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sublynx 05-29-11 04:53 PM

U-552, Patrol 2, outbound convoy
 
Leutnant z.s. Alfons Dietzmann
U-552, VIIC
11. Flotille, Bergen
Orders: Patrol AM21
6.1.1943
1417 AM23 clear, 8-9 km, 0 m/s.

To BdU:

Boat status.

Six internally stored torpedoes left. Two in external storage of which one is damaged and useless. I am now shadowing an outbound convoy for a second attack, about 20 freighters with 6 escorts close and a small task force guarding it from a distance. Course 297, speed 9 knots. Contact with the convoy lost, but I am trying to locate it again.

Patrol results.
2.1.1943 at 1900 hours a 500 BRT boat sunk by 88 mm and FlaK fire.
6.1.1943 at 0919 hours a 7000 BRT Liberty freighter sunk by two torpedoes.
6.1.1943 at 0932 hours an unknown freighter possibly sunk.

Enemy sightings.


2.1.1943
2128 AM21 airplane 71 degrees relative. Dived.

3.1.1943
1408 AM21 airplane. Dived.

6.1.1943
0741 AM23 a large outbound convoy.
1122 AM23 small taskforce.
1131 AM23 Metox warning. Erroneously thought as coming from the task force.
1132 AM23 airplane. Crash dived. Two explosions shook the boat and knocked shook stuff off shelves, but no damage the boat.
1301 AM23 Metox warning. Dived. No contacts.
1335 AM23 airplane. Crash dived. Three depth charge explosions shook the boat, the 3rd one violently, but no damage caused.

Situation assessment.
Intercepting the convoy was done at night, speed AK to utilize airplane-free night time to the fullest. The enemy seems to be covering the convoy with airplanes and a small task force of probably one destroyer and a capital ship. Moving on the surface at daytime is becoming very difficult because of the air patrols. Torpedo loading from external storage might be possible during night time, but not at daytime because of the constant risk of getting attacked from air.

Dietzmann

Gerald 05-29-11 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VONHARRIS (Post 1671792)
Patrol No7
03 June 1940
After repairs were completed , U-65 was refeuled and rearmed ready for action.
Following BdU instructions my IWO remained on the SS Belchen to meet with
U-552 to be transfered to Bergen. My IIWO replaced him and we got another officer also. U-39 is still in port
20:10 hours U-65 left the company of the SS Belchen (The crew will miss the dinners on that ship) with orders to patrol AL22

08 June 1940
Grid AK27 Convoy attack in fine weather , calm seas no winds
4 bow tubes fired and U-65 started turning to bring the aft tubes in action
04:14 hours A large troop ship(24000grt) was hit by two bow torpedoes and sunk
The whole convoy slowed down to 2Kts with the ships going into complete disarray going into every possible direction and the escorts didn't know what to do , a total mess
U-65 dived to 100m and reloaded
When we came to periscope depth the situation was the same
All six tubes fired into the convoy again
06:09 hours Passenger/cargo sunk by 2 bow torpedoes (they were aimed at a fast passenger ship)
06:38 hours A tanker 06 was sunk by 1 stern shot after she was already hit by a bow torpedo in the first attack
U-65 dived again at 100m and reloaded the 2 bow tubes
Again we came at persiscope depth and fired both tubes each a tanker. Although both torpedoes exploded no other ship was sunk.
U-65 dived at 150m and left the area undetected.
This has never happened before. It was a very strange incident.

20 June 1940
Grid AN26
20:09 hours U-65 crash dived to avoid enemy aircraft

21 June 1940
Grid AN14
23:28 hours A coastal freighter was sunk by 1 bow torpedo. She was escorted by a motor torpedo boat

