range
by calculating that what size you see the largest mast in, compared to the
real size by the Rec.manual., then take a protractor, and draw a line from
your ship in the target's angle, measure the calculated range, and put a mark
on that line, "there was that bastard compared to me!" then wait 3 minute 15
sec, then take another range calculation, draw another line from your
direction, put another mark on it, then read the distance between the two
marks... I usually miscalcule by 1 knots up, or down... Jussst enough to slip a
torpedo not more than 1m -before- the bow, or -after- the aft, in 2000-1500m attack distance...
)


The convoy...
_________________

Encountered a very large convoy.... 10 ships, or more, Doesnt saw the lead...
Only merchants, at least the tail of it, which I could see- no escorts.
In the exact moment I sent a contact report to BdU. BdU answered:
"No U-boot's near my position to help me, I can attack with great care, if I want."

Ok. Convoy went at medium speed, at least 12 knots, So I cant do this
underwater...

Stayed in like 6000m distance from the closest one, and roamed in a paralell
course, while I draw the convoy's course in 6200m distance, after Ive aligned
myself to get exact the same range in 3-4 times in ten minutes.

Managed to climb upfrom the tail right beside their middle. Planned to go
before them, and take a perpendicural approach again.. But somehow they
were too fast, the closing up took too mutch time.


At least I tought the course is paralell. It was, for a time. Then they started
to turn a little bit in every second minute to the south-south-east. Aimed for
the closest French harbour...

Fiiine, more hard to follow, as I need to travel more on the outerward of the
curving course... (the convoy was very long, only 3-4
knots slower than me, and I was near the side of the middle, so getting to
their other side wasnt an option
)

In that momentum was when I noticed something really weird in the almost
pitch black UZO scope, in the background of the closest, blurred little image
of a merchant, in 90° from me.....:


The shadow..
______________

First I tought thats only a "low lighting" smudge, when high-res colors in 3d
engine start to behave like the 256 color settings, and fall apart to different coloured clouds.

As ship couldn't be that tall... -past- a large merchant, but -over- it...
And still was very blurry, doesnt had any outline.
Or any beliveable...

Then one of my watchmen coughed a bit, and touched my shoulder.
And he told me.

No, it cant be...


The feeling of a swimming mouse:
_______________________________________

What could be this huge...? Being well-past the nearest, blurry little merchant
in 6000 m, barely visible, or more likely non-visible, in the ptch-black, only recognised it as a
somewhat solid smudge in the pulsating colorclouds, and -still- looks twice as
high as a merchant...

Then he told me. In a dry, simple style, exactly when U-50 turned to get
closer to the convoiy, and the outline of that... Thing became more sharp...
And I felt the same terror.

"Battleship".

Right in the middle of a large merchant convoy, sailing to France.
It was too far away, so narrowed the distance in our semi-paralell course,
getting -really- scarily close to the nearest merchant... 4000 meter, or less...
(in GWX it isnt that fun anymore XD)
If they find me, that... Thing fires ONE gun, and the U-50 is disperse into a
mixture smoke of steel-powder, and blood cloud.


3600m to the closest merchant...
Finally managed to ID the monster, thou' I wasnt sure, but we havent got
mutch time. Identified as a Revenge class... battleship.

(Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revenge_class_battleship )

http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/guides...23/Mqrsov1.jpg


So a brother monster to that Günther Prien, and his U-47 sank a year ago: The "Royal Oak"... (also a Revenge)

Ive read that these old all-over-gun giants were too slow, and too big targets
for WWII ship battles, so Revenges got used as flasghips in mass fleets,
guarded ports, (many AA guns also) and.. surprisingly they used some to
escort merchant convoys, as the wiki wrotes.

Ok. 3500 meter to the merchant. Couldn't risk more.
I decided:

The U-50 took a sharp 55° turn right into the middle of the convoy, submerged to periscope depth, and went forward in flank speed...


Second encounter:
___________________


Made some measurements about the target's speed, (with the painful hand-by-hand method described earlier)

Went as close as could be in 5 knots full capacity, (it was a stormy
weather, and the canal doesnt like if you cross it, it more likes if you
travel all along the shore) really close to the point, when the Battleship
crosses
my 0°, and start to increase distance...

It was around 1800-1700m distance, when the U-50 let loose the salvo.

I.,II.,and IV. fired simultaneously.
Magnetic pistol, around 9.7m depth (as the Revenge's draft is 8.9)
targets's speed set on 10knots, (as measured) angle-on-bow almost 90°
all G7a (T1) torpedoes, set to full speed, narrow spread. (around 2-2.5)


(fired the aft.-torpedo to a small merchant crossing
my 180°, with hastily calculations in the meantime, also fired the
remaining one in the bow to a large merchant around 1000m, both with
guessed values, both missed....
)

After a longer than expected run, one really big explosion shook
the gigantic ship's bow, and immediately one other eel splashed under
her middle line, and the last one, half way to the aft.

Both exploded -right- under the keel of the monster.

A series of loud explosions bursted out when the middle one hit,
and one of my men whistled in excitement: "-KaLeun", shes going
down..."

...


