rb4door
04-13-07, 09:11 PM
Hey guys - i'm on my first career with GWX, end of January 1940.
After a few successful encounters earlier in my patrols, I *had* become somewhat over-confident of intercepting allied convoys, and evading attacks from their escorts. That is, until my last patrol.
2 escorts quickly tracked my location when I was naievely using ahead full ahead to move into position to take a final shot a large cargo before they arrived over my position. Of course they began depth charging me after I fired off my eel.
My initial crash dive to approximately 60 meters saw me escape without any damage, however while I was manouevering to try and get out of there and reload, the barrage continued. I ended up taking some severe damage, aft torpedo damaged, port diesel destroyed, aft batteries destroyed, comp sub systems / forward deck damaged, attack periscope destroyed (sever conning tower damage).
I had severe flooding in the electric engine room, the diesel room and stern quarters. I put the damage team into full swing - onto the electric room first as it was 3/4 full of water! I thought this was it - we are going down with all hands.
Now to my questions (sorry for long leadup) What is the little piston looking thing with a timer counting down? is this the time required to "stop" the flooding?
Also what is the little grey box with the X in it? it also has a timer on it - i'm not sure what it signifies.
Somehow even with that section almost full of water, the boys managed to keep going, and they stopped the flooding. That room seemed to stay half full of water, and I couldnt do anything more, so I put them straight onto the diesel room & stern quarters to try and stop the flooding there.
Bare in mind I am continued to be pinged and depth charged by escorts while this is going on. I then noticed to my horror that the boat was sinking, and sinking fast!
I could only muster 1 to 2 knots from the electrics - i'm assuming since my aft batteries had been destroyed. Try as I might, no command to decrease depth or manouever would stop us sinking. As I approached 160 meters I gave the command to blow ballast - If I was going to die, it was going to be by the destroyers guns, not an iron coffin.
Initially blowing ballast seemed to finally stop the sinking. However we were not going up. I blew ballast again. This time we started going up.
After I got to about 60m I tried to level off the ascent as I really REALLY didnt want to hit the surface, as I thought she's under control. Soon as I tried that, she started sinking again!:o
Sank to 100 meters before I realised I was either going up or down, I was not going to be able to maintain depth. I blew ballast again. This time I let her go all the way to the surface. It only took about 30 seconds for the two escorts to spotlight me and start firing.
I took more damage to the bridge / fore deck, and again massive flooding to the stern torpedo room and electrics compartment. I started sinking again!
I got to about 80 meters with the boys still trying to stop the flooding - I decided to blow the ballast one more time. Unfortunately I had less than 10% air pressure left by this time and it wasnt enough to do anything. As I continued to sink, I remember reading that GWX simulates "positive boyancy" of the U boat. As I sank to my grave, I decided to just shut down the electric engine and see what happens. I stopped sinking, and actually started rising! I then discovered, even with zero compressed air, that when I ran the electrics (albeit only at 2 knots forward speed) I would sink, and when I turned them off, I would rise. Hooray, we've established some form of depth control!
I continued to manouever in this fashion for the next hour while an escort persisted in trying to depth charge me. I let her sink to over 120 meters and managed to crawl away. I eventually surfaced, and with the extent of the damage, I limped my way back to Willhelmsvn!
Anyone else experienced such behaviour from a sub while severely damaged?
Can anyone give me any backround or details on why the sub behaved the way it did? i'm interested in the theory behind this so I will be better prepared next time I am heavily damaged.
I honestly thought many many times this was the end of my career. But it just goes to show - no matter how bad the damage, NEVER give up - you might, just might have a slim chance ;)
After a few successful encounters earlier in my patrols, I *had* become somewhat over-confident of intercepting allied convoys, and evading attacks from their escorts. That is, until my last patrol.
2 escorts quickly tracked my location when I was naievely using ahead full ahead to move into position to take a final shot a large cargo before they arrived over my position. Of course they began depth charging me after I fired off my eel.
My initial crash dive to approximately 60 meters saw me escape without any damage, however while I was manouevering to try and get out of there and reload, the barrage continued. I ended up taking some severe damage, aft torpedo damaged, port diesel destroyed, aft batteries destroyed, comp sub systems / forward deck damaged, attack periscope destroyed (sever conning tower damage).
I had severe flooding in the electric engine room, the diesel room and stern quarters. I put the damage team into full swing - onto the electric room first as it was 3/4 full of water! I thought this was it - we are going down with all hands.
Now to my questions (sorry for long leadup) What is the little piston looking thing with a timer counting down? is this the time required to "stop" the flooding?
Also what is the little grey box with the X in it? it also has a timer on it - i'm not sure what it signifies.
Somehow even with that section almost full of water, the boys managed to keep going, and they stopped the flooding. That room seemed to stay half full of water, and I couldnt do anything more, so I put them straight onto the diesel room & stern quarters to try and stop the flooding there.
Bare in mind I am continued to be pinged and depth charged by escorts while this is going on. I then noticed to my horror that the boat was sinking, and sinking fast!
I could only muster 1 to 2 knots from the electrics - i'm assuming since my aft batteries had been destroyed. Try as I might, no command to decrease depth or manouever would stop us sinking. As I approached 160 meters I gave the command to blow ballast - If I was going to die, it was going to be by the destroyers guns, not an iron coffin.
Initially blowing ballast seemed to finally stop the sinking. However we were not going up. I blew ballast again. This time we started going up.
After I got to about 60m I tried to level off the ascent as I really REALLY didnt want to hit the surface, as I thought she's under control. Soon as I tried that, she started sinking again!:o
Sank to 100 meters before I realised I was either going up or down, I was not going to be able to maintain depth. I blew ballast again. This time I let her go all the way to the surface. It only took about 30 seconds for the two escorts to spotlight me and start firing.
I took more damage to the bridge / fore deck, and again massive flooding to the stern torpedo room and electrics compartment. I started sinking again!
I got to about 80 meters with the boys still trying to stop the flooding - I decided to blow the ballast one more time. Unfortunately I had less than 10% air pressure left by this time and it wasnt enough to do anything. As I continued to sink, I remember reading that GWX simulates "positive boyancy" of the U boat. As I sank to my grave, I decided to just shut down the electric engine and see what happens. I stopped sinking, and actually started rising! I then discovered, even with zero compressed air, that when I ran the electrics (albeit only at 2 knots forward speed) I would sink, and when I turned them off, I would rise. Hooray, we've established some form of depth control!
I continued to manouever in this fashion for the next hour while an escort persisted in trying to depth charge me. I let her sink to over 120 meters and managed to crawl away. I eventually surfaced, and with the extent of the damage, I limped my way back to Willhelmsvn!
Anyone else experienced such behaviour from a sub while severely damaged?
Can anyone give me any backround or details on why the sub behaved the way it did? i'm interested in the theory behind this so I will be better prepared next time I am heavily damaged.
I honestly thought many many times this was the end of my career. But it just goes to show - no matter how bad the damage, NEVER give up - you might, just might have a slim chance ;)