Mentalist
09-06-05, 07:55 PM
We were putting out for our 6th patrol. The lads wern't in the best of moods. We had not had the best luck since starting our tour of duty and as captain I was feeling the pressure to get back home with something to celebrate for once.
A debacle over a neutral sinking had me in less than favourable graces with command and myself and the lads were determined to turn things around. We had been put on Patrol in AF32, well out of the action and maybe I was just being paranoid but I felt like the papers were still filing to replace my command with a more gung-ho commander and they were trying to preserve the boat. That was probably not true but regardless I was going to make some sort of impact on this patrol. U-46 had been home for months and now heading into 1940 and things becoming more heated on the Allied front I new we had to make some sort of display.
We left Keil and headed at full steam for our patrol sector. It was dead, nothing of note.. On the second day we spotted a fishing boat but I decided that due to bad weather and an inability to man the deck guns I could find better things to waste a fish on.
A few more uneventful days and we reached out patrol spot. After ordering a search pattern I headed up on deck and smoked a ciggerette. I new that the men were in need of some real action and glory. But how the hell was I to find it? North of Norway it wasn't going to be, that was certain. On our last day patroling we spotted a small merchant vessel. I decided to load a fish and take her to the bottom. The weather was still rough and while this was hardly a tale I would be telling the flyboys in the bar I felt we needed to get some tonnage at least. The kill was easy and uneventful. We sunk her and I could hear hardly a mumur of approval from the men. Frowning I stood there down below pondering for a second. Finally I told the men we were heading for British waters. I had reached my limit of fruitless patrols and was about do something that would secure sertain tonnage or certain death.
The men were notably more engaged in the day to day operations but there was an air of trepidation. I had made it clear we were going to go deep into the belly of the beast and strike from within. And it was all I could do to keep the uncertain feeling I was feeling in my own belly at bay.
Our target was Hartlepool. The port itself. Maybe I was crazy but I was betting they might not be ready for a silent attack.
The next few days were a focused affair. I went through the plan again and again and kept running drills. The men were ready It was me that needed the convincing.
As we drew in on our target I waved for silent running and we continued for the next day submerged and eager.
As we approached we spotted a couple of J class destroyers. We passed them without incident. The Allied shipping was becoming more frequent but I wasn't interested in any of it. Are target was clear and we were hours away.
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/4384/sh3img792005024195780su.jpg
As we closed in I took a look in the attack periscope and spotted a C3 Cargo vessel, a Tanker and a number of merchant vessels. Where were the Defences! 'This is too easy' I thought to myself.
I ordered the first tube to be loaded and prepped. After the calculations had been figured out I stopped. I knew that I would need to be fast. The guys were whispering in hurried tones. I raised my hand to command silence then dropped it again to give the order. Tubes 1 and 2!
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/2694/sh3img792005031172340pc.jpg
The second one did the job and the crews grins were contagious. As the boat went up in an allmighty blast I new we had limited time before all hell would break loose.
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/9938/sh3img792005033111255tr.jpg
With the Cargo vessel sinking in its dock Otto sounded the alarm. We had been detected by a Destroyer and it was heading straight for our position. It must have been coming in from its own patrol,
damn...
Did I have time to sink the tanker? No way, I thought. They're going to be all over us and the window of opportunity will be lost .
"Turn her about, ahead flank!"
The crew sensed my next move. As we turned I ordered the reloaded tube 1 to be prepped. "Get me that damn Solution!"
The Destroyer was weaving in and out and I new it would not be an easy hit.. But we had come this far.
Open the tube door... FIRE!!
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/1971/sh3img692005233743785rm.jpg
The resulting blast was enough to be felt even from our position.
Direct hit! - Luck had finally found the crew of U-46... For now at least.
The guys were ecstatic.. "Don't rest on your laurels yet men!"
When we had turned to strike the Destroyer we had intentionally lined up the aft with the Tanker. After making sure we were in as flush a spot that we could muster I gave the order again.
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/1685/sh3img79200504922341fh.jpg
Another Direct hit. The tanker was reeling but there was no sign that it was going down. Not surprising I thought. "Ok Berd, turn her around!"
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/554/untitled2ce.jpg
The following hit was enough to sink the beast , it was like getting a new bike on your sixth birthday.
"armed trawler, closing on our position sir!"
I swerved round and took a look through the periscope. Ok, lads.. Today is our day. Surface the boat. Everyone looked stunned. "do it!"
"Yes sir" came the unison of voices. 'Command wants Gung-ho, eh?' I thought to myself...
As we surfaced the shots rang out. "Man the Deck guns, better get a guy on the Flak gun just incase!"
After a few minutes of intense firing and a close shave for one of the gunners we sank the trawler and I turned my attention to two Merchant vessels in dock. From out posistion they were protected by the jetty so Torps were out but we were surfaced now anyway so we focused our guns on the two vessels.
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/6921/untitled0kh.jpg
After a few minutes both were sinking and burning up the dock. I knew we were pushing our luck. If another Destroyer got here soon we would be in a deep trouble.. literally.
