Philipp_Thomsen
12-11-08, 02:56 PM
December 9th, 1943.
I was in the region near northern irishland, AE99, in patrol, when my watch officer spotted a shadow in the horizon. I asked my chief officer to set a course to intercept, and about 12km distance I could see a formation of 12 ships, which two of them were battleships. They were cruising at the speed of 8knts and had 3 v&w as escorts. We set a course to intercept, went ahead flank and about 6km distance we went underwater. It was dusk, little fog, so safe do to.
Around 2,5km distance I fired all my 4 eels, having another two to spare, after a long patrol. Aimed two in one battleship, and another two in the other. My guys were reloading the two fishes left, and the uboat was sitted dead in the water, 16meter below, just enough to see what was going on the surface. The nearest ship was a v&w, about 2km away, while the other two were on the other side of the convoy, too far to be considered dangerous.
Some minutes later, the two first fishes hit the battleship, one at the aft and another right below the main guns in the aft, and while the other battleship was trying evasive maneuvers, it was too late for him... some seconds later, another two hits. The two battleships were still standing afloat, but losing speed... I knew that if they didn't sink, they would be dead in the water and I could finish them up later, so I started backing up very slowly and went down to 50 meters.
Next thing I know, I was being pinged... the damn v&w found me! I quick asked chief to go ahead flank to the bottom, in spiral. First depth charge session was delivered when I was only 90 meters, and one of them hit me in the tail, cutting of both of my propellers... I had only my rudder, and I knew I wasn't able to go anywhere after that... The flooding in the aft torpedo room made me sink very fast, and at around 180 meters with the flooding stopped but with the room half filled with water, I knew it was too dangerous to risk, so I yelled "ANBLASEN!!!"... the chief repeated the order and the sailor turned the valve counter-clockwise in a firm stroke. The needle was telling me that the compressed-air was being used, and until 75% the uboat was still going down... at 219 meters, it stopped sinking and started going up.
A quick check on the sonar and the good news! Only one v&w after me, while the rest of the convoy and the other two destroyers were heading away. Another turn in the needle and I found that bastard running straight in my direction, and before I could figure out the distance, I started hearing it echoing everywhere inside the submarine. I thought "ahead flank", but without the propellers it's useless, the noise of the machinery would just make things easier for him. Damn, what to do? The uboat was slowly going up, and was already around 160 meters.
I ordered rig for silent running, engines stopped, and waited for the worse.
I heard him passing right above us, and at 140 meters the sonar operator whispered "wasserbomb".
Three or four explosions, first one far away, and the others getting closer... few seconds with no explosions, seconds that last weeks... another explosion right above us, the uboat rolled around, and the last one hit us right in the middle. Lights went out, glass broke and chief reported damage and several floodings in the command room, sonar room and foward restrooms. I saw in a flash the fuel needle going down, we were losing diesel. Sent everybody to stop the floodings, and by the same time I checked to see that both periscopes were destroyed, the needle was hitting 170 meters.
Werdammt!
ANBLASEN!!!
The air was already at 40% when I ordered... that made me concearned...
I thought... "it's no use doing this over and over... I'll have to try something".. I checked the torpedo room, and I had one fish ready, while the other was half loaded. The uboat stabled at 220 meters and start going up... I had about 3 minutes to finish loading the second fish.
But then stroke me... how would I aim... I have no periscope...
It even crossed my mind to surface and use the uzo, or even the deckgun...but with the uboat already screwed up, it would be death sentence. I decided to go for a lucky strike. Around 120 meters, he went over me again, smashing me hard, and again I had flooding everywhere. The weapon officer reported that the fish had being loaded, and I yelled again "ANBLASEN!!!"... The uboat was already in upward motion, but I knew I needed more, the water was coming in and the uboat was getting heavier.
The upward motion plus the little nudge from the ballast was able to drive me up to 19 meters... checking the needle development, I knew that the uboat was going down again, so I had a few seconds to fire something... I open both tubes, quickly and blindly set one torpedo to 45º starboard and the other to 60º... that was the only setting I could change in time. Fired bothe eels, the last one left the tube when the uboat was already at 23 meters.
