Real Time Patrol (1x TC), First attempt!

[Philipp_Thomsen]

La Rochelle, France. Autumn, 1941.

Yes, you heard this before, but it's true. Im starting a new patrol, and I have nothing planned for the next 3 days, as I'll be alone in my house, and I do have 2 computers, both with internet, so I decided to start a real time patrol (1x TC) in the living room computer, wich is plugged into a 40" Sony Bravia, while I can work and do the rest of my stuff in the other computer, including use the internet to post the patrol here, as it goes, like reports to Bdu. The computer is also linked to a sound system, I kinda have a home-theater PC in the living room. The sound is 5.1 with speakers around the living room, where I'll just throw a mattress in the floor, and sleep there. In that small place, surrounded by sofas, and a few feet away from the kitchen, I'll have my own uboat. If something is spotted, they will yell and I'll wake up, otherwise I'll just sleep with the sound of the waves. I installed a red bulb as a light in the living room, while the rest of the house will remain all lights out.

The game clock is set to my real life clock, so its night here, night there.

I've done the first 18 hours of the day without posting anything here, but I was writing it down, to put all at once. From now on, one new post on regular basis, reporting anything interesting.

Day 1.

La Rochelle, France. January, 1942. Im using WAC 4.1, in wich the 3th flotilla is placed at La Rochelle, just like in Das Boot. Left with my VIIC at 2am of January 8th, the designed grid patrol is BF42. Went northest, passed St. Nazaire in the first light of the morning. Went west. Bearing 275. Ahead 2/3.

Nothing on sight.

18:55, submarine spotted. SS Class. 13 km away, 8kts. Quadrant BF6472. We went down, 25 meters. Submarine passed on my right, 6.7km away. Surfaced. Strangely this submarine was way too close to the French coast. Reported submarine position, heading and speed to Bdu. Kept course.

20:13, lost track of submarine. Waited half hour, nothing on hydrophones. Returned to the surface, resumed course to patrol grid.

21:42, some nice old tunes in the gramophone, while I was having my dinner. Rice, brown beans, smashed potato, chopped meat, orange juice. (for real).

Day 2.

01:33, Currently grid BF5552, course 279, speed 10kts. Reading a book. "Die Geheimnisse der Weisen von Sion", or "Protocols of the Sages of Zion", published by Gottfried zur Beck, in Charlottenburg in 1920. Of course my edition is not so old, it was published in 2001, but its not an easy book to find. Very interesting book, tho... Full of truths.

[Pohl]

from my personal experience and my Real Time patrol, it will be a very good experience for you, specially if you come back to a nice sunset and see the weather change...no words to describe such feeling :rock:

[Abd_von_Mumit]

Are your "Protocols of the Sages of Zion" comments real ones or part of the role-play, impersonating believing-Nazi commander?

[Philipp_Thomsen]

5:33, went to 25 meters, no sign of a soul on hydros. Im going to a short sleep in my bunker, with a very loud volume so i can wake up with the screaming. Some tunes on the gramophone, easy to sleep like this.
Quadrant is BF5514.


@Abd_von_Mumit, No, Im actually reading the book while I play. I started reading the book 2 days ago, very good book. And Im not nazi, Im just open-minded.

[Damo]

All credit to you for doing this, I've often wondered about whether I should have a go at this but never have the time to. I often leave the game running real time when I go to bed and haven't got to worry about getting up next morning. More often than not I'm woken up by a sound contact at 3 am and next thing you know, I'm sneaking away from a decimated convoy with all torpedoes spent and the sun's coming up outside. No other game has ever got me to do crazy stuff like that, lol.

Good luck to you Phillip, but you say you have 3 days free, what happens when you reach the end of 3 days? You will carry on as normal with TC or will you keep it at 1x when you do get on the PC? 3 days is a mere flash in some of the patrols I do (min 30 days).

