Mouftic
04-06-11, 05:27 AM
... not so long ago.
U-Flotilla Saltzwedel
Lorient
November 25, 1941, 17:05
KAPITÄNLEUTNANT Otto Graph commander of U-899, a nice type VIIB submarine with a mighty crew, was on his way to his 11th patrol. He was ordered to patrol grid BF12.
Otto knew full well that the place would be crawling with English anti-submarine vessels but he also knew that large convoys had to pass thru there to give England it's much needed supplies for the war effort.
Setting course for the assigned patrol grid he felt at ease because he knew his crew was in splendid shape and he had the fleets best sonar operator in Stabsoberbootsmann Erich Joansie, a veteran of already 13 patrols.
As per normal, Otto made way and at every 30 kms, he would go down to 25 meters for a sound check for any contacts. At grid BF57, Joansie reported 3 warships closing very fast on a bearing of 010. Commander Graph went to persicope depth to examine the situation, to his relief he saw three torpedo boats heading straight for him. He ordered a depth of 40 meters knowing perfectly that the boats didnt have sonars onboard and would just cruise over his sub and they did just that. Waiting for the contacts to fade, he was back to the surface to continue his patrol.
BF12 was approching fast and no luck so far on sighting any merchants, he decided to make a final sound check before arriving to his destination. "Depth 25 meters", he ordered. His trusty U-899 sliced thru the water to the designated depth. And then.... music to his ears. "Convoy bearing 245, slow speed, closing Sir", Joansie announced with a smile on his face.
After calculating range of the escorts, it was decided to surface the boat for 10 kms with a slight bearing change and then go to periscope depth and reevaluate the situation. Arriving at periscope depth, to Otto's relief, the convoy was on the same course. All that was left to do now was to go silent running for the next 2 km and wait for the convoy.
Arrived at the designated area, commander Graph ordered the boat to a full stop. The sea was calm he knew he would not be tossed around. Finally the first escort came into view on the attack periscope. It was running straight on its normal course. After what seemed an eternity the Black swan escort came within 2 kms of U-899. Making sure he was out of it's sonar range Otto waited for it to pass by when all of a sudden it started one of it's search pattern! Otto ordered back slow immediately for fear the escort would turn into him and thus ending his hunt. Fortunatly, the Black swan turned port side first and actually turned around U-899.
All was going well. Next, Otto ordered ahead slow to slip behind the escort and placed himself right in the middle of the convoys way knowing full well that the big ships were in the center of the convoy.
Finally the convoy came into view, to his chagrin after examening the contacts, all the convoy had that was interesting was a large merchant that was too far down and impossible to get solution on. In the center of the convoy was a medium tanker followed by a Liberty cargo. This would have to do for this run anticipating at least another run at the convoy after reloading was done and the he could positionned for the large merchant. Looking aft, he saw a medium cargo and would send it it's aft torpedo.
Solutions made, 2 torpedoes for each the tanker and the Liberty and one for the medium cargo. He always fired two torpedoes now for foward contacts because he had been deprived of big kills due to faulty eels.
Ships came into positions, torpedoes were fired and all went according to plan with all torpedoes exploding. The tanker became a huge ball of flame before sinking rapidly to the bottom. The Liberty cargo started a huge tilt on her starboard side and he knew there was no saving her. Has for the Medium cargo, she had been hit right in the middle bellow the keel but didnt seem to be affected that bad on first look.
He didnt have time to see the ship sink, now it was time to get out of there. Asking for depth under keel came the reply "Depth under keel 110 meters sir!", crash dive was ordered with a hard turn to port. Otto knew he had time while there was confusion and lots of noise in the water to make a quick dash for the back of the convoy where the escorts were not going to be looking for him. U-899 made her rapid descent to 95 meters and pass the last merchant ship, ahead slow was ordered and silent running issued.
The escorts passed jingerly by him to go look to the sides of the convoy for the attacker. This run was perfect, now let's reposition for the next one he was thinking when Joansie sadly reported "Warship bearing 365 closing very fast". This ship was not part of the convoy, but a passerby and came running to the distress call which was unfortunatly straight for U-899 standing at the back the convoy. Otto tried to turn to starboard hoping to avoid it's sonar when they heard the dreadfull ping of the sonar on thier hull.
Thats when the knightmare started. The five escorts of the convoy quickly came to hunt the hunter, which Otto found bizarre for them to leave the convoy completly depraved of escorts, but now was not the time for that.
Otto took a look at the crew around him and despair was in their eyes. Now he had to evade six frigates a feast that had never been done before. U-899 went to action when the first depth charges were dropped on top of her. Using the momentary blackout of the escorts equipment during the blasts, he called ahead flank and hard to port and then silent running. This was the normal procedures when evading a single or maybe two escorts, but six! He was immediatly getting pinged on again. Attacks after attacks came on, U-899 was zizaging, slowing down, accelerating, turning in circles, changing depths but to no avail.