22 June 1940
Grid AN14
U-65 was still submerged when heavy screws were heard at bearing 165. U-65 turned her bow at the contact and three different warships were heard coming our way.
Up scope: A Dido class CL an aux cruiser and an armed merchant cruiser with no escorts. Their speed was estimated to 15 kts
All 4 bow tubes were readied and fired: 1 at the Dido 2 at the AMC and 1 at the aux cruiser.
A lookout on the CL spotted the incoming torpedo and the cruisers started evasive actions.
The Dido was hit aft but no damage was done as she continued on. The fishes aimed at the AMC either missed or were duds but the one that hit the aux cruiser left her dead in the water.
By that time U-65 presented her stern to the aux cruiser and fired both aft torpedoes.
02:31 hours Auxiliary cruiser sunk by 1 bow + 2 stern torpedoes
U-65 left undetected as the other two ships left the area

07:03 hours U-65 crash dived to avoid enemy ASW group of 4 DDs

24 June 1940
09:48 hours
U-65 entered the port of Wilhelmshaven
22 days at sea
5 ships sunk
50574 tons
No damages or casualties

Good work, :up:

VONHARRIS 05-29-11 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vendor (Post 1673227)
Good work, :up:

Thank you.
This was the last patrol for U-65
She was lost with all hands in the next one.

Gerald 05-30-11 05:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VONHARRIS (Post 1673310)
Thank you.
This was the last patrol for U-65
She was lost with all hands in the next one.

Better luck next time, :salute:

BossMark 05-30-11 07:18 AM

Just about to start a fresh campaign after nearly 2 years without playing this marvellous sub sim

Gerald 05-30-11 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BossMark (Post 1673477)
Just about to start a fresh campaign after nearly 2 years without playing this marvellous sub sim

Good luck on the voyage Captain, :salute:

VONHARRIS 05-30-11 07:34 AM

U-103 IXB
 
01 December 1939
11:53 hours U-103 under Kaleun vonHarris set off Wilhelmshaven to join the Fatherland's war efford.
Orders were to patrol grid BE94

06 December 1939
Grid AN13
00:25 hours Coastal freighter sunk by 9 105mm rounds

09 December 1939
GridAM57
09:47 hours Passenger cargo sunk by 8 108mm rounds

11 December 1939
Grid BE62
08:10 hours Tanker 07 sunk by 35 105mm rounds. The tanker was empty as no explosions were seen

25 December 1939 Christmas day
Convoy attack
Grid AM51
The weather was nice , no winds and calm seas
4 bow + 2 stern torpedoes fired from within the convoy columns
22:58 hours Southampton class CL sunk by 2 bow torpedoes
22:59 hours Granville type freighter sunk by 1 bow torpedo
23:02 hours Q-ship sunk by 1 stern torpedo
U-103 came under DC attack while diving to 160m. The charges fell and exploded at 30m while U-103 was at 35m.
The boat was hit at the conning tower and flooding took place in the Zentrale and the aft compartments.
Fortunately , the flooding was stopped and U-103 silently dived to 160m. DCs continued to fell but they were set to explode shallower so no more damage was done.
After 6 hours (game time) U-103 started rising as no contacts were heard anymore. It was discovered that both scopes were destroyed. When the boat surfaced more damages appeared : radio antenna out , 2cm flak gun destroyed.
vonHarris decided to finish this patrol and head for home. U-103 was blind when submerged.

29 December 1939
Grid AN45
03:43 hours On the way home we stumbled across a large merchant flying Polish colors. 3 bow torpedoes and 16 105mm rounds were enough to sink her.

30 December 1939
13:25 hours
U-103 docked at home port
8 ships sunk
42208 tons
98% hull integrity

We have learned that Kaleun Snestorm in U-39 is not having so much trouble with his torpedoes anymore
U-552 is still fighting it out in the frozen waters of the North Atlantic.
Gute Jagd Herr Kaluens

Osmium Steele 05-30-11 08:19 AM

Excerpts from the War Diary of Wilhelm Oster - U126, 2nd Flotilla

20.1.42 My pride in these men cannot be overstated. Their esprit lifts my soul every day. All the hard work and training has finally paid off.

Assigned to patrol the waters off New York, by the time we left the Halifax area, we had amassed 56,000 tons of shipping, including three tankers, and two troop ships, one a converted Ceramic ocean liner.

With only two T1s forward and two aft, we could have returned to Lorient to a heroes welcome. No one could have blamed us.

