English Channel

[VIICDriver]

I for one doubt I am ever going there again. Have lost careers there thanks to strking mines! It's a long ride all the way around but guess that is what I'll have to do!

Hit a mine on the last one right in the middle of the "neck" adjacent to Dover.Ship sank and struck the bottom hard but was intact. Was able to actually work on her for about 10 minutes before it stated that she was lost. Can you survive a mine strike? I never have but thought I may be able to this time. Oh well was only 4th patrol. Guess I was due to begin a new one!

Back to Sep 1 1939 for me. If it takes 10 years I'll survive a war! Going second flotilla with the VII for this one. Maybe it will be fruitful.

Chuck

[mookiemookie]

I play "dead is dead" and I have lost more than a couple careers there on my first patrol, without ever firing a shot....all because I was trying to be cute and skate through. Everytime I've hit a mine, I haven't survived. The flooding gets me every time.

No more Channel runs for me, EVER! :nope:

[VIICDriver]

Yeah dead is dead here as well, Was fun surfing the Channel back with SH3 vanilla but that was the past. I'm not going in there anymore.

Oh well, new career is off to a great start, halfway through 1st patrol using some new listening techniques I've already bagged a large cargo, 2-C2's and a coastal. Plenty of fish left and heading now for a great hunting spot before coming back around the north of Britain for a return to Wilhemshaven.

Chuck

[Jimbuna]

It is possible to survive a mine but often your boat is travelling at such a rate of knots you hit the next mine ahead before you know it and that usually seals your fate :yep:

One word of advice...KEEP OUT OF THE ENGLISH CHANNEL!! :up:

[SuperSoaker2000]

try getting past the subnets near the islands getting into scalpa flow for a real treat :O)

[Sailor Steve]

It's "Scapa".

[Biggles]

No, it's a treat. Didn't you see what he wrote?:roll:

[Sailor Steve]

Half the time I can't see what *I* wrote!:dead:

[VIICDriver]

Speaking of Scapa is the passage through there mined? I do not mean the area leading to the actual port but just the passage through there. I could cut some miles off my trip going through there and rarely do I get any decent hunting going around it to the north anyway. (In the early years of course, I have never survived long enough to see the US enter the war!)

Chuck

[mookiemookie]

Speaking of Scapa is the passage through there mined? I do not mean the area leading to the actual port but just the passage through there. I could cut some miles off my trip going through there and rarely do I get any decent hunting going around it to the north anyway. (In the early years of course, I have never survived long enough to see the US enter the war!)

Chuck

I tend to use that passage, and I have not run into any mines. But then again, I usually start my careers in 1940 or '41 and leave out of France so my experiences may not be as extensive as others. But I seriously doubt that area is mined. You just have to watch out for DD's coming and going out of base! ;)

[TarJak]

The Eastern entrance to Scapa is not mined, just a few old wreckships placed as a blockade. The Western entrance has mines and nets and the Southern entrance has only nets I think, but a few more patrolling escorts.

[d@rk51d3]

I take the eastern channel too, then follow the coast north into scapa. I generally get detected on my way back out, but if you follow the land closesly, it makes it alot harder for the mongrels to approach you without running themselves aground.

[P_Funk]

You guys think the channel is tough wait til GWX. Avoid the mines and you might meet a DD and in shallow water you are boned. Get spotted by aircraft and you'll be marked.

[Jimbuna]

You guys think the channel is tough wait til GWX. Avoid the mines and you might meet a DD and in shallow water you are boned. Get spotted by aircraft and you'll be marked.

Now theres an experience to behold :arrgh!:

[melnibonian]

You guys think the channel is tough wait til GWX. Avoid the mines and you might meet a DD and in shallow water you are boned. Get spotted by aircraft and you'll be marked.

Oh yes I've lost count how many times I've died so far :oops: :oops:

[Respenus]

One word of advice...KEEP OUT OF THE ENGLISH CHANNEL!! :up:

Listen to the man of wisdom.

I would never dare to enter the channel in GWX. I dare not fight one DD, yet alone the British Holy Ground!

[stabiz]

I have counted my deaths. I`m up to twelve now, and its december 1941. :huh: (One death was due to drunkenness, but I guess that happened too:D)

My death rate has plummeted after I stopped goint to the shallows and the channel, though, but I`m actually scared when I play nowadays.

[Sailor Steve]

The Eastern entrance to Scapa is not mined, just a few old wreckships placed as a blockade. The Western entrance has mines and nets and the Southern entrance has only nets I think, but a few more patrolling escorts.
It was nice of modders to put that entranc there, as it isn't in the stock game. It should, however, be heavily mined starting in December 1939. After the sinking of the Royal Oak they didn't just ignore it.

[Lzs von swe]

Hi all, just got back to Kiel 05.30, Dec. 24 -40 after a patrol to grid BF15 in U-9.
She´s a type 2a boat so going the "long way" was not an option, but going through the Channel was not something I wanted to do since I lost another Boat there in my first TGW career. But orders are orders, so I plotted a course so close to the coast that I could all the way to a position north off Brest and then the same way back home. We passed Calais on the surface in the middle off the night on the way out, and on the return run it was heavy fog so I think we got lucky.
The scary thing is that I will have to do it again. 28 days to the next patrol. When does the 1´st Flottila move to Brest in TGW?