He knew what he needed to escape, he needed depth to escape the sonars, but he was stuck with 110 meters and that was not deep enough. Suddenly a depth charge exploded real close to the submarine and chaos inssued. Joansie and Hartinger, the radio operator, were instanstely killed by flying bolts and pieces of equipment. Survival mode took the crew and they started damage control, plugging hole, fixing pipes, etc... The batteries got badly damaged and the boat was reduced to a maximum speed of 2 knots. Reports came that only 10% of the batteries was left. All that while, depth charges kept raining on top of them. The situation was grim.
Otto knew he had only one chance left and that was to find a hole to lay in and hope the sonars would loose contact. Fortunatly for him, the depth finding sonar was still intact. Now he had to find that hole. Constantly sounding the seafloor and ignoring (if that was possible) the continuous attacks from above he finally found a spot that would take him to 141 meters, that was the deepest 'hole' he could find with what was left of the batteries. Now all he had to do was settle down to the bottom, hoping it would not damage the submarine too badly and pray.
U-899, smootly settle into her 'hiding spot' and now all that was left to do was hope. Like magic, sonar bouncing off the sub stopped. 10 minutes passed, the crew thought they had escape the pursuers, but contact was made again but it was only one ship that seemed to be able to reach that depth. Then a cycle became apparent, the ship would circle and every 10 minutes or so the sound would hit the hull again. At least there was a good news, he was out of DC's, now all he had to do was go away before the crew died of co2 poisonning. All of a sudden expecting to ear the dreaded ping on U-899, there was none. 15, 20, 25, 30 minutes went by, the crew started to quietly breath a sigh of relief when PING! contact was made again. Then the routine started again every 10 minutes, until again a break, 20, 30, expecting to get hit again the crew were holding their breaths. 40, 50, 60 minutes passed and finaly the knightmare was over.
U-899 surfaced and was able to limp home.
Final result was 2 dead and hull integrity left was a remarkable 90.1%
11 052 tons sunk.
KAPITÄNLEUTNANT Otto Graph, and U-899 would fight another day.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Can't believe I typed that long :oops:
This story really happened today... :yeah:
*Sorry if there are mispellings and all, english is my second language.
U-Flotilla Saltzwedel
Lorient
November 25, 1941, 17:05
KAPITÄNLEUTNANT Otto Graph commander of U-899, a nice type VIIB submarine with a mighty crew, was on his way to his 11th patrol. He was ordered to patrol grid BF12.
Otto knew full well that the place would be crawling with English anti-submarine vessels but he also knew that large convoys had to pass thru there to give England it's much needed supplies for the war effort.
Setting course for the assigned patrol grid he felt at ease because he knew his crew was in splendid shape and he had the fleets best sonar operator in Stabsoberbootsmann Erich Joansie, a veteran of already 13 patrols.
As per normal, Otto made way and at every 30 kms, he would go down to 25 meters for a sound check for any contacts. At grid BF57, Joansie reported 3 warships closing very fast on a bearing of 010. Commander Graph went to persicope depth to examine the situation, to his relief he saw three torpedo boats heading straight for him. He ordered a depth of 40 meters knowing perfectly that the boats didnt have sonars onboard and would just cruise over his sub and they did just that. Waiting for the contacts to fade, he was back to the surface to continue his patrol.
BF12 was approching fast and no luck so far on sighting any merchants, he decided to make a final sound check before arriving to his destination. "Depth 25 meters", he ordered. His trusty U-899 sliced thru the water to the designated depth. And then.... music to his ears. "Convoy bearing 245, slow speed, closing Sir", Joansie announced with a smile on his face.
After calculating range of the escorts, it was decided to surface the boat for 10 kms with a slight bearing change and then go to periscope depth and reevaluate the situation. Arriving at periscope depth, to Otto's relief, the convoy was on the same course. All that was left to do now was to go silent running for the next 2 km and wait for the convoy.
Arrived at the designated area, commander Graph ordered the boat to a full stop. The sea was calm he knew he would not be tossed around. Finally the first escort came into view on the attack periscope. It was running straight on its normal course. After what seemed an eternity the Black swan escort came within 2 kms of U-899. Making sure he was out of it's sonar range Otto waited for it to pass by when all of a sudden it started one of it's search pattern! Otto ordered back slow immediately for fear the escort would turn into him and thus ending his hunt. Fortunatly, the Black swan turned port side first and actually turned around U-899.
