Quote:
Originally Posted by palmic
I would like to share my experience with my last convoy because it could help someone with TWOS.
nothing very special, but interesting...
I was in the point of deep waters just before Edinburg, my very favorite place in eastern coast of UK..
I was pretty low on morale, because i met just fishing boats this patrole, but right now on my periodic hydrophone check i heard convoy marching from somewhere of Norway Bergen.
Beno heard nothing, my crew where more down, than me and that was something...
It was absolutelly from 72 bearing which was very directly from Bergen, so it could be Norways, i started to 4b. method - noted bearing of sound.
After next 10m i checked again, but it was the same - 72.
I decided they were moving directly against me, because i have a lot of experienced from 4b method and always, always it was changing.
Our Hydrophone simply dont have a chance to hear signal which is so distant to not move in 10 minutes if it is not directly against you.
So i decided - hearen from 72 -> +180 = their course is 252.
You know i was wating for them and from RAOBF i found they was 256!
Which means the same, you are never exact from hydropphone, but this was so near, you would not need to move if you waould be prepared.
So i was just prepared for attack from north. I fired all 4 from my 7a and sunk 2.
Convoy was unprotected and since i knew they were 6kts and i knew their course, i just moved bellow them by hydrophone, i set their course and continued next kms bellow them hidden from marching escorts.
I was lucky, because when my torpedoes started to explode, they turned in course whicih was very good for me - i was between their course and them, so i was given a chance to wait for them to join them from bellow...
AND IT REALLY WORKED! I was at nearly max speed and escorts, which were pretty near heard a ****!
After maybe 1h, i left them to the left (south) and emerged....
Attack continued after a while...
To be short, i was sunk, since i shadowed a conwoy, destroyer emerged before us and Depp said nothing, so we saw destroyer just 2kms before us and next was comming.
I was fighting whole night with their hydrophones (from saturday to sunday), but they were maybe more, than 4 above me.... after maybe 30 minutes when most of them were moving out, i openned a door between sound engineers and bridge and in that moment Johny Walker heard me - one of them was still waiting for me, totally quite to get me when i move... even after such long time...
They sunk me, it was clearly lost fight.
This is something i like good sim for. Sometimes, you have no chance.  |
Similar situation for me.
After dropping off a spy at Londonberry, I decided to head for Rockall. I cruised for two days searching, and searching, and...searching.
Heading back towards Londonberry, tc dropped to 1. 0430. First Officer said contact at 122 degrees distance 15200 kms.
Turning dur east, I inceased speed to 14 kts. Eventually sighted convoy heading ENE at 11kts.
Ahead flank! Course 65.
2hrs getting ahead enough to approach convoy at 130 degrees.
Decks awash.
5 escorts and 12 ships.
Decided to approach from 130 degrees.
I did manage to sneak in between the two port side escorts.
All stop.
Periscope depth (14 meters as this leaves periscope maybe 1 meter above waterline)
Sighted and fired 2 "fish" at the first ship second row. (sunk)
Fired 2 more "fish" second ship, outer row. (sunk)
Had enough time to reload one more fish.
Sighted, fired "fish" at third ship second row. (sunk)
Escorts started echo sounding.
Ahead slow, depth 70 meters!
It took them about 30 minutes to find me.
D/C's for the next hour.
Drop down to 100 meters. They still found me!
Drop down to 120 meters ordered "Silent Running"!
Damn engine room! I was running at 2 knts. Silent running speed went to 3 knts.
Ordered 1 kt.
Another hour of d/c's.
After about 3 hours, sound guy shows they are moving away, slowly.
Wait another 30 minutes to be sure.
Order 14 meters, ahead slow.
Pop to periscope depth, raise scope.
OH S**T!
V&W DD less than 20 meters away. "Crash Dive!"
10 minutes later...at 150 meters and heading down!
U-30 sank at 230 meters, all hands lost. 28/12/40, grid square AM51.
7 Patrols, 98236 tons sank.