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KL-alfman 01-25-14 02:12 PM

6/22/1943
Oblt. Henne, U-507, type: IXC

we departed Lorient on the 4/6/1943 and are now cruising in FP47 on our way back home after patrolling our assigned grid GR91 (Capetown). we've never been assigned that far away from Europe and until now we only had little success. 5 lone merchants were downed (we still have 8eels left), but all our usual tactics don't work anymore (sneaking into a convoy between lead escort and first side-escort), because detection abilities have greatly improved. we must adapt and stay outside of convoys and shoot from longer ranges which harms our hit-rates. the times when we sank 10ships or even more a patrol are gone forever. last weeks' radio-messages were even worse than our current situation: many of our Kameraden were lost at sea by escorts and planes. the fate of war has turned against us.
yesterday we even lost our skilled flak-gunner (Gefreiter Endelmann) due to an air-attack by a catalina which we assumed to take down. bad, very bad decision made by me. I'm now obliged to explain my misjudging to his parents in a personal letter. very sad task!

http://i42.tinypic.com/16jgh11.jpg
cruising into sunset

http://i42.tinypic.com/152nj3c.jpg
my U-boot, she is perfect!

Lord_magerius 03-04-14 02:22 PM

After nearly two years away I decided to re-install the game. Several hours of screaming at the computer, I finally managed to sort my stupid Win7 problems and get it running with GWX 3.0

I had planned to make a really detailed AAR post but as is usually the case with this game I got engrossed and completely forgot to do it. Oh well, first mission back, Oct 39.

4.10.39.
2205 Grid AN 79 Ship sunk! HMS Birmingham (Southampton class), 10725 tons. Crew: 1092. Crew lost: 633
2212 Grid AN 79 Ship sunk! SS Kana (Tramp Steamer), 2015 tons. Cargo: General Cargo. Crew: 21. Crew lost: 17
2220 Grid AN 79 Ship sunk! HMS Stoke City (ASW Trawler), 1100 tons. Crew: 50. Crew lost: 33
5.10.39.
0544 Grid AN 79 Ship sunk! SS Umkuzi (Large Merchant), 11075 tons. Cargo: Copper Ore. Crew: 103. Crew lost: 23
0643 Grid AN 76 Ship sunk! SS Glen Head (Coastal Freighter), 1869 tons. Cargo: Grain. Crew: 20. Crew lost: 5
0900 Grid AN 84 Ship sunk! MV Warwick Deeping (Small Trawler), 98 tons. Crew: 13. Crew lost: 7
1131 Grid AN 84 Ship sunk! SS Politician (Large Merchant), 11076 tons. Cargo: Wine/Spirits. Crew: 93. Crew lost: 39
7.10.39.
1955 Patrol results
Crew losses: 0
Ships sunk: 7
Aircraft destroyed: 0
Patrol tonnage: 37958 tons

Not too shabby even if I do say so myself. :arrgh!:

Kielhauler1961 03-04-14 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord_magerius (Post 2181619)
...1131 Grid AN 84 Ship sunk! SS Politician (Large Merchant), 11076 tons. Cargo: Wine/Spirits...

SS Politician? I thought I recognised the name - the ship from Whisky Galore!

I bet your crew had a good celebration following that sinking...:Kaleun_Cheers:

KH

Lord_magerius 03-04-14 04:01 PM

They certainly deserved it heh, I put my last eel and 100+ deck gun rounds in her before she went down.

Captain Norman 03-04-14 06:40 PM

For me, it is November 1939. My u-boat is back on patrol after having to abort the previous patrol, due to the radio and sonograph being destroyed, as well as the deaths of the surface watch. I am currently stalking a convoy, plotting targets to sink :arrgh!:

Leandros 03-06-14 10:00 AM

New boat - new missions...
 
1 Attachment(s)
Patrol 1 - U-531 - IXC/40 - Leu z.S. Krause - Oct 10700 1943 - Lorient U-boat base

Just arrived back in Lorient early this morning. This was to be a shake-down tour - new boat, new crew. I had planned to play it safe, to cruise west of the Bristol Channel approaches. We departed Lorient evening October 1st.

