First Career w/ GWX

[Kaptlt.Endrass]

So, this will be my first real career (started already), with GWX 3.0 no less. It will be a forum only LP( no youtube account) and if I could get pointers from you all, that would be much appreciated.
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Kapitanleutnant Seigwart Maurus
Date: 2/5/40, 0521
Command: U-46, Type VIIB
Wilhemshaven

l finish loading to find my u-bot at dock.The band is playing, the nurses waving, and the guy on the motorcycle still isnt moving. I order us to ahead full, and we slide away into the gray morning. Once out of the bay and getting a good look at the KMS Bismarck, we slow down to one-third. Because of the GWX no renown, we will bypass our grid and patrol the Bay of Biscay.

Along the way, we encouner only a small merchant in the wide part of the Channel, to which we give a small amount of 88mm shells before she goes down. Thinking they know the way home, I leave the lifeboats and exit Der Känal.

After sailing around in the BF area for some time, a small,slow convoy is reported, and we puruse. It is March 2, and by the time of our intercept, the night is nearly done. A single destroyer appears to be a lone defender, and my crew knows this one's in the bag. We sneak into postion and unleah hell. Our first victims were a C3 and a small troop ship, both of which are sunk. As we reload the tubes, I throw out a stern shot on the destroyer, a V&W class. It barely misses, passing through the engines' wake. With a fully efficent crew, we reload quickly and send our next targets, a lage merchant and the V&W to the bottom. We surface and sink three large ships before running out of ammo for the 88. We leave the convoy with our bow towards home.

We pull into Wilhemshaven, spirits high and the daytime quiet reveals no issues. Someone offers drinks, and we end there, 28145 tons under our belt. Only one target was French, the rest British.
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This is the first of many reports, which will be spaced out few and far between, as I have limited time in general to even get on now.


(Realism:55%: Limited O2, fuel, ammo, etc, no WP assistance, manual targeting, realistic reload and duds, external camera for eye-candy, and event cam)

[banryu79]

Nice job with the destroyer, kaleun
Btw, GWX apart, which other mods are you using? If you use JSGME it would be nice if you could post your "activeted mod list"

[Kaptlt.Endrass]

I am only using GWX3, nothing else.

[Kaptlt.Endrass]

Patrol 6
Kapitanleutnant Siegwart Maurus
Date:3/4/40, 1328
Command:U-65,Type IXB
Lorient,France

It's been a long time since we've been at sea. I had finally saved up enough renown to buy one of the new Type IXs and will have some fun with it when the US comes into the war. Until then, we pull away from shore and navigate through a very unusual harbor thinking 'Who designed this?' Soon, we are running through the Bay of Biscay, headed to Cape Town.

As we are passing Gibraltar, we start picking up radar signals and go under to be safe. Lo and behold, we hear a convoy. Still getting used to the new sub, I check the fuel levels, amazed to see it only at 76 or so precent. We maneuver into a good strike position, running about 45 degrees into the convoy, which appears to be a mix of French and British ships. I set my eyes on a big ore carrier and let three torpedoes away, saving the last for another target. The eels hit the carrier, two out of three, and she goes under. About five minutes later, as I am about to try for a small tanker, my hydrophone operator picks up warship contacts seconds before the pinging starts. There is a fair amount, and I simply throw my two fish ahead of the tanker before diving to 25 meters. Then it starts....

On the first pass, I take a page out of the BdU handbook and veer hard to port just after we lose contact. However, a second and third destroyer are close behind, and together leave me with a damaged flak gun and aft crew quarters. We went onto silent running () and hoped for the best. The next few runs cause us to lose some oil, damages the electric engine room and the props. I dive to 75 meters and pull a 180, but the destroyers refuse to leave. We manage to get away, but the damage we sustained is too serious to continue on. We have about 50 percent of the fuel left, heavy damage aft, and our attack scope is destroyed. We do have confirmation of a hit on the small tanker, which put our amazing patrol tonnage at 13452 tons. Not horrible, but.... We head home and are buzzed by a squadron of Swordfish. With the batteries destroyed, we fight them off and return home.
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So this was not fun to say the least. Donitz will be mad when he finds out what happens when I get new toys though. But anyway, any pointers for an attack like this that I should follow?

[banryu79]

Old Karl, probably, will tell you: "Be more aggressive!".

I can observe that with a more careful and complete observation of the target (with the aim of ascertain quantity and position/behavoiur of the escorts) prior to engagement you could probably have planned a more informed attack

[Kaptlt.Endrass]

I did observe the convoy. I didn't expect three of the four escorts to come after me , so the game apparently did not like me then.
And when I sent a report, I was indeed told 'Be more aggressive'

[Kaptlt.Endrass]

Patrol 7
Kapitanleutnant Seigwart Maurus
Date:4/8/40, 0039
Command:U-65,Type IXB
Base: Lorient, France

We are finally repaired and are ready to return to sea. The sub has a full load of torpedoes, a new flak tower with two double-barreled 20mm cannons on it, and an experienced crew. After talking it over with the crew, we plan on exacting revenge on the British for attempting to sink us off of Africa. Our course: To any and all British Empire port. We slide out of harbor and set a course for the Celtic Sea.

Entering the Celtic, we turn east and bypass Swansea, headed to Merthyr. Along the way, we encounter two seperate large cargos, sunk with the 10,5 for 6227 and 6384 tons, respectively. We are buzzed by two Hurricanes at 1632, as the sky is turning grey. Refusing to let our position out, I commandeer the flak myself and take them down. By 1800, we rest at periscope depth in Merthyr harbor, waiting to strike.

At 1820 (Mark), we up the scope and have a look. There is a lone ASW trawler doing a routine search pattern, another large cargo, an ammunition ship, and what might be an A class destroyer behind the seawall. I set my sights on the large cargo as we move into position, taking down range and setting up a perfect 90 degree AOB. Tubes one and three are fired and we down scope, waiting for impact. 30 seconds later, we up scope to see a ship in two pieces slowly retreating as we set up for our next shot on the ammo ship. Following the same procedure after no reaction from the ASW trawler, we fire another two torpedoes and turtle the ammunition ship. Finally, we head on over to the correctly identified A class and send out our stern shot, crippling her. We enter into the breakwaters as I plan my next daring move. We surface and open fire on the trawler with the deck gun and me on the flak while the seawall takes the hits. We sink her, adding 5023, 7003, 183, and 98 tons to our KTB. Next stop, Scapa Flow.

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U-65 KTB
4/27/40
0218
Kapitanleutnant Seigwart Maurus

Entered Scapa Flow from the west and spotted HMS Courageous-class carrier. Fired two spreads from the forward tubes, 3 critical damaging hits scored and large explosions observed. Considered sunk, returning to base.
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(Take that Tommy. That'll teach you not to screw with me.)


30 days later after no more contact with the enemy other than taking pictures of the White Cliffs of Dover, we return to Lorient extremely successful, with over 52000 tons under our belt with minimal damage sustained. We''ve earned a mess of medals, including the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and multiple Uboat clasps for the crew. Going ashore, I believe our revenge mission was accomplished.
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And that , my friends, is why the British have blocked all movement into Scapa unless it's from the south, as well as why the mined the Channel. Sorry for the late update, this one took some time.