U-806 never made it to Penang

[toryu]

U-806, Type IXC, March 1942. KL Karl Fischer commanding.
So much for my trip to Penang.

I made my epic journey through the Bay of Biscay, down the coast of Africa, all the way down to GR83, off Capetown. It took over a month, and half my diesel tankage. I never laid eyes on a ship, nor got a sonar contact on a ship, since leaving German waters. Upon reaching South African waters, I laid wait in my grid for the requisite 24 hours, and then began quietly making towards Capetown in the dark, in hopes of catching some British naval traffic.

We were about 125km SSW of Capetown when the RAF found us again. It was about 4:30am, false dawn, the sun not yet risen. But it was enough visibility for a Sunderland to spot us and roll in to attack. This was my 4th time being attacked by the planes since leaving Lorient, and this time I decided to fight. I had the watch officer crew the AAA guns, set the engines ahead full, and threw the rudder to starboard. The Sunderland was diving on our stern, which put him in full view of the AAA guns, two 20mm Zwillings. He broke off his dive, and flew away to port. Quick as a flash, I centered the rudder, and ordered a crash dive. This was my mistake, because the Sunderland hadn't dumped his bombs. Next time, if there is a next time, I'll wait until they drop their ordnance before diving.

He obviously came back, and must have dropped on our last visible position. We were 20m below the surface when the bombs went off. Flooding in every compartment aft of the radio room. Cries for the medic. I levelled off at 25 meters, and set the damage crew to work. We were still making way, which was something at least. I had us run at 4 kts on batteries while we fought to save the boat.

Final report: All surface weapons and sensors destroyed. All communication gear destroyed. Starboard diesel destroyed. One of the petty officers seriously injured. I have no flak guns, no deck gun, no periscopes. I'm blind unless I'm surfaced. The conning tower is destroyed, so I can't post a watch up there. I can't radio for help or for orders. With this in mind, I decided it would be a major victory is I could get the boat home, never mind actually sink anything. The only targeting aid available is the UZO, and since I only have one diesel, the batteries charge at about half-speed. So my ability to rely on them to make up the distance to home is compromised.

I was further disturbed by the first audio contact of a vessel - an Allied destroyer, obviously summoned by the RAF, cruised up and down and back and forth endlessly, all around our position. He didn't see or hear us, and we gradually slipped away to the North.

So what does anybody think? The only targeting mechanism still working is the UZO. And only I can be on the deck while surfaced. Can I still try to sink allied commerce? Or should I head home?

BTW, I'm using HT1.45 until I can dock at base, so I've no milch-cows to go to.

[JU_88]

Nice story but you lost me is this just fan fiction or actual game events? Conning tower destroyed? that doesnt happen in game!
Either way i would head for home.

Once i was leaving Brest in Time compression and smashed head on in to another Uboat in the channel (IUB installed) the bow compartment was badly damaged and 3 crew members dead, I felt I had to return to port after that.

[DAB]

Have the moderators slap a sticky on this one. Regular updates please, this has the potentual to become an epic.

First there was HMS Malbouragh will enter Habour, now there is U-806 will enter Habour

[Deimos01]

I believe the conning tower can be destroyed in the game. Good story so far. Youll have to let us know if you make it back. If I were you I would go ahead limp back the port. Therell be other patrols Herr Kaluen. (If you make it back)

[Ducimus]

Id head to the nearest friendly port.

Acutaly, assuming he can get past the cape of good hope, id push for penang. In that shape, he'll never make it back through biscay, and from the cap of good hope, Biscay bases or penang are about equal distance.

Once he rounds the cape , he'll have clear sailing. Allie presnse is not very heavy in the indian ocean.

[Laughing Swordfish]

Yes head back if you can, is there a friendly port you can put into?

I can only see it going one way if you try and tough it out again.

Good luck, Kaleun!

LS

[Bluewings]

I would sail back home , using only known small Marchant routes .

I could still sink Ships but my main concern would be to speed back hope stealthly .

You have strong odds against you Kaleun ... :shifty:

Cheers .

[kiwi_2005]

Hilter would of told you to stay put and FIGHT! for Germany.

Donitz would of ordered you to head back to base.

So the question is are you a Nazi kapitan or a Greywolf Kapitan :lol:

[toryu]

U-806, Type IXC, March 1942. KL Karl Fischer commanding.

It's mid-March now. I've decided to make for home. Thanks for the suggestions, one and all. I've taken them all into consideration. Home is Brest. It's 11,200km to Brest harbour. My range, surfaced, on my one diesel is about 12,000km. But the Nav gives me this estimate in calm seas, with 1mps wind. So I'm keeping an open mind about that one.

Proceeding NW, a short distance from the 250m continental shelf line, we heard the rumblings of destroyers around Capetown fading into the distance. We were at 25m, making a sedate 3 knots. Normally I make 4 knots submerged, but the batteries charge slowly now, and I was at only 3/4 charge.

