Restarted career in a type II september 1939. Trying to play as realisitic as absolutley possible. At this stage of the war, the 1930 london protocals were still in place... IE a ship must be stopped and visited unless known to be transporting troops, engaged in enemy activity, or under escort.
Well, a Type II with a max speed of 13 knots, and only a AA gun and small crew will have a very hard time stopping a faster cargo ship. On 9-12-39 picked up a sonar contact of a merchant ship. I head towards it, just to take a look. Once I surface the watch crew immediatly pick up a patrol boat in the vicinity. I can use this to claim the target is under escort. I submerge and work out the targeting on the Medium cargo ship. At long range (4700 meters). I fire 2 torps, one either malfunctions or misses, but #2 hits! I recalculate and fire a 3rd, at about 4100 meters as the patrol boat is bearing down on my periscope. Hit! I dive to 25 meters and change coarse. The merchant goes down maybe 30 - 40 minutes later. Anyway, I think this is the longest range shot Ive ever pulled off in SH III. Over 3 miles! Got a screenie of the distant impact from my scope. On Sept 24th '39 the rules will change, Uboats are allowed to sink any ship broadcasting SSS. So.. I will model that by allowing me to close to the target, and once evasive action is taken, It will be within the rules to shoot. ps.. Im re-reading Clay Blairs epic Hitlers Uboat war books, which is why Im replaying yet another Uboat campaign.:) |
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Why did you fire a torpedo against it and especially an acoustic one? The torpedo is more expensive than the target itself and moreover it is slower than a MTB. A MTB travelling at 30 - 40 kts is not a torpedo target. Dive and let it go. It has no sonar to pick you up submerged. |
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Do you know the difference between clever and wise? A clever man thinks up ways to try and get out of situations a wise man didn't get into in the first place. Why the hell were you trying to take on New York harbour single handed that late in the war?
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I think that your navigation officer's name is Bernard. |
U-106 14th patrol
This is U-106 14th patrol
CAPTAIN'S LOG Date and TimeLocation Occurrences 6.3.41.1110Patrol 14 U-106, 2nd Flotilla Left at: March 6, 1941, 11:10 From: Belchen Supply Ship 12.3.41.0655Grid AE 47Ship sunk! HMS Kingston Andalusite (ASW Trawler), 1100 tons. Crew: 55. Crew lost: 13 0700Grid AE 47Ship sunk! HMS Defender (C&D classes), 1375 tons. Crew: 175. Crew lost: 115 14.3.41.0446Grid AE 47Ship sunk! SS Port Auckland (Ore Carrier), 8083 tons. Cargo: Phosphates. Crew: 90. Crew lost: 37 0626Grid AE 47Ship sunk! RMS Empress of Britain, 42913 tons 0628Grid AE 47Ship sunk! Big 3Funnel Liner , 42511 tons 0629Grid AE 47Ship sunk! MV San Alberto (Large Tanker), 9677 tons. Cargo: Aviation Fuel. Crew: 39. Crew lost: 5 0641Grid AE 47Ship sunk! SS Martina (Nipiwan Park-type Tanker), 2476 tons. Cargo: Aviation Fuel. Crew: 23. Crew lost: 11 0642Grid AE 47Ship sunk! SS Royalite (Coastal Freighter), 1869 tons. Cargo: Bauxite. Crew: 33. Crew lost: 25 0707Grid AE 47Ship sunk! MV Teakwood (Modern Tanker), 10762 tons. Cargo: Aviation Fuel. Crew: 65. Crew lost: 24 0713Grid AE 47Ship sunk! MV Lustrous (Modern Tanker), 10761 tons. Cargo: Gasoline. Crew: 72. Crew lost: 51 0824Grid AE 47Ship sunk! SS Port Hunter (Ore Carrier), 8085 tons. Cargo: Coal. Crew: 74. Crew lost: 22 24.3.41.0425 Patrol results Crew losses: 0 Ships sunk: 11 Aircraft destroyed: 0 Patrol tonnage: 139612 tons I didn't count the torpedoes this time. U-107 returned at Lorient with one bow torpedo left. |
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Thought I could sink anything that came at me with acoustics. shrug. live and learn. Or die and learn in this case. |
In our 1st patrol, a lesson was learned on our return trip home. While NE of Scotland, in heavy seas and heavy fog, we located a C-2 British ship. We were able to match speed and follow her by her stern while she zig/zagged. Due to the heavy fog, we were unable to observe the target for a shot when we were in a forward position.