The men made their wishes clear. Onward! Beat the Drum!

We sank our first US flagged ship in CB17, a great lakes freighter. Halifax radio stations mentioned a few hours later the SS Norfolk had not checked in...

This morning, at 0326, we reached our patrol grid CA55. A bit later sonar reports a warship contact, then a merchant, and another, and another...

We have three torpedoes, two fore and one aft, and 78 rounds for the deck gun.

The convoy consists of a tramp steamer, ore carrier, and SIX tankers!!! Escorted by a lone Somers class DD!!

The first fish took out the escort, the second a front line tanker. We surfaced and, much to our surprise started taking fire!!

As we moved away to minimize aspect and open range, we fired the aft fish and hit the ore carrier..

Circling the convoy, we continued to pepper the enemy until we ran out of ammunition for the deck gun. Only the steamer, a Nipiwan tanker and medium tanker, the SS Svenor, remained.

We opened fire on the medium tanker, the SS Svenor, with the twin barrelled 20cm flak cannons, and much to our collective surprise, we damaged her. We witnessed multiple fires, so we poured it on, though finding the range was tricky. She exploded at 0727. Not a single torpedo had been fired at this ship!

Five tankers and one ore carrier later, we turned for home.

Totals 16 ships - 102,294 tons

1 warship
2 troop ships
8 tankers
5 cargo ships

I should probably note, that we cannot submerge below periscope depth without taking on water beyond the capacity of our pumps. Our hull looks like swiss cheese.

Getting home should be... ... interesting. BdU has agreed to buy the first round!

<9.45% H.I. as it later turns out :arrgh!:>

Fish In The Water 05-30-11 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Osmium Steele (Post 1673514)
Our hull looks like swiss cheese.

Getting home should be... ... interesting. BdU has agreed to buy the first round!

So they say now, but just wait 'til they see what you did to their sub... :03:

Osmium Steele 05-30-11 12:30 PM

Here's a tip.

If it is raining heavily and visibility is below 700m, check your ever-lovin' baffles regularly or you might miss that 12000 ton Ceramic liner approaching from dead astern at 18 knots!

It passed close enough, 1500 meters, that my sonarman heard it while we were on the surface! I didn't even think that was possible! I just had time to ID it as it sped away. Oh I wish someone would invent an acoustic homing torpedo...

Sometimes I think those of you who run around at TC1 all the time have the right idea.

The Dean 05-30-11 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Osmium Steele (Post 1673514)

Totals 16 ships - 102,294 tons

1 warship
2 troop ships
8 tankers
5 cargo ships

I should probably note, that we cannot submerge below periscope depth without taking on water beyond the capacity of our pumps. Our hull looks like swiss cheese.

Getting home should be... ... interesting. BdU has agreed to buy the first round!

<9.45% H.I. as it later turns out :arrgh!:>

Sounds like a party off the East coast. A fun patrol to read - and nice haul! :salute:

Luno 05-30-11 11:12 PM

After a pretty lousy first campaign, I've started again. This time I'll write reports :yeah:

Now I'm playing as Lt.Jr. Roland Thorstein. My boat is U-13, a type II A of U-flotilla Weddigen at Wilhelmshaven.

Sept 3, 1939
Wilhelmshaven
17:53 - In port and ready to set sail. The weather is good and the friends and family of the crew are cheering us on. The war just began and anticipation is high, but spirits are good.

Sept 5
AN-38
3:37 - The watch has spotted a coastal merchant. After approaching closer, we conclude that the vessel is German, heading to Wilhelmshaven, and we continue on our way.

5:00 - The weather turns dismal. Skies are overcast and winds are high, whipping up the sea. The rain is pouring and the fog is so thick it's hard to see the bow.

AN-37
16:15 - We received a contact report of a Norwegian vessel close by. After plotting and following the intercept course, we dove to 20 meters to listen in (the fog was still very dense). To our surprise, the SO heard a second contact very close by. I gave the order to give chase to the yet unidentified contact. The odds were that it would be another Norwegian ship, but the British do use these lanes. We surfaced to intercept. At the rendezvous point we saw nothing, owing in part to the fog. We dove again to listen. This procedure had to be repeated a few times, but we knew we were close.