Patrolled for several days but no targets. Set course for the Rockalls in deteriorating weather, moderate sea, light rain and visibility down to 4-500 meters. This kept up for the rest of the cruise.

Early on we received a report on an enemy task force NNW of us, long distance - course SE. As we proceeded northwards other reports indicated it might pass in front of us. Should we go for it? Not really wise with a fresh crew and boat. Our armaments were mainly TI's and III's with one bonus Falke. The weather did not invite to close encounters with deadly escorts. An internal vote said: Yes! Thank you for your confidence.

I changed course to easterly, AK, and in a few hours we picked up their radar transmissions. We could see that we pulled ahead of them. Weather was just as bad. We dived within submerged interception distance and picked them up on sonar. One of them was seemingly an escort carrier. Well, that would be something to bag on the first mission.

The point escort passed ahead of us, distance approx. 1.500 meters. Just before the larger vessel passed ahead of us on about the same distance it was clear that we would never sight it in the bad visibility. I therefore decided to take a chance and fired 4 torps ahead of it in a generous spread - two TI's and two TIII's. One hit was observed!

After that it was only to dive as deep as possible and wait for what to come. For several hours the four escorts blasted us with their salvos, some quite close, some farther off. At one point no. 2 and 4 torpedo tubes were destroyed. In the meantime, in-between silent running and performing repairs, the forward tubes were reloaded. A couple of times I thought we had lost them by releasing Bolds and going full sprint, but they always came back. At one point when all were off circling in the East, behind us, I decided to go full blast to periscope depth and take the fight. This obviously took them by surprise, as we levelled off at periscope depth they were still behind us. Only a little time and the first one approached us directly from behind. I had him in the periscope at 500 meter and continued at a straight course. At 400 meter I released a TI at max. speed, magnetic at 4 meter running depth. It was a USN Butler. He ran straight over it and blew up. The last seconds he tried to veer off but it was too late.

We turned around to take on the next one. As he approached us on the rear starboard quarter I turned full starboard to, lowered the periscope and released a Bold. When I raised the periscope again some seconds later it had stopped in the water, it actually had started backing a little. As we slowly turned around the distance increased to 400 meter and I could give it a deflection shot from a forward tube. From then on it was easy. We now had loaded up the single Falke and could send it towards the third echo. It disabled the target, it turned tail and limped away. The fourth one we had time to line up properly as it approached us on our starboard bow. It made it easy by going directly at us.

Our main interest was now what had happened to the carrier. After surfacing we picked up two radar transmissions. One was obviously from the escort limping away towards the second transmitter. That would have to be the carrier! As it turned out both the fleeing escort and the carrier sank before we reached them.

We still had plenty of torps left but with two destroyed bow tubes and 68% HI I decided to return to Lorient. I had not meant the first mission to be this intensive....





Riccardo1975 03-07-14 08:56 AM

No patch=no knights cross.
 
Hello chaps!
Just finished my first patrol in u-111 and scored 96k tonnes sank including a revenge class bb. Got home and no medal. Not even IC2. Playing through steam so cant.patch it.. Roll on my birthday...
Good hunting everyone!

Leandros 03-10-14 12:41 PM

Patrol 2 - U-531 - IXC/40 - Leu z.S. Krause - Nov 171013 1943 - Bay of Biscay

Left Lorient early this morning for patrol area AN81. Well, this is on the other side of England so the choice is to go through the Channel or the long way around the British Isles. I have decided the last one. The Channel could be too much for my fresh crew even if the month in Lorient has been well spent with specialized training for most of it. I am not particularly happy with the assigned mission, going around we may well bump into som fat targets we can use our torps on. Has to concentrate on merchants now to build up some credit to have the boat improved upon. Love to have more homing torpedoes, too. This time we again only got one Falke.

Weather is nice, moderate sea and almost clear sky.

Hals und Beinbruch!

Nov. 222050

Position now in the sound between the Orkneys and Shetland Isles - submerged. Hope to find some unprotected merchants in this usually heavily trafficked sound. Not a ctc to be made on the way up here except for a couple of radar transmissions which we dodged by submerging and stopping. The weather is still dangerously nice!