Returning to Kiel at night, after sinking four enemy merchants, was awesome! A pair of blinking lights welcomed us, and guided us from a distance as we approached the pens! A few turns, and we back into the empty pen. Medals were awarded to officers and a warrant officer. One warrant officer made a radioman rate. After replacing our hydrophone set with a different one, we set sail on our 2nd patrol with the same officers and crew. Enroute to our patrol area, we encounter several neutral Norwegian ships and one unknown ship whose flag is hidden by the smoke from it's funnel. Better safe than sorry, I chose caution, and let her continue on her voyage. Our boat settles down to a daily routine. As we approach Scotland, we stay submerged during the daytime, and surface at night to re-charge our batteries. Our patrol area is much further South than our 1st patrol area. I've instructed our Chief Engineer to keep a close eye on our fuel reserves. The men are in good morale. Our journey continues.... |
Woohooo this is fun, trying to sheppard foreign ships into the shore with a type II prewar.
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U104 heading out on third patrol from Lorient in late Nov 1940. Patrol area is east of the Azores covering the South African convoy route, so head straight across the Bay of Biscay to designated square and patrol fruitlessly for a week. I turned north and followed the convoy route up on the edge of the Bay, submerging for long periods to escape the foul weather that has hit the area.
While submerged I pick up a convoy on the phones heading for the English Channel at 9 knots, but am in poor position for attack and chasing in foul weather will take ages. I decide on a long shot and fire 4 torps at extreme range at the 2 largest targets. Two explode prematurely, spooking the convoy who start to zig and speed up. One torp hits and eventually sinks an ore carrier as I evade west again. I plot a route to try and shadow the convoy but am unable to regain contact at all the next day. Weather worsens, now very hard to make any progress. I submerge for long periods and again pick up a merchant passing nearby. On the surface for attack in black moonless night so i can get close, notice it's actually 2 ships, a small merchant and an ore carrier in front. I switch off magnetic triggers and use the stern tubes at 900m range on fast speed to ensure impact, and both ships are hit. The ore carrier goes down in 20 minutes leaving a trail of life rafts behind it, but the merchant didn't even slow down. As it passed the sinking ore carrier I reload the stern tube and put another one in him, this time with spectacular results. Lots of flames and he goes down in a minute, lots of secondary explosions as it slips under. One life raft spotted. Now continuing north to Ireland and then the Western Approaches. |
U-151 Kptlt R.Eickmeyer
Patrol 4: 28/03/44-13/04/1944 (17 days) Patrol zone: Channel western entrance 02/04/44 22h42 Coastal freighter sunk with 1 TIII torpedoe in BF24 SS Adm Nelson 1.869 tons 03/04/44 12h28 Motor vessel sunk with a TIII torpedoe in BF25 MV Matchlock 114 tons 04/04/44 Colony class frigate sunk with a gnat in BF24 HMS Somaliland 1.430 tons 09/04/44 08h48 Intermediate tanker attacked with a gnat in stormy weather. No impact. Unable to regain contact 09/04/44 16h20 Small convoy intercepted. Fired our last torpedoe (TIII) to a small merchant but missed. Resume patrol 13/04/44 8h55 Docked at La Rochelle. Return trip uneventful due to very bad weather Patrol results: 3 ships sunk for 3.413 tons Carreer total: 41.084 tons ( 8 merchants, 1 warship) |
U29, Wilhelmshaven
Left at: Jan 6 - 1940 Orders: Patrol grid CF32 Captains Log: Jan 6: Nothing out of the ordinary. Jan 7: Nothing out of the ordinary. Jan 8: British sloop sighted (16:43) grid AN13, radioed our position, moderate winds, sunk with five 8,8cm rounds, left the area at high speed, course 290 Jan 9: Nothing out of the ordinary. Jan 10: Nothing out of the ordinary, winds now at 13 m/s. overcast. Jan 11: Nothing out of the ordinary. Jan 12: Nothing out of the ordinary. Jan 13: Contact picked up on hydrophone BE59, moved to investigate, British Ore Carrier (SS Port Brisbane), sunk with two torpedos, one in bow, one under the bridge. Sunk in a matter of minutes. (08:01) Jan 14-18: Reached PG CF32 - nothing out of the ordinary. Jan 19: Reached grid CG94 in order to pick up convoys from Gibralta. Outbound convey picked up on hydrophone and intercepted, heavy winds, heavy fog and rain, made attacking difficult. One ship damaged with one torpedo, one ship sunk (SS Empire Bede, 10:58) Empire-type Freighter, two torpedos, infront and aft of bridge, heavy list to port, sank within minutes. Three torpedos wasted at targets too close, no sinkings. Went deep and silent, evaded depth charge runs by lone escort, no damage. Decided not to re-engage convoy because of bad weather. Jan 20: Plotted course for the Corrientes supply ship. Jan 21-23: Nothing out of the ordinary: Jan 24: Docked at Corrientes supply ship. Estimated sinkings: 15.000 tons U29 - Peter Corpus |