21:00 - We got so close that we could hear the ship pass overhead. I ordered the ship to periscope depth and took a look. There it was, a merchant, dead ahead, maybe a kilometer... I decided to check the range, and was shocked to see 200 meters :o As it turns out, I forgot to zoom in - now the stern took up the whole field of view! At this point, we could easily make out the Norwegian flag, and let the merchant go. It quickly disappeared into the fog, becoming invisible by 500 meters. I began to realize that spotting targets in this weather would be impossible. Somewhat dejected, we press on.

Sept 6
22:00 - The fog has cleared and the waves have subsided. Thank heavens!

Sept 7
AN47
13:15 - We have reached the assigned patrol grid. The water is as smooth as glass.

Sept 8
13:00 - The watch spotted two Hurricanes which passed overhead. I ordered a quick dive, and asked the NO to check the depth under keel. Thankfully, we had a fair amount of space. When the hatch closed I could see them coming around to make another pass. We heard two rounds of depth charges, none close enough to do damage. This is a wake-up call. Time to be more vigilant now that we're just off the English coast.

18:20 - Surfaced from the last attack. We were moving underwater closer to the coast in hopes of snagging a merchant in/out bound to Firth of Forth. Now that it's dark, we continue on our way on the surface.

Sept 9
AN-01
8:58 - Another Hurricane. We were much faster to react this time, and we were out of sight before it dropped its DCs. We were not hit.

10:00 - The SO reported a warship. The airplane must have relayed our last position to it. I decided to investigate

10:40 - I spotted the warship by periscope. It was a 2D-River Escort, chugging along at a relatively slow speed. It seemed like an easy target and would alleviate some headache if I could get rid of it now. I fired off one eel, and immediately dove. Taking a listen through the headphones, I could hear the engines suddenly rev up. Darn! I had forgotten about the visible wake. Now it was on to us, followed the wake to our position, and started pinging. I ordered a dive to 60 meters and when the pinging stopped, ordered flank speed. We narrowly escaped the DCs which badly rocked the sub. Thankfully only minor damage was sustained in the aft quarters.

We made a hard 90 degree turn and then ran silent. The DD continued to drop charges, which was nerve wracking for the crew, but we received no hits.

Then the SO reported another warship, fast approaching. Were they going to send the whole navy?! Both ships began to circle and drop DCs all over the place. I did not hear any more pinging however.

Suddenly, though, the boat lurched, and damage was reported in several compartments. Despite maintaining depth at 60 meters we hit something on the seabed. I should have pinged for the bottom - the damage was repaired in minutes, but could have been much worse.

When I was satisfied that the DDs were far enough away and were no longer circling to find us, I ordered periscope depth to observe. We found one off our bow, 5km away, moving away.

14:45 - by now no more sounds were heard, and I ordered the boat surfaced. My crew, and myself, were shaken by the experience, and became fairly fatigued. Several stubbornly wanted to stay at their posts, but I ordered them to get rest. We would need everyone on their toes.

Note to self - before attacking a warship, be sure to fire electric torpedoes only. Despite having 4 torpedoes, we had close to 50% fuel remaining, and made the decision to return to port.

:salute:

sublynx 05-31-11 01:52 AM

U-552, patrol 2, second convoy attack
 
Leutnant. z.s. Alfons Dietzmann
U-552, VIIC
11. Flotille, Bergen
Orders: Patrol AM21

To BdU:

7.1.1943
0415 AM14 clear, 8-9 km, 0 m/s

Shadowing convoy, reloading after our second attack. Four torpedoes left. Course estimated as 230 - 250 degrees, 9 knots. An escort carrier or a carrier is very probably at a distance of 100 – 150 kilometers from the convoy. 5 columns of 3-4 merchants line astern. Six escorts around the convoy, Black Swans and Flowers identified. A 5000 BRT freighter very probably sunk.

Metox warnings all the time during 6.1.1943.
1602 one engined airplane seen on observation periscope
1630 two one-engined airplanes seen on observation periscope
1701 one one-engined airplane seen on observation periscope
2003 three one-engined airplanes. Crash dived. An explosion heard after crash diving.