About 30 seconds later, no explosion... I could recall that those two were electric, and that I forgot about setting depth or pistol. Well... even if I had remembered, I wouldn't have time to do it. The depth gauge near the clock was telling me that we were sinking slowly, around 63 meters already.
While I was distracted with my own thinking, I heard one explosion. The crew started cheering up, and at the sonar room I could hear the destroyer sinking, and some minor explosion.
I couldn't believe it! That had to be the luckiest shot ever! Yes! We are safe! We just have to surface and send a message to bdu asking for help!
So I looked at the depth gauge with a smile on my face, and the smile started to fade... The needle was marking 98 meters, and slowly moving to 99 meters. I asked to chief about the floodings, and he said that the last flooding was stoped about 2 minutes ago, and there's no water in the compartments anymore.
"So why the hell is it sinking?!?!" - I asked myself in my mind.
So I looked around searching for clues, but everything seemed to be ok.
Suddenly I felt a huge emptyness filling my soul... and it happened when I looked at the compressed-air gauge. The needle was marking a few degrees above zero.
In desperation, I berally whispered... "anblasen..."
A very weak noise of air flowing around, the needle beraly dropped, and the needle at the depth gauge stopped moving... it was 109 meters... I was staring closely at that needle, without blinking... after about 15 seconds, she started moving again... 110 meters........ 111 meters........
That emptyness started being filled by death.
I yelled again "ANBLASEN!!!", with the meaning in my head "you turn that valve until you breaks it in two, sailor!".
Again, the needle in the compressed-air gauge beraly moved, just enough to reach the zero marker. I almost put my face in the depth gauge... the needle stoped at 114 meters. After what seemed to be eternity, it started moving again. 115 meters.................. 116 meters.................
In the last moment of hope, I asked the navigator for depth under keel.
He said 368 meters.
I steped back... leaned in the map table for support and started staring at the floor... I couldn't blink...
The metal around me were singing the song of pressure...
The long awaited death was taking too long... the needle went from yellow to red... went from red to blank... by my calculations it was marking around 280 meters already, and then the lights went off...
All of them...
I was in the region near northern irishland, AE99, in patrol, when my watch officer spotted a shadow in the horizon. I asked my chief officer to set a course to intercept, and about 12km distance I could see a formation of 12 ships, which two of them were battleships. They were cruising at the speed of 8knts and had 3 v&w as escorts. We set a course to intercept, went ahead flank and about 6km distance we went underwater. It was dusk, little fog, so safe do to.
Around 2,5km distance I fired all my 4 eels, having another two to spare, after a long patrol. Aimed two in one battleship, and another two in the other. My guys were reloading the two fishes left, and the uboat was sitted dead in the water, 16meter below, just enough to see what was going on the surface. The nearest ship was a v&w, about 2km away, while the other two were on the other side of the convoy, too far to be considered dangerous.
Some minutes later, the two first fishes hit the battleship, one at the aft and another right below the main guns in the aft, and while the other battleship was trying evasive maneuvers, it was too late for him... some seconds later, another two hits. The two battleships were still standing afloat, but losing speed... I knew that if they didn't sink, they would be dead in the water and I could finish them up later, so I started backing up very slowly and went down to 50 meters.
Next thing I know, I was being pinged... the damn v&w found me! I quick asked chief to go ahead flank to the bottom, in spiral. First depth charge session was delivered when I was only 90 meters, and one of them hit me in the tail, cutting of both of my propellers... I had only my rudder, and I knew I wasn't able to go anywhere after that... The flooding in the aft torpedo room made me sink very fast, and at around 180 meters with the flooding stopped but with the room half filled with water, I knew it was too dangerous to risk, so I yelled "ANBLASEN!!!"... the chief repeated the order and the sailor turned the valve counter-clockwise in a firm stroke. The needle was telling me that the compressed-air was being used, and until 75% the uboat was still going down... at 219 meters, it stopped sinking and started going up.
