downgraded to Windows XP, and my career got lost but I just started it so nothing of value was lost :up:

The Chase
 

Right, it's pointless story time!

Sit down kids. Are you listening? Good.

I've started a new career (see my sig). 11th Flotilla (Norway) starting in June '42 (which is when that flotilla first began operations). VIIC.

The first patrol went fairly well but was unremarkable. The second patrol went better, except for one time when my scope got detected by radar during a night attack and the destroyer snuck up on me. I only just noticed it in time and had to crash dive to avoid being rammed. That none of the ensuing depth charges even damaged me was probably a minor miracle, though I dare say my port knuckle helped. :smug:

My third patrol - the one I'm here to blab about - is currently in progress. I was sent to patrol some deserted grid 500km north of the coast of Scotland. I managed to find a convoy in the area and sank two ships for about 20,000 BRT before the convoy escaped into shallower waters. I also found a lone Small Merchant and sank it with a single aft torp. But then... nothing. Days and days of searching the area around my grid and not a hint of anything.

Finally my radioman picked up a task force, but it was a few hundred kilometres west of us and heading directly away from us at 9kts. Still, I set a course after it at a casual pace. Initially I had no intention of catching it - I just thought perhaps there'd be more traffic to be found near it's reported location - but just before we reached said location we picked up the task force again. It was still heading west, and still doing 9kts. It hadn't picked up speed, and it hadn't changed course. I decided to take a chance, and we went full ahead and gave chase.

Over the next few days the TF did change course a few times but my radioman managed to intercept one more radio transmission from it. I adjusted our course and eventually we got close enough to pick up radar signals. One of the radar signals was closing awfully fast. Suddenly... aircraft spotted! We crash dived and avoided any harm. I checked our location. We'd already chased the TF a third of the way across the atlantic (and burned a ton of fuel in the process) and I thought there was no way there could be land-based planes that far out. I reckoned that there must be a carrier in that TF. There were also plenty of destroyers, judging from the sonar contacts heading to the location we'd been spotted.

That slowed us down, and after that flanking into a firing position was not easy, what with the TF moving at a decent speed and changing course now and then (not to mention the swarm of by radar-equipped destroyers and planes that buzzed around it) but eventually we managed to arrange a midnight meeting with our prey in moderate winds and clear weather.

Unfortunately I didn't have accurate target course data; by now we were in the middle of the Atlantic and I only had a rough idea of the target course and speed based on RWR-detected radar signals over the last hundred klicks of the chase. I cracked my knuckles and broke out the U-Jagd tools.

I knew the buggers had radar and plenty of it, so I had to keep my scope exposure to a minimum. I prepared a position from which I could gather course and speed data as quickly as possible and then turn parallel to the course of what I could now see was indeed a Bogue Class carrier. Readings taken, I turned the boat into a firing position and took the range to the target. Full four-torp four-degree spread, open tubes... wait for it...

That's when I heard the destroyer. Damn! I fired. The tubes seemed to take a lifetime to empty. I turned the scope. There was a DD bearing right down on us; they'd tracked our scope on their blasted radar again! I crash dived. The DD suddenly accelerated and depth charged us at what was practically point blank range. I turned the U-boat hard. DC's exploded around us, and at the same time we heard the first of the torps slam into the Bogue Class, followed by the second. The other two torps missed, but the explosions from the Bogue Class didn't stop. She was done for. We, somehow, were not. We had escaped the DC attack undamaged. That's two lucky escapes in two patrols. At this rate my DID career won't last long if I don't learn to be careful with that scope!

We dove deep and evaded the DD's (who must have been really annoyed, given how long they persisted) and we're now heading back to our patrol grid at a considerably less fuel-guzzling rate than we left at. We still have a handful of torpedos left. Who knows, maybe we'll see another carrier? To be honest, though, I'm hoping we don't.

:|\\

Living life on the edge there OLC:o Hope lady luck stays with you:salute:

That's my favorite kind. Keep them coming!

:rotfl:

Nice job sinking that carrier.

U-3018 on 5th patrol. Patrol grid AM16.

Sunk a tramp steamer en route to patrol area, but after that nothing. Trailed the northern convoy routes all the way West but again nothing, so thought I'd take a trip South.

Just as morale was starting to waver, two contacts as we pass through BE62. A small merchant and a.....British large tanker. :yeah:

Down she goes, and we proceed on feeling much better.

Currently running with the warship MOD as described earlier in this thread. It's a refreshing change every now & then to get DD's attacking you & you can reply with some 15in guns

:D My evil streak coming through....

Well, as we went further South towards Gilbraltar we encountered French Passenger/Cargo and a Freighter and took them down. Then stumbled upon a convoy with some really juicy targets in amongst it. Six torps left it really was difficult trying to pick targets. Fired two torps at three ships from 3.5-5km and then went deep to evade the four escorts.

Five of the six hit and bagged an auxiliary cruiser, a medium cargo and an ore carrier.

Snuck away north at 200m and will rise in the morning and set sail for home.

:arrgh!:

Nice result DaveU186:salute::salute::salute:

Just a quick post before bed.I am almost in position heading for our assigned grid,just off the Shetlands.I wonder what is in store for us :hmmm:
I reckon a raid into Scapa is a distinct possibility,IF we are unsuccessful in our current area.I have only ever been into Scapa once since I started playing the game 4 yrs ago,so who knows what its like in GWX3

Night all.

I know he feeling. :D Good hunting!

Poor b#####d :cry:
What a way to go down,in that weather too.

http://koti.welho.com/msalama/Personnel_File.html

And it's my longest-running career yet too! Though the going seems to get tough even against Uncle Joe's boys now :down:

Let's see if I can finally survive the war...

DID, yes? A good run you had there :yeah:



LOL, don't you just hate it when that happens?

DID @ 100% realism, yes. Yah, I'm actually a bit surprised that it's gone so well so far...

Absolutely :DL

Though it was kind of my fault it has to be said. Y'see, I tend to use some low TC even when leaving port and ask my watch officer for contacts so as to evade them, which usually works OK... but this time: "Nearest contact bearing 001, range 0m Sir!" And then *CRASH* *BING* *BANG* *BOOM* etcetera etcetera... and back to port for repairs we hobbled :ping:

Can't but love this game with GWX3, warts and all!