U-106 15th patrol
This is the patrol log of U-106 15th patrol
CAPTAIN'S LOG Date and TimeLocation Occurrences 24.4.41.0407Patrol 15 U-106, 2nd Flotilla Left at: April 24, 1941, 04:07 From: Lorient Mission Orders: Patrol grid AE47 5.5.41. 0738Grid AE 48Ship sunk! HMS Circassia (Auxiliary Cruiser), 13850 tons. Crew: 223. Crew lost: 129 (in port 2 torpedoes) 0746Grid AE 48Ship sunk! HMS Duncan (C&D classes), 1375 tons. Crew: 152. Crew lost: 33 (rammed by sinking cruiser) 0746Grid AE 48Ship sunk! SS Frances Dawson (Small Merchant), 2390 tons. Cargo: General Cargo. Crew: 39. Crew lost: 28 (in port 1 torpedo) 0816Grid AE 48Ship sunk! HMS Glasgow (Southampton class), 10725 tons. Crew: 963. Crew lost: 57 (in port 1 torpedo) 0944Grid AE 48Ship sunk! SS Tajandoen (Large Merchant), 10401 tons. Cargo: Textiles. Crew: 106. Crew lost: 42 (in port 2 torpedoes) 14.5.41.1650Grid AM 53Ship sunk! SS Haiching (Small Freighter), 2228 tons. Cargo: Aircraft. Crew: 35. Crew lost: 28 (lone ship deck gun fire) 1904Grid AM 53Ship sunk! Typhoon (Sloop), 8 tons. Crew: 15. Crew lost: 9 (20mm flak guns) 2203Grid AM 53Ship sunk! SS Saint Palais (Passenger/Cargo), 2245 tons. Cargo: Passengers. Crew: 234. Crew lost: 91 (lone ship 1 torpedo + deck gun fire) 19.5.41.1105 Patrol results Crew losses: 0 Ships sunk: 8 Aircraft destroyed: 0 Patrol tonnage: 43222 tons Engine troubles flank speed not possible 20mm flak guns jammed 18 torpedoes fired 8 torpedoes hit and sunk their targets (44%) 2 torpedoes hit their targets but they didn't sink (12%) 8 torpedoes missed (44%) 4 stern torpedoes were not launched because of extensive damages to the stern tubes. 42 105mm shells fired 3 clips of 20mm AA fired Sinking of the HMS Circassia (Auxiliary Cruiser), 13850 tons. The ship was stationary out the port of Reykjavik. Three TI were fired against her targeted at the front mast , midships and aft mast. In fact the cruiser was not anchored but she had steam on. The torpedoes were spotted (my bad I fired during the day) and she picked up speed. The one aimed aft missed but the other two hit and sunk her immediately. As the sinking ship was moving forward she rammed the HMS Duncan (C&D classes), 1375 tons which exploded and sunk. The weird part is that I got credit for the sinking. Sinking of the HMS Glasgow (Southampton class), 10725 tons. The light cruiser was anchored in Reykjavik harbor. I fired a stern torpedo agoinst her just for not leaving her alone. The torpedo hit her under the front turrets , a huge explosion and down she went. After leaving Reykjavik we had multiple contacts of DDs ASW trawles and MTBs. The DDs were US ships running at high speed and producing so much noise that we were safe to travel at 2kts and no one could hear us. When we reached open seas we surfaced but we were spotted by an ASW trawler which fired at us. She missed as we crash dived. The trawler called for help and a Tribal class DD appeared. He run an attack on us which caused severe flooding at the aft torpedo room and destroyed the tubes. The DD did not re-engage and left. We decided to go to grid AM53 as the situation in AE47 was getting really bad. We radioded BdU and they agreed. We encourntred a convoy on the way but all the torps we fired missed as the ships were zigzaging. After sinking the SS Saint Palais (Passenger/Cargo), 2245 tons we decided to go back home as the weather was rough. Then they came out of the fog: 2 Fiji class CLs unescorted running at 20kts. All 4 forward tubes fired , but the solution was not good enough. The CLs evades the 3 fishes and the fourth that hit caused only minor damages. Now with no trops left we headed for Lorient. We were still at grid AM53 submerged to avoid a lone Hurricane which was provinding escort to a hospital ship , when the hydrophones went crazy. A huge convoy of tankers , whale factory ships and large merchants was coming right at us in an ideal attack position. But with nothing to attack we just dived deeper and left. After reaching Lorient I was offered the command of an IXC type. I agreed under the condition that I would take all my crew with me. The BdU said OK so here we are : U-505 IXC is about to devastate the Atlantic Ocean. |
End of patrol 15, U-127 (IXC).
After hitting mine in St. Helena, I docked at the KM Python. Heading back to St. Nazaire, I traveled along African merchant routes, but this found nothing. So I raided the ports of Libreville and Lagos. Both were heavily mined, but this time I was extra careful and did not hit any. The defenses of Libreville were pitiful. There were only the mines. I sank everything in the harbor: A troop ship, medium cargo, tramp steamer, small freighter, passeger/cargo and modern tanker. I was able to move off on the surface at a leisurely pace. Lagos was more complicated. A DD was patroling the minefield, while I was on the surface. I dove, waited for her to pass and sank her with a torp to the depthcharge storage. The other guardian was putt-putting over to my position. Being the daredevil I am, I surfaced and pumped ten 10.5cm rounds into the trawler. Harbor now free of moving escorts, I navigated the minefield and sank a large merchant. I seriously injured a medium cargo but she didn't sink. Out of torpedoes, I escaped. On the uneventful trip back home, I realized that St. Nazaire would never get the IXC wanted. Upon arriving, I immediately transferred to Lorient. Patrol date: May 27 - June 24. 43000 tons. |
U-505 17th patrol
CAPTAIN'S LOG Date and TimeLocation Occurrences 16.10.41.0315Patrol 17 U-505, 2nd Flotilla Left at: October 16, 1941, 03:15 From: Lorient Mission Orders: Patrol grid EJ821 8.10.41.1548Grid 77Ship sunk! SS Winona (Coastal Freighter), 1869 tons. Cargo: Coal. Crew: 32. Crew lost: 25 (lone ship sunk by deck gun fire) 2146Grid CG 21Ship sunk! SS Eagle Wing (Medium Cargo), 5081 tons. Cargo: Timber. Crew: 55. Crew lost: 45 (in convoy 2 torpedoes) 2159Grid CG 21Ship sunk! SS Saltwick (Small Merchant), 2396 tons. Cargo: Sulfur. Crew: 44. Crew lost: 21 (in convoy 2 torpedoes) 20.10.41.0320Grid CG 46Ship sunk! SS City of Dublin (Passenger/Cargo), 2245 tons. Cargo: Mail/Packages. Crew: 108. Crew lost: 10 (lone ship sunk by deck gun fire) 27.10.41.1028Grid EJ 39Ship sunk! SS Thomas J. Jarvis (Liberty Cargo), 7336 tons. Cargo: Coffee. Crew: 70. Crew lost: 52 (in convoy 1 torpedo) 1032Grid EJ 39Ship sunk! SS Robin Sherwood (Medium Cargo), 5082 tons. Cargo: Paper Products. Crew: 35. Crew lost: 31 (in convoy 1 torpedo) 1033Grid EJ 39Ship sunk! SS Umkuzi (Large Merchant), 10617 tons. Cargo: Sulfur. Crew: 87. Crew lost: 54 (in convoy 1 torpedo) 1041Grid EJ 39Ship sunk! MV Vinemoor (Granville-type Freighter), 4709 tons. Cargo: Aircraft. Crew: 45. Crew lost: 23 (in convoy 1 torpedo) 1042Grid EJ 39Ship sunk! SS Carlota (Nipiwan Park-type Tanker), 2476 tons. Cargo: Crude Oil. Crew: 16. Crew lost: 7 (in convoy 1 torpedo) 7.11.41.1027Grid CG 57Ship sunk! SS Aberdovey (Coastal Freighter), 1870 tons. Cargo: Paper Products. Crew: 28. Crew lost: 15 (lone ship sunk by deck gun fire) 11.11.41.0956Grid BF 14Ship sunk! MV Santa Monica (Medium Cargo), 5084 tons. Cargo: Sulfur. Crew: 55. Crew lost: 50 (lone ship sunk by deck gun fire) 16.11.41.1718 Patrol results Crew losses: 0 Ships sunk: 11 Aircraft destroyed: 0 Patrol tonnage: 48765 tons 18 torpedoes fired 9 torpedoes hit their targets and sunk (50%) 3 torpedoes hit their targets but they didn't sink (17%) Targets : Whale factory ship + Dido class CL 6 torpedoes missed (33%) 4 torpedoes were not launched 80 105mm rounds used No AA fired All systems worked properly Sonar coating does not have the desired effect Note : If only those Zaoukonigs could be put into production soon....... |
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