taralon
08-21-05, 04:36 PM
Jan 9,
18:00 The boys are certainly feeling good. We set into port on December 9 after a successful patrol, though in a boat that was barely making way from damage. Still, CinC felt that the patrol was good enough to deserve us a bigger boat, having sent three tankers and two destroyers to watery graves, and for that they gave us a Christmas present of a new, fresh off the lines VIIB. We've been given orders to patrol grid AN26 and I've plotted a course to get us there. Seas are running heavy and rough, but the men are in high spirits. Many of them have family in the area around our port, and were able to spend Christmas with them. Now though I have the difficult task of trying to bring them back alive.
Jan 11,
13:00 If anything the weather continues to worsen. Heavy seas and freezing rain as we continue towards our patrol sector. Have continued on course while dived to give the crew, and myself a respite from the weather.
Jan 15,
13:00 Weather Cleared, running on surface, nearly to patrol area.
15:00 Trim Dive. Hydrophone contact, Merchant, low speed closing at relative bearing 005, surface to begin pursuit.
17:15 Smoke on Horizon. Diving to continue stalk.
20:00 Busy time, dodged two destroyers that must have had our position radioed in by unseen aircaft. They were at long range, but nearly spoiled our trap. Dove to 50 meters, went to all stop. Returning to periscope depth. Hydrophone reporting that merchant is relative bearing 365.
20:25 Merchant Contact meets form of type C3 in recognition manual flying British flag, should cross the bow at 700 yards. Eric Mueller, my first officer wants to surface it and engage with gunfire. We've lost contact with the destroyers but I am wary of doing so. Engaging with Tube #1 which Heinz assures me is his best fish. Impact Pistol, Depth set to 3 meters, speed fast.
20:28: Torpedo Impact. Camera in officers quarters somewhere, hit was square in the engine room, secondary and tertiary explosions, cargo perhaps ordanance, ship broke in two. No time to retrieve camera before sinking, had all bridge officers observe flaming wreck. Set course 270, surfaced, flank speed.
21:35: Watch officers reported new ship on horizon. Went to periscope and had sound officer take a listen. Merchant screws, slow speed, bearing away. Nothing else on hydrophone, ordered surface pursuit.
23:15: Contact conforms to type Coastal Merchant in recognition manual. Range is 12 yards, speed 5 knots course 270. Relative bearing 90, British flag, no sign of having spotted us. Ordered Deck Gun crew to positions, heading there to supervise engagement.
23:25: Expended 5 shells AP. Appears last shell breached engineering section, boiler explosion. Ordered course resumed on plotted search pattern in patrol area.
Days Sinking: 1 C3, 1 Coastal Merchant.
Jan 16,
02:10: Contact Trim Dive, Multiple high speed screws closing fast from Magnetic Bearing 25, 315, and 165. Appears we have gained attention of British friends again.
04:20: I can't believe it. Watch has spotted another vessel, relative bearing 290, dead in water. Closing range. Conforms to type C2 in recognition manual. Boxed cargo on deck. Closing range for gun engagement. Mayhaps the Brits will confuse us for one of their own Destroyers.
05:15: Ship flying British Flag. Ordered crew to deck gun, supervised engagement, 15 relative bearing, range 800 all stop. 15 Shells HE and 3 shells AP expended. Ship's crew abandoned ship at first shot, whether they were not moving because of an engine failure or a previous torpedo hit, unknown. Ship set ablaze, and is sinking on even keel.
05:30: Ordered Periscope Depth, course 270 speed ahead slow. C2 secondary explosions and is now listing port, water washing over bows. Won't be long. High speed screws closing from magnetic bearing 337.
06:45: Smoke on Horizon from high speed screws, C2 turned turtle. Ordered Depth made 40 meters, course 270, rigged for silent running. Multiple additional high speed screw contacts closing. Have worn out welcome.
08:30: Depth Charges in Water. Six sets of high speed screws circling position at medium range. Ordered periscope depth & torpedo room stations to see what we are dealing with.
08:45: Lifted Periscope and was looking right down the front of a destroyer conforming to V&W type relative bearing 007 1200 yards, as soon as periscope cleared water started pinging us. Fired tubes 3 and 4 Type III torpedoes, depth 5 meters, Magnetic Pistol, gyro angles 005 and 006 respectively. Fast scan showed all other contacts to be torpedo boats. Ordered Ahead Flank, Right full rudder, depth made 60 meters. Shallow in this area need to avoid running aground and doing Tommies' work for them. One torpedo detonation, secondary explosions heard on hydrophone.
10:15: Much mulling of High Speed screws. Showed them stern and went ahead standard. No depth charges since torpedo firing, went to periscope depth observed all torpedo boats searching debris field for survivors. Crew set up much cheer at this.
Set course on Magnetic Bearing 230, speed ahead standard, periscope depth. Will cruise for a bit, and then surface to put more distance between us and our recent attacks. Plotted new patrol.