After the last destroyer faded away, the sonar officer called out a fresh contact. A merchant, medium speed. I was only half interested. Closing. I was more interested. I checked the map. 13km away to the SE. I changed course to NE. Intercept course. The time was 5:15pm. The sun was setting. I might have a chance to come home with some glory after all, not just our lives, I thought. I watched the merchant on the map, and plotted his approximate course. I planned my surface to check the daylight level.

We broke to the surface, me in the conning tower watching the engine gauges. Once our engine cut to diesel power, I climbed on deck. It's a different ballgame when you're the only one up there. I confess, I use the detection gauge. I chanced a glance at it, and it was red. I glued my eyes to the UZO, and scanned around 45 degrees bearing. Could he see us? I certainly couldn't see him. I checked the map. He was 9km away at last measure. And then, on the map, I saw my other enemy. Aircraft. A hurricane, right over me! Here we go again, I thought. I raced back up, and panned all over the sky. Nothing. I couldn't even hear him. He must have been pretty high up. What to do... screw it, I thought. Proceed with the plan. I ran our engine up to full speed, which isn't saying much, and dove to 25m. The lone hurricane seemed to ignroe us.

We closed to 3500m. I surfaced again, quickly, and raced up to the tower. It was twilight now. Calm seas. I checked the UZO. I saw the target! Small merchant. A couple of thousand tons. Stop all engines. Oh right. There's only one. That's what I meant. Open tube 1. Gas torp. Speed to medium. Lock. LOS! Break lock. Select tube 2. Open tube. Electric torp. At the extreme of the torp's range, but... what was that? I disconnected from the UZO and looked around. We were being bombed!!!!! A big water fountain drenched the stern fo the boat. I couldn't believe it. Again with the planes.....

It was another Hurricane. This one with teeth. Like the latest Nine Inch Nails album, but not as crap. I'd really had enough at this point. So I pressed the attack. Now where was I?... ah yes. Tube 2. LOS!! Ok. hurricane bedamned. NOW I will dive, and not a second earlier. Crash dive!!!! And then.. nothing. We just sort of sat there, while the spray and foam of the Hurricane's little bombs fell all over me. We were still at 1 knot. I remembered suddenly what I'd read on another thread here - engine into reverse. And it kicked into life. Quick as a flash, I ran it up to flank speed forward, and we submerged with all the speed we were capable of. Which isn't saying much.

That was 100km ago. We're down to 70m depth, 3knots speed, 3/4 charge on the batteries. That seems to be all I can get time to charge them to lately. But we're alive. We're heading home. And we have a 2000ton coastal merchant to our credit. Despite our damages and difficulties.

I'll keep you all posted as I make for the Bay of Death. Now that should be an interesting stage of the trip.

[toryu]

U-806, Type IXC, Brest Harbour. KL Karl Fischer commanding.
So I made it home. Via teleportation *cough*.
2000 tons enemy shipping sunk.
4 crew dead.
Boat extensively damaged.
587 renown. Whoopee.
I have also mysteriously transferred mid-voyage from the 10th flotillla to the 1st. Hence all the messages I kept getting about relocation from Lorient to Brest, I guess. How the hell did that happen?

I teleported home because when I got about 1000km up the coast of AFrica, my destroyed conning tower suddenly began devouring my men, 4 at a time. I'd get the message "Men down on deck!" I'd hit F7, and lo and behold, the game would have tried to assign a watch crew to the tower, but being destroyed, the experience killed them. Ok. I'd heard of some players experiencing that. So I moved my 4 corpses below and went on my way. Another 4 suckers were promptly transferred to the Conning Tower of Death, and were instantly killed. This was too much to bear, and I ditched the game and reloaded the previous save. No dice. Upon loading, the Monster promptly ate another 4 crew members again. So I hit Esc, and "End Mission".

This was when I found out I'd been transferred sometime during my voyage to the 1st flotilla. I tried to transfer back, but my request was denied. I probably need more renown that my measly 500.

Oh well.

[Ducimus]

I have also mysteriously transferred mid-voyage from the 10th flotillla to the 1st. Hence all the messages I kept getting about relocation from Lorient to Brest, I guess. How the hell did that happen?




It's some wierd bug. Personnaly ive always experienced it when i was in the 7th float trying to transfer to the 29th. I think i may have experienced it once in the 10th, as so far, never in the 2nd. *knocks on wood*

And given the nature of your tower of death, i think most any reasonble person would agree that telporting was the best coruse of action. Your entire crew would be dead by the time you go to base.

[Schpeedy]

Thats a heck of a story, far away from home without a conning tower.

Sorry that it ended by bugs! :(

I never did like that the game messed up my crew planning by automatically sending some to the tower.

[Capt Noah and Crew]

A good read there, thanks.