[Jimbuna]

Hi all, just got back to Kiel 05.30, Dec. 24 -40 after a patrol to grid BF15 in U-9.
She´s a type 2a boat so going the "long way" was not an option, but going through the Channel was not something I wanted to do since I lost another Boat there in my first TGW career. But orders are orders, so I plotted a course so close to the coast that I could all the way to a position north off Brest and then the same way back home. We passed Calais on the surface in the middle off the night on the way out, and on the return run it was heavy fog so I think we got lucky.
The scary thing is that I will have to do it again. 28 days to the next patrol. When does the 1´st Flottila move to Brest in TGW?

June 41 :up:

[KevinB]

I've actually made it through the Channel by hugging the French coastline. This is in 1940, I have'nt tried after this... maybe too afraid.

[Lzs von swe]

June 41 :up:

That means at least 2 patrols, not using the real dates option in Sh3 Commander when will the type VII boats be available in 1 Flotilla in TGW? I am not going to upgrade U-9 or take a 2d.

[Jimbuna]

June 41 :up:

That means at least 2 patrols, not using the real dates option in Sh3 Commander when will the type VII boats be available in 1 Flotilla in TGW? I am not going to upgrade U-9 or take a 2d.

Should be the same time..you have a choice of ether type VIIB or VIIC :up:

[Lzs von swe]

June 41 :up:

That means at least 2 patrols, not using the real dates option in Sh3 Commander when will the type VII boats be available in 1 Flotilla in TGW? I am not going to upgrade U-9 or take a 2d.

Should be the same time..you have a choice of ether type VIIB or VIIC :up:

Thanks:up:

Tough times ahead for K Behrendts and crew on board the U-9:D

[Lzs von swe]

0645, March 14 -41.
U-9 is back in Kiel after her 10´th patrol, the second through the Channel. This time she got strafed with machinegun fire from a torpedo boat when passing Calais, attacked by 2 Hurricanes outside Dieppe and on the return she was bombed by the Luftwaffe:-? Ok, they where attacking an Armed Trawler, but they missed by at least 100m. Luckily we where at some 20m deep so there was no damage.

U-9 goes to training duty and Behrendts gets a new VIIc to the next patrol:up:

[Jimbuna]

Congratulations :up:

Good Hunting :D

[Phoenix3000]

This was my Channel experience from last night!

End of October 1939, 2nd patrol - type VIIB out of Wilhelmsaven:

I had quarter load of fuel, and had just attacked a convoy south of Ireland, off Cork (18 ships and 3 escorts. Only managed to sink a tanker with 2 torps and damaged 2 others. Due to the violent storm & rain visibility was VERY low).

Weather was still bad, and I only had one torp left, now loading into the stern tube.

Measuring up the distance - either head back the way I came - around the whole of the UK via Scotland, or the more direct route, I decided to head through the Channel as dusk was approaching. Set a course in favour of the French coastline and went to periscope depth at ahead full. As I approached the Channel my sonarman picked up a destroyer heading West out of the Channel. Set full-stop, silent running and increased depth slowly. Let her pass without any problems. Once gone I resumed course - only to pick up another contact, this time sounds of a merchant.

So, deciding to use my last torp I headed for her and set up a 90 degree stern shot from 500m away, torp at 9.5m, running fast. As she approached out of the dark night sky I could see it was a British C3 (the largest one). I fired, aiming for her engine room (I always use full manual targeting without any officer assistance). Within a few seconds the torp exploded directly beneath her. And she slowly reduced speed before sinking by her stern. However, she would not go under - and I had no external deck gun ammo or any torps left. I set full stop and moved closer and waited for her to eventually sink - she didn't. Instead a destroyer appeared and circled the area for some time before moving off a lot later!

Feeling safe, I resumed my original course and approached to within 15km of the coast before heading east. It was now night so I surfaced and headed at full speed (managed 16kts). A couple of contact sightings made me dive just incase but so far, so good. As dawn approached (and weather was clearing) I was nearing Calais - the worst bit!.

I went to periscope depth, set for ahead slow and silent running with the 'hope' of sneaking through. Took forever getting past, but so-far-so-good!

Or so I thought....

When all looked clear, and sonar wasn't picking up any contacts I decided to surface and make a dash for it.

Bad move....

Next thing I know I'm manning the flak gun as a bomb exploded off the sub's portside. Fired a few rounds at the plane, but no luck - but given the shallow water I couldn't crash-dive. Out of nowhere comes a British torpedo boat firing his guns - bit of damage to the conning tower as we exchanged rounds (using the flak), before I was able to dive to around 20m.

Kept full ahead as he was circling the area - only to be joined by another!

I kept ploughing eastward at ahead full, changing crewmen to maintain full experience in the engine-room in the hope of getting another knot of speed out of them!

Sonarman then announces a contact off to port - a destroyer - then two - then three!!!

For the next hour or so I played cat and mouse with three destroyers taking some severe damage from depth-charges and losing 2 crew in the process (an officer and a petty officer).

When I finally managed to give them the slip I resumed an easterly course. I then decided to take a look at my sub from the outside to see what the damage looked like (using the . 'dot' key) - and for the first time I saw a mine - ALONGSIDE ME!!!

I was now in the middle of a minefield!!!! - surely it couldn't get any worse!!

Reduced speed to 1 knot and crawled along the seabed in a N/NE heading to get into the open sea.

After many hours I finally managed to shake off the planes, PT boats, mines and destroyers and limped back to port with 2 dead, and hull integrity at 25%!

Oh well, wasn't all bad - sank 5 large merchants and 1 tanker, and saw my first convoy on that patrol.

Well, just thought I would share that with you - the lesson has definitely been learned - AVOID THE CHANNEL !!!!!!

Px3000