The miserable fate of The Washed Ashore Leviathan
_____________________________________________

All hands followed my order to swarm the fore, and back torpedo rooms,
to speedily reload, and maybe catch some of the merchant ships, while I
felt that my right eye is glued into the optic of the attack periscope.

Forgot about anything, just watched the monster slowing down. And
really-really slowly, after five minutes, its aft started to get lower, and
lower... (suddenly, a destroyer came out of nowhere, from the direction of
the convoy's lead, but I couldnt care less, as its lamps washed through
the beautiful monstorcities body, I just watched...)

Fires started slowly, all around the gigant's body...
Finally, after 15 minutes, the Revenge class tilted to its left side... Sank a
bit, and.. remained there. Remained in that position, as it only could sank
20 meters, not more. (The La Manche is a shallow little tub.
Basically it isnt sank, only run ashore, and tilted 45° to rest.)

The captains log shows the dry statement:
"Revenge class Battleship: 31.000 bruttoregistertonnes of Royal Overwhelming
Father Of All, Colonnial, Commonwealth BRUTALITY- sank."

Doesnt really believed my eyes, as I watched that ran-ashore armoured whale burn out...
Then was when I first heard the creeping pings of the destroyer's ASDIC.... We are...



Sitting duck in a box
___________________________

found....

Wasnt too long before the pings started to pile up, and I first heard, with
bare ears, the propeller of the destroyer...
Dive? WHERE?? In periscope depth we had FOUR meters left under us...


The U-50 a slow, too slow turn in the blind spot, when that damn thing
swimmed on top of us, preparing to bomb, so we had some troubles,
minor injuries with a bomb or two, but then it somehow lost our trail.
I tried to keep the huge flaming wreck between us, and started to feel
too comfortable...

As some of my torpedoes reloaded... With the fresh eels in my pocket,
the captain of the U-50 felt, that those merchant sound contacts are still
really close... And started to dart there with full speed, until I leave the
destroyers view.
Well, speeding up engine RPM wasnt a good idea, as those Tommies
immediately found us, and we had it...
We had it this time. That damn thing -ran over- us, almost tear off the
conning tower-flak-and-deck-gun, everything. And also bombarded the
zauerkraut out of us....

Immediately -heavy- flooding in command room, bow quarters, e-engine
room... Engines broken down, the U-boot started to fall like a rock...
Without any hope to surface... (well, except blowing
ballast, but I rather risk pressure, than 6-8 heavy guns in one ship...
)
This was the only time I gave grace that we are sittig in a tub...
The U-50 smashed into the ocean floor in 20m depth, and continued to
bash, and crush its lower compartments, which nearly meant our end...

All hands worked on repairs, and we only outrun the ticking -final-
flooding- timer in 1-2 seconds in all compartments.
(with continuing injuries from stomping ourselves
again and again into the ground
)
Finally, after the flooding was stopped (it was really close this time...
Our end, I mean. ) And the pumps started to work the water out,
the U-50 started to raise one.. meter. Enough to float, and doesnt crush our nose anymore.
Somehow we managed to get the e-engines to work...
Just realised in periscope, that a small Motor Torpedo Boat also arrived, to
hunt us, with its seeking lamp. Turned away from it slowly, lowered the
scope, and...
Started to slip away, in silent running, lowest speed, which meant
2...knots... with that tormented engine compartment, and acid spitting battery cells...

Then the destroyer sprang out from behind a large wave, blind me through the optics,
with its reflector lamps, and started to shoot large machineguns at my periscope.
I Lowered the scope, and the U-50 started to turn.
Moving slow as a snail...
Thats when was I heard the -immediately- frequent, loud, and precise
ASDIC for 1-2 seconds, then BAAAM, we got it again with the bombs...

THAT was when I spitted out some blood, (as I bashed my head into
the periscope) and said it... :


Enough. (Third encounter)
______________________


Deck hands, and sergeants working fast, to keep out flooding...
engines shut off for a minute or two..
Ok. We practically paralysed, even if we run our engines, 3knots is
best at submerged in this situation.
And we almost died in that little more succesful bomb run before this
one... The sub barely keeps itself together.
Ok, chump. Then lets finish this.

Attack scope up, found the bastard. Turning around a huge wave, then
increasing speed, in our direction.
Some work in the torpedo controls, guessed estimations again, speed set
to 12, solely a foresense, nothing more, open tube door, and when the
bastard slipped before my 180° ... The eel from the aft of the U-50
launched after him.
Thats was the right time. Hes too fast to turn in time to evade, im at his
90°, hes really close, almost isnt enough way for the torpedo to arm,
and... and.

A really long pause, compared to the close distance, then a loud BANG!,
and some flames blast out from the aft of the bastard.
Engine spinning up, hes increasing speed, and start to turn on us.
But the aft is slowly start to lower...
And the speed drops... The engine spins like hell.. But just pumps even
more water inside its wounded buttock, as climbs foreward..
And then the aft's weight slowly pulls it underwater... Explosions..
Its over.
Still, the canal is so shallow, that even the Tribal class Destroyers two
masts are remained poking out, after its settled.


Then the Motor Torpedo Boat appeared, straight run for us...
Ok player... Ok...