[Pohl]

What Damo said, I suggest that you TCx1 once you're far away from home base, higher chance of enemy contact, It took me near 6~8 days to complete my TCx1 Patrol and all I saw was 1 small merchant and airplanes :nope:

[Philipp_Thomsen]

13:54, crash dived for training purposes, went down to 222 meters to test the boat. Everything fine, no leaks, 2 bolts broke. Grid BF5412.


Using WAC 4.1, 100% realism, DiD.
SH3 Commander, with random ship tonnage, random crush depth, and others.
No instant death screen + long repair times.
3th Flotilla, La Rochelle, Lt. Philipp Thomsen.


Yes, 3 days won't be enough, unless I find a convoy and use all my torpedos. But I'll see what I can do, I'll keep going 1x TC as long as I can. If some time I have to do something else, I'll just pause the game and then resume at high TC when I get back, to get the clocks together again.

[Gabucino]

I always wanted to do this. Incidentally I also play on Bravia and 5.1. Maybe you've just given me the push needed.

"Heil und sieg! Sink'em all!"

[Philipp_Thomsen]

I always wanted to do this. Incidentally I also play on Bravia and 5.1. Maybe you've just given me the push needed.

"Heil und sieg! Sink'em all!"

It does make a difference... having all the sounds coming all around you, with that big screen. Makes you feel like ur really there.

Also, with that big screen and image quality (the bravia has some functions that reduce the tearing, smoothers the pixels and pixel transitions), its so cool that I can actually just sit on the bridge for hours, just looking at the ocean and skies, and having the breeze pass thru me, from front speakers to back speakers. Its a brand new experience... :smug:

[Philipp_Thomsen]

5:42, reached patrol grid objective, BF42.

15:15, so far, not a bird in sight.

[Abd_von_Mumit]

[B][COLOR=yellowgreen]@Abd_von_Mumit, No, Im actually reading the book while I play. I started reading the book 2 days ago, very good book. And Im not nazi, Im just open-minded.

Suggested lecture:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Protocols_of_the_Elders_of_Zion
This book may be interesting as a historical document that had a strong impact on human minds and behaviours, but calling this forgery "Full of truths" is rather not sign of being open-minded in my opinion.

It was first published in 1903 in Russia, and scholars now commonly share opinion that it is a tsar secret police forgery intended to point the people to a "common enemy of humanity": Jews. It helped to build wide support for antisemitism, it was widely used by Nazi propaganda. Suggesting here that it's a valuable book to read, without mentioning all the above, should not take place. This is why I decided to interrupt your thread - this is too important to be just ignored. Thousands of innocents died because of this book.

[Gabucino]

This is why I decided to interrupt your thread

You shouldn't have done that, because I disagree. And this thread is not the place for this.

[Philipp_Thomsen]

Why people have to expect the worst the best they can?

Im not talking about the Jews. I have nothing against Jews. Killing innocent people is wrong.

I was talking about what the book talk about the control of society and money and all, I didnt even get in the part they talk about the Jews yet.

As far as I did read, this book is very similar to the movie Zeitgeist, which is in my humble opinion the best single thing I have ever watched.

A quote from wikipedia, from your own link...

"The Protocols are widely considered the beginning of contemporary conspiracy theory literature, and take the form of an instruction manual to a new member of the "Elders," describing how they will run the world through control of the media and finance, replacing the traditional social order with one based on mass manipulation. The work was popularized by those opposed to the Russian revolutionary movement, and was disseminated further after the Russian Revolution of 1905, but achieved worldwide popularity after the 1917 Bolshevik October Revolution, when the idea that Bolshevism was a Jewish conspiracy for world domination sparked far-ranging interest in the Protocols. It was widely circulated in the West in the 1920s and 1930s, and while continued usage of the Protocols as a propaganda tool substantially diminished with the defeat of the Nazis in World War II, it still has currency in the arsenal of contemporary anti-Semitism."

If someone give me a book named "How to make yourself miserable in 10 days", I will read it from cover to cover, cos I think every single book have something good to offer. I dont judge the book by the cover, I'll judge the book after reading it. And so far, this book is amazing.