After our attack a convoy escort was able to sound locate us in spite of us being at a depth of A+70 and the escort being at a relative bearing of 180 degrees. It seemed that changing course helps in losing Asdic contact but a change in depth seemed to be even more helpful. At A+60 while turning away from the pinging, the enemy lost contact. Speed mostly 2 knots, 100 RPM, only occasionally slowed down to 1 knot, 70 RPM. Depth charges dropped in sets of six DC’s at a time, launched in pairs. Explosions at an approximate depth of 120 - 150 meters. The four Bold's we launched seemed to be helpful, but not as helpful as in our previous battles.

DvdW 05-31-11 03:14 AM

11th patrol with my U-252 (VIIC/42)
3 jan. 1943
Patrolgrid: BE82

Score:
2x Coastel Merchant
1x Bogue Escort Carrier (escorted by 4 destroyers, note: never ever do that again....)
1x C Class Destroyer
1x Liberty Cargo
1x T3 Tanker
1x C2 Cargo
1x Evarts Destroyer Escort

Snestorm 05-31-11 08:24 AM

U39 IX(A). Patrols 4.
 
Well, the first Patrol 4 was moving along well.
3 ships sunk for 15.236 GRT.
4 of 12 torpedoes remaining.
Had to get some sleep between convoy attacks.
Paused the game, and layed down.
Evidently, there was a brief power outage.
So much for that Patrol 4.
No saves. Back to Willy for another go. "Oh well."

Current Patrol 4:

18.maj.40
AN98
2047: Underway from Willy, for CF98.

2256: "Ship spotted." Destroyer!
Man the rails! Attention to starboard!

23.maj.40
0900: Radio message: All torpedoes to have magnetic pistols removed, and fired at a depth setting of 3 meters.
As happy as this makes me, the leading Torpedoman reports that he can not remove the magnetic pistols of the 2 external stern tubes. Life goes on.

3.jun.40
BE59
0039: Radio dispatch. "Convoy. BE83. NNE. 6 knots."

BE67
0341: Radio dispatch. "Convoy. BE91. NNE. 6 knots."

BE91
0417: In contact with convoy (Escort sighted).
Weather: Clear sky. Dead calm sea.
Submarge for appraisal and/or attack.
Conditions are ripe for the 2 stern torpedoes.

0458: Convoys course reckoned at 022. Speed remains 6 knots.
Fire 5 & 6 at C2 Cargo. New depth 99 meters.
Fan shot. 2 degree spread. Depth 3 meters. Magnetic pistols remain.

0500: Passing 20 meters. Impact! Impact! Escort nearby. VCS.
0509: Ping.
0514: DC! Damage & Flooding.
0519: DC! U39 has dropped, involuntarily, to 132 meters.
0522: Aft Berthing, and Aft Torpedo Station (No Aft Torpedo Compartment on IX(A)s) repaired & dewatered.
0525: New depth 151 meters.
0526 & 0532: DC!
0539: New Course 157.
0625: Sunrise (per Quartermaster).

BE67
0635: Surface and commence external repairs.
0730: Sound check on paralell course to convoy's.
Convoy sound located at 310 R. Surface.
0745: U39 making good 18 knots!
0818: New course 352.
0838: Submerge for attack.
(Out a bit far, but too late now.)
0946: Fire 1, 2, 4. at the same C2 Cargo as in attack 1.
0952: Miss. (Target was too far for the G7Es).
(Firing my only bow G7A would have been much wiser!!!)
Un-noticed, and undetected.

1109: Surface.
1159: "We've been detected, sir." B A N G !
Dive! "We have hull damage, sir!"
(New depth 150 meters, changed to 100 meters.)
The upper bridge took a hit, causing cracks at the base of the conning tower.
Escort did drop DCs, but did not gain ASDIC cotact with us.

BE91
2000: CE says the boat is unsafe beyond 100 meters.
Attack abandoned. Patrol continues. 7 of 12 torpedoes remaining.


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