From the diary of Paul Bartelsen, commander of U-108...

September 1st, 1939

We have been scrambled upon hearing news that war has been declared on Poland. It is still dark and the men are somewhat upset at having been woken up so abruptly. The harbor is quiet.

We are still not done fitting out quite yet. We expected to have a few more days to complete trials. The boat is still at a 2 degree list to port and down somewhat by the stern. We will have to correct this while at sea. Chief engineer Horst says this shouldn't take much effort but is simply a nuisance.

The boat is packed with cuts of meat and crates of produce. It is hard to maneuver. The aft head is being used as a lemon closet. Two of the bunks are filled with extra deck gun shells. My bunk is currently covered in apples. What a mess.

Given a choice between the two, I'd probably rather sleep with the apples. :03:

U-111 IXB
 

31 May 1940
U-111 was ready to depart for grid DJ11
U-108 had already left and U-37 had returned after a succesful patrol despite those faulty TIIs with their magnetic pistols. Kaleun Snestorm still uses these.
U-10 sunk some 11K tons during her last patrol , a considerable sum for a type IIA Uboot. Kaleun Wiebus must be given command of a large IXB U-boot
U-65 returned with heavy damages but also 13K tons at her account while U-93 radioded in that she was under air attack.

07:44 hours U-111 left port

4 June 1940
Grid AN14
17:41 hours Ship seen
17:50 hours Positive ID: Small merchant - dived to PD
18:15 hours 1 TI(stern) fired
18:16 hours Impact - ship DIW
18:21 hours 1 TI(stern) fired - impact - ship sunk

5 June 1940
Grid AN14
00:17 hours Warship seen - dived to PD
02:53 hours Surface with no further problems

14 June 1940
Grid CG16
11:48 hours Ship seen - dived to PD
12:06 hours Positive ID: Medium cargo
12:11 hours 2 TIs (stern) fired
12:12 hours 2 impacts - no damage seen
12:42 hours Submerged hunt fruitless - surfaced
12:47 hours 1 TI(bow) fired - impact
12:48 hours 1 TI(bow) fired - impact - ship sunk

22 June 1940
Grid CG95
06:33 hours Ship seen
06:37 hours Positive ID: Small merchant + large merchant
06:43 hours Opened fire upon the small merchant
06:45 hours Changed target - large merchant
06:51 hours Changed target - small merchant
06:52 hours Small merchant sunk - re-engaged large merchant
06:55 hours Cease fire
06:59 hours Large merchant sunk - 85 105mm rounds used.

23 June 1940
Grid CG95
04:31 hours Warship seen - dived to PD
04:38 hours Multiple warship sound contacts -TF
04:46 hours Positive ID: Battlecruiser of the Renown class + CV of the Illustrious class , 2 TIs(bow) fired at each target
04:50 hours 2 impacts - 2 impacts - CV exploded and sunk - confirmed visualy
http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/2452/cvsinking.jpg

04:58 hours 2 TIs(stern) fired - diving to 100m - no pinging
07:34 hours No sound contact - surfaced.

5 July 1940
Grid BE39
11:14 hours ALARM - shells landed ahead of us - fast dive to PD
11:16 hours Multiple sound contacts - convoy
11:23 hours The attacking escort couldn't get a fix on us with ASDIC. She would pass some 350m ahead of our bow with no sign of turning or changing speed - rather strange behaviour.
1 TI(bow) set at 1m fired - impact - ship sunk
11:42 hours 2 TIs(bow) fired at a large tanker
11:43 hours 2 impacts
11:44 hours 1 TI(bow) fired at the same tanker - impact
11:46 hours There was no other escort - party time -surfaced and engaged with the deck gun
11:47 hours Large tanker sunk
11:51 hours Second large tanker sunk
11:54 hours Medium merchant 06 sunk - 59 105mm rounds used
11:56 hours ALARM - Aircraft - crash dived - the merchants had called the cavarly in.

9 July 1940
Grid AM52
04:42 hours Ship seen
04:49 hours Positive ID:Small merchant
05:03 hours Opened fire
05:05 hours Ship sunk - 20 105mm rounds used

14 July 1940
00:29 hours U-111 docked at port
45 days at sea
10 ships sunk
71784 tons
no damages or casualties

The CV sunk was the HMS Victorious and the battlecruiser was the HMS Renown en route to Giblartar.