Im sorry if I made you missunderstand this, but again, I do not hate Jews, I have nothing against Jews. In fact, for me people are people, doesnt matter the colour or religion. Its all people, just like me. I dont ask for colour or religion or any documments when I meet a new friend, so chill out there.

:up:

As far as the patrol goes, still patrolling the grid BF42 for 24 hours. Still 9 hours to go. No sign of even a mosquitto.

[KL-alfman]

great answer, Herr Kaleu Thomsen! :yeah:

and all the best to your patrol!

[Damo]

I would respectfully request that if anybody wishes to raise concerns over Phillip's personal (and free) choice of reading, they do so through the site's personal message system rather than detract from this interesting thread and Phillip's personal endeavour to annoy the neighbours with 5.1 surround shouts of 'Ship Spotted!!' at unearthly hours of the morning.

Carry on Herr Kaleun.

(Just don't go out and buy Mein Kampf, whatever you do....)

:nope:

[Philipp_Thomsen]

I would respectfully request that if anybody wishes to raise concerns over Phillip's personal (and free) choice of reading, they do so through the site's personal message system rather than detract from this interesting thread and Phillip's personal endeavour to annoy the neighbours with 5.1 surround shouts of 'Ship Spotted!!' at unearthly hours of the morning.

Carry on Herr Kaleun.

(Just don't go out and buy Mein Kampf, whatever you do....)

:nope:

LOL!

Thank you, Damo, very respectful of you.:up:

Right now Im moving my ass over the grid BF14, which is the escape route for many convoys going to america. The 24 hour patrolling of BF42 ended 2 hours ago, Im in the top left corner of grid BF42, heading 330.

[Philipp_Thomsen]

I had to run for today, taking care of my visa, so I saved, and now I resumed, went high TC to make the clocks equal again. Nothing happened in the meantime.

But I have a bug... All my dials are pointing up.

Lemme guess... I have to start a new mission to fix this... right?

[Abd_von_Mumit]

Just wanted to assure you that Captain Thomsen's personal choice of reading has never been my concern - I'm in no position or will to tell others what they should do. My sole and only concern was the supposed advertising of certain titles as 'full of truths' in a manner that could be understood as promoting antisemitism - however, as it was clearly stated by Captain Thomsen, this was absolutely not his intent here, causa finita.

I really appreciate your explanation, Thomsen, and I'm glad you didn't take my questions as any form of personal attack. It's just the title that raised the hair on my head... I read it too, I must admit it's very interesting and skillfull forgery, and a fascinating historical document (in fact much more interesting than the above mentioned 'Mein Kampf', which is simply boring and poor, not to mention it's plain wrong).

I wish you all luck during your patrol - and remember, the best convoy attacks are from 2300 till 0400! :D

[Philipp_Thomsen]

Grid BF1414, January 11th, 16:35.

Ship sighted, steamer, 4 thousand tons. Around 15km, coming in my direction at 7kts, 25º aob. I changed my course to intercept him headon, and went ahead flank till 6km away. Error #1. Then I went to periscope depth, and changed course 30 degrees to the right, I wanted him to pass right in front of me, so I could hit his side on a 90º angle with an impact pistol, always more reliable. I went underwater till 1.5km away, and never checked the hydrophones in the meantime, neither checked if my sonarman was tired/there/doing his job. Error #2.

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/6546/21295582.jpg

Around 1300 meters, I'd set my tube 4 to 2 meters shallow, fast speed, impact pistol. It was a FAT. Fired tube 4 only, he was passing right in front of me. I never took my periscope away from him, at any moment. Error #3.

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/1462/19929709.jpg

The torpedo hit right behind the funnel, and a couple of seconds later it had a catastrophic explosion. It started turning on his side, and soon water was over the deck. I decided to surface the ship to check the wrackages. Error #4.

