Hit a mine
 

Oberl. z.S. Fritz Wittmann and all the crew of the U-14 is lost on 11.April.1940. in the North Sea,area AN55,probably lost to a mine.

After some bad luck,almost sunk by depth charges from a trawler on the first patrol,the things turn for the better and sunk HMS Liverpool (light cruiser) on 4th patrol.On the 6th (last) patrol,en route to the patrol area,around Helgoland saw the German fleet heading for Norway.What a beautiful sight,10 destroyers and two battleships going at high speed.Later when reached the patrol area the weather turn bad,heavy rain and fog.I decided to wait submerged in the deep waters outside Hartlepool,and there i get the death screen.First I had no idea what happened and stared the screen for minutes,when suddenly realized that it was probably a mine.I know that the east coast is heavily mined,but thought the mines are in the shallow water closer to the coast.Well,I was wrong!Opened the campaign file with the editor and there was what to see.All the time I was "dancing" on a mine field :nope:

It's time to start a new career.

P.S. It's the first time I lost a boat this way,but I'm not angry.I try to play as realistic as possible,and this was quite realistic.In RL many U-boat was lost to a mine.

To: BdU
From: U-128
January, 21, 1942

reached patrol grid DB99 X sunk a Liberty-Ship 8000 tons X weather heavy storm, rain, heavy fog X big tanker in sight, approximately 10.000 tons X lively ship traffic in both directions, single merchants X no defense, no planes, no escorts X

Position report from U-53.....

07Apr41
Grid BE95
4 days out of St Nazaire on 10th patrol enroute to assigned grid DT26

No enemy traffic encountered.

Weather- clear, no precip., light seas.

Heydemann

September 5th, 1939.

U-11 is returning to Kiel after patrolling AN-87. On September 3, around 22:00 hours, a C2 cargo was picked up on the hydrophones in grid AN-79. Despite bad weather, we were able to get into near-perfect position, 500 meters away. While plotting the shot, it was noticed that the ship was French. Paying heed to orders to avoid shooting French ships except in self-defense, the captain defended himself from the giant ship menacingly bearing down on his tiny coastal sub. Launched 2 torpedoes, one towards the bow, one towards the smokestack. The smokestack detonated, but the other failed to detonate. Quickly fired the third torpedo, which blew a hole in the number 1 cargo hold. Ship sunk in approximately 15 minutes.

Headed North, where because of the bad weather we nearly ran into a large merchant before noticing it. Amazingly, the merchant did not notice us 300 meters off their starboard side. Heading just out of visual range, we raced North to head off the ship and get into position. Getting into position, I began plotting a solution when I noticed that the crew hadn't bothered reloading the torpedoes in the 5 hours since we last launched. Telling them to get to work, I surfaced the ship and began running North again. Unfortunately, the Merchant spotted us and began weaving. After running North for 40 minutes, we submerged to take a hydrophone fix and get into position. Whereupon I noticed that the crew STILL hadn't gotten around to the torpedoes. After going forward and putting the fear of God into them, I surfaced again and ran North ahead of the merchant. This time, the worthless morons loaded the torpedoes, so I dived and got into position. Used a pair of steam-powered torpedoes from 450 meters, set for magnetic detonation under the keel. Despite the merchant's evasive maneuvers, I was able to put one torpedo under the forward cargo holds. The other one ran a hair too shallow and bounced off the hull. Ship sank in around 10 minutes, but had called in a destroyer. Managed to get away after about 30 minutes. Surfaced, and started heading home. Currently off the coast of the Netherlands.

U64 IXB. Patrol 8 completed.
 

Homeport: Lorient (2. Flotilla)
Patrol Dates: 17.JAN.42 - 3.APR.42

Proceeded southward along the african coast, thence westward into The Carribean Sea.

2 merchants sunk for 15.147 GRT.
Encounter much naval activity in the area north of Port Of Spain.
Operated submerged by day, and surfaced by night.

On 25.FEB42 in ED94 a destroyer responded to our attack on a T2 Tanker. Thereafter aircraft were seen through the observation scope.

