U-Valhalla - tell me your death story, Herr Kaleun

[Abd_von_Mumit]

I think it would be interesting to gather stories about our last moments in the game.

First it's always good to hear a good story.

Second we should never waste a possibility to learn something new.

Third we could then make a statistics report on how we usually die, when, where, why... (of course it's Bernard at most). This info could be useful for modders but also for other players (to avoid death). I've always liked to play with statistics (you know, those numbers, schemas, tables, functions) and if you give some details, I'll try to present a kind of "death chart". :)

So please do not hesitate to tell your death story, Herr Kaleun. It would be best to stick to career stories, I think. We are much more cautions when playing in career mode than in single mission, as we want to save our achievements and beloved crew. Let us know:
- what killed you (DD, rock, plane, friendly fire, Bernard),
- with what it killed you (depth charges, ramming, mine, subnet, gunfire),
- where you were killed (port or see, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Baltic, North See, Scapa Flow),
- when you were killed (night or day?, month, year),
- why do you think you were killed (cockiness, poor equipment, accident, bad luck),
- do you think you made some mistakes that caused the disaster?

Provide as many details, as you can and wish - weather, type of boat, enemy characteristics... Just anything can be important.

Every story will be read. Every Kaleun will be listened carefully. All of us deserve our place in U-Valhalla.

[Vacillator]

Okay, here's a quick one (adapted from my post elsewhere).

I found HMS Rodney in a convoy into which I'd infiltrated nicely and got lined up perferctly for the kill. Then I started making my mistakes! Fired tubes 1 and 2 at her, but got greedy and fired 3 and 4 at a large merchant. Meantime 1 and 2 hit and Rodney opened up on me (even though I was at periscope depth). I didn't last long!

Presumably I should have given her at least 3 straight away and made myself scarce...

The convoy was off Ireland, heading for Liverpool I'd guess. Early 1940.

[Abd_von_Mumit]

I'm not good at telling stories, but these two are going to be short ones.

First death kissed me when I tried to go through Der Kanal (La Manche or English Channel). Mistake followed mistake... First mistake was trying to pass Der Kanal. Second: I run at 10 knots speed that was much too fast. Third: I did it on day with good weather and high visibility. Fourth: Of course I was surfaced. Fifth: I was running (I hear you laughing loud) at 4096 time compression... When I saw "Ship spotted" report it was much too late to do anything. A destroyer damaged my sonar before I managed to dive, so I was completely blind under the water. Her friends came very soon, some 2-3 more destroyers and other smaller units, like trawlers/patrol craft. No chances in such shallow waters. I couldn't believe that, but I was still able to live for 15 hours... But finally they got me in the morning, when my batteries went flat and the oxygen went to the red area... DC-d to death. Type IXB, February '40.

Second time it was much faster. Somewhere around AM52 I prepared for an attack on an east-bound convoy. Went sumberged, silent running, machines stopped, waited for the convoy to get closer, all the time listening at the sonar (never raised my scope). Then the lead escort started to ping me (?!). I immediately ordered 2 knts and dived deeper. When it stopped pinging and went to attack run, I ordered flank speed and hard turn left. I was still like about only 20 metres deep. She dropped her depth charges very precisely. After the first boom I saw multiple damage reports and immediately after the second and third blasts I saw the death screen. Had no time to switch to the damage control room. Launched a 'blind' spread of torpedoes, don't know if any of them hit anything. Type IXB, December '40.

[bigboywooly]

Patrol in 1940 in a IXB
Forget the grid

Came across a large convoy in real bad fog
I should have shadowed and waited till weather cleared but being greedy thought I would press the attack

Made a side on attack , aiming for the furthest column I could see and managed to hit 3 ships - sinking one tanker
Warships seemed to head for the opposite side of the convoy so rode my luck and continued to load torps while keeping pace with the convoy and heading into the middle rows
One of my earlier hits went down too
Managed to load bow torps and fired again on another 2 tankers
Both of these sank
Managed to hit a small ship with the stern tube that also sank
Now I had 57000 tons
All I had left were external fish and should have just broke off contact and crept away
The escorts had no idea where I was

So like a dumbass I surfaced to decks awash while running in the middle of the convoy
Could barely see the ships either side and none of them put lights on so I carried on
I could hear a DD in the distance dropping DC but they were way of where I was

All of a sudden I get " Warship spotted short range closing fast 001 "
Spun around to see a destroyer on a collision course at high speed
Impact
Screen of death

Uboat destroyed by collision

[Abd_von_Mumit]

All of a sudden I get " Warship spotted short range closing fast 001 "
Spun around to see a destroyer on a collision course at high speed
Impact
Screen of death

Uboat destroyed by collision
And that was a brave death. Almost a knight's one against a barbarian horde alone! :rock:

[Biggles]

long time ago, while playing stock SH3, I was searching for targets outside Florida in shallow waters....it was heavy fog...


that bloody DD came out of nowere....I was dead before I even could think "Holy sh...:"

[Sailor Steve]

It was on my third day of training. I was shooting my deck gun at a freighter and was very close to it when it exploded. Everyone on the bridge was killed, including one of the Kriegsmarine's top instructors.