Nov. 231550

At 1345 fired four torps at two fat targets, a medium cargo and an Empire-Type freighter. Both went down. Have since downloaded three torps from the deck. We were interrupted on the fourth because of an approaching radar-transmitting aircraft.



Rammstein0991 03-10-14 03:15 PM

=War Diary=
U-109 (IXB)
1st Flotilla
Kptlt. Egon Roth
Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Freitag, 3-08-1940
=3:32 PM=

Have just returned from patrolling NW/N of Ireland in grids AM51, AM52, and AM02. After a relatively short patrol (12 days total), have managed to sink 7 enemy ship with torpedoes and cannon fire for a grand total of 43,261 GRT.

The highlight of this patrol however (and the one for which my crew and I received medals from Adm. Doenitz himself was the sinking of the large passenger liner S.S. Highland Brigade.

We received word of a nearby convoy as we were patrolling in AM52, the report told of a Convoy to our west most likely making its way for the relative safety of the shallow waters and large number of patrolling Destroyers present in the so called "Irish Sea".

We immediately made our way west, but due to heavy storm weather we could not make visual contact with the convoy, however upon submerging under silent running to "put an ear to the ground" so to speak, my sonar operator (Warrant Officer Karl Creutz) whom wholly deserved the Iron cross 2C he received for his superb work on this patrol), immediately informed me he detected a large number of screws ahead of us just off the starboard bow (about 1-2 o'clock) and they were VERY close, so we altered course to intercept. I immediately raised my periscope and after a couple minutes I began to see ships appear out of the storm Identifying the first one I saw as a Destroyer I lowered my periscope and against what seems like long odds, he drifted harmlessly past our port side (his mistake). once I was sure he was behind me I ventured raising my periscope...and there she was.

Looming out of the fog off our port bow was the biggest ocean liner I had ever seen, right in the middle of a convoy was this enormous sea cow of a passenger liner, and she was just plodding along at 9 knots as unaware of us as could be. by a quick estimate I assumed she was around 400 meters away and approaching, and we had 6 fish hot and ready to go. Making a quick decision I ordered both rudders hard over to port and lined up our shot, once the bow was at the appropriate angle I ordered all 4 bow shots released and waited, what seems like moments later all 4 struck her, one just behind the foremost area of the bow, one beneath the bridge, one bettween the funnels and one just aft of the funnels.

Immediately I ordered a dive to 90 meters to try and avoid detection and once my sonar officer informed me the liner's engines had gone silent I ordered a slightly circular course to stay near the Liner incase further action against her was necessary. Perhaps god was on our side that day, or perhaps it was dumb luck I do not know, but somehow the hunting escorts (by now well aware of our presence amongst their "charges") did not detect us. Hours later the entirety of the convoy had apparantly passed by (according to sonar) so we came to periscope depth to have a look around, and lo and behold there was the liner, she was dead in the water bobbing uselessly like an oversized bath toy.

Since the forward torpedoes had yet to be reloaded (the boat spent the last few hours under silent running) only tubes V and VI in the stern were loaded. Knowing this I ordered U-109 to come around to the port side of the liner (where we had hit her before), and fired off tubes V and VI into her, they both struck her mid ships, and about 2 minutes later she finally rolled over and slipped under.

The rest of the Patrol was nothing special, par for the course really, attaining kills over a Small Merchant, 2 Coastal Merchants, a C2 Cargo, and two C3 Cargo vessels, before making our way safely north of Scotland and back to Wilhelmshaven yesterday, the 7th of March.

For now we shall rest and refit and go back to sea whenever BdU orders us back out, if we keep having such successful patrols I do not doubt that those "tommies" will be begging to surrender to our forces by next year, or the year after if they are stubborn.

