USAMP1980
02-13-09, 09:17 AM
Last night I was hoping for a quick patrol before bed...
Annoyed by senseless patrol grids.. I decided to patrol the Med. Sea for a bit when I caught an unreported task force moving from Alexander to the straight.
I had to keep my distance and observe, as even my surfaced IXB could not keep up. As they gained ground on me..I was hoping for aircraft recon from Italy to spot them, or a radio transmission update.
All hope seemed lost, it looked like they excaped into the Atlantic.. off to Scapa Flow for refit perhaps. In a last-ditch effort I decided to sneek into Gilbalter.
As a vicious storm passed, I found all the destroyers and ASWs beached all along the bay. Now in calm waters, I snuck in.. "Rig for Silent Running". At an excrutiating 8x I snuck a peak around the port. Then there... beyond the netting was 1 heavy cruiser and 2 light cruisers (London and SouthAmpton classes)
It took very tricky torpedo shots. I had to run the fish nearly on the surface to skim over the torpedo net and detonate on impact. I used a half degree seperation angle, 2 ped salvo. One by one the cruisers went down; I didnt waste torpedos on the anchored destroyers.
As I turned to port slowely to make my hopeful escape... I saw something in the distance. It looked like a dark rock fixture in the distance, poking up around the shore. I moved to investigate. Then I saw it.. I new it was big and important. I manuvered cautiously, hoping there was a gap in the net somewhere. Risking running aground, I moved to 550 meters. Up periscope.. Holy Crap! Target Identificaion: HMS Nelson
Early in my carrer, there she was.. nearly beached on the Spainish shore. After painfully slow manuvering at 8x.. my tubes were now all hot again. 2 magnetic fired, 1 dud.. then 2 impact at water line. Explosion after explosion "She's going down!".. the crew cheered!
Boy the AI was pissed! I again made my painfully slow exit at 1/4 power, silent running. Just in time, as I left the port, waves upon waves of 2-3 ship groups came looking for me. (2) 2 P.T. boats, (1) 2-detroyers, (1) 2 ASW armed trawlers.
I still had all my external torpedoes. I made an attempt to surface and rearm but was spoted by a KingFish. Crash Dive!
By the next time I had a chance to surface, sonar showed the pairs of warships closing.. pinning me against the southern France shore. I had hoped to find more merchants and scoring 100,000 tons, but I was really pushing my luck. I surfaced and "Return to Base". I received The Knights Cross. My crew earned 4 promotions, 4 Iron cross, 3 Iron cross 1st class, and 1 Knight's Cross in Gold (star). They also gave me badges for everyone (that took some time to hand out). Nearly 4,000 reknown patrol! :rock:
Needless to say, I got to bed late!
I believe it was May 1941 and my first patrol with my shinny new IXB.:arrgh!:
*This evening I will edit and attach screen shots of cruisers, Battleship, Captain's Log, etc.
Annoyed by senseless patrol grids.. I decided to patrol the Med. Sea for a bit when I caught an unreported task force moving from Alexander to the straight.
I had to keep my distance and observe, as even my surfaced IXB could not keep up. As they gained ground on me..I was hoping for aircraft recon from Italy to spot them, or a radio transmission update.
All hope seemed lost, it looked like they excaped into the Atlantic.. off to Scapa Flow for refit perhaps. In a last-ditch effort I decided to sneek into Gilbalter.
As a vicious storm passed, I found all the destroyers and ASWs beached all along the bay. Now in calm waters, I snuck in.. "Rig for Silent Running". At an excrutiating 8x I snuck a peak around the port. Then there... beyond the netting was 1 heavy cruiser and 2 light cruisers (London and SouthAmpton classes)
It took very tricky torpedo shots. I had to run the fish nearly on the surface to skim over the torpedo net and detonate on impact. I used a half degree seperation angle, 2 ped salvo. One by one the cruisers went down; I didnt waste torpedos on the anchored destroyers.
As I turned to port slowely to make my hopeful escape... I saw something in the distance. It looked like a dark rock fixture in the distance, poking up around the shore. I moved to investigate. Then I saw it.. I new it was big and important. I manuvered cautiously, hoping there was a gap in the net somewhere. Risking running aground, I moved to 550 meters. Up periscope.. Holy Crap! Target Identificaion: HMS Nelson
Early in my carrer, there she was.. nearly beached on the Spainish shore. After painfully slow manuvering at 8x.. my tubes were now all hot again. 2 magnetic fired, 1 dud.. then 2 impact at water line. Explosion after explosion "She's going down!".. the crew cheered!
Boy the AI was pissed! I again made my painfully slow exit at 1/4 power, silent running. Just in time, as I left the port, waves upon waves of 2-3 ship groups came looking for me. (2) 2 P.T. boats, (1) 2-detroyers, (1) 2 ASW armed trawlers.
I still had all my external torpedoes. I made an attempt to surface and rearm but was spoted by a KingFish. Crash Dive!
By the next time I had a chance to surface, sonar showed the pairs of warships closing.. pinning me against the southern France shore. I had hoped to find more merchants and scoring 100,000 tons, but I was really pushing my luck. I surfaced and "Return to Base". I received The Knights Cross. My crew earned 4 promotions, 4 Iron cross, 3 Iron cross 1st class, and 1 Knight's Cross in Gold (star). They also gave me badges for everyone (that took some time to hand out). Nearly 4,000 reknown patrol! :rock:
Needless to say, I got to bed late!
I believe it was May 1941 and my first patrol with my shinny new IXB.:arrgh!:
*This evening I will edit and attach screen shots of cruisers, Battleship, Captain's Log, etc.