Blowed ballast, and immediately manned the gun. I coordinated the fire,
the little joker took some 88's High Explosive shells, exploded something,
caught on bigger flames tha itself, and...
And lined up beside us, and the flaming little man behind the autocannon
opened fire at the open deck of the U-50...
Then speeded away.
3 of my men immediately collapsed in blood. Others took them inside, and
took their place. After a 15 minute run, and 20-25 exact... high esplosive
impacts, the little thing finally blown up. .. ..

Three smoking wrecks, one of them is in a size of a village,
and Im sitting here like a duck. Right next to the most guarded canal ever.
And its 8 a clock, and the sun is secretly climbed up while we fought...
Clear view in 16km.


That aint good...




Aftermath
__________


Flank speed ahead, right to south, staying on the surface, battery
recharge turned off, I need both engines... Machiners work like hell, while
the damage team tries to cover up the outer faults of the water
bombardment.

At our back, watchmen reports a new warship.
A light, slender submarine hunter class arrived... depth charge thrower at
his back for water bombing, and no more, than -one- pair of turnable gun.
high calibre. And a big chimney, indicating a strong, fast engine...
No armor, no other ballast. Resembles to a speedy, huge yacht. Fast,
armed enough compared to a submarine, turns waay faster than a
destroyer, designed to one thing: to Hunt and Kill U-Boot.

Luckily, it seems, that its too far away to see our short silhouette...
As its start to seek around the smoking battleship.


Ok. repairs over.
Lets face the facts:

1.: The sub is partially flooded, there are some water, that cant be pumped out.
2.: The pressure-hull is crushed, if we take a dive for ike 60 meters, its
going to collaps inwards...
3.: Three of my men are shot, propably dying, as I couldnt found a medic
until we ran out from port.
4.: Only 8 torpedoes left,
and 124 of 200 HE 88's shells.
5.: The whole fore battery, located under the bow quarters, are blow
open, and spilling acid since... Had to bridge over the dead cells via wire.
Basically we have half battery power left. Half e-engine capacity, and half
time underwater...


So, I had only one option left:

From the gramophone, after 2-3 hours of GWX stock, and self collected
Edit Piaf, Marlene Dietrich, 1940 radio news, Lord Haw Haw
demotivational war commentaries targeting the Brits, tipperary song,
and various military leads, the ship's speakers start to rumble the...
"Benzin" from Rammstein..... ...

And, the U-BOOT, designated as U-50, takes a sharp turn to the right,
and heads West, in full speed ahead...
Right into the La Manche canal. As we required to PASS the patrols
somehow, REACH the BF44 target triangle under the Brit isles, and prey
for enemy shipping.



30.000 from 40.000 german submariner never got back ashore in the Second World War. Ok, thats the odds. We can go now.


+ + +


.

TwoGamers 10-07-12 02:16 AM

1st patrol on my first 88% realism career. I only have contact upadtes on. Im U-12 a type IIA based in wilshaven

After arriving in AN81 I recieved a contact report south of my posistion. I track it and upon finding it signal it to surrender with flags and a shot across the bow from my flak gun. It surrenders and I get me a nice 3500 tons. Sinks in minutes after the time bombs go off.

Nothing else happens for the rest of the patrol. Crew gets some medals back at base. I am satisfied with my patrol

Already doing better then the histrorical U-12

u35_captain 10-11-12 12:29 PM

January, 1944 - U-105, Type IX.

It has been an unpleasant winter in Lorient. War prospects dim daily. The chances of victory seem a thing of yesteryear, a myth we once told ourselves. But still, the war goes on, as does our duty.

The crossing of the Atlantic was mostly uneventful - at least after escaping roaming Sunderlands that have made transit in and out of Lorient more eventful, to say the least. The North Atlantic is a killing ground for U-boats, now, so we skirted south of the Azores, engaging in a deck gun battle with a small merchant, and sinking her. Small prey, and even that is dangerous - but not worth a torpedo at such a critical point. Besides, our gunners are highly decorated veterans. I still trust in their accuracy, and rightly so.

But it is time to be daring. We arrive off the coast of South America, with ports in sight: San Fernando and the Port of Spain. Time to teach the allies that the Atlantic isn't their lake, yet. The northern entrance is guarded by two destroyers, but reconnaissance of the southern channel indicates only an elderly Clemson. Not expecting us, the Clemson is easily disposed of with a single torpedo directly into her engines, the depth charge racks making her explosive demise all the more satisfying.

Under cover of darkness, U-105 breaks into the shallows on the surface, and by daybreak we are submerged and hidden from roving aircraft. With the coming of night, we reconnoiter San Fernando and find...nothing! Not a single verdamnt ship. Has our daring been for naught?

But on the passage north to the Port of Spain - our lookout crew see a T3 tanker, riding at anchor! The allies must be overconfident indeed to leave such a prize undefended and a sitting duck. A pair of torpedoes are sufficient to break her back and send her down in pieces. But the crew has hardly begun celebrating their victory when a second T3 is spotted, to the north. This beast takes three, but her fate is sealed.

