Depth Charge Dodger
11-30-05, 03:16 PM
From the personal log of capt Carl Emmermann, U-100...
We leave Lorient behind to celebrate the holiday at sea, where we belong. Our fifth patrol so soon, but we have been blessed with no damage and a high tonnage, so as soon as the torpedoes and other stores are loaded, we sober up and ship out.
The patrol's first 24 hours are spent making sure all our magnetic triggers are disabled, and running tracking drills.
Late on the 21st we get a report of a single ship near our position. She turns out to be a coastal merchant, and she falls easily to our deck gun. The moonless night, and her quiet flameless demise prevented any good photos.
The 22nd finds us far enough out that I take the boat down every three hours for a sonar sweep. Early that morning we get a contact, and we close in at high speed. This is not our average run-of-the-mill small merchie taking a chance running alone. It is a C-2 class freighter and worthy of a torpedo.
She must have been carrying ammunition to the troops in the Med, for our eel did quite a job on her.
http://webpages.charter.net/bluehair11/c2a.JPG
After almost two full days of quiet, Christmas comes right on time. BDU sends a report of a convoy in easy reach!
http://webpages.charter.net/bluehair11/chart2.JPG
We arrive in the area just before dawn and get an immediate contact upon submerging. We are in a perfect position to come out of the rising sun. The first glimmers of reflected sunlight we see are off the stacks of a Clemson class DD. She is making very minimal zigzags, and will cross our bows at a good shooting range. I decide to take the chance, and possibly open up the entire front of the convoy for my approach.
The Destroyer comes in at a slightly longer range than I had anticipated, but the seas are like glass and it looks like a perfect 90 degree angle coming up.
LOS!
http://webpages.charter.net/bluehair11/clem1.JPG
I then realise I hadn't corrected for her AOB! I have one of the longest two and a half minutes of my life. If this shot doesn't strike, the trail from our G7a will lead her straight to us.
We unwrap our first Xmas gift...
http://webpages.charter.net/bluehair11/clem2.JPG
A glorious sight in anyone's scope...
http://webpages.charter.net/bluehair11/clem3.JPG
The front of the convoy is now exposed and I have the boat brought around to face South after passing in front to locate the best targets.
A T3 and a T2 look like the best in the pack.
First the T2 gets a little Xmas present from Uncle Karl...
http://webpages.charter.net/bluehair11/t2a.JPG
http://webpages.charter.net/bluehair11/t2b.JPG
Then it is time to pay a visit to her big sister...
http://webpages.charter.net/bluehair11/t3c.JPG
A lack of torpedoes plus a quite upset escort coming up from the rear, leads me to decide that discretion is the better part of valor. We break contact so that I may report and load my external spares.
The next day finds us back at our assigned grid and a small merchant stumbles across our path. Her sinking was so routine we didn't even break out the camera.
I set course for home and another load of these fluky damn eels.
"One week ashore, then we will go back out. You save more pay while at sea my boys. And Bernard... no more casual leaning on the dive plane wheel while I am on the bridge!!"
http://webpages.charter.net/bluehair11/glub1.JPG
http://webpages.charter.net/bluehair11/xmas1.JPG
We leave Lorient behind to celebrate the holiday at sea, where we belong. Our fifth patrol so soon, but we have been blessed with no damage and a high tonnage, so as soon as the torpedoes and other stores are loaded, we sober up and ship out.
The patrol's first 24 hours are spent making sure all our magnetic triggers are disabled, and running tracking drills.
Late on the 21st we get a report of a single ship near our position. She turns out to be a coastal merchant, and she falls easily to our deck gun. The moonless night, and her quiet flameless demise prevented any good photos.
The 22nd finds us far enough out that I take the boat down every three hours for a sonar sweep. Early that morning we get a contact, and we close in at high speed. This is not our average run-of-the-mill small merchie taking a chance running alone. It is a C-2 class freighter and worthy of a torpedo.
She must have been carrying ammunition to the troops in the Med, for our eel did quite a job on her.
http://webpages.charter.net/bluehair11/c2a.JPG
After almost two full days of quiet, Christmas comes right on time. BDU sends a report of a convoy in easy reach!
http://webpages.charter.net/bluehair11/chart2.JPG
We arrive in the area just before dawn and get an immediate contact upon submerging. We are in a perfect position to come out of the rising sun. The first glimmers of reflected sunlight we see are off the stacks of a Clemson class DD. She is making very minimal zigzags, and will cross our bows at a good shooting range. I decide to take the chance, and possibly open up the entire front of the convoy for my approach.
The Destroyer comes in at a slightly longer range than I had anticipated, but the seas are like glass and it looks like a perfect 90 degree angle coming up.
LOS!
http://webpages.charter.net/bluehair11/clem1.JPG
I then realise I hadn't corrected for her AOB! I have one of the longest two and a half minutes of my life. If this shot doesn't strike, the trail from our G7a will lead her straight to us.
We unwrap our first Xmas gift...
http://webpages.charter.net/bluehair11/clem2.JPG
A glorious sight in anyone's scope...
http://webpages.charter.net/bluehair11/clem3.JPG
The front of the convoy is now exposed and I have the boat brought around to face South after passing in front to locate the best targets.
A T3 and a T2 look like the best in the pack.
First the T2 gets a little Xmas present from Uncle Karl...
http://webpages.charter.net/bluehair11/t2a.JPG
http://webpages.charter.net/bluehair11/t2b.JPG
Then it is time to pay a visit to her big sister...
http://webpages.charter.net/bluehair11/t3c.JPG
A lack of torpedoes plus a quite upset escort coming up from the rear, leads me to decide that discretion is the better part of valor. We break contact so that I may report and load my external spares.
The next day finds us back at our assigned grid and a small merchant stumbles across our path. Her sinking was so routine we didn't even break out the camera.
I set course for home and another load of these fluky damn eels.
"One week ashore, then we will go back out. You save more pay while at sea my boys. And Bernard... no more casual leaning on the dive plane wheel while I am on the bridge!!"
http://webpages.charter.net/bluehair11/glub1.JPG
http://webpages.charter.net/bluehair11/xmas1.JPG