BasilY
07-24-08, 04:15 AM
May 14th, Brest Patrol 23rd
The last few patrols has been tough. The base is also constantly harrassed by Halifax Bombers, (even the ubaot pen can't keep my boat completely safe) So I decide to take the boat for some quieter waters of the Caretin Pennisula for some night fishing. With strict radio silence, we will make up some report later. We surface and night to fish and sleep in during the day just SW of Cherburg. Uneventful except for a couple drunken captains wrecking their trawlers near shore.
May 29th, 12:49 BF32
Radio Convoy report, eight knots off Portsmouth, too far north in the Channel, decision made not to pursue.
June 3rd, 12:43
A group of 4 DDs come very close to the south side of the channel, odd, but not unusual. Weather is clear, sea moderate. Decide to head north into the Channel to investigate.
June 5th 18:00
Over Casted, sea heavy. Have been drifting slowing into the channel to see if we can pick off some merchants wondering a bit too south. Heard sounds of a large group of plane flying over head. Something is definately going on.
18:30 NE of Cherburg. Large group of merchant closing from WNW, A convoy heading to cherburg? On closer observation reveals numerous warships within the pack. Visibility is near zero so I can't be certain but this seem like a invasion flotilla. Despite the danger of giving out my position, I surface 10,000m from the group and make a radio contact report. As usual, the report is treated with indifference by BdU.
18:51
Back to parascope depth. The sonarman told me the incoming group is even larger than my previous estimate. I can't believe how many ship these Tommies got! With the number of ships I sunk in the last few patrols, they should be sailing in Planks... With at least 15+ warships now in sonar range, I estimate at least 10 of them DDs, I make the sensible decision to retire south, maybe empty my bow torps at max range along the way to see if I can get lucky.
19:00
The Convoy (or invasion flotilla) is heading at me fast. Line up a torpedo at what I believe to be a cruiser. Fire 2 shots, both missed. The worse news is that I have been discovered, a DD is heading streight at me. Fire one GNAT from bow. Impact is observed minutes later. No one is celebrating, we will be fighting for our lives...
19:10
If my boat is going down, I ought to take a few Johny with us. So I fire 2 torps into the thick of the armada from about 4000 away.
20:19
I have no mental facility left to record anything. during the last hour. I fought off 6 DD's while exhausting ALL torps inside the boat. 4 sunk, another sunk after some kind of a collision (I think). The hugh armada has splited in two and heads south and south East respectively, I found my excape route by heading north toward England. Where the DDs should least expect.
The last DD, a black Swan make a devastated charge, destroying my observation parascope, and serious hull damage, (my attack parascope has already been fried). I blow balast and surface, Time to surrender and save the crew.
20:23
What? that Black Swan is right in front of me at 400 meters 90 degree heading? Why not... I guess now they will be the one swimming in this bone-chilled water.
20:56
Have been inching my way away from the action for some time. We lost the DDs. (Or they have more important things to do.) Someone in the crew tell me we had sunk a LST. I wonder how they could possibly know that...
23:52
No sound contact for a hour. We still have all our external torps. But the crew have no more fight left in them now. We slowly make our way into Cherburg.
At least one less LST heading to the beach, and 6 destroyers won't be firing at our Heer brothers.
Tell me your Normandy story, Kaluns, if you are lucky enough to survive it.
The last few patrols has been tough. The base is also constantly harrassed by Halifax Bombers, (even the ubaot pen can't keep my boat completely safe) So I decide to take the boat for some quieter waters of the Caretin Pennisula for some night fishing. With strict radio silence, we will make up some report later. We surface and night to fish and sleep in during the day just SW of Cherburg. Uneventful except for a couple drunken captains wrecking their trawlers near shore.
May 29th, 12:49 BF32
Radio Convoy report, eight knots off Portsmouth, too far north in the Channel, decision made not to pursue.
June 3rd, 12:43
A group of 4 DDs come very close to the south side of the channel, odd, but not unusual. Weather is clear, sea moderate. Decide to head north into the Channel to investigate.
June 5th 18:00
Over Casted, sea heavy. Have been drifting slowing into the channel to see if we can pick off some merchants wondering a bit too south. Heard sounds of a large group of plane flying over head. Something is definately going on.
18:30 NE of Cherburg. Large group of merchant closing from WNW, A convoy heading to cherburg? On closer observation reveals numerous warships within the pack. Visibility is near zero so I can't be certain but this seem like a invasion flotilla. Despite the danger of giving out my position, I surface 10,000m from the group and make a radio contact report. As usual, the report is treated with indifference by BdU.
18:51
Back to parascope depth. The sonarman told me the incoming group is even larger than my previous estimate. I can't believe how many ship these Tommies got! With the number of ships I sunk in the last few patrols, they should be sailing in Planks... With at least 15+ warships now in sonar range, I estimate at least 10 of them DDs, I make the sensible decision to retire south, maybe empty my bow torps at max range along the way to see if I can get lucky.
19:00
The Convoy (or invasion flotilla) is heading at me fast. Line up a torpedo at what I believe to be a cruiser. Fire 2 shots, both missed. The worse news is that I have been discovered, a DD is heading streight at me. Fire one GNAT from bow. Impact is observed minutes later. No one is celebrating, we will be fighting for our lives...
19:10
If my boat is going down, I ought to take a few Johny with us. So I fire 2 torps into the thick of the armada from about 4000 away.
20:19
I have no mental facility left to record anything. during the last hour. I fought off 6 DD's while exhausting ALL torps inside the boat. 4 sunk, another sunk after some kind of a collision (I think). The hugh armada has splited in two and heads south and south East respectively, I found my excape route by heading north toward England. Where the DDs should least expect.
The last DD, a black Swan make a devastated charge, destroying my observation parascope, and serious hull damage, (my attack parascope has already been fried). I blow balast and surface, Time to surrender and save the crew.
20:23
What? that Black Swan is right in front of me at 400 meters 90 degree heading? Why not... I guess now they will be the one swimming in this bone-chilled water.
20:56
Have been inching my way away from the action for some time. We lost the DDs. (Or they have more important things to do.) Someone in the crew tell me we had sunk a LST. I wonder how they could possibly know that...
23:52
No sound contact for a hour. We still have all our external torps. But the crew have no more fight left in them now. We slowly make our way into Cherburg.
At least one less LST heading to the beach, and 6 destroyers won't be firing at our Heer brothers.
Tell me your Normandy story, Kaluns, if you are lucky enough to survive it.