~Hope that wasnt TOO long, but I've never gotten a 'liner before:arrgh!:~

scott_c2911 03-11-14 03:02 AM

september 1941 Patrol21
 
I am currently in command of U-123 a type IXB u boat. We set sail from the resupply vessel based at Cadiz called Thalia on 06/09/41. We had received heavy damage and 2 casualties on the last patrol from a surprise strafing. He came out of the sun!
Within hours of setting sail we met enemy shipping in CG94 and CG86 and I dispatched a Small Freighter and a Coastal Freighter. We were buzzed by aircraft regularly. The allies have definitely increased air cover to the point where I struggle to recharge the batteries fully. We were following the Gibraltar - Liverpool convoy route back to Lorient when we just happened across a convoy visually. I was in a rubbish position and the best shot I had was a 11800m steamer shot to a modern tanker. I fired three scoring one hit at the bow, (no congratulations please I use the automatic targeting). She was sunk within the hour. The Escorts didnt have a clue and never found me. Theres a secret operation being planned for the Type IXs called "drumbeat" and I have orders to return to Lorient asap. The americans may join in. I have returned to course. That s where Im at the moment in the game.

Aras 03-11-14 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scott_c2911 (Post 2184391)
Theres a secret operation being planned for the Type IXs called "drumbeat" and I have orders to return to Lorient asap. The americans may join in. I have returned to course. That s where Im at the moment in the game.

Have fun in the US Coast with the lonely tankers and happy hunting.

Leandros 03-11-14 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leandros (Post 2184169)
Patrol 2 - U-531 - IXC/40 - Leu z.S. Krause - Nov 171013 1943 - Bay of Biscay

Left Lorient early this morning for patrol area AN81. Well, this is on the other side of England so the choice is to go through the Channel or the long way around the British Isles. I have decided the last one. The Channel could be too much for my fresh crew even if the month in Lorient has been well spent with specialized training for most of it. I am not particularly happy with the assigned mission, going around we may well bump into som fat targets we can use our torps on. Has to concentrate on merchants now to build up some credit to have the boat improved upon. Love to have more homing torpedoes, too. This time we again only got one Falke.

Weather is nice, moderate sea and almost clear sky.

Hals und Beinbruch!

Nov. 222050

Position now in the sound between the Orkneys and Shetland Isles - submerged. Hope to find some unprotected merchants in this usually heavily trafficked sound. Not a ctc to be made on the way up here except for a couple of radar transmissions which we dodged by submerging and stopping. The weather is still dangerously nice!


Nov. 231550

At 1345 fired four torps at two fat targets, a medium cargo and an Empire-Type freighter. Both went down. Have since downloaded three torps from the deck. We were interrupted on the fourth because of an approaching radar-transmitting aircraft.



Patrol 2 - U-531 - IXC/40 - Leu z.S. Krause - Nov 270347 1943 - NE of The Rockalls

On our way back to Lorient now, still 5 torps left. The days between the Orkney and Shetland Isles were quite hectic, the score ended up with 6 merchants of various sizes (one by deck gun) and a whale factory ship of 12.000 tons. Two Hunt destroyers also crossed our sights, obviously looking for survivors. We are now NE of The Rockalls having just been informed of a large westbound convoy south of us. I have set up an intercepting course but we are constantly being disturbed by air patrols. If we catch up with it we need to be careful.

270900

The point escorts have just passed us with good margin. We are in the middle of the convoy's track.

In position:

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...psb807926b.jpg

271253

The attack on the convoy succeeded fairly well. We used four torpedoes, four hits. Two went down quickly, a large tanker and a large cargo. Started a dive to 160 meters immediately but an escort was immediately on us - seemingly a Flower corvette. However, it wasn't very agile. At one time I thought we had lost it but it acquired contact again. I decided to go to periscope depth and use the last aft torp on it. As it approached us from behind I released a bold at the same time turning hard to port while lowering the periscope. It veered off and when I had in in the sights again it was turning behind us, distance approx 450 meters. A TI on max. speed and magnetic fuze fixed the problem.

Two other escorts approached the area but never got contact with us. When they had left we surfaced and followed the convoy westwards to look for eventual stragglers. Oh, yes - a modern tanker was dead in the water far behind the convoy. No escorts in the vicinity. We are now continuing submerged to finish it off with the deck gun after dark. If it doesn't sink in the meantime.