*****
18:00 The boys are certainly feeling good. We set into port on December 9 after a successful patrol, though in a boat that was barely making way from damage. Still, CinC felt that the patrol was good enough to deserve us a bigger boat, having sent three tankers and two destroyers to watery graves, and for that they gave us a Christmas present of a new, fresh off the lines VIIB. We've been given orders to patrol grid AN26 and I've plotted a course to get us there. Seas are running heavy and rough, but the men are in high spirits. Many of them have family in the area around our port, and were able to spend Christmas with them. Now though I have the difficult task of trying to bring them back alive.
Jan 11,
13:00 If anything the weather continues to worsen. Heavy seas and freezing rain as we continue towards our patrol sector. Have continued on course while dived to give the crew, and myself a respite from the weather.
Jan 15,
13:00 Weather Cleared, running on surface, nearly to patrol area.
15:00 Trim Dive. Hydrophone contact, Merchant, low speed closing at relative bearing 005, surface to begin pursuit.
17:15 Smoke on Horizon. Diving to continue stalk.
20:00 Busy time, dodged two destroyers that must have had our position radioed in by unseen aircaft. They were at long range, but nearly spoiled our trap. Dove to 50 meters, went to all stop. Returning to periscope depth. Hydrophone reporting that merchant is relative bearing 365.
20:25 Merchant Contact meets form of type C3 in recognition manual flying British flag, should cross the bow at 700 yards. Eric Mueller, my first officer wants to surface it and engage with gunfire. We've lost contact with the destroyers but I am wary of doing so. Engaging with Tube #1 which Heinz assures me is his best fish. Impact Pistol, Depth set to 3 meters, speed fast.
20:28: Torpedo Impact. Camera in officers quarters somewhere, hit was square in the engine room, secondary and tertiary explosions, cargo perhaps ordanance, ship broke in two. No time to retrieve camera before sinking, had all bridge officers observe flaming wreck. Set course 270, surfaced, flank speed.
21:35: Watch officers reported new ship on horizon. Went to periscope and had sound officer take a listen. Merchant screws, slow speed, bearing away. Nothing else on hydrophone, ordered surface pursuit.
23:15: Contact conforms to type Coastal Merchant in recognition manual. Range is 12 yards, speed 5 knots course 270. Relative bearing 90, British flag, no sign of having spotted us. Ordered Deck Gun crew to positions, heading there to supervise engagement.
23:25: Expended 5 shells AP. Appears last shell breached engineering section, boiler explosion. Ordered course resumed on plotted search pattern in patrol area.
Days Sinking: 1 C3, 1 Coastal Merchant.
Jan 16,
02:10: Contact Trim Dive, Multiple high speed screws closing fast from Magnetic Bearing 25, 315, and 165. Appears we have gained attention of British friends again.
04:20: I can't believe it. Watch has spotted another vessel, relative bearing 290, dead in water. Closing range. Conforms to type C2 in recognition manual. Boxed cargo on deck. Closing range for gun engagement. Mayhaps the Brits will confuse us for one of their own Destroyers.
05:15: Ship flying British Flag. Ordered crew to deck gun, supervised engagement, 15 relative bearing, range 800 all stop. 15 Shells HE and 3 shells AP expended. Ship's crew abandoned ship at first shot, whether they were not moving because of an engine failure or a previous torpedo hit, unknown. Ship set ablaze, and is sinking on even keel.
05:30: Ordered Periscope Depth, course 270 speed ahead slow. C2 secondary explosions and is now listing port, water washing over bows. Won't be long. High speed screws closing from magnetic bearing 337.
06:45: Smoke on Horizon from high speed screws, C2 turned turtle. Ordered Depth made 40 meters, course 270, rigged for silent running. Multiple additional high speed screw contacts closing. Have worn out welcome.
08:30: Depth Charges in Water. Six sets of high speed screws circling position at medium range. Ordered periscope depth & torpedo room stations to see what we are dealing with.
08:45: Lifted Periscope and was looking right down the front of a destroyer conforming to V&W type relative bearing 007 1200 yards, as soon as periscope cleared water started pinging us. Fired tubes 3 and 4 Type III torpedoes, depth 5 meters, Magnetic Pistol, gyro angles 005 and 006 respectively. Fast scan showed all other contacts to be torpedo boats. Ordered Ahead Flank, Right full rudder, depth made 60 meters. Shallow in this area need to avoid running aground and doing Tommies' work for them. One torpedo detonation, secondary explosions heard on hydrophone.
10:15: Much mulling of High Speed screws. Showed them stern and went ahead standard. No depth charges since torpedo firing, went to periscope depth observed all torpedo boats searching debris field for survivors. Crew set up much cheer at this.
Set course on Magnetic Bearing 230, speed ahead standard, periscope depth. Will cruise for a bit, and then surface to put more distance between us and our recent attacks. Plotted new patrol.
*****