After that, the Port of Spain is merely icing on the cake, the U-105 blasting a Small Tanker at long range. But by now our antics are sure to have stirred the hornet's nest. As dawn breaks the next day, we are running the northern channel off - our anti-aircraft gunners getting some practice on a Catalina that decided to be a little too bold.

We escape detection by the northern guardians, and continue our run, blasting two small tankers on the lanes to Curacao, then finishing our hunt with a pair of T2s on the rich tanker route to the east of Cuba.

Happy new year, Amerikaners - the U-boat fleet is not a toothless dragon yet.

Nobon 10-12-12 12:13 PM

1940, january 7.
The U-50, type VIIb U-Boot
and its new captain, Leutnant z. s. Daniel Wolf
continues its first patrol. The boat is in grim condition...


________________________________________________


The fate of the leviathan:

After the events of the first part of the patrol, lengthly decribed in my last
report: the three torpedo hit under the keel of the Revenge class
battleship, which then identified by BdU (SH3 commander...) as the
HMS Ramillies,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Ramillies_(07)

and the destruction of the HMS Zulu
Tribal class destroyer, and an unidentified Torpedo Motor Boat, the U-Boot
left the area.

And the rescue efforts of the Battleship continued by a
Submarine hunter light corvette, and then other ships.

Luckily for them, the Battleship sank
(basicly just "run ashore" as it only sank 15 metres until it reached the bottom)
at the entry of the shallow La Manche canal. So most parts of the giant remained on
the surface. On the second half hour, fires started to break out, and
quickly spanned throuought the ship... This, and the explosions of the
three torpedoes under the keel caused the:

Death of 11 british navy personnel.
All other hands from the total of 1198 crew were rescued by arriving allied
ships.

The battleship was mostly burned out, all of its munitions, and fuel exploded in the flames.


Crossing Dover, and the travel in the La Manche

Since the Kommandant of the U-50 decided to try to continue its route to
the given target zone, (BF44) the crew worked hard on repairs, and to
basicly keep the vessel on the surface, and over the seafloor, during
submerge runs... All of the men were overworked, tired to exhaustion, or
intoxicated by leaking diesel engines, or the inhaled acidic air from the
destroyed aft. battery.

Due to their superb work, the boat managed to slip through Dover, and
most of the travel in the canal passed fast.

On the second day, radio transmissions from BdU marked a convoy,
heading west, and hastly calculations made to cross its course during the
night. Eventually the Kommandant decided to let them go... The boat
wasnt in a condition for a long hunt, and the many patrols on the canal
meant unknown dangers.

But then the hydrophone took a faint sound of a lonely merchant on a
South-south-west course...

The fourth encounter:

The sound proven to be a lonely Coastal Tanker.
The U-50 engaged it in a daring surface run, and sank it with gunfire.

As BdU reported, it was the MV Harfry, 1353 tons, shipping aviation
fuel.
Sank with all souls onboard, except for a lonely survivor.

The fifth encounter:

The U-50 continued its way out of the canal. On the grid BF17, lookout reported a lonely merchant again.

The boat took a submerged attack run.
The target was identified by the kommandant as a Granville-type Freighter.
The ship took one torpedo under the keel, another set on impact is missed, and then took te Coup d'état from 88's gunfire on the surface.

The ship, identified by the kommandant from the painted name, was the
SS Thistleglen, 4708 tons. The cargo was aircrafts, clearly visible.

The fate of the crew remained unknown for now, but the U-50 saw many
lifeboats floating, and the shores were close enough.


Another convoy: (Sixth encounter)

The U-Boot finally reached its destination in the BF44 area, and started
the 24 hour patrol.
It was quickly paused, as BdU reported a middle size convoy, north from
the target square, on a roughly eastern course, around 8 knots.

Calculations were made, and the U-50 darted out in flank speed, to reach
the convoy in time.
It managed to close up to viewing range, on the right side of the convoy,
during the night.

Identified a large ship, a Modern Tanker, roughly around 10.000 tons...
as a main target, and a Medium Cargoship, as a secondary target for the
first run, as they were the largest.

As the course of the convoy appeared to rapidly changing, and the dusk
just started, the kommandant decided to took the chance, and the boat
made a sharp turn towards the convoy, leaving the parallel course,
submerged to periscope depth.

calculated the speeds of the two targets each, and fired two torpedoes
under the keel of the Modern Tanker, and the Medium Cargo ship, fired
from the closest distance from 2600-2400 metres.

Both torpedo fired at the tanker missed, but the Medium Cargo ship
received two hits under the first part of the bow, and immediately
stopped.

The U-50 quickly turned around, and fired its torpedo from the stern, after
the escaping tanker, but missed it closely. Again.

In the meantime, suddenly heavy fires broke out on the Medium Cargo
ship, and not mutch later it drowned rapidly.

Adressed later by Bdu, it was the SS White Falcon, 4757 tons.
Shipping Coal. Fate of crew unknown.

The convoy fled, no escorts showed up, so the U-50 continued its way, back to the BF44, to complete its patrol.
Only one torpedo remained, in the first bow tube.

Seventh encounter:

The U-50 spent its last hours from the 24 hour patrol, when BdU reported
a merchant, on a western course, in the vicinity of the boat, on south.

