U-331, Patrol 4, the 14th of January, 1942
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About to peek into Lorient estuary. No, I'm not going home: it's dec. 1939 and France is still fighting against us. SH3 Gen sent me there in a reconnaissance mission. What's worse, I have orders NOT to attack anything...
Gute Jagd HB |
U-331, patrol 4, the 16th of January, 1942
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U-331 sunk January 1942
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U-29, the 12th of September, 1939
U-29, VIIB 2. Flottilla, Wilhelmshaven Lt Willy Schröter Orders: Patrol grid BE35 Departure: 25.9.1941 Wilhelmshaven 3.9.1939 1147 BF1636 SO 9 m/s, cloudy, sea 5, medium visibility. Two torpedoboats course east speed fast. 1315 BF1634 An 11000 GRT merchant course 25 speed 9 sunk. A submerged shot from 1000 meters, MZ 10 meters. Shot when the aob was still stb 45 in order to give the magnetic pistol more time to react. There was no visible impact on the ship, so another torpedo was launched with an AZ pistol setting. This torpedo missed because the ship had slowed down from the first hit. Finished the ship with deck gun fire. Six G7e and four G7a torpedoes left inside the boat, 2 G7a's in outside storage. Fuel 81 tonnes. 3.9.1939 2104 BF1648 SO 9 m/s, cloudy, sea 5, medium visibility. New orders received. Patrol grid BE35. 4.9.1939 1120 BF1499 S 9 m/s, cloudy, sea 5, low visibility. Contact report received. A single merchant course ONO medium speed at grid BF1491. 1248 BF1467 A 4500 GRT tanker course course 30 speed medium sunk with gun fire. 1645 BF1491 A 5500 GRT merchant and a 12000 GRT tanker sunk course 85 speed 10 knots. A perpendicular submerged shot, MZ 10 meters and MZ 11 meters. No hits. One AZ 3 meters hit. Ships sunk by deck gun fire. Starboard diesel damaged by high revolutions per minute. Repairing. Loading torpedoes. Four G7e and three G7a torpedoes inside the boat. Two G7a outside. Fuel 79 tonnes. 2145 BF1457 Starboard diesel engine repaired. 5.9.1939 0330 BE3669 Contact report received. A single merchant course O slow speed at grid BE3663. Intercepting, course 316 speed 14 knots. 0427 BE3668 A 1900 GRT merchant course 275 speed 7 knots sunk by deck gun fire. 1730 BE3596 WSW 5 m/s, clear, sea 4, medium visibility. An American 12000 GRT tanker inspected. No contraband. 8.9.1939 0148 BE3517 S 11 m/s, clear, sea 6, good visibility. Contact report received. A single merchant course O slow speed at grid BE3573. Intercepting, course 115 speed 15 knots. 0530 BE3555 S 12 m/s, very cloudy, sea 7, poor visibility. A 1800 GRT merchant course 82 speed 7 knots sunk with a G7e torpedo AZ 3 meters perpendicular shot. Finished with deck gun fire. 12.9.1939 1736 BE3655 wind Ost 15 m/s, clear, sea 7, medium visibility One G7e AZ 4 meters launched at a 1800 GRT merchant course 88 speed 6. Perpendicular shot from 650 meters. The torpedo exploded on the surface nowhere near the target. Moderate waves might have had an effect. Four G7a's and 2 G7e's left. Fuel 63 tonnes. Provisions low. Started return trip to port via Orkneys and Shetlands. Schröter |
U-29, the 29th of September, 1939
http://i49.tinypic.com/163tpy.jpg
http://i49.tinypic.com/2nt8u3k.jpg S/S Akinity's first and last searchlight |
U-29, the 5th of November, 1939
I had a most fun and interesting mission while following the minelaying orders given to the actual U-29 in October 1939. I decided to show you the whole war diary I kept during the patrol. It's a really long one and does not really convey the suspense in simulating a mine laying operation in Bristol Channel. Do try that yourself! :arrgh!:
http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/8339/ktbu29.jpg Uploaded with ImageShack.us |
U-49 type VIIB
Year 1940 Patrol 4 Head to patrol grid nothig much of intrest happens. Recive report of congvoy head to intercept. find the congvoy and imobilize a empire freighter. avoid escorts no damage.. about 1 hour later i surface and perpare to deck gun the ship. i realize that the congvoy is still neer and dive to use a stern tube. While im reloading i use the time compression and see it drop to 8. Raise scope and see destroyer heading right twards me..crash dive. about 1 hour later they are still after me and i dive deeper........ the lights break and my men are screeming like crazy. Blow ballast-then U-boat destroyed by pressure:/\\!!:/\\!! Im playing 100% DID unless killed by time compression....should i reload or start over? just want a 2nd opinion :yeah: |
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I say start over. You should have rose to periscope depth and taken a look around, and listened on your hydrophones before you surfaced. Okay, I can give you the hydrophone glitch, that's not your job. It is your job as commander to take a peek through the periscope to make sure the coast is clear.
Of course you may have done that and not seen anything, which in that case you can put it down to bad luck. But, speaking for myself, I would probably start over. :) |
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regards |
Note: Playing GWX gold with about 50% realism.
