U197 IXD2. Patrol 1.
Departed Bordeaux on 26.jul.43.
13.aug.43 0300: Present position is CG57 (WSW of Spain). Assigned patrol grid is GR69. A shallow coastal grid ESE of Capetown, at the southern tip of Africa. The grid is situated between, and in close proximity to, 2 enemy naval bases. Was less than thrilled to give up my IXB, and the 2. flotilla, but she just didn't realisticly have the endurance for this patrol. This IXD2 is beginning to grow on me. |
Just departed Wilhelmshaven on the 21st April, 1940 on my way to Gibraltar.
Belting this out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzycFeqNxIA as U-45 powers through the waves of the north sea! |
U197 IXD2 aborting patrol
Problem with the IXD2.
This IXD2 is performing too good. Not only can it outmaneuver my old IXB, but it's dive time is less than a VIIC! A normal (not crash) dive at Ahead Standard took only 23 seconds. She dives and rises 2 x faster than a IXB, and turn like a Type IID. To continue this patrol would be a farse, and a cheat. Going back to my last at sea save with U64 IXB. 5.mar.43 1654 BE54. I'll see if I can get U64 back to Germany, to be retired to school boat status, the right way. I'll also start a new IXC the right way. Patrol 1 - beginning in Germany. Either way, the next patrol will begin in Germany. A new IXC in 1943, if U64 makes it. Or, a new start in 1939 (DiD), if she does not. I'm willing to try a IXD2 from Germany IF I can unsuperize it. That would realy be a challenge, and maybe a 1 patrol carreer (DiD). |
Hiding under a flower class corvette and a unknown escort, wo really want to kill me after 3 runs led me to take 18,000 confirmed tonnes out of their convoy (two heavy merchants that went up like firecrackers from a single hit! - I'm guessing a cargo of ammo or something), and a under-the-keel hit on an empire for a possible further 5,000 though she hasn't gone down yet... and I didn't stick around to find out if she would.
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After a month in transer and refitting, the crew and I have moved to a new sub, at a new base- a IXB out of St Nazaire :)
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U-93 Patrol #4
21/6/1941
After losing contact with a convoy further south yesterday, I Carried on towards north of the IOM, where i detect some more signatures on my phones, they are south of us, so it sounds like I'm back in touch again with that convoy I lost yesterday! :yeah: Proceeded to surface and run on an intercept course based upon what Im hearing (bear in mind no "RADIO REPORT" has yet been recieved) and before long im catching them! A short time later that afternoon we spot many smokes seen on the horizon, some distance off, possibly four km away. GUNFIRE!!!! :o Sunddenly a shell whizzes overhead, and then another! "WHERE THE 'ECK DID THEY COME FROM??" :damn: I shout at my bridge crew as we crash dive to 70m Currently Im sat at a depth of 108m, which is about as low as we can go with the ecco sounder now reading around 5m before we hit the bottom... :stare: Being chased by at least two ASW trawlers so it seems and have taken light damage to my rear tube compartment, as I dove away. holding them off thus far with attacks lasting 35minutes. :yawn: (bedtime in R/L for me!) |
January 1941.
Kptlt. Kurt Todlich. U-127, a Type IXB out of Lorient. We did drills the moment we got into deep water. A regular crash dive took approximately 40 seconds. We must improve on that. On the other hand, we were able to level off from a crash dive at only 40 meters. Encountered a small convoy, about 100 km west of northern Portugal. Sank one small freighter, but rough seas negated a second attack. There are bigger targets elsewhere. Wiederhaller finally got that violin he wanted. At night, he plays it in the torpedo room. Now we are headed towards our assigned patrol area, grid DT28. We plan to sail through the Canary Islands. BTW: Is "extended shore leave" a rank or something else meaningful? |
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Arrived safely in Kiel on 2.apr.43. Checked the IXCs leave out dates for patrol 1, so I could have nearly the same departure date. U523 was the closest, but was months off. What I did find was U534 IXC40. I think that means the deck gun is history? Hoping not, but if so, so be it. The departure dates should match within a few days. The days will be getting shorter, and the trip over the top of Scottland could be a killer. (The RAF can reach all the way to Store Bælt now! Super shallow!) |
First encounter with a Q ship today, near gibraltar. hit it fore with a torpedo she started listing heavily but didn't go down so i surfaced along side to hit her up close with my deck gun. no visible armament but then 3 muzzle flashes and I take 2 hits to the conning tower and one to the forward decking! crash dive, come about, and vehemently loose both rear tubes on impact. Broke the sucker up.
Have to be more cautious in future. EDIT: On the dawn of our next patrol, my leading torpedo man, Hans Kreuzer, got his neck broken in a bar fight. Is there nothing SH3 commander cannot do? :P |
12 October 1942
U-64 IXB After patrolling grid EJ 99 as ordered started my return passage. Tonnage so far was Ok for this patrol (45000 grt) but since there were 14 torps left I decided to pass through grid CG 95 outside Gibraltar. The weather was good so I was surfaced after a long period being submerged to refresh the air. Radar detector goes off so a crash dive follows. The external camera shows two Wildcats MK IV attacking. Their bombs fell close to my starboard side but no damage was inflicted. I stayed at 70m for 2 hours (game time) and surfaced since CO2 level was high. I didn't check with the periscope , I just broke the surface and paid it. I was immediatelly straffed by a pair of Hurricanes (Were these ever on ASW patrols in RL? I don't think so) The 20mm cannons caused flooding in bow torpedo compartment and bow quarters but my damage control crew handled it. Behind those two were two more Wildcats that dropped their load accuratelly. More flooding and uncontrolable dive to 165m until the situation was under control again. The hull was producing starnge noises so I surfaced once more. This time no one was around. I don't know the percentage of damage caused so I am on my way back to Lorient. |
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In port checking out the French totty. :DL
What! I must set sail for America, yes sir. :salute: Jan42 on my way to kick Yankee butt. |
sighted a convoy in the south atlantic, too calm a day to engage the convoy, early morning too.... so I loaded the crew onto the 105mm and engaged the lead escort, a flower class corvette. Funny thing is, a uboat heading straight at you is quite unnerving, and a bloody small target. I took one minor hit he took 3 below the water line. That should make THAT a little easier :D
EDIT: Jimbo, aggressive enough for you??? |
Right now in sort of a pickle of what to do. May 5th of 41' sitting in St. Nazaire, an almost ideal spot and time for sailing to help the impending Bismark battle; though my patrol area is in CG am torn as to where to go. I know there's gonna be a lot of juicy targets up there all bunched together, but my kaleun wouldn't know that and was sort of looking forward to an extended trip down the African Coastline with the new supply ship in the South Atlantic.
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