If this requires an investigation , then I must be sent to the Eastern front. I leave with a IXB filled up with TIs (G7a) only! :DL

Oh , I forgot...... vonHarris is a relative of Karl Doenitz. :D

So that's why I can't get any G7As.

U37 IX(A). Patrol 4. Part 1.
 

26.maj.40
AN98
2030: Underway from Wilhelmshaven.
Orders: Disrupt trafik to, and from, Gibralter.
All torpedoes set to AZ (impact), and 3 meters depth.

5.jun.40
AM27
0104: "Ship spotted! 041. Long range." Destroyer!
Turn bow on, and dive to 15 meters.
Undetected. No convoy.
0248: Surface, and continue southward.

7.jun.40
AM73
0738: "Ship spotted! 297. Long range." Destroyer! 6800 meters.
Turn bow on, and dive to 20 meters.
0742: "Warship moving away. Fast."
Undetected. No convoy.

8.jun.40
BE36
1652: Radio dispatch: "Convoy. BE39. WSW. 6 knots."

9.jun.40
BE38
0033: "Ship spotted! 002. Long range." Corvette! Dive to 15 meters.
0035: Multiple merchant contacts. New depth 12 meters
0107: Lead escort passed almost over our bow.
0108: 3+ escorts. U37 at center of convoys track. (256, at 6 knots?)
0118: Prepare (external) tube 5. (257, at 6 knots.)
0121: Fire 5 (TI G7A). New depth 100 meters. Target = Small Merchant.
0123: Impact! Ship sunk!

0336: Status report: U37 to BDU
1 2000 tonner sunk.
Convoy on course 257, making 6 knots.
Weather shifted to Medium Fog, Wind 14 M/S.
No longer in contact with convoy.
9 G7E, and 2 G7A remaining.

0428: Radio message: BDU to U37
Unless contact has been re-established, continue toward original objective.

12.jun.40
CG18
1756: Radio dispatch: "Convoy. CG17. NNW. 6 knots."

13.jun.40
CG14
0310: Diving for Heavy Fog.
0905: Convoy unfounded.

15.jun.40
CG42
1944: Radio dispatch: "Convoy. CG17. S. 5 knots.

16.jun.40
0224: "Ship spotted. 309. Medium range." Destroyer! New depth 20 meters.
0228: New depth 15 meters. Keeping bow on to Destroyer.
0234: New depth 12 meters.
0247: Open tubes 1, 2, and 4 (TII G7E). 5 degree spread for C2 Cargo.
0248: Fire 1, 2, 4. New depth 101 meters.
(Note: This was the only target fully visible in periscope).
0249: 39 seconds run time. 3 impacts! ship sunk!

0503: Surface.
0506: Status report: U37 to BDU
3 G7E fired. 3 perfect impacts. 1 6000 tonner sunk.
Convoy on 181, making 5 knots.
4+ escorts. 1+ Destroyer.
6 G7E, and 2 G7A remaining.

0539: BDU to U37
Continue persuit.

0632: Convoy changed course eastward (163. 5 knots?). Closing for new estimations.
0647: Contact report: U37 to BDU:
Convoy now on course 169, making 5 knots.
Escort closing - U37 diving.

0702: Open tube 3 (TI G7A) for long range shot at C2 Cargo.
0703: Fire 3! New depth 101 meters.
0706: Run time 2 min and 40 sec. Impact!

1140: Status report: U37 to BDU
1 G7A fired. 1 hit. No sinkings.
Weather shift to Medium Rain, Heavy Fog, Wind 15 M/S.
Contact with convoy lost.
6 G7E, and 1 G7A remaining.

1222: BDU to U37
Continue southward.

1420: Save & Exit.

Ok , I have blown my cover!
BUT , as a fellow Kaleun I can see that you get a full load of TIs! :D

To: BdU
From U-51

Subj: Status

Received your message regarding the wondrous acheivement of the Graf Spee, with all of her guns and armor plating. Four merchants ships in one day!

At the time of receipt, this ship has sunk 6 merchant vessels in the previous 24 hours, northwest of Scapa Flow, and we have yet to loose a single torpedo. We carry a single 8.8cm gun and a flak gun.