Nov 27, 1939 My patrol was so far mostly uneventful, I sunk a coastal frighter and was in the North Atlantic chasing a report of a slow convey heading North East, when I encounter a convoy heading SSE, It was night time and the seas where lumpy. First the tribal class escort, then I see some rich tankers. I am starting to grin, when suddenly the HMS Rondey comes into view. Why the British put such a ship in a dreadfully slow convoy is questionable, but I did not look a gift horse in the mouth. I was in front of the Convoy, so I went to Scope depth and waiting for the Rondey to come into range and at a good angle. when the Rodney was 2900 Meters away, the Tribal sunddly charges, I know I am detected, and curse my luck. The angle is bad, but I have little choice. When the Tribal is 1000 meters away, I fire one torp at her, and three at the rodney, and let my stern tube fire at a tanker, then crash dive. somehow with the bad angle two of the rodney shots hit the battleship. I am expecting one heck of a depth charging. But the three escorts are looking at the wrong way, as I slowly drift 100 meters under the convoy. The escorts stop depth charging and go back to their stations as I am still under the convoy. With silent running, I risk going to scope depth. I look. And the Rodney is going at 2knots as a stern, but only 900 meters away. I take off silent running, and put a officer, warrant officers, and torp men to reload. I also swing the boat around to face the damaged Rodney. As each Torp loads, I open the Doors and fire. setting the steam torps to go slowly. My men where the real heros, and many of these men won Iron Crosses for their actions. The Escorts where looking beside the Rodney, while I was able to put four torpedo (3 hit, one dud, what i get for trying to use a non contact pistol in 1939) into the stern of the Battleship. Then I saw that the escort for the rear was racing to my location. Seeing that the boat had not sunk yet, I went to flank speed, flipping my rear to the Rodney. Rudder amid ships, Fired a last steam torpedo, and crash dived. That torpedo did hit. At 100 meters the depth charges fell, but only one was remotely close, and at dawn they gave up, and went on. And I went to scope depth to see the HMS Rodney slowly slip stern first into the cold waters of the Atlantic. Abandoned by its escorts. After these volleys, I surfaced the boat, unloaded the deep storage torpedoes, and had three torpedoes left (2 front, one stern.) I circled around the Convoy and at dust that day, was able to slip by the front escort, (almost got run over by a small freighter) and fired two fronts at a Mid Tanker, and the rear at a mid Freighter. then once again dived to my 100 meters and all hit, the tanker going down in time, the merchant having stories to tell his grand kids. This is my 4th ever battleship while playing SH3-GWX. (Got the HMS Ramillies in a task force attack with very long steam torp attack, and two "less legit" sinkings, one was sneaking into harbor and sinking the hood, and 2ndly Sinking a battleship in the scripted Operation Weserübung events.) |
U-29 patrol 4 6th of December 1939
U-29, VIIB
2. Flottilla Wilhelmshaven Ob.lt.z.s. Willy Schröter Patrol results six merchants for 21800 GRT. Three airplanes evaded in grid AN52. http://i45.tinypic.com/2lvy005.jpg Sinkings marked. Contact reports drawn with a line. |
This looks a bit archaic, but it's all I can find as far as a Patrol Log that I can copy/paste in a reply. I tried taking a screenshot of the Captains Log screen but it doesn't work. Seems like I can only take shots "on patrol".
Patrol for U-46, May 1940: [Log Entry 0] Type=0 EntryText=Patrol 13|U-46, 2nd Flotilla|Left at: May 6, 1940, 07:42|From: Wilhelmshaven|Mission Orders: Patrol grid AE95 Date=19400506 Time=742 Categ=0 [Log Entry 1] Type=0 EntryText=Ship sunk!|Grid AN 16|DD V&W-Class, 1188 GRT/ts <--sunk in Scapa Flow undetected :-) EntryTitle=May 9, 1940, 02:52 Date=19400509 Time=252 Categ=0 [Log Entry 2] Type=0 EntryText=Ship sunk!|Grid AM 18|Converted Whale Factory, 5584 GRT/ts EntryTitle=May 12, 1940, 21:59 Date=19400512 Time=2159 Categ=0 *****************HI-LITE OF THIS PATROL***************** Sunk near Rockall Bank: [Log Entry 3] Type=0 EntryText=Ship sunk!|Grid AM 27|T3 Tanker, 19043 GRT/ts (!!!!!!) :-D EntryTitle=May 13, 1940, 03:24 Date=19400513 Time=324 Categ=0 ************************************************** *** [Log Entry 4] Type=0 EntryText=Patrol results|Crew losses: 0|Ships sunk: 3|Aircraft destroyed: 0|Patrol tonage: 25815 GRT/ts Date=19400518 Time=637 Categ=0 I was proud to pin the Iron Cross Second Class medal to my Navigation Officer, whose timely and accurate depth readings in the shallow and dangerous waters of Scapa Flow allowed us to enter and leave undetected. |
