The sinking (or not?) of HMS Nelson

[GJO]

I am still playing SH3 with GWX and the Mods listed below. Shortly after starting a new career, for my 3rd patrol I was ordered to patrol off the Norwegian Coast in support of Operation Weserübung. After completing my initial patrol I followed the 'friendly' destroyers and merchants that were heading for Narvik. On April 13th, 1940, I was in Ofotfjord and received a contact report of an approaching enemy task force. I edged into one of the inlets on the northern shore of a very narrow part of the fjord and submerged to periscope depth, with everything stopped and rigged for silent running. Eventually, I picked up the sound of fast approaching warships on the Hydrophone. I prepared to fire a spread of four torpedoes and waited. When the approaching ships seemed to be very close I raised the periscope and could see several destroyers and a very large warship - the leading destroyers swept past me leaving a clear shot at the large warship which would pass at a distance of approximately 1500 Metres. I downed periscope immediately after firing. I heard three of my torpedoes explode - the fourth failed to detonate. I stayed down and could hear the destroyers going backwards and forwards but I remained undiscovered. When all had been quiet for a reasonable time, I took another look with the periscope but could see no sign of any ships. I ventured out slowly into the fjord and headed toward Narvik, still submerged and silent, after a short distance I picked up the large warship ahead of me - there was a lot of smoke and it was partially rolled to starboard but it was still moving very slowly. I tried to get close enough to use my stern torpedo on it but whenever I raised the periscope its small calibre weapons fired on me and I was forced to retreat until it was out of range.

A few hours passed before it was safe to surface for air and reload the torpedoes. I then went back to my earlier 'ambush' hole and waited submerged for another opportunity. Presently, the destroyers returned travelling at high speed - I fired at two of them but my torpedoes missed or failed to detonate and they passed oblivious to my presence. I had only just managed to reload when I picked up another warship travelling much more slowly - it was the same one that I had hit earlier but with no sign of damage and no longer making heavy smoke. It was, however, travelling quite slowly and, this time, I managed to hit it with two out of the three forward torpedoes that I had left. This time it stopped and I was able to move into position to fire my last torpedo from the stern - that also hit and the crew cheered as the warship rolled over. According to the log, I had sunk HMS Nelson, 36,000 tons - so I set off back towards the North Sea and a journey home to Wilhelmshaven to refuel and re-arm. Just before leaving the dangerous waters of Ofotfjord, my look out reported a ship approaching astern of me. I submerged and watched through the periscope as what appeared to be HMS Nelson steamed past me at a good 20 knots and looking as good as new.

I had definitely sunk it - so what was this? A ghost ship or its sister ship HMS Rodney? In real life the only battleship in those waters at that time was HMS Warspite. At the end of the day, my log book says that I sunk HMS Nelson and 36,000 tons is a good score!

OK - Its only a game . . .

GJO
GWX - 16km Atmosphere
GWX - Enhanced Damage Effects
Spirit of machines
Torpedo damage Final ver2.0
Wooden_Lifeboats_Mod_1.1
LITE RADIO TRAFIC V1
Waterstream+Exhaust Combi V2.3 for GWX3
GWX - Merged Campaign
GWX - No Medals on Crew
GWX - Integrated Orders
GWX_DFa-Flag&Pens_2010
WBs Renown Replacement
Supplement to V16B1 (JSGME)

[Niume]

Did you saved or closed your game just after sinking rodney?

[GJO]

No - I just carried on playing.