All was going well. Next, Otto ordered ahead slow to slip behind the escort and placed himself right in the middle of the convoys way knowing full well that the big ships were in the center of the convoy.
Finally the convoy came into view, to his chagrin after examening the contacts, all the convoy had that was interesting was a large merchant that was too far down and impossible to get solution on. In the center of the convoy was a medium tanker followed by a Liberty cargo. This would have to do for this run anticipating at least another run at the convoy after reloading was done and the he could positionned for the large merchant. Looking aft, he saw a medium cargo and would send it it's aft torpedo.
Solutions made, 2 torpedoes for each the tanker and the Liberty and one for the medium cargo. He always fired two torpedoes now for foward contacts because he had been deprived of big kills due to faulty eels.
Ships came into positions, torpedoes were fired and all went according to plan with all torpedoes exploding. The tanker became a huge ball of flame before sinking rapidly to the bottom. The Liberty cargo started a huge tilt on her starboard side and he knew there was no saving her. Has for the Medium cargo, she had been hit right in the middle bellow the keel but didnt seem to be affected that bad on first look.
He didnt have time to see the ship sink, now it was time to get out of there. Asking for depth under keel came the reply "Depth under keel 110 meters sir!", crash dive was ordered with a hard turn to port. Otto knew he had time while there was confusion and lots of noise in the water to make a quick dash for the back of the convoy where the escorts were not going to be looking for him. U-899 made her rapid descent to 95 meters and pass the last merchant ship, ahead slow was ordered and silent running issued.
The escorts passed jingerly by him to go look to the sides of the convoy for the attacker. This run was perfect, now let's reposition for the next one he was thinking when Joansie sadly reported "Warship bearing 365 closing very fast". This ship was not part of the convoy, but a passerby and came running to the distress call which was unfortunatly straight for U-899 standing at the back the convoy. Otto tried to turn to starboard hoping to avoid it's sonar when they heard the dreadfull ping of the sonar on thier hull.
Thats when the knightmare started. The five escorts of the convoy quickly came to hunt the hunter, which Otto found bizarre for them to leave the convoy completly depraved of escorts, but now was not the time for that.
Otto took a look at the crew around him and despair was in their eyes. Now he had to evade six frigates a feast that had never been done before. U-899 went to action when the first depth charges were dropped on top of her. Using the momentary blackout of the escorts equipment during the blasts, he called ahead flank and hard to port and then silent running. This was the normal procedures when evading a single or maybe two escorts, but six! He was immediatly getting pinged on again. Attacks after attacks came on, U-899 was zizaging, slowing down, accelerating, turning in circles, changing depths but to no avail.
He knew what he needed to escape, he needed depth to escape the sonars, but he was stuck with 110 meters and that was not deep enough. Suddenly a depth charge exploded real close to the submarine and chaos inssued. Joansie and Hartinger, the radio operator, were instanstely killed by flying bolts and pieces of equipment. Survival mode took the crew and they started damage control, plugging hole, fixing pipes, etc... The batteries got badly damaged and the boat was reduced to a maximum speed of 2 knots. Reports came that only 10% of the batteries was left. All that while, depth charges kept raining on top of them. The situation was grim.
Otto knew he had only one chance left and that was to find a hole to lay in and hope the sonars would loose contact. Fortunatly for him, the depth finding sonar was still intact. Now he had to find that hole. Constantly sounding the seafloor and ignoring (if that was possible) the continuous attacks from above he finally found a spot that would take him to 141 meters, that was the deepest 'hole' he could find with what was left of the batteries. Now all he had to do was settle down to the bottom, hoping it would not damage the submarine too badly and pray.
U-899, smootly settle into her 'hiding spot' and now all that was left to do was hope. Like magic, sonar bouncing off the sub stopped. 10 minutes passed, the crew thought they had escape the pursuers, but contact was made again but it was only one ship that seemed to be able to reach that depth. Then a cycle became apparent, the ship would circle and every 10 minutes or so the sound would hit the hull again. At least there was a good news, he was out of DC's, now all he had to do was go away before the crew died of co2 poisonning. All of a sudden expecting to ear the dreaded ping on U-899, there was none. 15, 20, 25, 30 minutes went by, the crew started to quietly breath a sigh of relief when PING! contact was made again. Then the routine started again every 10 minutes, until again a break, 20, 30, expecting to get hit again the crew were holding their breaths. 40, 50, 60 minutes passed and finaly the knightmare was over.
U-899 surfaced and was able to limp home.
Final result was 2 dead and hull integrity left was a remarkable 90.1%
11 052 tons sunk.
KAPITÄNLEUTNANT Otto Graph, and U-899 would fight another day.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Can't believe I typed that long :oops:
This story really happened today... :yeah:
*Sorry if there are mispellings and all, english is my second language.