After finishing the patrol, the U-50 fired up its engines, and stormed
southwards, cutting the calculated cone, where the merchant could be.

Proven to be a Medium Cargo ship, later ID-d as the SS Bald Eagle
4758 tons, shipping Steel.

Took the very last torpedo of the U-50, under the keel, and sank after many hours.

Most of the crew died in the torpedo explosion, as the kommandant examined only a few lifeboats.

The U-Boot started its way to back home...

Eighth encounter:

Soon it crossed the way of another lonely merchant, near the canal:

Another Granville-type Freighter, sank by gunfire on the surface, while the
U-boot was flying the hohenkreutz Kriegsmarine flag. Felt like a pirate
attack. At least half of the 88 soul crew died, as the lifeboats suggest.

BdU ID-ed it as the SS Cassequel, 4709 tons. Its cargo was a good
load of military vehicles.

Ninth encounter:

Another BdU message was taken, suggesting a lone ship travelling near.
The idea was almost rejected, but the theater was so close, and it was
midnight, nice, dark environment, that the kommandant ordered the slight
course change.

It was appeared to be a robust Empire-type freighter.
The U-50 shot all of its remaining 41 pieces of 88's shells to it, aimed by
the kommandant, at least 27 was hit, despite the chaotic waves. The
vessel was flaming, lost its chimney, and took several good shots on the
waterline, and under it. But still was afloat, no signs of flooding.

The kommandant risked the fragile, heavily broken boat, so the U-50 took
a turn, and closed down to the merchant from the other side, and made a
heavy ramming attack in 12 knots. The freighter tilted to its right side,
most of the shell hits on its hull turned under the waterline.

And the target remained in this slightly tilted condition.

After lots of hours, the ship slowly tilted more, and more to its right side,
and soon the deck became washed over by the waves. A half a hour later
the Empire Type freighter was sunk by flooding. That was the last victim
of the reborn U-50 on its first patrol.
As BdU suggests, and the kommandant also made the same reading at
the ship's stern, this was the SS Armanistan, 6797 tons. Shipping timber.
Very few boats lowered....

The U-Boot took a fast turn, and entered the La Manche again...


The way back home:

As there were many diesel fuel spared, the boat travelled in flank speed.
Three, or four times its submerged to evade patrols. After passed right
next to a large british freighter, waving, and smiling at it at the surface,
(without any remaining weapons...) a destroyer appeared, and made two
runs with depth charges on the hastily submerged boat, both missed,
then the U-50 managed to flee.

Passed Dover in submerged, on a very low, 2 knot speed, and traveled in
peace around the Danish semi-island, arrived to the port of Kiel, enjoying
he music, and ovation...

It was -really- lucky, that none of the thrown roses was hit the vessel, as
the chief-engineer was sure, that even one flower can sunk this broken
down boat...

The first patrol of the reborn U-50, with its new crew, and fresh new
captain, Leutnant z. s. Daniel Wolf, was over.

______________________________

Conclusion:


The 18 day patrol resulted in 60.062 bruttoregistertons of sank allied
shipping. 3 military, and 7 merchant vessels.


The three injured crewman, including Werner Suraj professional watch,
and helmsman matrose, was died on the way back home.

The crew was presented with 3 pieces of Second Class Iron Crosses,
one U-Boat Front clasp, and 33 pieces of U-boat War Badge.


Daniel Wolf wasnt presented with any medal, but immediately
promoted to Oberleutnant Zur See.

The poor U-50 remained in two months... At the dry dock, during the heavy repairs...



And about the captain...

During that two months, Daniel was thrown ..period... out from two
bars, became an unofficial mood raiser entertainer of a night club, with his
boasting stories, and drunken speeches about the "Everyday sexuality
and the war leaders of the Third Reich"
, drunk at least 420 bottles of
Beck's beer, and almost died between at least four pairs of heavy tits,
spanked, and grabbed six wide, round asses of similar ladies, and was
accompanied on his knees by at least one of them in 60% of his partied
nights, where he drunk with his officers, and started many fistfights with
other navy personnel....

His navy dress-suit became almost nothing more than a rag, at the time,
when his boat finally completed repairs. .. ... :Kaleun_Cheers: :Kaleun_Party:

VONHARRIS 11-10-12 02:10 AM

Nice report Nobon.

U-64 IXB status report

http://i47.tinypic.com/30njgn8.jpg

Stubudd 11-11-12 01:25 AM

With GWX i checked the dates and waited outside scapa to catch the hood and prince of whales racing out to find the bismarck. Managed to sink the prince on the spot and damage the hood- she escaped temporarily, but i chased her and found her beached on a tiny island directly west of scapa flow.

Then i raced down to where the bismarck would be sunk in time to be waiting for whatever i could find, the ark royal or some of the other capital ships. I managed to sink the king george V and hit the rodney or renown, whichever is the accompanying capital ship, but the bismarck apparently got credit for finishing her before i could work a way to get another a shot.

It took a couple reloaded saves to find the right spot to have a shot at those fast moving big ships out in the atlantic- BE53 northeast corner- but i don't care- i just wanted to see this stuff. GWX is amazing, after playing SH3 without it for a long time.