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/1355/86136139.jpg

A couple of second before I took this picture, a shell hit my starboard, and before I could understand what was happening, another one hit the aft. I yelled ALARM!! Error #5, and while I was going down the stairs I was cursing all the seaman for them to be drowling in the ship wreckages instead of looking at the horizon. First thing, I checked the periscope to see if I could find the basterd, before the water was over the periscope. Before I could get my uboat under the waves, I took a third and a fourth shot. I wondered, "this guy is either very close, of have a damn good aiming!". Actually, both are correct. He was very close, already zig-zagging, and coming fast.

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/4636/12058204.jpg

I had floodings all over, and most of my stuff were either not working or destroyed. When I was getting people to stop the floodings, my chief yelled "90 meters, kaleun!". What!?? I said crash dive! The excess of water and broken equipment put the boat in a downward motion, and I didnt even notice it.

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/3711/39309759.jpg

Before I could do anything, I heard the destroyer over me, and I could here a lot of splashes in the hydrophone. Most of the depth charges just shoke my boat around, but one of them blown my dive planes to smitherinies, and another one was very close, it broke all the glasses and increased my floodings. The uboat started going down faster.

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/386/99942352.jpg

I tried reversing the engines, nothing. Blowing ballast, nothing. My speed had increased to 9kts, even with back emergency ordered.

This last pic I took a split second before the deathscreen. The lights went dark just after the clicking. The tiefenmesser shows 218 meters.

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/9097/94023784.jpg


This 1x TC patrol teached me that, doesnt matter how lonely you feel, you are not. Always take a good look around before you do stuff. Even when you dont see anything for 3 days, when you last expect, you'll have a destroyer all over you. Specially from 42 ahead.

This was fun. I was hoping to last longer, my beard is still short and my underwear still smells good, but I wasnt a good kaleun and I deserved what I had.

:up:

[Rapt0r56]

Very sad Story atleast, but nice Patrol Philipp, i wish i could do an 1xTC Patrol, but haven't the time for it.:yep:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/uboot03.gif:%20150%20x%20105%2010.22kB

[Snestorm]

Sorry to hear of your premature ending, Philipp.

I was realy enjoying your thread.

[Kpt. Lehmann]

Ummm, PT... Why are you sniffing your underwear? :doh:

[Sailor Steve]

Rule #1: Before attacking, before surfacing, before anything else, ALWAYS do a 360-sweep with the periscope, just to make sure.:sunny:

[Philipp_Thomsen]

@Lehmann :rotfl2::rotfl2:

@Sailor Steve, yeah, I always do. But you know, you will find out nothing in 9999 times out of 10 thousand. And when you forget for the first time, there is a destroyer riding you. Its the law of murphy I guess. :wah:

[Di3lta-303]

Hey PT, interesting read. Which GUI mod are you using?

[Rapt0r56]

All i have seen on those Pic's were the unmodded WAC, current version is 4.1 check it out and you see. :shucks:

[Damo]

So I see 3 days WAS plenty of time for your 1xTC escapade eh???

:rotfl2:

Ahem... sorry for your loss old chap, great effort. Now the neighbours can get some sleep.

:woot:

[KL-alfman]

sorry to read your campaign has come to an end.
hope you'll start a new one in the next days! :yeah:

[urfisch]

this was nice to read! good idea to start a rl time patrol. i wish i had the time to experience such an atmosphere, you described. the monotone sound of the diesel...the waves crashing aboard the hull...see the sun rising up and down...see the stars blinking...see the weather change...all these things seen in rt makes the game feel real.

i trust you. this was extraordinary...simulation feeling.

thanks for the report.

:yeah:

[Philipp_Thomsen]

Well, I gotta tell you. 3 days in the vast ocean of nothingness, not a single contact all the time, when you finally see a ship, you feel like hitting it with all the torpedos you have, to make up the time.

But Im pretty sure if you can survive these 3 days, things will start getting interesting again.

I'll give another shot at a 1xTC patrol, but I'll do like I was suggested, I'll start the TC when Im far away from base, so I dont just post nothing here for days. Start the 1xTC when you are getting into the enemy territory.