To be continued.....
Next: The escape...
:arrgh!:
A debacle over a neutral sinking had me in less than favourable graces with command and myself and the lads were determined to turn things around. We had been put on Patrol in AF32, well out of the action and maybe I was just being paranoid but I felt like the papers were still filing to replace my command with a more gung-ho commander and they were trying to preserve the boat. That was probably not true but regardless I was going to make some sort of impact on this patrol. U-46 had been home for months and now heading into 1940 and things becoming more heated on the Allied front I new we had to make some sort of display.
We left Keil and headed at full steam for our patrol sector. It was dead, nothing of note.. On the second day we spotted a fishing boat but I decided that due to bad weather and an inability to man the deck guns I could find better things to waste a fish on.
A few more uneventful days and we reached out patrol spot. After ordering a search pattern I headed up on deck and smoked a ciggerette. I new that the men were in need of some real action and glory. But how the hell was I to find it? North of Norway it wasn't going to be, that was certain. On our last day patroling we spotted a small merchant vessel. I decided to load a fish and take her to the bottom. The weather was still rough and while this was hardly a tale I would be telling the flyboys in the bar I felt we needed to get some tonnage at least. The kill was easy and uneventful. We sunk her and I could hear hardly a mumur of approval from the men. Frowning I stood there down below pondering for a second. Finally I told the men we were heading for British waters. I had reached my limit of fruitless patrols and was about do something that would secure sertain tonnage or certain death.
The men were notably more engaged in the day to day operations but there was an air of trepidation. I had made it clear we were going to go deep into the belly of the beast and strike from within. And it was all I could do to keep the uncertain feeling I was feeling in my own belly at bay.
Our target was Hartlepool. The port itself. Maybe I was crazy but I was betting they might not be ready for a silent attack.
The next few days were a focused affair. I went through the plan again and again and kept running drills. The men were ready It was me that needed the convincing.
As we drew in on our target I waved for silent running and we continued for the next day submerged and eager.
As we approached we spotted a couple of J class destroyers. We passed them without incident. The Allied shipping was becoming more frequent but I wasn't interested in any of it. Are target was clear and we were hours away.
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/4384/sh3img792005024195780su.jpg
As we closed in I took a look in the attack periscope and spotted a C3 Cargo vessel, a Tanker and a number of merchant vessels. Where were the Defences! 'This is too easy' I thought to myself.
I ordered the first tube to be loaded and prepped. After the calculations had been figured out I stopped. I knew that I would need to be fast. The guys were whispering in hurried tones. I raised my hand to command silence then dropped it again to give the order. Tubes 1 and 2!
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/2694/sh3img792005031172340pc.jpg
The second one did the job and the crews grins were contagious. As the boat went up in an allmighty blast I new we had limited time before all hell would break loose.
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/9938/sh3img792005033111255tr.jpg
With the Cargo vessel sinking in its dock Otto sounded the alarm. We had been detected by a Destroyer and it was heading straight for our position. It must have been coming in from its own patrol,
damn...
Did I have time to sink the tanker? No way, I thought. They're going to be all over us and the window of opportunity will be lost .
"Turn her about, ahead flank!"
The crew sensed my next move. As we turned I ordered the reloaded tube 1 to be prepped. "Get me that damn Solution!"
The Destroyer was weaving in and out and I new it would not be an easy hit.. But we had come this far.
Open the tube door... FIRE!!
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/1971/sh3img692005233743785rm.jpg
The resulting blast was enough to be felt even from our position.
Direct hit! - Luck had finally found the crew of U-46... For now at least.
The guys were ecstatic.. "Don't rest on your laurels yet men!"
When we had turned to strike the Destroyer we had intentionally lined up the aft with the Tanker. After making sure we were in as flush a spot that we could muster I gave the order again.
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/1685/sh3img79200504922341fh.jpg
Another Direct hit. The tanker was reeling but there was no sign that it was going down. Not surprising I thought. "Ok Berd, turn her around!"
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/554/untitled2ce.jpg
The following hit was enough to sink the beast , it was like getting a new bike on your sixth birthday.
"armed trawler, closing on our position sir!"
I swerved round and took a look through the periscope. Ok, lads.. Today is our day. Surface the boat. Everyone looked stunned. "do it!"
"Yes sir" came the unison of voices. 'Command wants Gung-ho, eh?' I thought to myself...
As we surfaced the shots rang out. "Man the Deck guns, better get a guy on the Flak gun just incase!"
After a few minutes of intense firing and a close shave for one of the gunners we sank the trawler and I turned my attention to two Merchant vessels in dock. From out posistion they were protected by the jetty so Torps were out but we were surfaced now anyway so we focused our guns on the two vessels.
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/6921/untitled0kh.jpg
After a few minutes both were sinking and burning up the dock. I knew we were pushing our luck. If another Destroyer got here soon we would be in a deep trouble.. literally.
To be continued.....
Next: The escape...
:arrgh!: