Warren Peace
02-26-15, 02:04 AM
So, after a not-so-brief hiatus, I got the unquenchable thirst to send merchants to the depths and pull RSLG (Run Screaming Like a Girl) maneuvers at the first sight of enemy destroyers. Loaded up SH4, got OM up and running, off on the first patrol in a Type IIb.
So, heading to my assigned patrol grid, my deck watch calls out a visual contact about 4km away, at bearing 030. Single contact, you say? There shouldn't be a single DD this far out in the north sea, let's investigate. Change course to intercept, jump on deck myself and realize it's pitch freaking black, with overcast skies and some wind, excellent, they'll never see me coming. Binocs up, can barely make out the ship, but it's definitely there. And it is MOVING....that's no merchant! Quick calculation works out to about 15 knots, could I have found a lone cruiser, 'cause that would be great. Nope, it's a DD of some sort, 3.5 km away... time to leave!
Order a dive to 25m, cut engines back to slow and slip under. Sonar guy goes CRAZY with contacts, Warships closing in fast, 15+ knots. So, I followed my first instinct.. RUN AWAY (but very, very quietly). Change course to pass behind them, and everything goes perfectly (this didn't stop my wife from asking if I was okay, because I was curled up in my chair at this point waiting for the pinging to start). They pass by with no excitement. I wait until sonar loses contact, then start heading for periscope depth.... Warship closing, 15+ knots, bearing 080. WHAT????
Back to hiding in my chair, the rear-guard DD passes literally right over my boat, didn't even know I was there, thank God.
Scared the crap out of me, I was sure my career was ending right then and there, without me even making it to my first patrol grid... why did I ever stop playing this?
So, heading to my assigned patrol grid, my deck watch calls out a visual contact about 4km away, at bearing 030. Single contact, you say? There shouldn't be a single DD this far out in the north sea, let's investigate. Change course to intercept, jump on deck myself and realize it's pitch freaking black, with overcast skies and some wind, excellent, they'll never see me coming. Binocs up, can barely make out the ship, but it's definitely there. And it is MOVING....that's no merchant! Quick calculation works out to about 15 knots, could I have found a lone cruiser, 'cause that would be great. Nope, it's a DD of some sort, 3.5 km away... time to leave!
Order a dive to 25m, cut engines back to slow and slip under. Sonar guy goes CRAZY with contacts, Warships closing in fast, 15+ knots. So, I followed my first instinct.. RUN AWAY (but very, very quietly). Change course to pass behind them, and everything goes perfectly (this didn't stop my wife from asking if I was okay, because I was curled up in my chair at this point waiting for the pinging to start). They pass by with no excitement. I wait until sonar loses contact, then start heading for periscope depth.... Warship closing, 15+ knots, bearing 080. WHAT????
Back to hiding in my chair, the rear-guard DD passes literally right over my boat, didn't even know I was there, thank God.
Scared the crap out of me, I was sure my career was ending right then and there, without me even making it to my first patrol grid... why did I ever stop playing this?