Tanker dead in the water:

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...ps6871eb77.jpg



TabbyHunter 03-11-14 08:43 PM

New computer, new command, new paint job, new lease on life with the Grey Wolves. :arrgh!: TL;DR warning.

Assigned U-53, Patrol one was a standard shakedown cruise in the North Sea. Spent maybe 5 days at sea training the crew to dive, crash dive, surface, load, unload, gun loading, AA tactics on blimps (Okay,..I can imagine, right?)

Anyways, We are sent out to patrol the northen end of the Irish sea, and we arrive on station four days before war breaks out,...not that my crew officially knew anything, anyways. Sonar contact picks up a merchant ship. We surface and plot an intercept in the guise of needing a bearing back to Germany. It's a deep sea trawler and I notice he's almost too deep in the water. Ordering a boarding party, we find a number of Jueden on their way to...someplace. Half tempted to sink the trawler, I tell him to drop his...cargo off and not report my position, claiming I would personally find the captain if he did....

WAR! After a number of semi-confusing messages from BdU and others, we begin our official mission. With a bit of luck, we managed to sink a Large Merchant for ~10k tonnes. Fuel and no contacts demand we return home, though after we managed to sneak up o na destroyer and sink her.

Patrol 2.....Failed. A storm hid a tiny island west of Scotland and we ran aground...Limping home, we shore up for repairs and relaxation.......after I Answer to the Furher personally...

Patrol 3. After..insperation from the Leader to ensure that I take care of the boat in a much more responsible manner, we go around Scotland and slink into the Irish Sea, much more carefully this time. Bagging another large Merchant for another ~10k, my lookouts spot a search plane. Crash diving, we swiftly slink away from the area and head towards Liverpool.

Sonar contact on a convoy and I plot an intercept. In position, perhaps with an hour before daybreak, and underwater, I watch as the lead destroyer passes without picking me up. Good, all is well. Then he turns around and does a search pattern. Lowering the scope, I stop the screws and tell the men to be silent. Sonar tells me he has turned and I rish rasing the scope. He's moving away at speed...Perhaps a friendly U-boat? Or just weird British tactics,...Half an hour goes by...I start to make out the silouets of large merchants, tankers, and a battle...wait,..A battleship!? Can't be!...Lets get closer. Risking a brisk pace of 3.5 knots, I move into a more favorable position and raise the scope again. A triple check of the recognition book, as well as my Weapons Officer confirming, we spot a Nelson Class ship...Distinct but we wanted to know which one in particular.

Unable to tell, though Suspecting Nelson herself, I order a salvo of tubes one and four launched at a range of 1750 meters. Not risking a dude or defect with the magnetics, as I do not trust them yet, Impact pistols fire. Two hits for two. A swift scan shows no escorts approaching, and the Nelson has slowed down. Fearing she will not sink, I fire the remaining torpedoes from the fore tubes. Again two more impacts. Certain she is doomed, I flood the tanks and take us deep....or as deep as I can, 55 meters with another 12 below me. Silent running and turning away....PING!

PING! PING! Flank speed, rudder hard right! In the chaos, hwoever, Fritz also put a full dive on the planes. We bottom out in seconds, though avoid the ashcans. Ordering damage crews to ensure flooding, if any (none) is taken care of, I try something risky. Rasing to periscope depth, and after an annoyed slap on the head of Fritz, I slowly slink away from the British Hunter.

Ping...ping....ping...PING PING! Wait for it...wait, steady lads, helm hard left, depth 55 meters! Flank speed! Unfortunantly, the crap that the Brits dropped blasted my stern to hell, diesels damages, batteries damaged...but all functional. Damage repairs get the flooding under control. We bottom out as flooding in the aft crew room takes hold, though the men get ahead on that swift enough. Splashes! I hear In a hushed shout. Luckily, the British had the wrong depth or the wrong spot, as all missed, even if they rattled the cooks cutlery a bit.