A quick check on the sonar and the good news! Only one v&w after me, while the rest of the convoy and the other two destroyers were heading away. Another turn in the needle and I found that bastard running straight in my direction, and before I could figure out the distance, I started hearing it echoing everywhere inside the submarine. I thought "ahead flank", but without the propellers it's useless, the noise of the machinery would just make things easier for him. Damn, what to do? The uboat was slowly going up, and was already around 160 meters.
I ordered rig for silent running, engines stopped, and waited for the worse.
I heard him passing right above us, and at 140 meters the sonar operator whispered "wasserbomb".
Three or four explosions, first one far away, and the others getting closer... few seconds with no explosions, seconds that last weeks... another explosion right above us, the uboat rolled around, and the last one hit us right in the middle. Lights went out, glass broke and chief reported damage and several floodings in the command room, sonar room and foward restrooms. I saw in a flash the fuel needle going down, we were losing diesel. Sent everybody to stop the floodings, and by the same time I checked to see that both periscopes were destroyed, the needle was hitting 170 meters.
Werdammt!
ANBLASEN!!!
The air was already at 40% when I ordered... that made me concearned...
I thought... "it's no use doing this over and over... I'll have to try something".. I checked the torpedo room, and I had one fish ready, while the other was half loaded. The uboat stabled at 220 meters and start going up... I had about 3 minutes to finish loading the second fish.
But then stroke me... how would I aim... I have no periscope...
It even crossed my mind to surface and use the uzo, or even the deckgun...but with the uboat already screwed up, it would be death sentence. I decided to go for a lucky strike. Around 120 meters, he went over me again, smashing me hard, and again I had flooding everywhere. The weapon officer reported that the fish had being loaded, and I yelled again "ANBLASEN!!!"... The uboat was already in upward motion, but I knew I needed more, the water was coming in and the uboat was getting heavier.
The upward motion plus the little nudge from the ballast was able to drive me up to 19 meters... checking the needle development, I knew that the uboat was going down again, so I had a few seconds to fire something... I open both tubes, quickly and blindly set one torpedo to 45º starboard and the other to 60º... that was the only setting I could change in time. Fired bothe eels, the last one left the tube when the uboat was already at 23 meters.
About 30 seconds later, no explosion... I could recall that those two were electric, and that I forgot about setting depth or pistol. Well... even if I had remembered, I wouldn't have time to do it. The depth gauge near the clock was telling me that we were sinking slowly, around 63 meters already.
While I was distracted with my own thinking, I heard one explosion. The crew started cheering up, and at the sonar room I could hear the destroyer sinking, and some minor explosion.
I couldn't believe it! That had to be the luckiest shot ever! Yes! We are safe! We just have to surface and send a message to bdu asking for help!
So I looked at the depth gauge with a smile on my face, and the smile started to fade... The needle was marking 98 meters, and slowly moving to 99 meters. I asked to chief about the floodings, and he said that the last flooding was stoped about 2 minutes ago, and there's no water in the compartments anymore.
"So why the hell is it sinking?!?!" - I asked myself in my mind.
So I looked around searching for clues, but everything seemed to be ok.
Suddenly I felt a huge emptyness filling my soul... and it happened when I looked at the compressed-air gauge. The needle was marking a few degrees above zero.
In desperation, I berally whispered... "anblasen..."
A very weak noise of air flowing around, the needle beraly dropped, and the needle at the depth gauge stopped moving... it was 109 meters... I was staring closely at that needle, without blinking... after about 15 seconds, she started moving again... 110 meters........ 111 meters........
That emptyness started being filled by death.
I yelled again "ANBLASEN!!!", with the meaning in my head "you turn that valve until you breaks it in two, sailor!".
Again, the needle in the compressed-air gauge beraly moved, just enough to reach the zero marker. I almost put my face in the depth gauge... the needle stoped at 114 meters. After what seemed to be eternity, it started moving again. 115 meters.................. 116 meters.................
In the last moment of hope, I asked the navigator for depth under keel.
He said 368 meters.
I steped back... leaned in the map table for support and started staring at the floor... I couldn't blink...
The metal around me were singing the song of pressure...
The long awaited death was taking too long... the needle went from yellow to red... went from red to blank... by my calculations it was marking around 280 meters already, and then the lights went off...
All of them...