U-29 patrol 5
I decided to keep a detailed war diary amidst my last patrol. It was interesting to keep, but mostly dull to read. :dead: Anyways here it is
U-29, VII 2. Flottilla, Wilhelmshaven Ob.lt.z.s. Willy Schröter Departure: 26.12.1939, Wilhelmshaven Matrosenhauptgefreiter Werner Rogowsky transferred to another U-boat Matrosengefreiter Walter Bolz transferred in Leutnant z.s. Reinhard Beyer got an order to participate to the U-boat commander's training course. Oberfähnrich z.s. Henning Vowe in. 26.12.1939 0859 Wilhelmshaven Leaving towards grid AL38. 27.12.1939 2213 AN3189 NW 15 m/s cloudy sea 7 visibility reduced A Norwegian 100 GRT trawler 28.12.1939 0930 AN2866 A Large merchant course estimation 130 0933 110, 6 knots 0951 A German 8000 GRT merchant 1930 AF7583 Dived to pd to avoid a British destroyer medium range. Two other possible warship contacts in the hydrophone 6.1.1940 0536 West of Rockall Bank AL0331 E 1 m/s partially cloudy sea 1 visibility unlimited A 5100 GRT merchant sunk. 10 G7e and 2 G7a eels left. Fuel 74 tonnes. 13.1.1940 2116 West of Rockall Bank AL3859 S 9, sea 7, 10/10, vis. bad Submerged to listen in bad visibility and to rest the crew 14.1.1940 0106 West of Rockall Bank AL3859 S 9, sea 7, 10/10, vis. bad, rain Surfaced to air the boat and recharge batteries 0317 AL3864 Submerged to listen in bad visibility and to rest the crew 0711 AL3865 Surfaced to air the boat and recharge batteries 1341 AL3866 Submerged to listen in bad visibility and to rest the crew 1819 AL3869 Surfaced to air the boat and recharge batteries 2052 AL3893 Submerged to listen in bad visibility and to rest the crew 15.1.1940 0042 West of Rockall Bank AL3892 Surfaced to air the boat and recharge batteries 0305 AL3891 Submerged to listen in bad visibility and to rest the crew 0922 AL3883 S 9, sea 6, 2/10, vis. medium Surfaced. The rain has stopped. 1200 AL3883 ESE 4, sea 3, 2/10, vis. medium Radio message. Danzig's port is now operable. 1600 AL3882 ESE 4, sea 3, 2/10, vis. medium 1752 Radio message. Liebe's U-38 ordered to return home. 2000 AL3881 ESE 4, sea 2, 2/10, vis. medium 16.1.1940 0000 West of Rockall Bank AL3872 ESE 4, sea 2, 2/10, vis. medium 0400 AL3871 ESE 4, sea 2, 2/10, vis. medium 0800 AL3874 ESE 4, sea 3, 2/10, vis. medium 0845 Test dive 1054 AL3875 Sunrise 1200 AL3876 ESE 4, sea 3, 2/10, vis. medium 1600 AL3884 ESE 4, sea 3, 2/10, vis. medium 1612 Radio message. Mathes is returning home. 1731 Sunset 2000 AL3885 ESE 4, sea 3, 2/10, vis. medium 17.1.1940 0000 West of Rockall Bank AL3894 ESE 4, sea 3, 2/10, vis. medium 0400 AL3895 ESE 4, sea 2, 2/10, vis. medium 0800 AL3896 ESE 4, sea 2, 2/10, vis. medium 1044 Sunrise. Test dive. 1200 AL3899 ESE 4, sea 2, 2/10, vis. medium Day's run: ***8593; 100.4 nm ***8595; 2.7 nm, combined 103.1 nm 1600 AL3897 ESE 4, sea 3, 2/10, vis. medium 1728 Sunset 2000 AL3879 ESE 4, sea 3, 2/10, vis. medium 18.1.1940 0000 West of Rockall Bank AL3878 ESE 4, sea 3, 2/10, vis. medium Dived for listening during the night time low visibility 0356 AL3877 SWS 2, sea 2, 2/10, vis. medium Surfaced for air and battery charging 0503 Dived for listening during the night time low visibility 0800 AL3869 SWS 2, sea 2, 2/10, vis. medium Surfaced 0832 Radio message. A contact grid AL0317. Course west speed medium. Intercept 15 knots course 185. Expected sighting 0952 0941 AL0314 Dived for listening. Contact 10 R. Merchant. 0944 Surfaced, new course 210 T speed GF 0946 A ship sighted 344 R, estimated AOB stb 90, course 284 T. Turning parallel. Speed HF. 1000 New course 260. 1003 New course 250. 1008 Speed estimation 7 knots 1021 Plot estimate speed 11 knots course 269 1031 Speed estimate 10 knots 1035 Course estimate 285 1041 Speed estimation 11 knots. Sunrise. 