As the damage team gets the electric engines fixed, and all flooding stopped and pumping, I wait for the next ashcan run. It's closer. Sliding to periscope depth, I order the stern tube, only remaining filled tube, at present, set to impact and a fast screw. It will be risky...With some clever manouvering I get the British behind me. Raising the scope, I open the rear tube and fire!....NO! It was too far ahead! He turns on me. Flank speed, rudder hard right, depth 55 meters! After perhaps three or four depthcharge runs, the rear tube is reloaded.

Periscope depth! Tube five, fast screw, impact pistol! Zero gyro, FIRE! At a range of 460 meters, the eel swims as fast as it's steam engine will go. My weapons oficer counts down Five, four, three, two, one, ze-boom..bwau-bvroooom!!!! I watch as the entire crew ducks as the warship's magazine explodes, taking the bow of the destroyer off from the rest.

Now, it's been an hour, maybe three, since the rest of the convoy took off...However, I decide not to surface just yet. Flank speed to 60 meters, course 000. Reducing speed to 2.5 knots, I order silent running and we do a swift circle. Two warships, based on screw sounds, and I return north. We avoid the second and third destroyer, miraculously...and return to port as swift as possible.

Upon return, the Furer himself, al lthe way from Berlin is awaiting me to present a medal to me. Now awaiting further orders.

GJO 03-16-14 11:19 AM

After my 15th Patrol and having done rather well with my VIIB U-46, when I returned to my home base at St Nazaire early in 1942, BDU wanted to retire me to a shore based appointment while my boat would be withdrawn from active duty to spend its remaining life training new crews in the Baltic. I didn't like this idea so I applied for a transfer to the 2nd Flotilla at Lorient! Now I have a Type IXB boat number U-105 and am most pleased to report that my loyal crew from U-48 have moved joined me along with a few new recruits.

U-105 is a much larger boat and can cruise economically at 9 Knots. We are also carrying a much bigger load out of torpedoes and have bigger guns than our old boat.

Our first orders are to cross the Atlantic and patrol the approaches to New York - I have heard that the American ships are much bigger than those of the British and that it is almost like a 'Turkey Shoot' over there because ships often cruise with their navigation lights on silhouetted against a coast where there is no blackout...

gazpode_l 03-26-14 01:50 PM

With more private "Me" Time on my hands I've once again started to play SH3 again.

Decided to Launch myself a totally fresh campaign and are starting out in March 1941. (Picked March as this is the month now, and 1941 because I had got to mid 1943 before now but didn't want to roll myself too far Back)

Commander's name: Bruno Kerstan
Ship/Boot Detail: U107, Type IXB, Based 2nd Flotilla, Lorient

Skipper's Log:-
BK: Due to brilliant results in training I've been given one of the shiny NEW IX type boats. I am to command U-107. We are due to sail on March 1st 1941. Weather looks good for departure, although I hear we've been assigned patrol Grid in the FF Sector. Forecast for that area is currently looking grim with Strong E'rly's predicted.

1/3/1941
Set sail as predicted. Full load of torpedoes, including a handful of the new black ones, which supposedly have a better warhead and improved magnetic fuses. We'll See. NAV predicts that we should arrive in our patrol grid in around Ten days.

8/3/1941.
Radio's been buzzing with activity. Big battles going on 1,000's of KM to the NE of us. Sad news also breaking from BDu, with reports saying that Prien hasn't made contact for days and is therefore presumed lost. :wah:

9/3/1941
Made our revenge on the british by taking down two passing freighter's we spotted close to the Canary Islands. A Quantity of Deck Gun shells were used and on the larger freighter, we gave it the C.D.G by using a torpedo, with the impact setting. Worked well! Following the delays due to the engagement's now predicted we'll reach our grid by 14/3/1941.

14/3/1941
We've now undertaken our patrol of the assigned grid and are now barreling back north again. Considerd a look into freetown, but decided against it when we heard distant hi-speed screws through the hydrophones which are clearly working! We are now looking at heading to the Bristol channel and Irish sea as we feel our fuel will be more than enough to patrol this area.

Messages from our sister ships show that both U105 & U106 have been busy! Good for them!
ENDS


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