[WOD]

Patrol in 1940 in a IXB
Forget the grid

Came across a large convoy in real bad fog
I should have shadowed and waited till weather cleared but being greedy thought I would press the attack

Made a side on attack , aiming for the furthest column I could see and managed to hit 3 ships - sinking one tanker
Warships seemed to head for the opposite side of the convoy so rode my luck and continued to load torps while keeping pace with the convoy and heading into the middle rows
One of my earlier hits went down too
Managed to load bow torps and fired again on another 2 tankers
Both of these sank
Managed to hit a small ship with the stern tube that also sank
Now I had 57000 tons
All I had left were external fish and should have just broke off contact and crept away
The escorts had no idea where I was

So like a dumbass I surfaced to decks awash while running in the middle of the convoy
Could barely see the ships either side and none of them put lights on so I carried on
I could hear a DD in the distance dropping DC but they were way of where I was

All of a sudden I get " Warship spotted short range closing fast 001 "
Spun around to see a destroyer on a collision course at high speed
Impact
Screen of death

Uboat destroyed by collision

Now I´m glad to see I´m not alone with this :lol:
Nearly same happened to me in the north of the Canarian Islands.

But I was better in one thing....the collsion with the Black Swan was not the only one....2 made it right to get me nearly the same time....and all two collided with me at full speed...the 2nd 5 seconds later as the first...2 Black Swans vs a single UBoat from typ IX C....

Fate was same as u had....and I have had over 70000 tons sunk from that convoy.

[bigboywooly]

lol
Glad I am not alone

[stabiz]

I think "greed" could be put up as cause of death in 99% of the cases. I constantly tell myself "Get out, get out, go silent and deep" when I get the oh so alluring itch for JUST ONE MORE torpedo at the convoy.

Will be back with death-tale, gotta watch Dexter first.

[bigboywooly]

Dexter ?

[WOD]

lol
Glad I am not alone

Since this one time when this happend I´ve never ever fallen in madness that way lol.

But in another way I have been mad which has end in my Uboats death too....was on patrol in early 41 ...PG was EK77....found only one destroyer, followed from a Pyro and a large cargo.....ok lots of torps still have had.....so I invaded freetown. Bad weather and heavy fog. All ok sunk one passenger liner....one large cargo, a large tanker and a medium tanker. One armed trawler...I have had sunk on the way in. Heard one DD pinging for me outside the port.....running against the wall and couldn´t get me (seen with the free cam)....and finally I thought he was mad. So as no more ships were in sight I decided to surface and leave on flank speed. Before that I have had already plottet my course outside the harbour.

Now the mad thing begun....after that patrol I wanted to eat something and drink coffee....so I thought no more danger in here....and left pc alone running TC on 4....half a minute....set on coffee on the coffee machine.....was not more than half a minute.....on my way back to the pc from the kitchen I heard the crackling of ramming something....I began to run....lol and when I was on PC....Screen of death was on screen....collision....this was in fact the most mad thing I ever have done when playing SHIII....never ever leaving not paused when playing SHIII.

[Iron Budokan]

Heavy fog during the day and I was motoring on the surface trying to approach the convoy. All of a sudden a friggin' DD flies out of nowhere from the fog and slams into me. Death screen.

I sit there my jaw agape staring at the screen. I play DiD but I was momentarily trying to convince myself this was just a mistake and I really should reboot from my last saved game because that DD appearing out of nowhere like that wasn't really fair.

But then I accepted reality and started a new career.

DDs get me more than anything else, usually either by ramming or depth charges. Planes are a bother but I've never been killed by one...yet. Of course, I've also never lived much past June of '43, either.

When I look back over my careers it seems to me I've been killed more often than not because of my impatience. Just want to get that one last torp fired off at the convoy or try to sneak deeper inside the convoy to get the juicy targes instead of using my head and playing smart. (Which, admittedly for me, is sometimes a difficult concept to pull off anyway! :rotfl: )

[Ducimus]

Since im at work, i cant spend the time to write up a short story. So i'll point to the story that ive already written. Both are of the same boat, in the same career game.