This was with a IXB i believe, whichever you start a new career with out of 2nd flotilla in 1941. Somewhere around 140k tons for that patrol. Nice work by the guys that mod together. Now i'm looking to find another scripted event to check out- maybe some of the stuff in the far east.

Kapt Z 11-12-12 10:44 AM

4/12/40 (41st day at sea)
0330hrs
Grid BE99
Heavy rain, poor visibility, winds 11

3 ships sunk for 9100 tons

3 torpedoes remaining

Fuel 40%

No damage

Oblt Gunter Kaiser
U-97, type VIIC
7th Flot. St Nazaire

Gustav Schiebert 11-18-12 09:37 AM

I've just started a new campaign in October 1939: SH3 + GWX3 + OLC Gold Mk IId (on 100% realism), sailing from Wilhelmshaven.

First patrol grid was AN13 - nice and close, I could be out there, complete the mission then back home for the weekend! So I chugg out and make for the grid - getting to northern Scotland with no problems or contacts. I decide to go north of the Orkneys. Nice and narrow, hopefully moving at silent speed and periscope depth I can pick up some odd ships moving through the gap. As I move along, my sonarman picks up a merchant due north, but after a brief chase I loose it, as it was heading directly away from me.

By this time the weather is atrocious and I can barely stay on course. To spare the men, I spend the majority of the rest of the outbound trip at 25m. A few breathing/recharging breaks later, I'm searching AN13.

Nothing.

Not a solitary schooner. Probably all safely in harbour; on the surface the men of the bridge watch can barely see each other, let alone any ships! Dejected, I turn and head for home. By the time I near the Orkney gap again, the weather has improved a bit. The wind still makes surface running unpleasant but at least the rain has stopped, and visibility is a bit better.

On the way home, I decide to make a run for Scapa Flow.

http://www.mvhalton.co.uk/photos/scapa.jpg

I use the Burra Sound entrance from the west, slipping silently through at about 1500 to give me a full night's dark. As I pick through the narrow channels I'm grimly aware of the wrecks of the German High Sees Fleet beneath me, scuttled at this exact spot in 1918. The waves are still big, even in this natural harbour. The sonarman is struggling to keep tabs on all the contacts, but a brief peep with the 'scope tells me they're mostly MTBs. As I approach the centre (the middle light blue box):

Contact! Kriegschiffe! Lager null!

Dead ahead! A quick peep on the 'scope - to see above the waves, I have to have the LI bring the boat so far up in the water that the bridge sometimes pokes above the waves. I spot a V&W circling ahead, but he's heading south as I continue east. But a massive shadow catches my eye at 345. A battleship! Close by! Supressing the desire to scream with delight, I quickly check the horizon for anything else. Just that V&W, but he's heading away. I check the range - 3200 - good job I had a look, or I would have slinked right past him!

I open all four tubes, line myself up, and let loose with a spread shot. About a degree - hopefully at 3000m they should spread enough to deliver a nice broadside. Unfortunately, two eels detonate early, less than 30 secs from the tube. Verdamnt! The other two steam on and hit, however, they must have been the right-hand two of the spread as the formidible triple-gun structure of the Nelson starts to burn, and it lurches forward by the bow - but stays still. The V&W turns round, interested. I make a call. The 1WO, the bosun, both torpedomaate and every spare man is in that bow torpedo room, trying to get another shot ready. The V&W heads off to the entrance, where I came in, but doesn't seem to notice me floating there. My bluff has worked.

After a record-breaking reload, I put another eel in the now-listing bow of the battleship. Another hit - an explosion, but so little effect that I wonder (even now) weather or not it detonated just short of the target. But now I HAVE to get out of here, despite my silence I think the destroyer knows where I am. I turn due west, leaving the listing Nelson astern of me and heading back the way I came in. As I come about, I use the stern tube to hit him again, in exactly the same spot. This time, within seconds of impact, cries go up round the boat as the sonarman reports the sounds of bulkheads collapsing. I proudly write up the 36,000 GRT battleship HMS Nelson into the log at 2336. But it's not over yet.

I can't even watch my achievement, as all attention is focused on that destroyer between me and my exit. The water is only 20m deep - no diving to escape. I decide my only hope is crawling ahead at 1kt on silent running, and hoping my oxygen doesn't run out. I follow the approaching destroyer on the hydrophones as he gets closer ... and closer ... and closer ... he's in an attack run, he's pinging me, it's all over ...

The deafening WHUUUMP of depth charges comes, two, three, four ... followed by the loudest, most almightly crash I've ever heard. Every compartment is leaking and the bridge is critically damaged. Amazingly, the sky periscope survived, and I raise it out the water just a tad to look at my adversary. Sinking. Yes, that titanium-plated, indestructable conning tower has claimed another victim as the destroyer plummets to the bottom. Fortune is smiling on the U-Bootwaffe today!

A quick look to 200 shows two more destroyers moving in at about 8000m, so I don't want to hang around. Leaving the 1WO in charge, the LI and every hand goes to damage control mode. The leaks are quickly stopped, but the rest of the damage is a bit harder to deal with and despite me moving to all ahead full (all stealth gone now), I'm crawling away at 2kts with a damaged propeller. The destroyers are moving in - but they seem to be lost and start circling about 3000m south of me, giving the LI time to repair the damage. I plough back through the Burra Sound without even a single sonar contact!

