Status report

[Frank0001]

I left Willemshaven at may 1941, and after harassing some harbors (amongst Cassablanca), I decided to take a look in the mediteranean since I haven't seen it yet. I took the Strait of Gibraltar, and I went through surprisingly easy!
No patrolling aircraft or ships were found, just a few Spanish fishing boats. Then again, I planned my passage to go by night, so I had that advantage.

After passing the strait, I came upon a small convoy of 1 destroyer and 2 merchants. I decided to launch a few fish at the larger merchant and had to dive for cover after hitting it (the destroyer came my way!)
It was quite the battle, I dove quickly enough, but the destroyer menaged to home in on me!
After about an hour (some 20 minutes IRL!) the destroyer gave up, and I menaged to surface half an hour later. All this happened in patch black sea, in the night.

But here is what I saw once I surfaced!
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s205/FrankTimmerman/Dawn-1.jpg

A beautiful warm and calm Mediteranean morning! It was about 05:00.
Can you believe my amazement? From a cold, pitch-black night, being thrown at with depth-charges and fear, to this peacefull summers-morning!
I actually had a grin on my face, these are the better moments in war! I steamed on and docked at Torres for the moment.

[GoldenRivet]

a quote from the game "Brothers in arms" regarding these quiet scenes

"Sometimes, its the quiet moments after the battle that scare you the most."

I take this to mean a couple of things.

1. that quiet moment gives you time to reflect about how you got away this time, but next time you might not be so lucky... your number could be up any minute, and the longer you survive the more opportunity you have to meet your end.

2. that quiet moment gives one a time to reflect upon the horrible things they have just finished doing.

U-boat crews like fighter pilots have the luxury of looking at their targets as a machine. it creates a separation. you dont see the face of the man you just killed... and therfore its easier not to think of the family, the children, the wife or girlfriend the ships crewmen (or the rival pilot) might have had back home.

in the type of war these u-boats fight, such scenes of serinity like the stars rocking overhead, or the summer sunrise we see here are probably welcomed second only to home.

[Frank0001]

That's beautifully put there, Rivet.

The exact very same feeling went through me when seeing this sight after climbing up the conning tower!
Although it is just a game, it made me want to head home, hoping the war was over, experiencing this exact moment on a better day, and, like you said so well, think of the men who just perished aboard that merchant I sunk...

I never knew the quiet moments would be so frightening! It is a far cry from all the chaos and fear around you at 100 meters below the surface...

[Brag]

Yeah, quiet moments make you think. That was one of the reasons during the war in Laos we used to party every night. The quiet times were more terrifying than flying a mission.

[Elmer Kosterman]

What were you doing in Laos, Air America?

[GoldenRivet]

What were you doing in Laos, Air America?

Who does number two work for?!!?