Here i barely survived:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=224838&postcount=1

Here my luck ran out:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=226182&postcount=1

Most action packed career game ive ever had i think.

[Abd_von_Mumit]

I sit there my jaw agape staring at the screen. I play DiD but I was momentarily trying to convince myself this was just a mistake and I really should reboot from my last saved game because that DD appearing out of nowhere like that wasn't really fair.

But then I accepted reality and started a new career.
Man, why are you describing me?! The same every time I get killed: "That shouldn't have happened, it was not fair, she wasn't supposed to be there, I should be still live and kicking... Lets reboot! But... but... no... the pleasure from my game would go away and never come back... Ok, new career. You freak!!"

My third GWX career, two nights ago. The first time I decided to do a surface night attack in bad weather (heavy rain, storm, extremely poor visibility), grid AM52, October '40. My type IXB performed very well. We started with sinking the lead escort (Q&R Class destroyer) with 1 torpedo (a safe shot with an electric torpedo from a really short distance) and stayed unspotted. Then we placed ourselves in the very middle of the convoy and started shooting. Scored many hits (like 8), but only two ships went down, the rest was still sailing, not even a bit slower. We wanted to make them down before we leave... Started reloading external torpedoes while still sailing in the middle of the convoy. Suddenly two beams of light were aimed at us from a small merchant, followed immediately by some flares shining like sun. After a while we managed to hide in the darkness again and the lights were gone - we believed we're safe again. But that was not true, as the alerted ascorts were just on their way to our spot. When we spotted the corvette, she was very close. Crash dived with some minor damage in the aft torpedo room and we were sent straight to the bottom with a few depth charges a while after.

What a shame... On the first patrol. :/ My first watch officer told me he'll never speak to me again. And that's definitely true, as he's not going to speak to anybody any more.

[Tachyon]

July 1940, Type VII-B

Found an unescorted convoy somewhere off Western France, also was the first time I saw German bombers attacking a convoy. I Managed to torpedo a merchant's propellor off.

Now, to add insult to injury, I made a victory loop around the static Merchant while surfaced (at very close range , around 10 m :o ) . Just as I finished the loop, BOOM! :damn: I was hit by bombs from a German JU . My deck crew almost got pwned, the impact actually pushed my sub onto the bloody merchant, and that crippled my rudder.

I heaved a sigh of relief that the sub was still afloat, while allotting repairs and trying to steer clear, I heard another explosion, courtesy a German bomber.

R.I.P Karl Heinz Schneider.
Sunk by Aircraft :down:

[Brag]

11 May 1941, 5th day of patrol. U-103 IXB. 200 miles west of Gibraltar. U-boat lost with all hands.

With accute perspicacity, I intercepted the large zigzagging convoy at 0315. The weather had turned sour: Moderate seas, rain. Without seeing escorts found myself amid a bunch of small freighters. Managed to get intermittent sightings of a large and a medium merchant. Launched four torpedoes at extreme range. 2 exploded prematurely, one missed. One hit: Large merchant sank immediately. Following my own dictums dove silently to 200 meters. Was not bothered by escorts.

Clear of the convoy, surfaced, plotted intercept for the following evening. followed plotted course at TC32, dealing with tired crew and torpedo reload.

Crash, bang "Das Boot ist bescheldig."
"Alaaarm."
We crash dived. Conning tower, flasck & DG, forward crew, aft crew, electric motors, aft torpedo compartments damaged.

Evaluating: Damage was not severe.
Pinging, destroyer rumbles overhead. We qre at 30 meters (I had slowed the dive not to agravate damage.
"wasserbomben."
Ahead flank. We avoided the DCs.
Off silent running, fixed leaks. Damage under control. Continue dive to 80 meters. Back to silent running.
Destroyer makes another pass. Depth charges explode some distance away.
Haha, we've made it. 5 minutes later we are at 100 meters. The destroyer makes another pass.
End of career :nope:

Analysis
Mistake number one. Proceeding in vicinity of convoy in low visibility at more than TCx1
Not considering convoy would change course.
Getting too smug about destroyer's capabilities, not avoiding depth charges by going flank at the moment of drop until the misses were at a greater distance.
Forgot to keep turning ALL the time.
Conclusion: After many succesful attacks, captain got overconfident.

Read the advice on convoy attacks on my webbie. If you don't get overconfident, they will work until you make a mistake.

[Keelbuster]

Since im at work, i cant spend the time to write up a short story. So i'll point to the story that ive already written. Both are of the same boat, in the same career game.

