View Full Version : "Realistic" transfer to Mediterranean
In future I plan to transfer to La Spezia, but i want to do it right - by passing through the Gibraltar and sailing into La Spezia.
I know that I can't transfer while in port that is not my homebase, but I was thinking of exiting the patrol just outside of La Spezia, to get "teleported" to my home base, and than do the transfer. Hopefully I will be again "teleported" to La Spezia :D, and start my new patrol from there.
Will this work? I can't test this myself, because I'm still in mid 1941 and the flotilla is not available yet.
Jimbuna
06-04-09, 03:43 PM
Check when La Spezia becomes active (23rd/29th Flotilla May 42) and teleport to your home base on May 1st then transfer or ensre your at sea during May and you should get the new base message.
Finaly, the time has come to leave the Atlantic and go for the Med. My initial plan was to head for La Spezia, but I'll go to Salamis now, in Dec '41. One reason is to use the advantage of the longer winter nights to for more safely passage through the Strait of Gibraltar, and another is I'm getting a bit sick of Atlantic. :DL
-------------------------
Patrol log
U-371 (Type VIIC), under command of Kapitanleutnant Johann Schwarz
1st Flotilla, Brest
Jan 27 1942
15:52 It's sunny tuesday afternoon, and I'm finaly leaving my home port Brest. The sea is calm, with 4 m/s northern wind.
I received my orders to patrol CG79 sector, and after that I'm heading for Salamis.
Jan 28
03:57
BF5544. Aircraft spotted. It's far away and I'm not sure if it is one of ours, or British. He didn't bother us, and we continue on course.
(to be continued...)
mookiemookie
06-10-09, 07:48 AM
(to be continued...)
Screenshots please! :yep:
Screenshots please! :yep:
:salute:
http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/6135/54389519.jpg
Leaving the Brest harbor. For the last time, I hope. (at least in this career :DL)
http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/5899/59898350.jpg
aerial view
Jan 31
05:00 CG42. So far, the patrol has been quite uneventful. Unfortunately the weather has changed. It's raining and the wind got stronger (7 m/s SW).
At my current speed of 9-10kt I'll reach my patrol area tomorrow morning. I'm about to enter into the area under the Allied air cover, but hopefully the weather will ground their planes.
16:55
CG48. Received a report of a large convoy, going NNE at 6kt. It's some 60 km from my current position, and I'll intercept it, despite bad weather. Maybe it will clear soon.
19:18
Established sound contact with the convoy. Weather unchanged. Shadowing.
(to be continued...)
Feb 1
04:48. Warship spoted! One of the escorts came out of the rain and fog, 200m behind us. They didn't spot us (don't they have a radar??), and I tried to evade on surface, but the escort was geting closer. We had to dive.
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/2460/49326589.jpg
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/7518/65145997.jpg
:o those few minutes I was literary shaking.
04:57 Current depth 200m. The escort is above us, droping depht charges. So far, none hit...
(to be continued... I hope)
Sockeye
06-10-09, 10:42 AM
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/1473/brassballs.jpg
Paraphrasing Alec Baldwin in Glenngarry Glen Ross: "It takes brass balls to [sail through Gibraltar]." :DL
Paraphrasing Alec Baldwin in Glenngarry Glen Ross: "It takes brass balls to [sail through Gibraltar]." :DL
:D
Well, I'm still far from Gibraltar.
-------------------------
07:00 We're clear. The escorts are gone. Surfacing and continuing to follow the convoy. Course 350 @6kt. Weather still lousy.
Feb 2
15:25 I'm still shadowing he convoy, heading NNW @6kt. Visibility is still zero. The convoy is about 15-20km to starboard. I'm doing regular hourly sound checks in case it changes course.
The crew, and me, are already sick and tired of the weather. Hope it clears soon. If it doesn't within a day or two, I'll abandon the convoy.
19:10 Lost contact with convoy. Searching.
20:35 Reestablished contact. Course NE.
Feb 3
08:08 The weather got even worst! Visibility zero, south wind, 11m/s.
(to be continued...)
nikbear
06-10-09, 05:26 PM
Dear sweet jeebus Meduza,that DD was close!!!!!:o:doh::timeout:Hope the weather clears up soon,best of luck:salute:
Thanks, mate! :salute:
That was realy some scary encounter. They were probably less then 100m away when I dived. I was expecting to see gunfire eny moment. I wonder did they see me at all? Or maybe they just had a radar signal, but not visual? I was thinking to make a hard turn to move away from their path, but was affraid that they'll spot me if I turn my broadside.
Anyway...
