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Old 10-27-11, 03:36 PM   #379
GlobalExplorer
Admiral
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Berlin
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We return to the East Coast around Cape Hatteras where we spot a Dutch merchant. Hm, I thought they capitulated in 1940?

anyway the sea is bad again so it's time for another surface attack.



He spots us and runs away but I overtake him with full speed



and swing around at the right moment for an almost perfect 90 degree angle.



Torpedoes away, first hits.



The second hits the same ouch-spot and he sinks.



After this we operate a bit more to the South, around Charleston. So close to the coast, we get several visits by aircraft, at times it's too close for comfort! I should have taken notice, as we will see ..

Looks like a Catalina .. usually you should not see the planes so close ..



The storm gets even worse, no way we can attack anothing in a U-boat .



Finally the weather improved an we spot another ship. It's from .. Panama. Well, I have no idea if I should sink ships from Panama or not. Should I? I really did not want to sink neutrals just for easy tonnage.

I decide to investigate on the surface. First I am about to let him go because he doesnt take evasive action, so it means he could be neutral.

But suddenly he starts to shoot at me! That way he makes it easy to decide on his neutrality.



Luckily they can't aim. All the same it may be too dangerous to use the deck gun, and thanks to our previous resupply we have lots of torpedoes. I go to persicope depth in the last minute and fire two torpedoes again, both are hits.



That was the third sinking and we have 15.000 tons. I would like to go home, but I still have a lot of torpedoes, so the order is to stay.



But I am sure you notice the weather is perfect and I am in range of the coast, and aircraft. I should have paid attention to that! I turns out the first, and last mistake I made in this career.

So, soon after, just when it appears to turn into a promising career our luck runs out. Out of a clear sky another airplane spots us and throws several depth charges right upon us. It must have been very bad luck or we were hit by an expert. So much for the US planes not being able to harm you yet ..



I realize too late, the damage is extensive. At 200m even blowing ballast doesn't hold us. No one can do any repairs, we go deeper and deeper. At 400m the light goes out and we are sunk. Good to know the crush depth of our boat was so good .. over 300m



Sunk by an airplane. It does not feel right. Lesson learned is that it's damn hard time to begin a career and my tactics from the happy times won't do it any more. Aircraft are no joke, and I needed a more experienced crew that might have spotted them much earlier. I also should have blown ballast earlier, that way I could have made it to the surface and fight it out with the flak. Perhaps.



At least I am somewhat consoled by the fact that my aiming was good, with simple tactics, and without fancy calculations. Out of six torpedoes fired, five were hits, one was a dud. Under better circumstances, and with more caution I could have made a really successful patrol and return with an experienced crew.

But the decision to go to the US Coast in order to get quick success turned out to be unlucky. Next time I should go into the Mid Atlantic, where I want to see some really exciting convoy battles.
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