Never send a surface ship to do a U-boat's job.

Best regards from the captain and crew of the U-51 to the surface ships of the Kreigsmarine!

Heil... well, you know who.

:damn::damn::damn::damn::damn::damn::damn::damn:

2 Aux cruisers, inline, 2600m

2 torpedos each

Spread 5 degrees...... 5 degrees?!?! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO:o

Perfectly bracketted both targets.

They sailed right through the goalposts without a clue.

:wah::wah::wah::wah::wah::wah::wah::wah::wah::wah: :wah:

Ouch!
Fire 3 per target next time! (Just kidding [although I do]).

We've all had our "NOOOOOOOOO" moments.
But your choice of reactionary words is much more polite than mine ever were.

U-10 (IIA, "die Elster"), patrol 4
 

Ob.Lt.z.s. Harry Wiebus
1. Flottille, Kiel
Orders: Patrol grid AN81
31.1.1940

A rotten patrol in heavy rain and heavy seas behind. Five G7e's shot surfaced, guessing the speed of a 2000 BRT freighter. Maybe one hit or might have been a close early detonation. MZ pistol, depth 5. Morale of the crew seems bad after the mission. However I managed to talk to Snestorm and Vonharris, who have good connections and they say I have a good chance of getting a bigger boat in a few months.

Wiebus

(RL takes a lot of time now, so not much playing time or time to write patrol reports...)

U37 IX(A). Patrol 4. Part 2.
 

Continued from 16.jun.40

Last contacts with U37:

19.jun.40
CG8479 (W of Gibralter)
1552:
Enemy task force. 2 Battleships. 8+ Destroyers.
CG8479. Course 097. Speed 21 knots.
Unable to gain firing position.

21.jun.40
CG97
0350:
Contact with Gibralter bound convoy lost in Heavy Fog.
Attempting to regain contact.

0751:
B-Dienst enemy radio intercept:
Large Uboat sunk with gunfire and depth charges while attempting to aproach convoy from a forward position.
Much wreckage and oil on the sea surface. No survivors.

Bad old RL, always getting in the way! :D

One of these days I'm gonna torpedo RL :/\\x:

U-111 IXB
 

Patrol 7
14 August 1940
Wilhelmshaven , U-10 has returned form her last patrol empty handed because of the terrible weather.
Sad news had shocked us: U-37 has been lost with all hands during her last patrol during a convoy interception operation in CG97
Crew morale wasn't the highest but we had to leave.
00:32 hours With a heavy heart U-111 left port

17 August 1940
Grid AN41
20:03 hours Ship seen
20:09 hours Positive ID: Harbour tugboat
20:39 hours Opened fire from 320m - ship sunk after 1 105mm round

18 August 1940
Grid AN14
09:02 hours Ship seen
09:07 hours Positive ID: Large merchant - dived to PD
09:30 hours 2 x TIs(stern) fired
09:32 hours 2 x impacts - ship on fire
09:34 hours Break up noises - ship seen sinking by the bow
09:35 hours Surfaced
09:46 hours ALARM - Aircraft seen - crash dived
Grid AN13
23:31 hours Warship seen - fast dived to PD
23:38 hours Positive ID: Illustrious class fleet carrier sailing UNESCORTED! (This is the first time I saw an unescorted capital ship since 2006)
23:39 hours 3 TIs(bow) fired
23:44 hours 2 impacts - carrier slowing down
19 August 1940
00:13 hours 3 TIs(bow) fired - DCs exploding - flooding. As no pinging was heard this was certaintly an air attack by the carrier.
00:15 hours 3 impacts - the carrier was doomed listing with a heavy bow
00:16 hours Ship sunk - visually confirmed
http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/3064/cvheavybow.jpg

00:18 hours Surfaced , this sinking is dedicated to U-37 and her brave crew who were killed in action. This didn't soften our pain for their loss but at least we took revenge.

21 August 1940
U-111 returned to port with 66% hull integrity and her heavy flak destroyed
http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/165...eairattack.jpg

8 days at sea
3 ships sunk
34037 tons
No casualties
66% hull integrity.
Edit: The CV was the HMS Implacable
From the SH3 commander: Ship sunk! HMS Implacable (Illustrious class), 23000 tons. Crew: 1242. Crew lost: 1117