Feb 5
12:26 The weather has not cleared yet. :hmmm:
I will certainly have to abandon the convoy within two days, because in that time, with the current speed and course, we'll reach England.:rotfl:
Current position BE6683.
21:56
We were surprised by an escort again! This time without any warning. Suddenly there were sunds of gunfire, water sprays all around and flashes of light coming from behind. As we dived, several shells hit our stern, and some depthcharges exploded nearby, heavily shaking the boat.
Massive floodings in all aft compartments. The boat quickly sank to 110m, but the crew managed to pump the water out. Not knowing the condition of the hull, i did not dare to take the boat any deeper.
22:41
There are three or four escorts above, throwing large amounts of depthcharges. Hedgehogs, I suspect. So far we are doing OK. And the sounds of explosions are getting more and more distant.
23:08
The escorts gave up and returned to the convoy.
Now I have to decide what to do next. I'm affraid that the hull is badly damaged and that it may not survive another eventual attack.
(to be continued...)
Feb 6
08:30 After surfacing and making detailed inspection of the boat, I decided it's impossible to continue the mission.
We will sail to El Ferrol, Spain, to meet with Max Albrecht to resupply and repair the damage. Hopefully we will be able to resume the original mission as planed.
The visibility is still poor, heavy rain with 11 m/s south wind.
Current possition BF44.
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/6483/56300010.jpg
Damage caused by destroyer's gun fire.
Feb 7
11:02 We entered El Ferrol harbor. I had to wait most of the night in front of it due to lack of any navigational lights in the narrow channel before it. Must send my objections to the Spanish government. :D
We met with the supply ship and will hopefully continue our voyage tomorrow, after painting the boat :D.
Of course, it is still raining.
(to be continued...)
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/4122/21466955.jpg
Lzs von swe
06-11-09, 06:34 AM
Make sure to drill your Flak crew extra hard before entering the Med:yep:
I have lost all my boats in there to planes:wah:
Make sure to drill your Flak crew extra hard before entering the Med:yep:
I have lost all my boats in there to planes:wah:
Thanks for the advice, I'll watch out. :up: Sorry to hear about your loss.
To be honest, when it comes to the planes, I relly more on my watchmen then on my flaks. :D
March 29 1942
20:11 The repairs took a lot more time than expected, but we're finaly ready to go. In the meantime, my highly experienced WO, Oberleutnant Kurt Gottscheu, had to leave and was replaced by oberfahnrich Josef Brandt, a man without any combat experience.
20:23 The weather is fine, the sea is calm. We are finaly sailing out of the El Farrel harbor, which has been our home for the past month.
March 30
04:18 BF78. Ship spotted. It's a liner, lit up, and I'll asume it's Spanish. Continuing on our course.
18:24 CG24. We're entering the area under Allied air cover. Hopefully they won't bother us until morning.
March 31
04:25 Aircraft spoted! I didn't even saw it, but I could hear it. We crash dived and we were not attacked.
05:42 Back to surface. Probably not for long. The sun just came up.
05:45 Another aircraft! They were far away and didn't spot us. Staying on surface, increasing the speed to 14kt.
11:11 Aircraft spotted, heading in our direction. We crash dived. At 50m we sustained a hit. Probably only minor damage. I decided to stay submerged until sundown, going ahead slow to preserve the batteries.
18:23 We surfaced. The weather s unchanged, visibilty 10km, north wind 4m/s. Current position CG55. We have at least three days to Gibraltar.
18:48 Another aircraft. We crash dived, but still received a minor damage.
19:31 Surfaced.
20:41 Received a convoy report. It's to far north, going away, and we'll not going after it.
April 1
05:50 The wind got stronger - 15 m/s S. Visibility is still 10km. It's dawning and I can expect air attacks soon. I guess this area became a lot more dangerous since my last visit, at the end of 1941.
Current position CG58.
20:45 Haven't seen a single aircraft the whole day. Maybe RAF had a day off :DL. Haven't seen anything actually. We dived for a regular sound check. Nothing. At the moment our greatest enemy is boredom.
April 2
07:42 Aircraft spotted. Crash dived. Light damage from bombs.
14:24 Contact! Faint sound, bearing 332. Surfacing to intercept. Position CG9574.
14:57 It's a Spanish liner... Returning to previous course. Diving.
21:35 Surfacing. I'm about 50 km from the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. I'm going to stay in the area untill tomorrow night. There should be a lot of merchants there. Then I'll try to break through the Strait, full speed on surface. I should be through in few hours.
April 3
03:00 Contact bearing 352. It sounds like destroyer, patroling the entrance. We''ll stay submerged.
