UnterseeBoogeyMan
02-11-08, 12:12 AM
U-123 is out on patrol in October of 1940. Our return home will be to Lorient instead of Wilhelmshaven. There have been a lot of new things that have happened on this patrol, and maybe a sign of the changing times. Even so, there's a lot of wierdness packed into one stretch of time.
1 - Saw a destroyer do a half-raspberry for the first time
2 - Found a S-class cruising out on patrol in the North Atlantic (I used to just see them in convoy or parked at Lerwick).
3 - Found a convoy with ONE escort.
4 - The convoy had multiple nationalities.
5 - Outran a depthcharge attack at periscope depth, took no damage (my settings are for all damage).
6 - My first hit with a magnetic detonator, the Black Swan did not go down right away.
7- Caught up with the convoy, it didn't split up! Juicy targets with no escort!
1. In the AN grids above Lock Ewe, intercept a convoy. The lead escort is a C&D.
He cruises along in a straight line at 11 knots. I submerged at 2 knots. He speeds up 10 27 knots, comes at me, turns to port, now he's 120 aob to me. He slows to 2 knots, then 0. He waits there for 2 minutes, in an attempt to jump any u-boats jumping the gap in the screen. First time I'd seen this.
2. I am at periscope depth later, going southwest down western coast of UK. Sonarman picks up warship. I see its an S- class at 10 knots 30 degrees aob to port. I could set up an attack and get him, but I choose to go to 50 meters, silent running and let him pass. I had 2nd thoughts as that sub may ambush me later. This was done once in the war that I know of, but towards the end and mostly due to Ultra.
3. I find this convoy by radio heading northeast. I crank it out to Flank. Radio report shows he shifted east by northeast heading to the Irish Sea. I come up on him. I see all these juicy targets. 1 Large tanker, 2 Large Merchants, 3 Large Cargoes and small 2k ton boats. But no escorts! I set up an attack to go off 90 degrees aob at 2k meters for a large merchant then a large cargo. I make my attack run, when I spot a lone Black Sawn 4 k meters ahead of the convoy heading away from me.
4. Attacks go smooth. Run with decks awash, they dont see me 2 k meters away in the dark. Let off a torpedo, hit the large merchant, go to periscope depth. Knock out the Large Cargo too with two. Surface. I notice his flag. It's blue, white and red, horizontal stripes. I dont think its the French, but who is it? Did I sink a NUETRAL?? Oh NO! I get pelted by the Swan and search lights go up. I crash dive. Go to 120, with minor damage to hull, wait out the depth charge attack. I go periscope depth 10 minutes later. The Swan is 170 degrees behind me, at 1200 meters. I could shoot him, but I dont. The angle isnt right and my comfort zone hasnt left impact detonators. But if I sank the lone escort... I checked the manual, the flag belongs to Denmark, hit F1, they are an enemy of Germany. Good thing..They were darkened with British ships and I can see where ships from occupied lands would be in formation. Its a new thing, never saw it before.
5. Later do in a Large Cargo. One torpedo, pump 5 shots from deck gun into her and sink her. The DD is back. We cat and mouse it. He pings this time. Makes his run. I go to 100 meters. In his prop wash, I crank it to flank, do a 90. I lost him. So im feeling like going to periscope and shooting him. I do this, he comes up on my rear starboard quarter , starts pinging away. I go to flank, crash dive down to 100. He looses charges while I do a 90 the other way to the north. We repeat this again. 10 minutes later, I go to periscope depth. His keel depth is 3.7 meters. I set the torpedo to 4 meters on magnetic. He pings, makes his charge. This time I stay at periscope depth, have a torpedo set in the rear if the rear shot is there, one forward if forward shot is there. He makes is run. 150 degrees, 160,170...I crank to flank..180, 190, 210.. he looses one charge. Its loud but doesnt do damage. I dont know why, I thought I was pushing it. Maybe he thought I'd go deep. Maybe he needed to save his depth charges, since he's the lone ranger.
6. I pop up th scope. He is turning to starboard in firing range at 350 meters, at 11 knots. 20 degrees, 15, 10.. I shoot. The torpedo detonates underneath the keel to the rear. The soundman cheers. No secondaries, no explosions. The Swan is shooting at me. Oh NO! Did I do something wrong! But wait..he slows to 5, to 4 to 2 to 0 knots. His stern gets lower in the water. 2 minutes later he sinks. Wierd. On impact, they blow up and go down right away. This is just as effective and I figure gives me more options if I dont have that 90 degree aob shot. I guess they just go down different when they blow up under keel like that.