On 26.FEB.42 we were forced to dive by a destroyer, who followed up with several DC attacks. Some minor damage was taken, and repairs were conducted.

On 3.MAR.42 during our return trip we were surprised on the the surface, at night, by aircraft. We took no damage, but a change in our routine became neccesary. (This is not a good thing). It was also decided to return to Lorient by a much more northerly route.

On 30.MAR.42 we encountered and came under attack by a lone destroyer. He inflicted damage during his attacks, including the destruction of our starboard diesel, and radio antenna. Upon surfacing, hours llater, in heavy fog, we discovered that we could recharge what little energy had been consumed by the batteries, but it took 4½ hours.
Full ahead for Lorient at 11 knots, hoping the weather would hold and protect us.
We were forced to dive one more time before reaching Lorient, but our destination was near.

Patrol Results: 2 tankers sunk for 15.147 GRT
Hull Integrity: 89%

U64 record to date:
8 war patrols (29.MAR.40 - 3.APR.42).
22 merchants sunk for 121.466 GRT.

121 466 GRT sounds like a lucky trip, or what it is only a euphoria
 

so there will be an evening with the crew, and free drinks,Great work!

121.466 GRT is the whole carreer's tonage to date. (2 years work in 8 patrols).
This patrol was just 15.147 GRT (2½ months).
Do we still get free drinks?

Everything has its price,
 

I'll put a good word for you and the crew, but the BDU expects one more then we discloses a IX boat to you, but a few bananas from Africa, we can arrange.

Already have my IXB.
I try to keep it historical, so my scores are coming out fairly historical.
If that stops happening, I'll have to add more to make it harder.
Bananas? Sounds like a good deal. Gladly accepted.

I havn't seen this thread in a while, guess I've been busy

Hilarious. Did you ever read The Caine Mutiny? It has a great passage about using the passive voice to deflect blame ... I was in the Navy and can vouch that it works (all too often).

Helmut Ferro, Kapitanleutnant
 

Kapitanleutnant Helmut Ferro

Career to date: 01 Aug 1939 - 14 Feb 1941, U-48, a VIIB with the 2nd Flotilla out of Wilhelmshaven and Lorient.

15 patrols, 354 days at sea (some post-refit patrols out of Las Palmas and Cadiz).
Merchant tonnage: 66 ships for 370K
Warships: 1 for 48K (HMS Hood)

Worst dry spell: Patrols 9 and 10, 29 days in all, 2 ships sunk for 4400 tons.
Best streak: Patrols 6-8, 57 days, 20 ships, 110,000 tons.
Patrol to remember: No. 15, 7 days, 9 ships, 40K tons, and blown nearly to pieces in clear weather by a lucky plane.

Latest bling: KC with golden oak leaves, swords and diamonds, though a closer look reveals the "diamonds" are just cubic zirconium.

Six officers sent on to their own U-boat commands.

Rules of thumb: We sink only merchants. We sink warships only when we must in self-defense or when the propaganda value makes it worthwhile. We never engage aircraft unless we cannot clear our decks.

74%/84% reality (I have not yet fully mastered full manual targeting, and I sometimes like the joy of the external camera (but never tactically)). Otherwise, I play as realistically as I can: no "xray vision lock," realistic torp spares loading, no on-the-fly "impact" to "magnetic" switches, no torpedo loading or handling in rough weather or under fire, etc. Dead is dead, and retired is retired.

GWX 3 and most of those included mods, SH3 Commander.

I am still alive.
The BdU is trying to get rid of me.
I have to reach patrol grid GR55 that is South Africa Cape of good hope.
I had a very curious contact : A Gato class submarine just when I have cleared Lorient. I sunk him with a G7a torpedo and called it in.
At this point I am sailing on the surface east of the Kanarie Islands with perfect weather. It is January 1943
No other contacts!
U - 126 will return
(U-126 IXC)

its in mid september 39 and im on my way to AM23 when my WO spotted an enemy task force just north of Shellandinseln, its a Revenge Class BB whit a 4 DD escort. :arrgh!:

Two great patrols saw two passenger ships winning a free first prize to the bottom of the sea. :D:D

May 1940, IXB U-Boat