03:25 I calculated that the destroyer will pass only a few km from us, and I was getting ready to sink it. Then it changed course and I let it go. I don't usualy waste eels on destroyers, but kind of regret this one. It would have been one less patrol to worry about.
04:29 Contact bearing 200! It's a merchant. Surfacing to intercept.
05:00 I can't belive it! Another neutral ship. That's 5 days without seeing a valid target.
http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/4471/clipboard01xix.jpg
06:27 Aircraft spotted, crash dive.
(to be continued...)
11:21 We're entering the Strait. Current position 15km NW from Tanger. I can see the coast through the scope. It looks like the winds have calmed. Still no contacts. I'll proceed submerged until dark, and then surface for the break through the narrow part of the Strait.
14:13 Contact. warship moving fast. Bearing 002. Closing. Long range.
15:27 I have a contact with two warships guarding the Strait. Adjusting my course further south to evade.
16:05 Four warships on our way. One is getting dangerously close. Going deeper.
16:58 Slowing down to minimal speed that can maintain depth. CO2 level is raising. Waiting the night to surface. Still four hours.
19:49 Periscope depth. It looks dark enough to surface. There is one patrol far away, bearing 300, and another one closer, bearing 200. I'll take my chance. Current position 16 km NE of Tanger, 5 km from coast. I'll try to stay close to it.
19:57 On surface. Visibility 10km, wind 6 m/s. Visual contact with destroyer, bearing 191 distance 8km.
20:23 No visual contacts. Course 90, speed 15kt. 40km from Mediterranean.
(to be continued...)
Task Force
06-11-09, 12:29 PM
Im gonna give you about a 40%chance of getting through. even I have tryed, but the number of distroyers always make me decide to turn back.
21:26 We're almost there! I can clearly see the lights from Ceuta harbor. Except for ships docked inside, there are no visual contacts.
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/1309/sh3img1162009193426784.jpg
21:57 We made it! The Strait of Gibraltar is behind us. :salute: It was almost too easy.
:woot:
22:06 Dived for a sound check. Four warships bearing 270. Hope they don't know we're there. Surfacing to open range.
22:27 Visual contact. Destroyer bearing 259. Long range. Turning away and increasing speed to get away.
23:23 Dived for a regular sound check. The only contact is a destroyer straight ahead. Probably the last patrol guarding the Strait. position CG9673.
April 4
00:11 I sank that destroyer. :oops: I don't know why, I guess I got a little bloodthirsty, because I didn't sink anything for too long. And she offered a perfect opportunity. Single T1, magnetic detonator, fired from 5 km. My first kill in the Med. Waste of torpedo, I know...
Now it's about time to do some serious hunting!
(to be continued...maybe)
Excellent report, I enjoyed a lot following it these last days :up:
My first kill in the Med. Waste of torpedo, I know...
Noooo change your attitude, you are now in the Mediterranean :D
The mare nostrum is essentially a warship campaign, with the challenge of few, well escorted, fast units and ocasionally a merchant with enough draft to be torpedoed (And a heavy enemy air cover). A destroyer is a legitimate target here, think that your main role is to clear the seas to help the italian convoys reach north Africa to resupply Rommel's Afrika Korps. Those pesky destroyers are the ones who ride the axis convoys, so you are doing well wiping them out!
Here's a very recommended reading to put you in the mood:
http://www.amazon.com/U-Boats-Mediterranean-1941-1944-Lawrence-Paterson/dp/1591148936
nikbear
06-11-09, 02:15 PM
Excellent Meduza:yeah:knew you could do it:03:Really enjoyed reading your adventure,:up: So much that when the time comes and the Med bases are active I'm going for it!:yep: First time ever:salute: Whats the earliest that they are active by the way:06:
Thanks, Hitman and nikbear! :up:
@Hitman
That sounds like fun. Certanly different from Atlantic. Actually, I did a few patrols in Med a few years ago, still playing stock game. Didn't had much luck though. And I didn't sail there like i did now. :DL
@nikbear
Salamis becams available in October 1941. In May 1942 your base becomes La Spezia. Since September 1943 it's Toulon.
nikbear
06-11-09, 02:56 PM
Cool,thanks Meduza:03:,I've got a career running thats at November 41' I think it could be time to take a trip to the med:yeah:
Sounds like a perfect time for me. See you in Salamis. :salute:
sharkbit
06-11-09, 03:45 PM
Enjoy your time in the Med. :sunny:
Like others have said, watch out for airplanes. You'll do a lot of crash dives and spending the day submerged, especially around Malta.
There's lots of targets in that channel between Sicily and North Africa and South East from there as well as to the East of Malta. I've come across lots of warship patrols as well, so beware.
Lots of single and double cargo ships with single escorts and I've seen the occasional 4 ship convoy with escorts. Most are pretty easy pickings early on.
Also, the Luftwaffe/Reggia Aeronautica will actually help you on occasion as well as stealing the occasional kill after you torpedoed it. :damn:
I'm now near the end of Oct '43 out of Toulon and things are getting tough, really, really, tough. :nope:
:)
Sockeye
06-11-09, 09:35 PM
Glad to hear you made it through, Meduza! I checked in on the thread earlier and was going to say something, but I didn't want to jinx you before I knew you were in the clear :DL
We've probably all made the run at some point, and like you, my last trip was a few years ago by now--Stock or pre-GWX days, I'm not sure--but all this talk of the Med is making me think of givin' 'er another go soon.
Here's a very recommended reading to put you in the mood:
http://www.amazon.com/U-Boats-Mediterranean-1941-1944-Lawrence-Paterson/dp/1591148936
It's so damn hard to pick my way through the cavaclade of titles in the U-boat library sometimes, but I've just added this to the shopping cart along with Patterson's book on the Inshore Campaign, and another bloke's work about German naval commandos... Molch, anyone?
Huzzah!
The adventure continues... :DL
(Apr 4 1942)
04:02 We are getting deeper and deeper into the Med, basicaly an unknown territory. I expect to be bothered by the Gibraltar based planes for two more day, most of which we'll spend submerged.
The plan is to proceed to waters SW of Sicily, where we'll linger for a while. Then we'll go along the suspected traffic routes, staying away from Malta.
The Mad has greeted us with good weather - visibility 10km, 6m/s SW wind.
Our fuel tanks are almost full, and we have all but one torpedoes left. Hopefully we'll have none aboard when we reach Salamis.
06:57 Sound contact, bearing 282, going slow. Merchant. Sounds like a big one.
07:49 Visual contact. Not one, but two merchants: ore carrier and coastal freighter. Getting into position for submerged attack.
08.33 As I came ahead of the ships and prepare to dive, with the leading ship already in visual range, my watch crew was surprised by two aircrafts. We received some damage, and have a bit of a flooding in the engine room. I'll have to improve my reaction time to aircraft threat.
Since the aircrafts are probably still in the area, I'll postpone my attack for 30 minutes.
09:43 Sank both ships, with three torpedoes. It was nice to see both ships hit exactly at same time. Unfortunately, the third torpedo was a dud. The ships went down within half an hour.
Returning to my previous course, going slow, submerged.
18:14 We're on surface. Doing minor repairs on deck and loading bow external torpedo. Weather unchanged, no contacts.
19:22 Spotted single Medium cargo. Under the cover of darkness, we approached on surfaced and fired 2 eels. The ship broke in two and sank imediately.
20:46 Received a report of a ship 90km E from our position. She's heading directly at us, I barely have to alter the course. Intercepting at full speed. I'm beginning to like Mediterranean.
22:32 we have sound contact. Judging by the sound, the ship is escorted.
sharkbit
06-12-09, 11:18 AM
Good reports. Keep them coming. :up:
I'll have to improve my reaction time to aircraft threat.
With me, it is: "Aircraft Spotted" from watch crew = hitting the "C" key on my keyboard.
I don't wait to identify the aircraft. I'm sure I've gone under for some friendlies, but better to be safe than sorry.
At least in RL, to aircraft, the only good submarine is a dead submarine. I bet the game doesn't model mistaken attacks though.
I have still been suprised a couple of times and been damaged. Once pretty lightly. The second time was by a fighter with bombs near the coast of Sicily during the invasion. He came in quick and got me on the way down, causing some substantial damage. I had to return home after that one. :damn:
:)
With me, it is: "Aircraft Spotted" from watch crew = hitting the "C" key on my keyboard.
I like to take a look to see what's coming. :D I'll have to change that...
------------
Apr 5
00:32 We came into the visual range and identified ship as Passenger/Cargo. It's escorted by a single destroyer. Fired two steam torpedoes, to spend them while the darkness covers their trails. Distance 4km. Both torpedoes hit. So far no sounds of bulkheads breaking. We silently dive to safer depth, awaiting retaliation.
01:28 The ship sank 30 minutes after being hit. We wasn't detected. As we leave the area, I can still hear the escort in distance, still pointlessly circling and droping DC in empty ocean. Maybe they're fishing. :DL
After the last aircraft attack, I keep thinking about the condition of my hull. In several occasions we were hit, by bombs and gunfire. I wonder how deep we can go. Hope I won't have to find out. We are currently at 100m, going E @2kt. Position CH7459.
06.21 Aircraft spotted. Crash dive.
18:15 The day has been quite peaceful. No one's complaining, after last night, filled with action. It's been 6 days since we left El Farrel, but it seem like eternity. I just sent my patrol report - we sank four merchants and one destroyer (all during the single night), total 18,500t. Six torpedoes still aboard. Position CH81. Weather unchanged.
Apr 6
05:04 During the night the wind completely stopped, and the sea is perfectly calm. It will make us more visible.
17:23 Received a report of a ship, 200km W of our position, heading W. Too far for us to intercept. Continuing on present course.
It looks like we're out of the area covered by RAF. Haven't see any plane for 24 hours. Position CH91.
Apr 7
01:45 Sound contact. Merchant bearing 235. Sounds like she's in a hurry. Intercepting.
02:26 It's a large merchant, escorted by Flower class corvette. I'm thinking of sinking both ships...
02:46 I made my decision - first I'm going to sink the Flower, then the merchant. With all the damage the boat sustained, I don't know how deep we can go. Maybe 150m? Since the sea is dead calm, we would be easy prey on that depth. It's a risk I'm not going to take.
05:08 I did it. The Flower is sinking, hit by one torpedo from aft tube (TII, magnetic detonator, 3km distance). Now it's that merchant's turn.
05:24 The merchant is hit by torpedo. I had to use magnetic detonator, because she is zig-zaging. I'm going to wait, maybe one hit will be enough to sink her. I'm in no hurry.
05:38 She listed to port and moving very slow, 2kt. She will go down soon.
05:48 She's going down. A lot of lifeboats swimming around. I hope someone will pick them up.
05:54 No contact. Surfacing.
21:13 Radio report came of a slow ship sailing west. It's 200km W from our position so we continue on present course. Position CJ74.
Tomorrow night we'll reach the passage between Sicily and Africa coast. Hope to find something there.
Apr 8
11:12 A report came of a friendly convoy 30km to the north. If they were nearer, I would've dropped by to say hello. :DL
Apr 9
03:09 Contact, bearing 340. long range. Sounds like merchant. Position CJ87.
03:39 We have a visual. It's a small merchant, heading NW. It's dawning, so I'll have to attack submerged.
04:50 The ship is flying New Zealand colors. I fired one torpedo from aft tube, a perfect midship hit from 400m. While I waited and observed the ship, suddenly all hell broke loose. Bombs falling all over the place, explosions, and water sprays. But not on me - on the merchant. The Luftwaffe! And they're gonna claim my kill! No, they wont! Blow the tanks!
My men quickly started fire on ship, already engulfed with flames. There was a huge explosion. Before she went down, her crew managed to hit us just behind the tower. The shell penetrated the hull, causing small flooding. :-?
When the three bombers flew directly overhead, I saw they were our Italian allies. For a moment I thought they're going to drop their bombs on us, for stealing their kill. :DL
05:05 I'm going to take a risk and load the aft external torpedo. I don't expect any air attacks, and there are no enemy ships around. position CJ87. Only three torpedo left.
(to be continued...)
sharkbit
06-12-09, 11:56 AM
I like to take a look to see what's coming. :D I'll have to change that...
You know what they say.....curiosity killed the cat! :D
I try to use the external camera to satisfy my curiosity.
:)
You know what they say.....curiosity killed the cat! :D
I try to use the external camera to satisfy my curiosity.
:)
I'm trying hard to resist the temptation and use the external camera for screenshots only. ;) Maybe that's why I was hit so many times. :DL
(I'll keep using my previous post for new log entries for a while)
nikbear
06-12-09, 05:45 PM
Looking forward to further posts:yeah:
(Apr 9) 07:55 I decided to do a test dive, to see how deep she can still go. I can't enter the dangerous water ahead without knowing that I can rely on the boat. Diving to 120m, ahead standard.
08:00 The chief leveled the boat at 123m. So far so good, except for the green faces of my men. Going deeper, slowly, at 1kt.
08:04 140m.
08:06 150m. The boat is holding. So does the crew.
08:07 160m. The chief expressed his concern. Some disturbing can be heard from the hull.
08:09 170m. First signs of trouble started to appear - some pipes leaking water, a few rivets went off. We blew the tanks and the boat dropped to 173m before starting to raise. No damage.
Going to surface and resuming our course. I guess the maximum depth of 170m is not bad, considering all the damage we took. I'll have to be more careful in the future.
09:37 SO reported a contact, merchant, bearing 98. To me, it sounds like she is escorted by a small warship that sounds like a trawler or patrol boat. Going to investigate.
10:09 We have visual contact. It's a friendly convoy, two Albanian and one German ships, escorted by the Raeumboot. Approaching to greet them!
13:37 Aircraft spotted. I didn't expect to see enemy planes in this area and stayed on surface. When I saw the plane is turning in our direction, I ordered to dive. Two bombs exploded above, but we were deep enough. No damage. Position CJ8881.
Apr 10
05:39 Sound contact, warship bearing 45. Maybe one of ours. Will investigate.
06:17 It looks like there is one merchant behind the warship. Still out of visual range. Estimated course NW, going slow.
06:59 Visual contact. It's a small freighter, escorted by a corvette. Not sure of natonality. Submerging for the attack.
07:18 I have just witnessed an air attack on the ships. They sank the merchant and damaged the escort. I'm going deeper and leaving the area.
08:31 Surfaced. I can see the debris from the merchant in the distance. No lifeboats. The escort is long gone, out of visual range. So are the planes.
After patrolling around grid CN22, we are returning to SE course. We'll pass near the Pantelleria base soon.
13:08 Faint propeller sound, bearing 200. Sounds like a small warship, probably one of our patrols around Pantelleria. Proceeding on present course.
14:31 Position CN26, 280km WNW from Malta. We will go on submerged until dark.
17:26 Sound contact, merchant, bearing 353, closing.
17:57 Visual contact. It's an unescorted small freighter. We're approaching for surfaced attack.
18:10 A torpedo fired from 900m hit the ship in the middle. She didn't sank, and even manage to find us with searchlight and fire a few shots from stern gun. No hits.
18:18 The ship is still afloat, but motionless. The impact must have destroyed the engines. I'll finish her with deck gun, staying clear of her stern gun.
18:28 She sank.
Apr 11
04:19 Sound contact, warship bearing 020, closing. If she comes too close, I'll attack. Judging by the sound, it's destroyer.
04:24 SO reported to hear a merchant near that destroyer. I must admit I can't hear it. Anyway, we are on a collision course and we'll find out soon.
04:44 They came in visual range - medium cargo escorted by destroyer. Preparing for submerged attack, silent running regime. Only two TII torpedoes left.
05:05 Here comes the Luftwaffe again! The ships is burning, with visible damage. I'm only a few minutes from attack position, and will proceed as planed. If the ship doesn't sink first...
05:15 The merchant sank before I could attack. So I fired one eel at destroyer and missed. I want to forget this encounter as soon as possible.
Resuming our course, submerged at 20m, ahead slow.
http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/1040/clipboard01dzk.jpg
(to be continued...)
09:55 Sound contact, bearing 056, closing. Sound like a small merchant, unescorted. Intercepting submerged, full speed.
10:48 Visual contact, small freighter. I hope the Luftwaffe is engaged somewhere else.
11:10 The Luftwaffe in action again! :nope: I saw a single Stuka bombing the ship. Fortunately I was quicker. The ship sank after one hit in the middle, from 1000m. She was badly burning at the moment.
I see now that my staying in the Med will be a constant race against my fellows in the air...
Looking at the ship going down, I noticed she wasn't armed. I could have sunk her with deck gun. I wasted my last torpedo, and now, all I can do is head for home, avoiding any trouble.
16:09 Surfacing. Position CN37. Weather still very calm.
22:45 My watch crew was completely caught off guard by an enemy aircraft. We sustained some serious damage and had flooding in almost all compartment. Multiple systems damaged, but nothing destroyed.
It seems that now the darkness doesn't offer the cover like it use to. As soon as we surface, we'll go full speed to leave Malta behind.
Apr 12
01:07 Sound contact, destroyer bearing 282. My SO didn't report anything. No medals for him this time!
Position CN62. Maintaining our present course, going deep and silent.
01:31 It seems there is a large task force ahead of us. I think I can hear at least one battleship. Too bad I don't have any torpedoes left. Position CN6283. Task force is sailing south.
08:07 Back on surface, doing some repairs on a deck from the last night's attack. Weather still calm, visibility 10km.
We should be out of the range of Malta based aircrafts.
08:17 I guess I was wrong. Two aircrafts spoted. Crash dive. Two explosions above. No damage. Where's the Luftwaffe now?
12:13 We have surfaced. Heading ENE, full speed. I expect us to be in Salamis day after tomorrow, drinking beer at the officer's club.
12:25 Aircraft spotted! :roll: Don't they have something better to do? We'll stay submerged for a while.
19:11 On surface. I had to slightly adjust my planed course to move us away from Malta as fast as possible.
Apr 13
03:48 The sun just came up, it's a nice and peaceful morning. The visibility has considerably improved over night. We are going on ENE course at 17kt. If nothing unexpected happens, we'll dock at Salamis tomorrow, before noon.
Apr 14
03:35 We are passing between Greek mainland and Crete. We should see our port within 10 hours. The uneventful day yesterday gave everyone the opportunity to rest.
12:18
We came to 30km from Salamis, but it looks as though we came at wrong time! There's a small boat far away in front, and I can clearly see she's firing at something, but can't see at what. Possible an air raid? I checked, there's 100m of water bellow our keel. Enough for a crash dive. At least we got plenty of practice so far.
12:24 There are two boats now, firing. And to the port, there is a cargo ship, in flames. I sent my crew to man the flak gun.
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/474/sh3img1362009202418609.th.jpg (http://img134.imageshack.us/i/sh3img1362009202418609.jpg/)
12:40 I finaly found out what was going on - the boats were attacking a cargo ship. It was Greek. So we joined the gunfight and sank the ship. I wander what she was doing there?
Proceeding towards Salamis. The escort will lead us in.
(to be continued...)
Kaleu_Mihoo
06-13-09, 01:53 PM
It's really a pleasure to read your reports, please keep them comming :rock:
Reading them makes me wanna go on patrol again :)
Thank you!
It's really a pleasure to read your reports, please keep them comming :rock:
Reading them makes me wanna go on patrol again :)
Thank you!
Thank you, mate! It was my pleasure.
14:08 Finally entering the Salamis harbor. What, no one's cheering from the docks?
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/1317/portd.jpg
U-371 entering Salamis harbor
http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/5816/course.jpg
From Brest to Salamis
The end.
Yay, they are really nice to read :yeah:will be starting my own campaign in the Med soon if I keep reading this :D
I have to agree, the Luftwaffe in GWX seems to pop up too frequently for my taste, and steals my kills :damn:
Anyoen has an idea what to tweak so they are less frequent? :hmmm:
Torplexed
06-13-09, 03:22 PM
I have to agree, the Luftwaffe in GWX seems to pop up too frequently for my taste, and steals my kills :damn:
Anyone has an idea what to tweak so they are less frequent? :hmmm:
Shoot Goering. Put Doenitz in charge. :up:
Kaleu_Mihoo
06-13-09, 05:05 PM
Yay, they are really nice to read :yeah:will be starting my own campaign in the Med soon if I keep reading this :D
I have to agree, the Luftwaffe in GWX seems to pop up too frequently for my taste, and steals my kills :damn:
Anyoen has an idea what to tweak so they are less frequent? :hmmm:
AirStrike.cfg I would say,
you can find there all the strike probabilities etc. just adjust them for you taste.
@meduza
Now, it was a nice trip.
it would be a pleasure to read some new combat reports so keep them coming :)
greets
Task Force
06-13-09, 05:12 PM
Reading thi is makeing me think about not going back to france form my rade at Gibraltar.:yep: Good read meduza.
nikbear
06-14-09, 07:33 AM
Really enjoyed the reports of your successful mission to the Med Meduza:yeah:Its been very inspirational to me to start my own mission to the med.:salute:
As soon as my current patrol has finished,Kaleun Otto Schnedier in U-98 will be heading off to the Med to meet you in Salamis,Tell them they need to order some more crates of Beck's in the officers mess:woot::03:,we will need a drink after hopefully getting through the straights:doh:........:up:
I'll save you the best seat in the bar. :D
Something just crossed my mind: what will happen when the flotilla disbands? Will I be transferred to another one, and automatically taken there? Or will I have to go through the Gibraltar again? In 1944? :o
Has anyone been in such situation?
joegrundman
06-15-09, 06:28 PM
I crossed Gibraltar once, even managed to sink a cruiser on the way. Best of all as soon as i crossed into the med i spotted a non-german submarine on the surface in daylight making about 12 knots (I was already submerged) and fired a 3 torpedo spread and sank it. It was Italian. I decided not to report it when pulling in at La Spezia.
I crossed Gibraltar once, even managed to sink a cruiser on the way. Best of all as soon as i crossed into the med i spotted a non-german submarine on the surface in daylight making about 12 knots (I was already submerged) and fired a 3 torpedo spread and sank it. It was Italian. I decided not to report it when pulling in at La Spezia.
Was it this one? I saw it also, near Gibraltar, on some other patrol. We almost collided in bad weather. :DL
http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/9479/sh3img1882008132139671h.jpg
joegrundman
06-16-09, 02:42 AM
Yeah that's the fella!
Leandros
06-16-09, 04:22 AM
Something just crossed my mind: what will happen when the flotilla disbands? Will I be transferred to another one, and automatically taken there? Or will I have to go through the Gibraltar again? In 1944? :o
Has anyone been in such situation?
To my knowledge, none ever went back through Gibraltar.....:hmmm:...
The Italians went a lot back and forth in 1940. But, that was 1940.
nikbear
06-16-09, 08:34 AM
Well wish me luck,I'm off to the Med,Kaleun Oberleutnant Otto Schnedier and the crew of U-98 are leaving St Nazaire,Hopefully not for the last time,but for a while at least:03:
See you in the officers Mess Meduza:salute::salute::salute:
Jawohl, Herr Kaleun! :salute:
Good luck and keep as informed of your progress.
nikbear
06-16-09, 03:29 PM
Well I did it and I'm safely in the Med:woot:,after a few false starts:oops: Stayed very much out of trouble as I didn't want to be carrying any damage through the straits.
Of all the times I could have done with some filthy weather,it was gloriously sunny and calm the whole way through:damn:
Getting through the Gib Straits wasn't half as bad as I thought it would be,went through like Meduza on the surface at night with decks awash,only dived twice when a DD got to close,and then did it really slow so as not to attract attention:03:
Visibility was wonderful which aloud me to plot course away from any trouble,having 16k atmos on really helps when it comes to spotting trouble before it spots you:up:
Made my way to Salamis as quickly as I could,not wanting to be the first idiot to get sunk on his way to a new base:88)Damn RAF are a pain in the butt:timeout:Mind you I've decided to dive at the first sign of a plane,I'm not waiting to find out if they like me or not:03:
Docked in Salamis in one piece and I have to say its very pretty :yeah:Palm trees and stuff,very nice:sunny:
Thought I'd take the crew out for a shakedown patrol in our new surroundings and headed down to Torbruk way,:arrgh!:Pics to follow.......
Nikbear, I'm glad you've made it! Welcome to the Med! :salute:
I already got my orders to transfer to La Spezia, and my first patrol out of it was almost fatal.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=1118719&postcount=366
BTW, I've done some reading, and found that the real U-371, (the boat I'm curently sailing on), made the same voyage from Brest to Salamis, in Sep-Oct 1941. :DL Unfortunately she was sunk on May 4th 1944, taking three sailors with her.
nikbear
06-16-09, 04:53 PM
Thanks Meduza:salute: Had My first patrol,thought just a little shakedown might get the crew settled:hmmm: Trolling along minding our own enjoying the weather,we spotted a DD,down to P/D and went quiet so as not to annoy the new neighbours:03: Except the SO keeps calling them out,more and more:06:Popped the scope for a quick look?........Only 3 BB's,2 Dido's and god knows how many DD's:o:timeout::dead: I nearly crapped myself!!!!:03:
After regaining some composure I decided its death or glory time:rock:
And this was the result:yeah:
8.12.41. 1627 Patrol 24
U-98, 23rd/29th Flotilla
Left at: December 8, 1941, 16:27
From: Salamis
Mission Orders: Patrol grid CO56
9.12.41. 1719 Grid CO 56 Ship sunk! HMS Nelson (HMS Nelson), 36000 tons. Crew: 1336. Crew lost: 1055
1727 Grid CO 56 Ship sunk! HMS Nelson, 36000 tons. Crew: 1317. Crew lost: 39
11.12.41. 1133 Grid CO 61 Ship sunk! Grimsby class, 990 tons 1138 Grid CO 61 Ship sunk! HMS Brilliant (A&B classes), 1350 tons. Crew: 183. Crew lost: 56
1213 Grid CO 61 Ship sunk! HMS Mahratta (L class AA), 1690 tons. Crew: 215. Crew lost: 206
1222 Grid CO 61 Ship sunk! ORP Piorun (N class), 1690 tons. Crew: 216. Crew lost: 84
1240 Patrol results
Crew losses: 0
Ships sunk: 6
Aircraft destroyed: 0
Patrol tonage: 77720 tons
The last 4 DD's came along after,probably looking for yours truly after I'd been naughty with the RN's finest,Got away totally unscathed in both encounters,stayed at PD and kept very quiet.
they went nuts looking for me,but never came to close,think it was a bit of a suprise for them:salute:Worried now that I might have used up all my luck,but it was worth it:yeah:
Not bad. :D If you continue this way, the RN will soon run out of Nelsons. :DL
Keep up the good work! :salute:
nikbear
06-16-09, 05:25 PM
Sadly the other BB(George The V,I think:oops:) got away:nope:
The AA destroyer was different,never seen one before:hmmm:
Thanks for inspiring me to come to the Med:up: Best of luck on your next patrol,Keep us updated,its good to here of others exploits:yeah:
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