Hi all, this is my first time with SH, first post in this forum.
Lt zS Helmut, at your service.
First patrol uneventful. Start at W'haven, assigned grid BE16.
Took the channel route to get there -3 days Aug.1-Aug 3 1939 (72 h)
and 5 1/2 days to return via North route. mostly 30kn winds, sea rough.
Watch crew on tower completely submerged at times, but unfazed, continued looking through their binoculars
Between Patrols: upgrade hydrophones to KDG
Patrol 2: start at W'haven, assigned grid BF16, this time we go the long way (N of Scotland, Ireland). My log (BTW, is there a convenient way to keep a log in-game?) of the first days:
Code:
W'hafen 1939
08 31
1600 leave port
1700 part. cloudy, wind 8kn N
exercise: man deck gun, load HE, return to watch
1831 radio msg.: war starts, "no attacks!" "waiting positions" - continue plotted course
09 01
0400 overcast, wind 15kn SSW
2000 radio msg. "Poland hostile", rest:neutral
09 02
0730 position: 150nm E of Lerwin
1700 position: 80+ nm NE of Shetland (+ 75|76 78|79 ) HDG 270
09 03
0000 position: 80nm N of NW end Shetland Is. (+ AF 74|75 77|78 )
overcast, wind 15kn SSW
0211 radio msg: "at war with GB, attack merchants", continue course (peri / surface)
0600 position: 190 nm N of Scapa Flow
1000 position: (+ AE96|AF74 AE99|AF77 ) HDG 247
1400 radio msg: attack troops, escorted, hostile action targets
1551 radio msg: attack British ships
1553 radio msg: do not attack French, only defense
1948 radio msg: SSS 56°44'N 14°05' W "Athenia" - too far
2101 radio msg: Brit., FR, AU, NZ, IN at war
2113 radio msg: SSS Polish sub (AO94)
2200 position: 30nm S of Färöer (+ AE98 AM31|AM32 ) HDG 225
0904
0800 overcast, wind 15kn SSW
1202 radio msg: "do not attack passenger ships (even in convoy)"
1809 radio msg: enemy AE83 HDG WNW 18kn (dist. 320 nm)
09 05
0000 position: 15nm NE of intersect (+ AM29 AM43|AM51 ) HDG 190 13kn
0600 position: (+ AM43|AM51 AM46|AM54 ) HDG S, peri depth, 6 kn (ETA BF16: Sept 8 0800 - 72 h)
0830 SSS 45°29'N 9°45'W "Bosnia" (Biscaya)
Battery 50% (in 2,5h 50% ???) - surface
0855 Battery 100%
0905 radio msg: Convoy AM49, course NE, spd 5kn (dist: 100+ nm)
1005 set course 230 to intercept convoy in 6-7 hrs at 10kn
1212 Merchant ship - dist 4km BRG 005, new course 210 to get side view and torpedo angle
1219 Identify British flag, Passenger/Cargo 2-3km BRG 030
1222 2 torp T1, 1 hit 1 miss. Surface. Deck gun
1225 * she's going down. 2k+ GRT. continue towards intercept approx. 40nm at 10kn, ETA 1630
1302 radio msg: SSS "Pluvoise" (off Gibraltar)
1401 radio msg: SSS "Royal Sceptre" (Biscaya)
1523 radio msg: "Large Convoy" AM49, course NE, 5kn (dist approx 10nm) - peri depth, slow
1540 Contact: "Warship Medium Speed Closing! Bearing 342! Long range!"
1549 more contacts (merchants), Silent Running HDG 130
1600 7 contacts (1 warship, 6 commercial)
1630 more than 15 ships in convoy. Dist 12km.
OMG, it's a huge convoy ... should I try to take out the warship (destroyer maybe, or frigate?) first? It worked in the Naval Academy exercise.
But who knows how many more destroyers there are?
Hm, in real life it was past midnight, so I postpone the decision.
What a long day ...
SAVE and EXIT
over and out,
Helmut
----
edit Nov.15: changed rank to
Lt zS as I'm only starting my career.