Goose_green
08-05-07, 08:51 AM
It's was my maiden patrol with my current command, U-564 out of Brest, and I came upon a convoy which, thank providence, was suitably positioned to me port side moving to starboard. Perfect for my attack!
After moving carefully inside the convoy at pd depth I launched 2 torpedoes at the first medium tanker, which slowed down to a crawl. While the Large Tanker travelling behind got my second brace of torpedoes - this one thankfully broke into two and promptly sank. Now the three escorts, one corvette and two Black Swan frigates, seemed to ignore me and carried out a saturation depth charge attack well away from my position.
With the convoy turning and twisting at 7 knots it became impossible to try and stay submerged and take on any more merchants, so I decided to follow their path. Late afternoon passed into early evening and with the coming of the night I had the satisfaction of my medium tanker sinking!
After being satisfied that the escorts and their charges and resmed their normal sailing positions and that the cover of darkness was to my advantage I surfaced and decided to follow while keeping a discreet distance, obviously I sent a contact report to Bdu. While watching the habits of the two trailing escorts I noticed the southern escort would drift well off to the convoys starboard flank, this I noticed and kept an eye on the time it took to do it's southern flank sweep and return to the convoy.
There laid the beginnings of a bold move - I would attack surfaced from the rear of the convoy and conduct a quick hit and run. As the the night got darker I slowly closed the gap while keeping an eye on both escorts. Then, when the southern escort peeled away I made my move - I orderered ahead flank to quickly dart in.
Here I am in relation to the convoy, taken from the map screen - Note the southern escort's position which allowed me to dart in!
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n235/Goose_Green/SH3Img4-8-2007_2224.20_140.jpg
Closing the distance - Yet still undetected!
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n235/Goose_Green/SH3Img4-8-2007_2225.11_171.jpg
Overtaking a merchant - Still undetected!
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n235/Goose_Green/SH3Img4-8-2007_2225.54_921.jpg
My target was the other Medium Tanker, so while I was alongside I executed a sharp turn to the port, and while I was in range I fired off a brace of torpedoes aimed at either end of the tanker, the second hit proved to be the fatal blow as it stopped the engines.
2nd Strike - Only now had the escorts woken up and were delivering some accurate fire at me!
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n235/Goose_Green/SH3Img4-8-2007_22.29.jpg
My second target was a large Merchant, the first torpedo self destructed while on it's run but thankfully the second torpedo I launched was enough to sink it. By then I was being engaged by one of the escorts, and with cannon fire getting close I ordered a crash dive where I dived down to about 180 meters - deep enough to escape the impending depth charge attack;
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n235/Goose_Green/SH3Img4-8-2007_2235.42_203.jpg
In the end I was able to sink the crippled medium tanker later on with the use of my deck gun after the escorts eventually gave up their 3 hour depth charge attack and returned to the convoy, with four ships less.
After moving carefully inside the convoy at pd depth I launched 2 torpedoes at the first medium tanker, which slowed down to a crawl. While the Large Tanker travelling behind got my second brace of torpedoes - this one thankfully broke into two and promptly sank. Now the three escorts, one corvette and two Black Swan frigates, seemed to ignore me and carried out a saturation depth charge attack well away from my position.
With the convoy turning and twisting at 7 knots it became impossible to try and stay submerged and take on any more merchants, so I decided to follow their path. Late afternoon passed into early evening and with the coming of the night I had the satisfaction of my medium tanker sinking!
After being satisfied that the escorts and their charges and resmed their normal sailing positions and that the cover of darkness was to my advantage I surfaced and decided to follow while keeping a discreet distance, obviously I sent a contact report to Bdu. While watching the habits of the two trailing escorts I noticed the southern escort would drift well off to the convoys starboard flank, this I noticed and kept an eye on the time it took to do it's southern flank sweep and return to the convoy.
There laid the beginnings of a bold move - I would attack surfaced from the rear of the convoy and conduct a quick hit and run. As the the night got darker I slowly closed the gap while keeping an eye on both escorts. Then, when the southern escort peeled away I made my move - I orderered ahead flank to quickly dart in.
Here I am in relation to the convoy, taken from the map screen - Note the southern escort's position which allowed me to dart in!
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n235/Goose_Green/SH3Img4-8-2007_2224.20_140.jpg
Closing the distance - Yet still undetected!
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n235/Goose_Green/SH3Img4-8-2007_2225.11_171.jpg
Overtaking a merchant - Still undetected!
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n235/Goose_Green/SH3Img4-8-2007_2225.54_921.jpg
My target was the other Medium Tanker, so while I was alongside I executed a sharp turn to the port, and while I was in range I fired off a brace of torpedoes aimed at either end of the tanker, the second hit proved to be the fatal blow as it stopped the engines.
2nd Strike - Only now had the escorts woken up and were delivering some accurate fire at me!
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n235/Goose_Green/SH3Img4-8-2007_22.29.jpg
My second target was a large Merchant, the first torpedo self destructed while on it's run but thankfully the second torpedo I launched was enough to sink it. By then I was being engaged by one of the escorts, and with cannon fire getting close I ordered a crash dive where I dived down to about 180 meters - deep enough to escape the impending depth charge attack;
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n235/Goose_Green/SH3Img4-8-2007_2235.42_203.jpg
In the end I was able to sink the crippled medium tanker later on with the use of my deck gun after the escorts eventually gave up their 3 hour depth charge attack and returned to the convoy, with four ships less.