Kafka BC
10-14-11, 03:26 PM
While working on my environment mod, I loaded one of my test careers to try it out. While crusing to my patrol area a Task Force was reported near enough that I decided to play through and try to have a bit of fun. It turned out so well that it became a keeper.
I took a bunch of screenshots, most were of the horizon and convoy through the Uzo and Bonoculars because I was checking out my changes to the fog distances. But I got a few good ones, enough to storyboard the encounter so I tought I'd post it because it felt so damn good.
-:-
September 14, 1942, storm season had started, the weather was dreary, oppressive and depressing (both here and in the game).
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/8893/sh3bf7btflday01.jpg
About fourty minutes before sunrise, Southwest of Iceland, U-134 arrived at my guesstimated intercept location and was about to do a Hydrophone check when the Watch crew spotted a ship. A destroyer coming out of the mist at about 14500 meters bearing 287º. Within minutes, the outlines of other ships in the convoy could be seen.
I had arrived on time and in a perfect postion, I have never done better. [Satisfaction Point 1]
http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/285/sh3bf7btflday02.jpg
When they had cleared the fog enough I counted at least seventeen ships and four escorts, two Flower Class Corvettes on the flanks and two "Town" class destroyers (I refuse to call them Clemsons when under Empire colors), one in the van and the other in the center. I assumed there might be another Flower bringing up the rear but I couldn't see one.
Turning towards the convoy to set up for a classic side on attack I submerged at about 7000 meters from the "Town" in the van. Checking ranges with the periscope, I noticed she had stopped her weaving and was proceeding in a straight line on the convoy's course and speed of only 7 knots. Why, I don't know.
http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/5989/sh3bf7btflday03.jpg
Now, when I used to play wargame simulations and sand table battles many years ago with my friends, it always felt nice when an effective diversion made your main thrust easier. I wasn't sure if it would work here but I decided to hazard the opportunity and adjusted my course and increased speed to close the range and see if I could get in a good long range shot at her. At about 1600 meters I fired a single G7e and hoped she wouldn't make a course or speed change.
The torpedo struck her square on, and beautifully. Sure enough, as she slowly foundered, the other "Town" and a Flower sped towards her position and commenced a futile search pattern. I was nowhere near. [Satisfaction Points 2, 3, and 4]
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/4366/sh3bf7btflday04.jpg
Presetting the TDC for a full spread at 2º, I popped the periscope when tube 4 finished reloading. The convoy had started to scatter, I wasn't where I wanted to be, and a Flower was coming up on my port side. Quickly sighting on a T2 in front of me, I let all four fly and dove to 50 meters. One missed, two hit the T2 which broke her back, and the forth slammed into the engine room of a T3 that was behind her. A very lucky hit, for I hadn't even seen her. [Satisfaction Points 5 and 5 1/2 - half point for the lucky shot]
http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/7319/sh3bf7btflday05.jpg
Coming up to peek on the other side I saw the T3 dead in the water and down by the stern. Abandoned by her escorts, she wallowed there until a shot from my stern tube sent her up nicely. [Satisfaction Point 6 - the other half point for the dead duck kill]
http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/8471/sh3bf7btflday06.jpg
This attracted the attention of one of the Flowers which returned, but it didn't stay long. After it left the area, I surfaced and set course to trail the convoy, saved and exited the game, looked at my screenshots, fed my cats and went to bed with two purring contentedly next to me. [Satisfaction Points 7 and 8 - for the cats]
Not one DC dropped, not one ping heard throughout. And my fog values looked good. [Satisfaction Points 9 and 10]
Ten out of ten. Turned out to be a beautiful day after all.
:sunny:
I took a bunch of screenshots, most were of the horizon and convoy through the Uzo and Bonoculars because I was checking out my changes to the fog distances. But I got a few good ones, enough to storyboard the encounter so I tought I'd post it because it felt so damn good.
-:-
September 14, 1942, storm season had started, the weather was dreary, oppressive and depressing (both here and in the game).
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/8893/sh3bf7btflday01.jpg
About fourty minutes before sunrise, Southwest of Iceland, U-134 arrived at my guesstimated intercept location and was about to do a Hydrophone check when the Watch crew spotted a ship. A destroyer coming out of the mist at about 14500 meters bearing 287º. Within minutes, the outlines of other ships in the convoy could be seen.
I had arrived on time and in a perfect postion, I have never done better. [Satisfaction Point 1]
http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/285/sh3bf7btflday02.jpg
When they had cleared the fog enough I counted at least seventeen ships and four escorts, two Flower Class Corvettes on the flanks and two "Town" class destroyers (I refuse to call them Clemsons when under Empire colors), one in the van and the other in the center. I assumed there might be another Flower bringing up the rear but I couldn't see one.
Turning towards the convoy to set up for a classic side on attack I submerged at about 7000 meters from the "Town" in the van. Checking ranges with the periscope, I noticed she had stopped her weaving and was proceeding in a straight line on the convoy's course and speed of only 7 knots. Why, I don't know.
http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/5989/sh3bf7btflday03.jpg
Now, when I used to play wargame simulations and sand table battles many years ago with my friends, it always felt nice when an effective diversion made your main thrust easier. I wasn't sure if it would work here but I decided to hazard the opportunity and adjusted my course and increased speed to close the range and see if I could get in a good long range shot at her. At about 1600 meters I fired a single G7e and hoped she wouldn't make a course or speed change.
The torpedo struck her square on, and beautifully. Sure enough, as she slowly foundered, the other "Town" and a Flower sped towards her position and commenced a futile search pattern. I was nowhere near. [Satisfaction Points 2, 3, and 4]
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/4366/sh3bf7btflday04.jpg
Presetting the TDC for a full spread at 2º, I popped the periscope when tube 4 finished reloading. The convoy had started to scatter, I wasn't where I wanted to be, and a Flower was coming up on my port side. Quickly sighting on a T2 in front of me, I let all four fly and dove to 50 meters. One missed, two hit the T2 which broke her back, and the forth slammed into the engine room of a T3 that was behind her. A very lucky hit, for I hadn't even seen her. [Satisfaction Points 5 and 5 1/2 - half point for the lucky shot]
http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/7319/sh3bf7btflday05.jpg
Coming up to peek on the other side I saw the T3 dead in the water and down by the stern. Abandoned by her escorts, she wallowed there until a shot from my stern tube sent her up nicely. [Satisfaction Point 6 - the other half point for the dead duck kill]
http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/8471/sh3bf7btflday06.jpg
This attracted the attention of one of the Flowers which returned, but it didn't stay long. After it left the area, I surfaced and set course to trail the convoy, saved and exited the game, looked at my screenshots, fed my cats and went to bed with two purring contentedly next to me. [Satisfaction Points 7 and 8 - for the cats]
Not one DC dropped, not one ping heard throughout. And my fog values looked good. [Satisfaction Points 9 and 10]
Ten out of ten. Turned out to be a beautiful day after all.
:sunny: