I'm off to the Black Sea!

[sharkbit]

After having a terrible time in the 1943 in the Atlantic/Med, I'm trying a career in a IID out of Constanza in 10/42.

Any fresh intel/thoughts from anyone else that has tried the Black Sea?

I did a search and came up with some good info, but was wondering if there was anything recent out there.

Thanks.
:)

[msalama]

Easy enough for the 1st year or so, but gets increasingly dangerous after say late 43 - the air cover gets better and the escorts start to receive radar sets, plus get more experienced anyway. I should know, I just lost a skipper there :nope:

But it's a fun theatre nevertheless, and the canoe of course rocks as always :yep:

[sharkbit]

But it's a fun theatre nevertheless, and the canoe of course rocks as always :yep:

I'm looking forward to sailing a canoe. Gotta make all 5 eels count. Gone are the 20+ eels in a IX.
Last time I sailed a canoe was early war for a couple of patrols around England in the stock game.

I was looking at uboat.net at some of the tonnages scored in the Black Sea. Pretty paltry. Looked like the best scoring boat was U-20 with a total of about 11500 tons over a number of patrols.

Seems there was a lot of small targets (<1000 tons) and the biggest looked like around 7000 tons.
Looks like I'm going to have to take what I can get.

:)

[BulSoldier]

I have done only 1 patrol in there and funny i found rather large passanger ship, cant remember the tonnage but probably was more than u 20 total tonage :D

[msalama]

Seems there was a lot of small targets (<1000 tons) and the biggest looked like around 7000 tons.

Yep, small tankers and dry cargo ships (<5000GRT) for the most part, although you may see a 8000GRT troop carrier every now and then.

Happy hunting Herr Kaleun! :salute:

[Pohl]

I'm trying to escape from russian DD's in the black sea as I write this, I'm hurt pretty bad and lost my watch officer due to a collision (at least that's what I think) I still have 1 torpedo in my 3rd tube but it's destroyed :nope: you will have some fun in that career with the Type IID @ max speed surfaced of 13 knots :har: and you will certainly miss the 20+ torpedos of the IX

[danurve]

Done a few duck carrers in the Black Sea, they are good fun, and a challenge to rack up tonnage. Most of the activity is in the N/E areas, small convoys, a few troopships smaller tankers & cargo ships. Finished off more then a handfull with the AA gun aiming for the lower stern.

Good time trying to get through the Med and escape too.

[Hitman]

I have been finding (GWX3) steadily small convoys with large troop transports on them along the east coast. The real U-Boots found mostly small units, but unfortunately SH3/GWX/NYGM etc. lack 1000 ton ships, they are mostly 2000+ tons vessels. In GWX you can find some, but a more accurate representation of the Black Sea theatre of operations would have meant smaller vessels. Overall, it is anyway a great campaign in GWX3, I loved the detail in populating harbours, giving nets and minefields where appropiate, etc.

A campaign sure worth it. :up:

[Jimbuna]

The Black Sea is not for those who like to rack up large tonnage scores.....pretty difficult with a Type II anyway :DL

[BasilY]

Watch out for flying trucks.

[sharkbit]

Loads of fun so far in the Black Sea :woot:. Quite a different experience so far.
The Type IID takes some getting used to, but I like her a lot.

10/5/42:
Third day of the patrol in the eastern part of the Black Sea, patrolling along the coast.

I run into a 3 ship convoy escorted by 2 Novik class destroyers. During the approach, the hydrophones pick up other warship sounds in the distance.

I torpedo the two lead freighters, one sunk and the other slowing down.

I feel I kicked over a hornets nest. I have the two Noviks up there and the two warship contacts have joined the fun. They turned out to be Uragan destroyer escorts.
They're all buzzing around up there dropping DC's on me, but they seem pretty inaccurate and I'm deep and slowly slipping away.

I even took a peak with external cam and there were a couple of Lend Lease Hurricanes buzzing around up there.

:)