By the time I get back into open sea, the men are struggling to breathe and my battery is almost dead. One last scan with the sky 'scope ... nothing. Auftaufen! Back on the surface, the men breathe easy once again, as I give the Oberstuermann the order to return home.

And the rest, as they say, is history!

Riccardo1975 01-06-13 02:49 PM

Is that it?
 
Hello everyone!

In U-111 off the coast of Ireland in March 1940 on my second patrol.

Sank 21 ships(some trawlers, granted), two destroyers(JK class and an AB), three asw trawlers and a Revenge class battleship with a nice four shot spread. Got a large tanker(8230grt) on the way out of the convoy with a tube V magnetic shot and missed a Black swan with tube VI. Dived to 160 m, ran silent and escaped.:D

Got home with about 85000 tonnes sunk, no casualties and 92% hull integrity thanks to an annoying Hurricane.

Was awarded an Iron Cross second class.:huh:

Shouldnt I be having lunch with Adolf and getting a Knights Cross?

Is this a joke? Or was sinking an American medium cargo,(always submerged to resemble a mine hit)a bad idea........ 21 Allied. 1 Neutral.

Running GWX 3.0 and 50% realism.

http://i1245.photobucket.com/albums/...psa2770c5c.jpg


I want Golden Oakleaves too....

http://i1245.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6be39e8a.jpg



Oberleutnant R A J Murphy.

Gustav Schiebert 01-06-13 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riccardo1975 (Post 1989170)
Was awarded an Iron Cross second class.:huh:

Shouldnt I be having lunch with Adolf and getting a Knights Cross?

You should be, for that. Here's my research on the matter:

KptLt Gunther Prien had the EKII already when he sunk HMS Royal Oak in October 1939. He got both the EKI and the Knight's Cross for that, as well as tea with Hitler etc.

ObltzS von Tiesenhausen sunk HMS Barham in November '41 - he also had the EKII but only got the EKI, and no lunch with Hitler (although he did eventually get the Knight's Cross in January '42.

There was a lot of variance over a commander's reward for a 'prestige sinking', although a Knight's Cross was usual. Towards the end of the war the requirements dropped enormously and some recieved the RK for simply damaging a merchant ship, so dangerous had it become.

In reality if you had sunk a Revenge class (Royal Oak was of that class) you could expect at the very least EKII and EKI. Probably RK and tea with Hitler as well. I think the game can't 'leapfrog' awards like in real life - if you pass the threshold for the RK and the RK + Oakleaves in one patrol, you get the RK at the end of that patrol and the oakleaves are 'stacked' so that you'll recieve them next patrol, even if you don't sink anything.

Hope this helps!

Jimbuna 01-06-13 05:30 PM

SINK EM ALL!! http://www.psionguild.org/forums/ima...ies/pirate.gif

Riccardo1975 01-08-13 10:19 AM

Thanks mate!
 
[QUOTE=

In reality if you had sunk a Revenge class (Royal Oak was of that class) you could expect at the very least EKII and EKI. Probably RK and tea with Hitler as well. I think the game can't 'leapfrog' awards like in real life - if you pass the threshold for the RK and the RK + Oakleaves in one patrol, you get the RK at the end of that patrol and the oakleaves are 'stacked' so that you'll recieve them next patrol, even if you don't sink anything.

Hope this helps![/QUOTE]:up::up

Thanks for the info! It was right in the middle of an eastbound convoy just north of Belfast. End around to the North, let the Black Swan pass on me on the surface then ahead 1/3 at scope depth, heading 190. Always have 2xT1 and 2xTII up front for bubbles or no bubbles, so loosed the lot at 800m. Three hits amidships and one engine room. Foundered stern first. :yeah:

So at the end of my next patrol I'll get my EK First Class even if I only sink 3 schooners and large trawler?

Many thanks again! I'll try to learn photo uploads. Can you upload patrol logs off SH3 Commander?

Last one! Where do I get "Das Boot sounds" from. Sounds immense!

Got a single hit on HMS Hood way west of Rockall at about 2200m. HMS Rodney was there as wel but thats another story....:03:

Rich

Singed 01-08-13 10:55 AM

Still getting to know SH-3 (I used to play SH-4). SH-III + GWX + a couple of other minor mods, running around 80 percent realism. Manual targeting, but I like my eye candy so the f12 camera is available, though my own house rules say I can only use it after the eels go out and absolutely never when I'm being attacked.

On my 5th patrol, heading towards my assigned grid west of Ireland another boat reported a large inbound convoy that was almost right on top of me at 2100 hours. I ordered a westward turn and put my best watch hands on deck, by 21:45 we had spotted the first escort heading straight for us. Sea conditions were slick, a bright moon provided excellent visibility for us, but also for them so I immediately ordered periscope depth. It was not long before I could see there were two escorts out front, followed by a mass of large ships.