1051 12 knots course 275 estimate 1117 New course estimation 235 1123 Turning towards enemy. Depth 6, speed LF 1128 pd 1130 fixed wire 31 seconds, range 30 mil with x6 zoom, 3000 meters, aob stb 15 1138 Tube 5 G7e AZ 3 meters, range 1000 meters, speed 11, aob stb 69, gyro angle 0, bearing 160 1140 Miss. Surfaced for deck gun attack. 1204 A G7e launched from 500 meters to finish the stopped ship. A hit in front of the aft mast. 1204 AL0331 SWS 2, sea 2, 2/10, vis. medium Day's run: ***8593; 99.7 nm ***8595; 14.3 nm, combined 114.0 nm 1210 The 7000 GRT ore carrier sunk 1220 Sent radio message. Patrol results so far. Two ships for 12000 GRT both in grid AL03. Six G7e and two G7a torpedoes left. Fuel 89 cbm. 1320 BdU confirms our last message 1600 AL0311 SWS 2, sea 2, 2/10, vis. medium 1729 AL3877 Sunset 1802 Test dive 2000 AL3878 SWS 2, sea 1, 0/10, vis. medium Surfaced 19.1.1940 0000 West of Rockall Bank AL3878 SWS 2, sea 1, 0/10, vis. medium 0400 AL3887 SWS 2, sea 1, 0/10, vis. medium Dive to listen 0800 AL3887 SWS 2, sea 1, 2/10, vis. medium Surfaced 1050 AL3888 Sunrise 1200 AL3889 SWS 2, sea 2, 2/10, vis. medium Day's run: ***8593; 82.2 nm ***8595; 10.9 nm, combined 93.1 nm 1600 AL3897 SWS 2, sea 1, 0/10, vis. medium 1728 Sunset 2000 AL3898 SWS 2, sea 1, 0/10, vis. medium 2121 Dived to A-30 20.1.1940 0152 West of Rockall Bank AL3893 SWS 2, sea 1, 0/10, vis. medium Surfaced 0400 AL3893 SWS 2, sea 1, 0/10, vis. medium 0800 AL3891 SWS 2, sea 1, 0/10, vis. medium 1048 AL3883 Sunrise 1200 AL3891 SWS 2, sea 2, 0/10, vis. medium Day's run: ***8593; 89.1 nm ***8595; 15.0 nm, combined 97.2 nm 1600 AL3881 SWS 2, sea 1, 0/10, vis. medium 1723 Sunset 2000 AL3879 SWS 2, sea 1, 0/10, vis. medium 2059 Dive to A-30 21.1.1940 0000 West of Rockall Bank AL3893 SWS 2, sea 1, 0/10, vis. medium Surfaced to air the boat and charge batteries 0016 Dive to A-30 0404 AL3828 SWS 2, sea 1, 0/10, vis. medium 0446 AL3839 Dive to A-30 0825 AL3847 SWS 2, sea 1, 0/10, vis. medium Surfaced 1050 AL3847 Sunrise 1200 AL3845 SWS 2, sea 1, 0/10, vis. medium Day's run: ***8593; 60.9 nm ***8595; 16.2 nm, combined 77.1 nm 1600 AL3848 SWS 2, sea 1, 2/10, vis. medium 1720 AL3849 Sunset 2000 AL3857 SWS 2, sea 2, 2/10, vis. medium 22.1.1940 0000 West of Rockall Bank AL3855 SWS 2, sea 2, 2/10, vis. medium 0400 AL3859 SWS 2, sea 2, 2/10, vis. medium 0800 AL3868 SWS 2, sea 2, 2/10, vis. medium 1046 AL3869 Sunrise 1117 Dive A-40 1200 AL3869 SWS 2, sea 2, 2/10, vis. medium Day's run: ***8593; 105.7 nm ***8595; 6.0 nm, combined 111.7 nm 1202 Radio message received. Area A extended by 2 degrees east and area B southwards and southwest to 10 degrees 30' West. The whole of Irish sea is now unrestricted. 1600 AL3862 SWS 2, sea 2, 2/10, vis. medium 1716 Sunset 2000 AL3861 SWS 2, sea 2, 2/10, vis. medium 2256 AL3853 Radio contact report. A merchant spotted course E speed slow grid AL0384 2240 hours. Intercept course 150 speed HF. Expected meeting time 0520. 23.1.1940 0000 West of Rockall Bank AL3859 SWS 2, sea 2, 2/10, vis. medium 0400 AL0368 SWS 2, sea 2, 0/10, vis. medium 0416 Diesel down to 93 cbm 0503 AL0393 A hydrophone contact 105 R, 250 T. Surfaced, course 236, speed GF 0518 A hydrophone contact 10 R, 246 T. Surfaced course 270, speed LF 0536 Hydrophone contact 320 R, 225 T. Surfaced course 180 speed HF. 0551 A ship sighted 81 R, 260 T, range 3600 meters, aob 15 port. KF back, depth 6 meters. course 172. 0556 Estimate course 90, speed 6 knots 0601 Estimate course 95, speed 5 knots 0611 Tube 3 G7e AZ 3 meters gyro angle 5 bearing 16 aft mast range 1200 meters aob 80 port Tube 1 G7a 40 knots AZ 3 meters gyro angle 0 bearing 9 front mast range 1200 meters aob 80 port 0618 No hits. Commenced deck gun firing. After some minutes the lifeboats are manned and shooting stopped. A darkened 5000 GRT merchant. A flag is nowhere to be seen. 0623 Radio message sent. A 5000 GRT merchant sunk by deck gun fire course 275 speed 5 kn grid AL0319. 5 G7e torpedoes and 1 G7a left. Diesel 80 cbm. Returning to patrol grid. It seems that the torpedoes don't work. Most have been misses despite close range. 