after action report: Nightmare of Carrier battle groups

[U49]

Wilhelmshaven, 5.July 1940
U-49
Part-I

After completing a very successful patrol during Operation Weserübung in april '40 during which the british aircraft carrier HMS Implacable was sunk (see: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=124902)
U-49 was departing Wilhelmshaven on the 30th of may for another patrol in the north.
http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/2988/100auslaufenih9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
(gamma corrected)

The patrol area north east of the faroer island was found to be mostly empty and under stormy conditions.
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/9898/200sturmrc9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Altough no ship contact was made. enemy presence was obvious at least twice a day by patrolling aircraft, which was indicator enough for BDU that a major enemy naval operation was under way.

ALAAAAAAAAAARM:
http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/4640/300fliegeralarmbe5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[U49]

On june, 10th, contact was finaly made with a carrier battlegroup.

U-49 was in near perfect postion for an attack against the carrier and one of it's escorting cruisers.

U-49 attacked with a spread of 3 against the carrier and 1 for the cruiser
http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/3862/400trefferbj1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Shooting of the stern torpedo while turning for the evasion manouver even the last eel was able to hit without a perfect aiming procedure
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/1985/401nocheinerlb9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

5 torpedos delivered a total of 4 fatal impacts to the targets
http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/3286/402sinkenei7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[U49]

Contact with the remaining group was lost during the following couterattack by the escorting destroyers.

2 days laster while U-49 was enduring a storm in 40m depth, conact was made with a troop convoy
http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/8240/500kreuzersw3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

With almost the last battery power remainig for the atatck & evasion manouver, U-49 could sink one auxiliary cruiser and damage but not sink a troop transport

**edit**
soory, no victory pictures, I was busy surviving....and I mean BUSY :yep:

[Brag]

Well done, U-49. Nice screenies, too! :up:

[U49]

For 2 weeks the sea was totally depleted of contacts and U-49 was ordered further west, when a radio intercept located another enemy battlegroup within reach.

26th of june, AM29
http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/8995/600trefferkh5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

A spread of 4 from 1500m scored 2 hits, one early detonation and one miss against the centerpiece of the formation.

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/4003/601aufregungco4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

The following hours of waterbombs against the evading U-49 (210m and silent running) could not deny the ultimate success:
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/2866/602sinkenxl4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[U49]

4th, July 1940
U-49 returned from a successful patrol which added 2 further carriers to the scorebook of U-49.

B-Dienst (SH3commander :lol:) was able to identify both carriers as HMS Indomitable and HMS Illustrious.

This makes U-49 the MOST SUCCESSFUL CARRIER KILLER of all times :rock:

-----
# more carriers to follow.... :ahoy:

[bigboywooly]

# more carriers to follow....

Not unless they build some more a bit rapid
:rotfl:

Kudos