With little time to maneuver to the edges of the convoy and not wanting to present my side to the escorts, I ordered the U-99 straight in to the heart of it, but first we had to get past the escorts. Set depth at 100 meters, ahead slow, and wait for the moment to present itself. Before long, I could hear escorts behind me, and nothing but merchants ahead, we had slipped through the screen.

Since I had a rough course on the convoy, I began setting the TDC for a fast 90 attack and ordered a change of heading to nearly due north, turns for just 1 kph, we glided silently up to periscope depth while opening all tubes. As the scope broke the surface, two targets presented themselves perfectly, just a few hundred yards, and only slightly off 0 bearing. I sent two eels each at them, then swiveled the scope 180 to find a large tanker perfectly positioned for the rear tube and close. I let the rear eel go and called for the dive.

End result, 4 of 5 hit, 3 ships down. We never had an escort get near us. Wound up shadowing the convoy while reloading and picking off two more before heading back to port. My best mission yet.

Arnold 01-09-13 09:45 PM

Neutral shores
 
SH III, patrol 13, 13 MAR 41, U-48, 1st Flotilla, Brest
Enroute to the North Channel, to a point about 250 KM West of Glasgow. Sunk C2 cargo, 6446 tons, 3 MAR 41, BF45. Sunk C2 cargo, 6447 tons, 8 MAR 41, BE69. Sunk tanker, 11,653 tons, 13 MAR 41.
We had a bit of trouble on our last patrol while near the North Channel. We received a report of an inbound convoy nearby. We plotted an intersecting course for the convoy and caught four C2 cargo merchants with a screen of four escorts. Approaching from the Southwest of the convoy, we attempted a fast surface run around the rear of the convoy. Spotted by a British V&W destroyer, we submerged to periscope depth and faced our enemy head-on. At 900 km, we fired an electric eel, which swept past the destroyer on it's starboard. Success! For some unknown reason, our torpedo made contact and we sank our first capital ship! I could hear shouts of "Becks! Becks! Becks!" from the engine room. And so, our journey continues on our 13th patrol. I enjoy watching the sunrise, while on deck. I enjoy the majesty of the North Atlantic storms. I often let the game remain at 1X time compression, so I can enjoy the view of the ocean. Fair winds and following seas, my friends. Fight! Win! or Die!

Riccardo1975 01-15-13 01:33 PM

Scapa vs Freetown.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Gustav Schiebert (Post 1989187)
You should be, for that. Here's my research on the matter:

KptLt Gunther Prien had the EKII already when he sunk HMS Royal Oak in October 1939. He got both the EKI and the Knight's Cross for that, as well as tea with Hitler etc.

ObltzS von Tiesenhausen sunk HMS Barham in November '41 - he also had the EKII but only got the EKI, and no lunch with Hitler (although he did eventually get the Knight's Cross in January '42.

There was a lot of variance over a commander's reward for a 'prestige sinking', although a Knight's Cross was usual. Towards the end of the war the requirements dropped enormously and some recieved the RK for simply damaging a merchant ship, so dangerous had it become.

In reality if you had sunk a Revenge class (Royal Oak was of that class) you could expect at the very least EKII and EKI. Probably RK and tea with Hitler as well. I think the game can't 'leapfrog' awards like in real life - if you pass the threshold for the RK and the RK + Oakleaves in one patrol, you get the RK at the end of that patrol and the oakleaves are 'stacked' so that you'll recieve them next patrol, even if you don't sink anything.

Hope this helps!

Hey Gustav!

That attack on Scapa was superb! Early war destroyers just seem dumb beyond belief? Getting rammed and surviving! Wheres the titanium conning tower download....?:haha:

Tried the same trick at Freetown but the huge amount of tonnage inside the breakwater made me forget the anti submarine nets. Gun battle on the surface with an ASW trawler wasn't the right method of infiltration. Especially when the V&W turned up. End of career.:down:

Heading for the North Channel found some lucky Danish cargoes in the North Sea and had a fight with ten Swordfish heading in an anti-clockwise arc around Scapa.
http://i1245.photobucket.com/albums/...ps481486fc.png
They sent them singly while i was sunbathing off Aberdeen, then pairs as I headed for deep water above the Orkneys and then the last lot were a trio while heading for the Faroes. No match for my Stabsoberbootman AA specialist! Think it was down to a "Task Force" that was just north of Scotland, course ene(?)
http://i1245.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6f00aa00.png
Got no contacts on the way to Londonderry so had a look in that port. Got an A&B astern of a J&K eastbound, 4km bearing 320. Dived to periscope depth, headed north, rig for silent running sank them both with my two stern TII.
http://i1245.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0e73efd8.png

http://i1245.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1529aea5.png


Not quite simultaneous hits but the J&K detonated and the smaller A&B just foundered. Both torp. set to 2m running depth and impact, distance was over 1400m. Fired tube V at bearing 170, counted to ten(quickly!)and then fired tube VI at something like 240.
After surfacing for some fresh air got surface contact of three Elcos so fired a few 105mm at about 3km looking for that "magic" hit. Started taking return fire so dived to 20m and disappeared westbound, ahead slow, secure from silent running.
http://i1245.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5775c316.png

Hope Onkel Neal doesn't mind me uploading all these photos..?

Still hunting.....:salute:


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