7. I haul to catch up to the convoy. They zig zag when they see me, but they dont split up! Wow!
1 - Saw a destroyer do a half-raspberry for the first time
2 - Found a S-class cruising out on patrol in the North Atlantic (I used to just see them in convoy or parked at Lerwick).
3 - Found a convoy with ONE escort.
4 - The convoy had multiple nationalities.
5 - Outran a depthcharge attack at periscope depth, took no damage (my settings are for all damage).
6 - My first hit with a magnetic detonator, the Black Swan did not go down right away.
7- Caught up with the convoy, it didn't split up! Juicy targets with no escort!
1. In the AN grids above Lock Ewe, intercept a convoy. The lead escort is a C&D.
He cruises along in a straight line at 11 knots. I submerged at 2 knots. He speeds up 10 27 knots, comes at me, turns to port, now he's 120 aob to me. He slows to 2 knots, then 0. He waits there for 2 minutes, in an attempt to jump any u-boats jumping the gap in the screen. First time I'd seen this.
2. I am at periscope depth later, going southwest down western coast of UK. Sonarman picks up warship. I see its an S- class at 10 knots 30 degrees aob to port. I could set up an attack and get him, but I choose to go to 50 meters, silent running and let him pass. I had 2nd thoughts as that sub may ambush me later. This was done once in the war that I know of, but towards the end and mostly due to Ultra.
3. I find this convoy by radio heading northeast. I crank it out to Flank. Radio report shows he shifted east by northeast heading to the Irish Sea. I come up on him. I see all these juicy targets. 1 Large tanker, 2 Large Merchants, 3 Large Cargoes and small 2k ton boats. But no escorts! I set up an attack to go off 90 degrees aob at 2k meters for a large merchant then a large cargo. I make my attack run, when I spot a lone Black Sawn 4 k meters ahead of the convoy heading away from me.
4. Attacks go smooth. Run with decks awash, they dont see me 2 k meters away in the dark. Let off a torpedo, hit the large merchant, go to periscope depth. Knock out the Large Cargo too with two. Surface. I notice his flag. It's blue, white and red, horizontal stripes. I dont think its the French, but who is it? Did I sink a NUETRAL?? Oh NO! I get pelted by the Swan and search lights go up. I crash dive. Go to 120, with minor damage to hull, wait out the depth charge attack. I go periscope depth 10 minutes later. The Swan is 170 degrees behind me, at 1200 meters. I could shoot him, but I dont. The angle isnt right and my comfort zone hasnt left impact detonators. But if I sank the lone escort... I checked the manual, the flag belongs to Denmark, hit F1, they are an enemy of Germany. Good thing..They were darkened with British ships and I can see where ships from occupied lands would be in formation. Its a new thing, never saw it before.
5. Later do in a Large Cargo. One torpedo, pump 5 shots from deck gun into her and sink her. The DD is back. We cat and mouse it. He pings this time. Makes his run. I go to 100 meters. In his prop wash, I crank it to flank, do a 90. I lost him. So im feeling like going to periscope and shooting him. I do this, he comes up on my rear starboard quarter , starts pinging away. I go to flank, crash dive down to 100. He looses charges while I do a 90 the other way to the north. We repeat this again. 10 minutes later, I go to periscope depth. His keel depth is 3.7 meters. I set the torpedo to 4 meters on magnetic. He pings, makes his charge. This time I stay at periscope depth, have a torpedo set in the rear if the rear shot is there, one forward if forward shot is there. He makes is run. 150 degrees, 160,170...I crank to flank..180, 190, 210.. he looses one charge. Its loud but doesnt do damage. I dont know why, I thought I was pushing it. Maybe he thought I'd go deep. Maybe he needed to save his depth charges, since he's the lone ranger.
6. I pop up th scope. He is turning to starboard in firing range at 350 meters, at 11 knots. 20 degrees, 15, 10.. I shoot. The torpedo detonates underneath the keel to the rear. The soundman cheers. No secondaries, no explosions. The Swan is shooting at me. Oh NO! Did I do something wrong! But wait..he slows to 5, to 4 to 2 to 0 knots. His stern gets lower in the water. 2 minutes later he sinks. Wierd. On impact, they blow up and go down right away. This is just as effective and I figure gives me more options if I dont have that 90 degree aob shot. I guess they just go down different when they blow up under keel like that.
7. I haul to catch up to the convoy. They zig zag when they see me, but they dont split up! Wow!