0704 AL0399 BdU confirms our last message 0800 AL0393 NNW 2, sea 2, 0/10, vis. medium 1040 AL0343 Sunrise 1200 AL0339 NNW 2, sea 2, 0/10, vis. medium Day's run: ***8593; 173.3 nm ***8595; 1.1 nm, combined 174.4 nm 1600 AL3899 NNW 2, sea 2, 0/10, vis. medium 1719 Sunset 2000 AL3898 NNW 2, sea 2, 0/10, vis. medium 2059 Dive to A-30 24.1.1940 0141 AL3897 NNW 2, sea 2, 0/10, vis. medium Surfaced 0238 Dive to A-30 0347 Hydrophone contact 243 R, 54 T. Sound going towards stern. Schmidt says it's a medium speed merchant. Surfacing and intercepting 0400 AL3897 NNW 2, sea 2, 0/10, vis. medium 0435 Distant hydrophone contact 75 R, 291 T. 0457 Distant hydrophone contact 38 R, 242 T. 0526 Distant hydrophone contact 30 R, 270 T 0601 AL0323 Distant hydrophone contact 5 R, 282 T 0644 AL0322 Hydrophone contact 260 R, 180 T 0719 AL0321 Hydrophone contact 250 R, 158 T 0752 Hydrophone contact 258 R, 122 T 0756 A ship sighted range 4000 m. Turning towards. Looks like a 2000 GRT merchant. 0801 Course estimate 282 speed 8 kn 0810 Deck gun fire stopped. The ship is sinking. A 1600 GRT merchant under British flag 0823 AL0324 Radio message sent. A 1600 GRT merchant sunk by deck gun fire course 282 speed 8 kn grid AL0319. 5 G7e torpedoes and 1 G7a left. Diesel 73 cbm. Returning to patrol grid. 0845 BdU confirms our last message 1048 AL0331 Sunrise 1200 AL0322 NNW 2, sea 2, 0/10 vis. medium Day's run: ***8593; 124 nm ***8595; 13.7 nm, combined 137.7 nm 1202 Radio message received. Area C widened 1210 Radio message sent. Returning via Shetlands. Provisions low. 1600 AL3871 NNW 2, sea 2, 0/10 vis. medium 1728 AL3867 Sunset 2000 AL3815 NNW 2, sea 1, 0/10, vis. medium 25.1.1940 0000 Northwest of Rockall Bank AL3815 NNW 2, sea 2, 2/10, vis. medium 0023 Test dive 0400 AM1554 NE 10, sea 7, 6/10, vis. medium 0800 AM1534 NE 10, sea 7, 6/10, vis. medium 1052 AM1398 Sunrise 1200 AM1399 NE 10, sea 7, 6/10, vis. medium Day's run: ***8593; 232.7 nm ***8595; 1.1 nm, combined 233.8 nm 1245 AM1474 Test dive 1600 AM1475 NE 10, sea 8, 4/10, vis. medium Against wind only making 8 - 9 knots with LF 1658 Sunset 2000 AM1455 NE 10, sea 7, 4/10, vis. medium 2034 Test dive 26.1.1940 0000 NNE of Rockall Bank AM1464 NE 10, sea 8, 4/10, vis. medium 0400 AM2317 NE 10, sea 8, 4/10, vis. medium 0800 AM2321 NE 10, sea 8, 4/10, vis. medium 1046 AM2322 Sunrise 1200 AM2331 NE 10, sea 8, 4/10, vis. medium Day's run: ***8593; 202.9 nm ***8595; 1.0 nm, combined 203.9 nm 1600 AM2411 NE 10, sea 8, 4/10, vis. medium 1638 Sunset 2000 AM2421 NE 10, sea 8, 6/10, vis. medium 2046 Test dive 2321 AM2422 According to intelligence, entering airplane patrolled area. Night time speed LF, day time speed HF for faster diving 26.1.1940 0000 NE of the Hebrides AM2423 NE 10, sea 8, 6/10, vis. medium 0019 Radio report. Enemy task force AM64. 0400 AM2433 NE 10, sea 8, 6/10, vis. medium 0800 AM3179 NE 10, sea 7, 4/10, vis. medium 1033 AM3181 Sunrise 1200 AM3188 NE 10, sea 7, 4/10, vis. medium Day's run: ***8593; 218.4 nm ***8595; 1.6 nm, combined 220.0 nm 1252 AM3189 Airplane sighted 46 R, 42 T long range. Crash dive. At 10 meters a 90 degree turn. Four minutes after the sighting speed KF, depth A, turn towards original course. It seems that the airplanes fly despite storm winds. 1422 Surfaced 1600 AM3197 NE 10, sea 8, 4/10, vis. medium 1612 AM3198 Radio message received. Habekost has mined his sector and is returning to port 1624 Sunset 2000 AM3278 NE 10, sea 7, 4/10, vis. medium 28.1.1940 Between the Hebrides and Faroe Islands 0000 AM3288 NE 10, sea 7, 4/10, vis. medium 0400 AM3297 NE 10, sea 7, 4/10, vis. medium 0417 Test dive 0800 AN1174 NE 10, sea 7, 4/10, vis. medium 1023 AN1173 Sunrise 1200 AN1154 NE 6, sea 4, 0/10, vis. medium Day's run: ***8593; 208. nm ***8595; 3.6 nm, combined 211.6 nm 1600 AN1135 NE 6, sea 4, 0/10, vis. medium 1607 Sunset 1614 Radio messages. Rollmann and Mathes are returning to base. U-51 has had to interrupt mission because of technical defect in bow caps 1853 AN1214 A contact report. Grid AN1329 ship course ENE speed medium. Intercepting. 2000 AN1244 NE 6, sea 4, 0/10, vis.medium 2235 AN1332 A hydrophone contact, distant, merchant 60 R, 290 T 2305 A ship sighted 326 R 290 T range 3800 meters. Aob 100 Port. Parallel course 2325 Tubes 1 - 3 G7e AZ 3 range 800 meters speed estimation 6 knots aob 82 port gyro angle 0 bearing 349. One aimed just in front of keel, one in the middle, one just back of stern. A hit in the middle. 