danurve
03-09-07, 03:49 PM
Started this patrol thinking it would pan out much like the others. With the exception of since transferring the boat to the 7th. Flotilla getting into tracking and attacking more convoy activity. Having left St. Nazaire April 19th, `41 it wasn’t long motoring through the Bay of Biscay a search plane spotted me. Altered the plot but on the 20th. 3 PBY’s found the boats course. Managed to scratch 2 of them. Back to business and the plot towards AL96. Reports on two separate task forces start coming in. Other radio-messages* with information about the Bismarck and her success against the Hood are reported.
Checking the plot screen I notice I am somewhere in the middle of each task force, yet so far away from each of them. If I plot an intercept at full I might – just might be able to find one of them if they held course. Right, that usually works out real well against a task force traveling 15-25 knots! Typical, just my luck I thought. Not to worry in the mist of pulling hair about what to do I get a contact report of a large convoy headed WSW about a days travel away from the boats current position. Garrrr, as much as I wanted to twist it up against ANY task force once the Convoy report came in the boats task had been decided. That intercept in BE37 was quite successful btw (http://mysh3.info/danurve/u49/3_08/0_58.jpg), but depleted most of my forward fish.
I probably should be quite happy from that point, but this was difficult while receiving contact reports and radio traffic of naval activity. A few hours pass the boat was surfaced and returned to the original plot for AL96. Ship Spotted! Single Coastal BE23. Had time to set up for a stern shot and try one of these fancy electric fish (http://mysh3.info/danurve/u49/3_08/22_47.jpg). I’m a steamer fan you see. The log reports this taken in AL99, whatever.
Next set of contact reports now has the task force south of my position on a course North. The boat was about short from entering the patrol grid. I had earlier given up thinking to intercept because the original track had its position heading NE.
I caved, burning diesel at full on an intercept plot. I had to see this, with thoughts of warships in the crosshairs.
Ship Spotted! Destroyer, I overshot the plot just a tad but was able to correct to visual range (http://mysh3.info/danurve/u49/3_08/23_19.jpg). BE46.
Ship Spotted! Ark Royal Fleet Carrier (http://mysh3.info/danurve/u49/3_08/23_16.jpg), Ship Spotted! S.Hampton Cruiser (http://mysh3.info/danurve/u49/3_08/1_2.jpg), Jackpot – Yeah!! Almost crapped myself, couldn’t believe it. I’m about 4500m WNW of this task force even. Here’s the problem, I got 4 steamers left, two of them in the Stern. Its late afternoon so even if the escorts don’t hear them, you know they’ll get spotted.
What to do, may not get this close to another task force again much less capatol ships. .. Are you kidding me?
Periscope depth, set torpedo speed to high, running depth to 7.5on 1 & 7 on 4. Cranked her hard to port as soon as the last forward fish left the tube.
On an approximate WSW course I fired tube 5, running depth at 7. Stayed at periscope depth, had to see this in the crosshairs. If I bought it I bought it.
First hit (http://mysh3.info/danurve/u49/3_08/0_33.jpg)
Second hit (http://mysh3.info/danurve/u49/3_08/03_33.jpg)
Stern hit (http://mysh3.info/danurve/u49/3_08/0_36.jpg)
http://mysh3.info/danurve/u49/3_08/0_40.jpg
That was completely awesome! Probably my best SHIII score yet. I brought the boat to 160m on a dive 3 degrees to starboard, not a crash dive – and got away! I think partly because only 1 DD stayed behind, the rest of the task force seemed to have a mission. Considering the events taking place, that would be my guess. Game saved, down to 50% fuel & 1 stern fish. I think, if I’m conservative to still make the patrol grid and try scratching one more merchant before returning to port. :|\\
Screen after the attack - blue friendly off to the left is the Prinz Eugn (http://mysh3.info/danurve/u49/3_08/0_45.jpg)
To good hunting!!
Checking the plot screen I notice I am somewhere in the middle of each task force, yet so far away from each of them. If I plot an intercept at full I might – just might be able to find one of them if they held course. Right, that usually works out real well against a task force traveling 15-25 knots! Typical, just my luck I thought. Not to worry in the mist of pulling hair about what to do I get a contact report of a large convoy headed WSW about a days travel away from the boats current position. Garrrr, as much as I wanted to twist it up against ANY task force once the Convoy report came in the boats task had been decided. That intercept in BE37 was quite successful btw (http://mysh3.info/danurve/u49/3_08/0_58.jpg), but depleted most of my forward fish.
I probably should be quite happy from that point, but this was difficult while receiving contact reports and radio traffic of naval activity. A few hours pass the boat was surfaced and returned to the original plot for AL96. Ship Spotted! Single Coastal BE23. Had time to set up for a stern shot and try one of these fancy electric fish (http://mysh3.info/danurve/u49/3_08/22_47.jpg). I’m a steamer fan you see. The log reports this taken in AL99, whatever.
Next set of contact reports now has the task force south of my position on a course North. The boat was about short from entering the patrol grid. I had earlier given up thinking to intercept because the original track had its position heading NE.
I caved, burning diesel at full on an intercept plot. I had to see this, with thoughts of warships in the crosshairs.
Ship Spotted! Destroyer, I overshot the plot just a tad but was able to correct to visual range (http://mysh3.info/danurve/u49/3_08/23_19.jpg). BE46.
Ship Spotted! Ark Royal Fleet Carrier (http://mysh3.info/danurve/u49/3_08/23_16.jpg), Ship Spotted! S.Hampton Cruiser (http://mysh3.info/danurve/u49/3_08/1_2.jpg), Jackpot – Yeah!! Almost crapped myself, couldn’t believe it. I’m about 4500m WNW of this task force even. Here’s the problem, I got 4 steamers left, two of them in the Stern. Its late afternoon so even if the escorts don’t hear them, you know they’ll get spotted.
What to do, may not get this close to another task force again much less capatol ships. .. Are you kidding me?
Periscope depth, set torpedo speed to high, running depth to 7.5on 1 & 7 on 4. Cranked her hard to port as soon as the last forward fish left the tube.
On an approximate WSW course I fired tube 5, running depth at 7. Stayed at periscope depth, had to see this in the crosshairs. If I bought it I bought it.
First hit (http://mysh3.info/danurve/u49/3_08/0_33.jpg)
Second hit (http://mysh3.info/danurve/u49/3_08/03_33.jpg)
Stern hit (http://mysh3.info/danurve/u49/3_08/0_36.jpg)
http://mysh3.info/danurve/u49/3_08/0_40.jpg
That was completely awesome! Probably my best SHIII score yet. I brought the boat to 160m on a dive 3 degrees to starboard, not a crash dive – and got away! I think partly because only 1 DD stayed behind, the rest of the task force seemed to have a mission. Considering the events taking place, that would be my guess. Game saved, down to 50% fuel & 1 stern fish. I think, if I’m conservative to still make the patrol grid and try scratching one more merchant before returning to port. :|\\
Screen after the attack - blue friendly off to the left is the Prinz Eugn (http://mysh3.info/danurve/u49/3_08/0_45.jpg)
To good hunting!!