Here i barely survived:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=224838&postcount=1

Here my luck ran out:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=226182&postcount=1

Most action packed career game ive ever had i think.
Omg Ducimus - the dead-in-the-water sinking was awesome. I've never had that kind of slow-sink. My deaths have almost always been sudden and shocking.

My last two careers had the insta-crunch depth-charge demise. The lead-ups were different, but in both cases I was detected in calm waters, dove and was hit at medium depth by the escort's first or second depth charge run. In one case i had time to press F7, and in the other it was lights out, and before the lights came back on I had the screen o' death.

I did have one death where i had time to panic and scramble about the damage control screen. It was during one of my early careers, U-47, a VIIB. I was late in the career, with a whole lot of tonnage under my belt. I was in the med, and I had just sunk KGV without being detected, and I was heading back to Spezia.

Mid-day, clear weather, detected by a Catalina. I ordered crash dive, but it was on top of me as my stern was disappearing. It dropped a cluster of five or six bombs right onto my back. I started taking on water all over but the engines were still intact. I switched to damage control and started assigning folks. Transferring sailors took a few seconds and in that time my boat started to lean into a _steep_, 45 degreeish dive, and I was still travelling at flank. The added weight was actually speeding me up, so i was plummeting into the bottomless abyss. I panicked, froze, then hit all reverse and blew ballasts. It was too late to have any effect, and the boat sailed way into the red. I forget the point at which she cracked, but there was certainly time to clench. That's where I started playing DiD - despite my shock, i was sunk fair and square.

full story (sorry about the screenshot loadageddon):

http://www.dontgethurt.ca/arthur_glog/#363

This is my kinda thread.

Kb

[Prince Kassad]

A story about how my friend lost his newest career:

First patrol, 1941, Lorient, IXB. My friend follows the escort out and then plots a course to the north atlantic, turns on full time compression and leaves the computer to cook some food while I continue to watch the game.

After some time, west of Ireland, a ship was spotted. I paused the game and told my friend about it. He told be to check what kind of ship it is. I do, and find out it's a destroyer. He runs back to the computer and immediately dives.

Then, he tries to kill the destroyer using torpedoes. He dives up to periscope depth, tubes 1 and 2 being selected. He waits for the destroyer to come closer, and then fires the eels... one problem: he forgot to open the tubes beforehand. Naturally, both torpedoes miss.

He continues to stalk the destroyer in periscope depth, trying to find a new oppurnity to attack. And indeed, after some time, he finds another great moment to strike. Tube 3 selected, opened, fired... this one didn't hit either.

After that the destroyer was too close to attack in most cases. My friend still waits for a good oppurnity. After a time the destroyer uses a ramming course. My friend then fires off another torpedo (which barely missed the depth charges, and also the destroyer who threw them) and dives down.

But the charges hit critically, and so his U-Boat is sinking down. The whole boat is slowly filling with water. My friend tries to repair it, but he hesitates too much and is not able to repair the boat fast enough to rescue it.

The boat sinks down to 230 meters, where it hits the ground. Now, half of the crew is already dead, but the boat is still working. My friend still tried to repair the damage, which is not easy with much of the crew being dead. He does manage to repair most of the boat, though.

Then, the boat dives up again. Unfortunately, too late, because shortly before passing the 200 meter mark, the boat gets crushed, at 62% hull integrity.

Luckily, it's just the first patrol, so nothing was lost. I hope my friend has learned some lessons from this.

[bigboywooly]

Your friend or you Prince :hmm:

:rotfl:

[Abd_von_Mumit]

Some good stories there, thanks a lot!

Keelbuster: I liked the story on your website. And the shots were nice too... Always good to watch a battleship sinking. :)

Prince Kassad: Your friend was very lucky to survive that long and to meet the bottom at 230 metres. Most of us aren't... And I'd NEVER leave my career in anyone's hands. :D

[High Voltage]

Hey Keelbuster,
Loved those two stories..

Peter "Ali" Cremer's memoirs of his time served aboard U-333 are an excellent read, and that particular incident with the "Crocus" is related in harrowing detail, the pictures of the conning tower looking like swiss cheese and the bent periscope do a good job of just how close a call this was.

By the way, among the men there was a saying popular in the ubootwaffe "Ali Cremer is as good as Life Insurance"

Glad to see you escaped that particular encounter.

[DrMilton]

By the way, among the men there was a saying popular in the ubootwaffe "Ali Cremer is as good as Life Insurance"


He was also called "Ali Wreck" as he managed to always come back with a really beaten up uboat. Check the story at uboat.net