2331 Shot some rounds with the deck gun. GF away from the site. The 5000 GRT merchant on fire, bridge and engine room flaming. A 15 degree tilt to the port side. The ship is presumed sinking. 2346 Ship still afloat, dead in water 29.1.1940 NNE of Orkneys 0000 AN1197 NE 6, sea 4, 0/10, vis. medium 0129 AN1333 Radio message sent. A 5100 GRT merchant speed 6 kn course 45 sunk. Two g7e and one G7a torpedo left. Fuel 70 cubic meters. Returning through AN14. 0152 BdU confirms our last message 0400 AN1418 NE 6, sea 4, 0/10, vis. medium 0524 AN1454 A contact report. Convoy grid AN15 WNW. Not intercepting. The convoy is probably following Scottish coastline, which is heavily mined. 0616 AN1454 Test dive. A probable warship 65 R 180 T. 0700 AN1454 A dive to listen to enemy's defenses between the Orkneys and the Shetlands. Very distant probable warship screws 140 R, 240 T. 0800 AN1455 NE 6, sea 4, 0/10, vis. medium 0830 A dive to listen. Strong screws 12 R, 132 T. Distant screws 70 R, 190 T 0854 AN1458 A ship seen coming straight at us. Range 3000 - 4000 meters. Dive to pd. Two ships heard. No warships heard. The closest merchant sounds are getting away. Surface for a quick deck gun attack before it gets light 0916 The 2200 GRT merchant is trying to get away from us 0932 The ship shot all ablaze. The crew abandoning the ship. GF away from the sight 0934 Huge explosion. Probably the ship's fuel bunker exploded. The deck is burning and a huge column of smoke will guide any planes here in no time 0936 The ship sunk and with it the column of smoke is also soon gone. Radio message to BdU. A 2200 GRT merchant sunk by deck gun fire. Two G7e and one G7a torpedo left. Petrol 68 cbm 1004 AN1483 Sunrise 1006 A dive to listen. Nothing heard 1034 BdU: Very good results! 1200 AN1494 NE 6, sea 4, 0/10, medium vis. Day's run: ***8593; 299.5 nm ***8595; 3.2 nm, combined 302.8 nm 1600 AN4131 NE 6, sea 4, 0/10, medium vis. 1603 A contact report. AN4422 course N slow. Turning to intercept 1611 Sunset 1612 Radio message: Knorr has to abandon mission because the bow tubes have malfunctions 1834 AN4155 Faint hydrophone sounds 1945 No contacts 30.1.1940 North Sea 0000 AN4434 NE 6, sea 4, 0/10, medium vis. 0219 AN4466 Test dive 0400 AN4541 NE 5, sea 4, 0/10, vis. medium 0800 AN4581 NE 5, sea 4, 0/10, vis. medium 0938 AN4584 Sunrise 1023 A neutral lit ship seen long range. Decide to continue towards home 1200 AN4588 NE 6, sea 4, 0/10, vis. medium Day's run: ***8593; 257 nm ***8595; 2.2 nm, combined 259.2 nm 1600 AN4835 NE 6, sea 4, 0/10, medium vis. 1616 Sunset 1751 AN4941 Radio message. Heidel has been forced to scuttle boat. 2000 AN4949 NE 6, sea 3, 0/10, medium vis. 31.1.1940 North Sea 0000 AN4989 NE 6, sea 4, 2/10, medium vis. 0400 AN6212 NE 6, sea 4, 2/10, medium vis. 0800 AN6252 NE 6, sea 4, 2/10, medium vis. 0910 AN6256 Sunrise 1200 AN6292 NE 6, sea 4, 2/10, medium vis. Day's run: ***8593; 255.1 nm ***8595; 2.5 nm, combined 257.6 nm 1600 AN6622 NE 6, sea4, 2/10, vis. medium 1618 Sunset 1620 Test dive 1837 AN6637 Diesel fuel reserve down to 46 cbm 2000 AN9344 NE 2, sea 1, 0/10, vis. unlimited 1.2.1940 Deutsche Bucht 0000 AN9344 ENE 2, sea 1, 0/10, vis. unlimited 0002 Radio message. Intelligence reports confirm British minefields east and north of the islands 0101 Radio message. A supply ship is availabe in Cadiz 0135 AN9567 A ship spotted long range 0237 AN9568 A ship spotted long range 0335 AN9677 A ship spotted long range 0345 AN9811 Ships spotted around the port of Wilhelmshaven 0400 AN9811 ENE 2, sea 1, 0/10, vis. unlimited 0512 Wilhelmshaven Docked after 38 days at sea. Fuel left 38 cbm. Patrol results six ships for 26000 GRT. General observations: 1. Enemy merchants are not yet armed, but will probably soon be. The torpedoes need to function better. 2. AL38 was totally quiet. The enemy seems to use AL03 instead. Schröter Oberleutnant zur See Matrosenobergefreiter Glinka promoted for deck gun duties. Matrosengefreiter Gysae promoted. Leutnant z.s. Kopp awarded EK2. |
It is late September 1939 and U-30 and her crew have completed our assigned 24 hr patrol of BF 16.
So far after over 24 hours in our patrol grid we have found our first contact, warship at long range. The crew is excited as we deviate from our patrol course to see what enemy is roaming our seas. With any luck this seafaring scum will meet the same fate as the Medium Cargo that crossed our path in square BF 15, giving us a first combat patrol total of over 3700 tons sunk. Our crew was excited for the war to start after our two previous "shake down" patrols ended with promotions and qualifications, but the news of impending war in the fall of 1939 had us wanting to apply our newly assigned skills in battle. |
Have SH3 reinstalled for the hundrillionth time, and am gearing up for a new set of careers. Will have parallel careers from the 1st (IIb), 2nd (VIIb), 6th (IX) and 7th (VIIa) flotillas.
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Is that ALL? :har: |
This guy Weenie is amazing!
Note: purists of history and/or this sim may be disturbed by complete inaccuracies. War is somber enough, so this is an attempt at light-heartedness.
Running vanilla 1.4b with massive config file changes. ************************************************** ****** Log of Kplt Sascha Gruenstein, U-6969 Entry of 12 December 1944 Current location Zigzagging northbound between Sierra Leone - Liverpool and Liverpool - Gibraltar convoy lanes; presently CF36 on NE tack, depth 14m, schnorkel deployed, speed 33 kts ************************************************** ***** Personal (unofficial) log of Kplt S. Gruenstein We've not heard back from Adm. Donitz on the memo I sent him recently about our patrol zone in the English Channel. Radioman Geeksparken showed me the hard copy of my ill-advised and cognac-induced rant. As I have not been recalled to the Admiral's office, I must assume some intercession by a yeoman clerk sympathetic to either me or our crew. Torpedoman 2c Bernard mentioned that he is *very* (his emphasis -- relevant?) close friends with some of the office ratings. This patrol has seen some considerable oddities, coinciding with the transfer to our boat of LI von Braun. While he maintains that his Christian name is Werner, the crew refer to him (out of the officers' earshot, of course) as "Weenie". I believe he knows this, but chooses to ignore it. He seems intensely focused on his work. He holds 2 PhD degrees from Heidelberg University, in chemistry and physics. We are fortunate to have him. Herr von Braun qualified in Type II and IXC, and this boat took him but two weeks to be fully qualified. He showed a great interest in our engines before we left port, and I gave him permission to make some modifications to the boat's propulsion systems. The other machinists were devoid of any understanding of most of the things about which he speaks -- they seemed mostly to be fetching tools and holding parts for him as he tore into the massive diesel beasts. I've watched him work, but must admit my own ignorance of the terms he uses, like "vectored thrust" and propeller-less drives. The engine and maneuvering rooms hardly look like they used to, but von Braun made sure the crew know what controls have new functions. But I fear that if he is taken from us for a more advanced role in, say, the Luftwaffe, we will be at a loss unless he is given enough time to teach us what he has actually done. I thought it odd that, even though our assigned zone is AM42 and our base is St. Nazaire, our mission began somehow in the middle of the ocean west of Equatorial Guinea. LI von Braun showed me on the navigation map the points where fuel drops or milk cows would be most advantageous. I note that there are many more refuel points necessary for this mission, but BdU promised us either air-dropped fuel bladders or fast destroyers as emergency oilers in case we become stranded due to depletion of fuel. Herr von Braun gave a bewildering explanation of our starting position using terms unknown to me, like "continuum" and "warp". Bernard arranged for the extra parts during our shore time before this patrol. I am at a loss as to precisely how, but he was wearing his most fetching lederhosen (including a garment he called "chaps") and a silk caricature of a uniform shirt, redone as a vest, when he went to visit his "dear friend" (his words) Helmut at Logistics. However, when he returned from his errand, somewhat the worse for wear, he was followed by 3 trucks full of parts and a crane truck. Herr von Braun set the crew to the task of hauling out the parts of the engines that he had removed and bringing the new ones aboard. We all wondered at the loss of weight from the cast iron parts we removed and the aluminum and titanium parts he had brought aboard. We also had streamlined pipe-like attachments emanating through the pressure hull and outer skin on each side from the forward area of the engine room and running aft to a point just aft of the propellers but a meter in front of the rudders. We were delighted and surprised to see that the third truck had a dozen of the experimental Type XI torpedoes, and they were used to replace half our stock loadout. Bernard modestly said that he had managed to obtain them for us at only 40 renown points each. I have learned to not press Bernard for details in many areas. That boy makes me a little uneasy when he's around....something just seems not quite right. The benefit of our LI's efforts have paid off mightily, if somewhat mysteriously. Our operations on battery are unchanged, and it is nice to know that when we are at depth in the presence of an aggressive opponent, we will not have to suddenly change routine procedures because of the changes to our air-breathing propulsion system. LI von Braun tells me that he has "made a few changes" to our supercharger. For one thing, it is now a turbocharger, driven by the exhaust that would be otherwise wasted. He had the bore of the intake in the schnorkel doubled in area (and therefore throughput of air). Its jacket is