Von Talon
09-16-09, 10:30 AM
I am doing a lot harbour raids in this career. I have read that harbour raids are suicide, but I have never been killed, or even severely damaged in a harbour raid. I will post all my harbour raids at this thread, and tell every details from them, so you can tell me that am I damn good or just damn lucky. Enjoy!
Raid 1:
I was making raid to Scapa Flow, but I couldn't find any battleships or other ships to sink. So I decided to head toward Lock Ewe. I hoped that there would be ships worth to sink. On my way, my sonarman started to yell. He had found a large task force. I went for a closer look, and I was amazed by the size of that task force. 3 battleships and almost 20 destroyers and light cruisers. I tried to get to attack position, but the task force was too fast. I couldn't get a straight shot, so I had to give up. I reported about the contact to BdU. 3 battleships had just slipped out of my hands :damn:
I returned to course. I had to evade some British warships on my way to Lock Ewe, because I didn't want to waste torpedoes in case I find a battleship.
When I finally reached Lock Ewe, I was disappointed. No battleships.
I decided to check Scapa Flow one more time before I would return to base. So, I took my course back to Scapa. Few hours later, a huge storm broke up. It was so dark that I couldn’t see anything.
Suddenly my watch officer reported: “Warship spotted!” I went to the bridge and saw a British torpedo boat. And it was only 100 meters away from my boat! I didn’t dive, because I was sure that he wouldn’t see me. And I was right. The MTB just flew away (Huge storm + MTB = Airplane). I continued my journey towards Scapa Flow.
When I approached the enemy harbour, I decided to sneak in from the southern entrance.
I navigated through the small islands at southwest from Scapa. I observed from my observation
periscope for enemy ships. Guess what I saw? The battleship Revenge! And no destroyers in sight!
I slowly approached the BB and prepared the torpedoes. I opened tubes 1 and 4, and fired.
While the torpedoes were underway, I prepared tubes 2 and 3. I watched from my attack periscope when the torpedoes blew up. I launched 2 and 3. They finished the battleship Revenge, and when the destroyers were alerted, I was heading towards Wilhelmshaven.
Raid 2:
I attacked to Southend, hoping that I would find those big passenger liners. I approached the harbour from west, because I was sure that there would be subnets or mines at the southern and eastern side of the port. An ASW trawler had detected me, so I had to dive and speed up to 7 knots. That would empty the batteries quite fast, but I wanted to get to inside the port (that provides excellent cover), before the ASW trawler would catch me. Well, 7 knots isn’t fast enough to shake a surface ship, so the trawler was catching me up quite fast. I was looking for the approaching enemy vessel from my observation periscope. It was still far behind me. Then I heard a noise. It sounded like a destroyer in attack run. I turned my periscope and I said: “Oh no!” There was another ASW trawler after me. I tried to lower the periscope change course, but it was too late. The enemy rammed me, destroying my observation periscope and damaging my attack periscope. Then, the other ASW trawler was over me. She didn’t drop any depth charges (I don’t know why). I prepared for the other trawler, but she didn’t come. She was damaged because she had rammed me before. I made it inside the port before the other ASW trawler. I watched from the attack periscope for passenger liners, and I saw two. The closer one was “behind” the docks, but I was in almost perfect attack position, so I quickly fired 3 torpedoes. They all hit the target, and it started to sink. Then, I headed towards the second liner. She was “inside” the docks, but I managed to navigate to attack position. I launched 1 torpedo, and started to reload new torpedoes. The ASW trawler tried to follow me, but she couldn’t The torpedo I launched hit the target, but the liner didn’t want to sink. After 30 minutes of reloading, I fired 2 more torpedoes, and the liner started to sink. I fired one more torpedo to finish it. I decided then to leave. But the batteries were running low, only 40% left. Surfacing was not an option, and I didn’t have enough batteries to escape directly to open sea. So, I made an insane plan.
I had enough batteries to go submerged into the “firth”, south from the harbour. In the “firth” I would surface, recharge batteries, and then escape to open sea. The plan started well. I left the docks and headed south. The ASW trawler was stuck at the dock and I had a clear passage. I hoped that I wouldn’t struck any mines or subnets. I entered the “firth” and surfaced. It was quite calm. Nobody was shooting me or anything. I started to recharge the batteries.
I managed to reload over 50% of the batteries, when the ASW trawler was approaching from the port. I dived and left the “firth”. I had now a clear path to the open sea, except the ASW trawler in my ass. I tried a stern shot, but it missed. I ordered to silent running and turned back to north.
It worked. The enemy lost contact and I slowly headed to open sea. It was getting dark, so I tried a surface escape. The ASW trawler didn’t detect me and I was on my way back to Wilhelmshaven.
Raid 3:
I was planning an attack to Gibraltar. I got resuppiles from German ship Thalia and I headed towards Gibraltar. It wasn't a long journey, but I still encountered 2 British merchants. The first one I sank with deck gun and the second one with a torpedo. It was night and I was travelling in the middle of the strait. I had to dive a couple of times to avoid british destroyers. I approached the port surfaced, but I dived at about 6000 meters from the big guns. Sneaking into the Gibraltar's harbour is quite easy, becouse the subnet is in so deep that in periscope depth yousa can go over it, and the destroyers are hunting in the sea, so the port itself is lightly defended. The sun was rising and I saw the Nelson battleship. I went closer and fired 2 torpedoes. The first one hit the bow of the ship, and the second behind the 3rd big gun. The ship blew up. Everything possible just flew away. With only 2 torpedoes. I headed back to the sea before big destroyers would come. 3 ASW trawlers approached me from the. One from the docks, and two from the sea. I decided to try a new trick. The subnet doesn't reach all the way to the bottom, so I tried to escape under it. I dived to 73 meters. I rigged to silent running. It seemed to work. I escaped and returned to Wilhelmshaven.
As I said, I will post more soon.
Next up: Scapa Flow
Raid 1:
I was making raid to Scapa Flow, but I couldn't find any battleships or other ships to sink. So I decided to head toward Lock Ewe. I hoped that there would be ships worth to sink. On my way, my sonarman started to yell. He had found a large task force. I went for a closer look, and I was amazed by the size of that task force. 3 battleships and almost 20 destroyers and light cruisers. I tried to get to attack position, but the task force was too fast. I couldn't get a straight shot, so I had to give up. I reported about the contact to BdU. 3 battleships had just slipped out of my hands :damn:
I returned to course. I had to evade some British warships on my way to Lock Ewe, because I didn't want to waste torpedoes in case I find a battleship.
When I finally reached Lock Ewe, I was disappointed. No battleships.
I decided to check Scapa Flow one more time before I would return to base. So, I took my course back to Scapa. Few hours later, a huge storm broke up. It was so dark that I couldn’t see anything.
Suddenly my watch officer reported: “Warship spotted!” I went to the bridge and saw a British torpedo boat. And it was only 100 meters away from my boat! I didn’t dive, because I was sure that he wouldn’t see me. And I was right. The MTB just flew away (Huge storm + MTB = Airplane). I continued my journey towards Scapa Flow.
When I approached the enemy harbour, I decided to sneak in from the southern entrance.
I navigated through the small islands at southwest from Scapa. I observed from my observation
periscope for enemy ships. Guess what I saw? The battleship Revenge! And no destroyers in sight!
I slowly approached the BB and prepared the torpedoes. I opened tubes 1 and 4, and fired.
While the torpedoes were underway, I prepared tubes 2 and 3. I watched from my attack periscope when the torpedoes blew up. I launched 2 and 3. They finished the battleship Revenge, and when the destroyers were alerted, I was heading towards Wilhelmshaven.
Raid 2:
I attacked to Southend, hoping that I would find those big passenger liners. I approached the harbour from west, because I was sure that there would be subnets or mines at the southern and eastern side of the port. An ASW trawler had detected me, so I had to dive and speed up to 7 knots. That would empty the batteries quite fast, but I wanted to get to inside the port (that provides excellent cover), before the ASW trawler would catch me. Well, 7 knots isn’t fast enough to shake a surface ship, so the trawler was catching me up quite fast. I was looking for the approaching enemy vessel from my observation periscope. It was still far behind me. Then I heard a noise. It sounded like a destroyer in attack run. I turned my periscope and I said: “Oh no!” There was another ASW trawler after me. I tried to lower the periscope change course, but it was too late. The enemy rammed me, destroying my observation periscope and damaging my attack periscope. Then, the other ASW trawler was over me. She didn’t drop any depth charges (I don’t know why). I prepared for the other trawler, but she didn’t come. She was damaged because she had rammed me before. I made it inside the port before the other ASW trawler. I watched from the attack periscope for passenger liners, and I saw two. The closer one was “behind” the docks, but I was in almost perfect attack position, so I quickly fired 3 torpedoes. They all hit the target, and it started to sink. Then, I headed towards the second liner. She was “inside” the docks, but I managed to navigate to attack position. I launched 1 torpedo, and started to reload new torpedoes. The ASW trawler tried to follow me, but she couldn’t The torpedo I launched hit the target, but the liner didn’t want to sink. After 30 minutes of reloading, I fired 2 more torpedoes, and the liner started to sink. I fired one more torpedo to finish it. I decided then to leave. But the batteries were running low, only 40% left. Surfacing was not an option, and I didn’t have enough batteries to escape directly to open sea. So, I made an insane plan.
I had enough batteries to go submerged into the “firth”, south from the harbour. In the “firth” I would surface, recharge batteries, and then escape to open sea. The plan started well. I left the docks and headed south. The ASW trawler was stuck at the dock and I had a clear passage. I hoped that I wouldn’t struck any mines or subnets. I entered the “firth” and surfaced. It was quite calm. Nobody was shooting me or anything. I started to recharge the batteries.
I managed to reload over 50% of the batteries, when the ASW trawler was approaching from the port. I dived and left the “firth”. I had now a clear path to the open sea, except the ASW trawler in my ass. I tried a stern shot, but it missed. I ordered to silent running and turned back to north.
It worked. The enemy lost contact and I slowly headed to open sea. It was getting dark, so I tried a surface escape. The ASW trawler didn’t detect me and I was on my way back to Wilhelmshaven.
Raid 3:
I was planning an attack to Gibraltar. I got resuppiles from German ship Thalia and I headed towards Gibraltar. It wasn't a long journey, but I still encountered 2 British merchants. The first one I sank with deck gun and the second one with a torpedo. It was night and I was travelling in the middle of the strait. I had to dive a couple of times to avoid british destroyers. I approached the port surfaced, but I dived at about 6000 meters from the big guns. Sneaking into the Gibraltar's harbour is quite easy, becouse the subnet is in so deep that in periscope depth yousa can go over it, and the destroyers are hunting in the sea, so the port itself is lightly defended. The sun was rising and I saw the Nelson battleship. I went closer and fired 2 torpedoes. The first one hit the bow of the ship, and the second behind the 3rd big gun. The ship blew up. Everything possible just flew away. With only 2 torpedoes. I headed back to the sea before big destroyers would come. 3 ASW trawlers approached me from the. One from the docks, and two from the sea. I decided to try a new trick. The subnet doesn't reach all the way to the bottom, so I tried to escape under it. I dived to 73 meters. I rigged to silent running. It seemed to work. I escaped and returned to Wilhelmshaven.
As I said, I will post more soon.
Next up: Scapa Flow