streamlined and strengthened with the titanium so it moves more smoothly through the water and is allowed to flex without kinking at higher speeds. Those higher speeds are the main benefit of our new LI's efforts. On the surface, Ahead Slow now produces a speed of 5 kts on a calm sea like normal. At Ahead 1/3, our speed is 21 kts; Ahead Standard is 34 kts; Ahead Full is 51 kts, and Ahead Flank propels us at 73.5 kts when the batteries are not charging, and 63 kts whilst charging. LI von Braun also reduced the size of the bow and aft dive planes, but then he put articulating outer halves on the blades. He calls it "variable aspect" and that we will appreciate having finer control with the tips retracted when running on the schnorkel, as our control inputs will not be exaggerated. When running on battery, the tips will deploy out and increase the amount of effect they induce to the amount with which we are accustomed. On other than a calm sea, anything over Ahead Standard is a bit dicey, as the boat tends to porpoise. While we were used to that, we were *not* used to hitting a wavefront with our prow and suddenly being driven to a depth of 20-25 meters. We have supplied our watch crews with nose plugs and put hoses from the compressed air system (low pressure side) to the bridge to help out with the annoyance an unplanned dive and the time necessary for recovery to the surface. The hatch from the bridge to the conning tower is now closed when running on the surface at speed, and a large spring opens the hatch when Crash Dive is ordered, and is released in concert with the dogging wheel when the last man goes below. Crash dives are even more exciting than usual. Flooding our forward trim tanks are enough to drop our bow into water sufficiently deep to enable the forward dive planes to grab the water, rapidly changing our angle of attack and propelling us down at a most exhilarating rate. As long as our surface speed exceeds about 33 kts, this phenomenon occurs. Our angle is so steep when only the bow is submerged that our propellers and thrust pipes (jets?) are out of the water; our momentum is what gives us the burst of downward speed, which bleeds off fairly quickly after reaching 30 meters. Our Pharmacist's Mate predicts fewer injuries from the crew all dashing to the forward torpedo room for dive angle assistance, but he predicts more from the quick deceleration from speeds of 70 kts to 5 kts. Turns on the surface at speeds above 25 kts perform best when rudder angle is limited to 5 degrees. Anything sharper than that and the boat wallows like a sweating hog in mud. Naturally, the crew are universally delighted to be subjected to roll angles approaching 45 degrees, left to right, for 3 or 4 oscillations after just one brief rudder input at speed, pulling our thrust tubes and rudders alternately out of the water. This has the advantage of being somewhat of a limiting factor, providing negative feedback to the yaw angle of the boat, but it also diminishes our ability to control our depth. Speeds at depth 14 meters are diminished about 40% from when on the surface. The same sea state limitations exist, as we porpoise violently from the drag still induced by the schnorkel, even with its enhanced shape. It was exciting to detect a VW Destroyer off Freetown, and be able to overtake him to get close enough to launch a Type XI eel from inside 3,000 meters as we decelerated and began our dive. It appeared their gunners were unable to track us as approached. We had to modify our approach-and-fire technique, as we can easily outstrip the speed of the eel unless we either bleed off much of our own speed, or vary course by a couple of degrees immediately after firing, then diving. First kill of the patrol, and we're still thousands of kilometers from where we should be. We are glad for the fuel drops and fast tankers, as the boat now goes through diesel fuel like Scheiss through a Gans. Operation around aircraft has become an odd mix of better and worse. At Ahead Flank we move at a speed faster than the stall speed of the slowest ASW aircraft, so they no longer have to make diving passes to toss bombs at us. If we do not catch them on radar or Mark 1A Eyeball as they approach us, they can remain in a fixed position relative to us and proceed to bomb and gun us at their leisure. On the other hand, Herr von Braun made some ingenious links from our radar to a series of motors that change the azimuth and elevation of the A-A guns, improving their tracking to a rate faster than most human gunners are capable of, although for safety the system still requires live gunners to control firing and reloading. Encouraged by our success in downing 3 B-24 bombers and the destroyer, we took a short detour through the harbor at Freetown in the evening. No ships or personnel were detected as we cruised on the surface through the middle of the harbor from west to east. It was eerily quiet, even though the buildings were all brilliantly lighted. The two aft watches even exchanged a line from an old motion picture they said they had seen: "It quiet here, Kemosabe." "Yes, Tonto -- too quiet!" I chalked it up to the idiosyncrasies of a crew that spends too much time with not enough to do. So we are making best speed though choppy seas now as we search for convoys on one of the two nearby routes. I happened to mention in passing that it would be so nice if we had a man in an aircraft 300 km above the sea, helping us search and warning us of danger. Herr von Braun gave one of his enigmatic smiles and said, "It will come, Herr Kaleun. I just need time." I fear that some other service within the Reich will learn of our brilliant LI and have him reassigned to themselves, perhaps the Luftwaffe's Research Branch. But for now, it is oddly exciting to be the fastest vessel on (or under) the sea. End personal log. Sascha Gruenberg, commanding U-6969 |
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