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ihave funny stories.........

once, i was in the open ocean.

there was a problem.......

a destroyer was heading straight for me!!!!!!!

i fired a torpedo!

but then i heard a cool noise!!

cool noises mean cool things!

15 short sunderland search planes all crashed to gether in the sky!

what was more important???

i watched the planes :down: crash and my torpedo hit the boat!

how do you gwx people get 30000 ton patrols???

i can bearly get 10000:lurk

Quote:

Originally Posted by magicsub

Practice, experience and luck ;)

15 Sunderlands in the sky all crashing together :hmm: ......doesn't sound like GWX2.0 to me :nope:

i would love to sit down for a few days and write a good story of my own, if only i had the time!

The fighting U-45

Here's the best story ever.

Captain's Log, 14 November 1939

Five days into the second patrol. We have just past the coast of Denmark, South of Bergen on our way to harass English shipping all around the British Isles, and if ammunition and fuel allows it, French shipping along the Atlantic coast as well. We came under attack by a lone Hurricane fighter, so I, the captain ordered full steam and man the ack-ack guns.

Little did I know that this line airplane was followed by a full squadron, and minutes later we found ourselves in a shallow stretch of the North Sea surrounded by marauding Hurricanes strafing and dropping bombs. Our AA gunner was killed.

ALAAAARRRRRMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dove to 50 meters and cruised submerged for about fifteen minutes until the Hurricanes left us alone. Periscope depth, chief. Screened the surface and the sky for possible contact before surfacing. Nothing. Surface the boat. U-45 looked more like a fighting ship than a stealthy submarine; Her deck was riddled with pock marks, the hull has sustained considerable damage, and a bright blood trail ran from the conning tower down to the control room. Upon surfacing we gave the dead sailor a proper burial, and continued our patrol. Smooth sailing on a beautiful November day; Duke Ellington's "Take the A-Train" was playing in the radio room, and I was enjoying a New England (a coast that I hope to reach in my later patrols) Clam Chowder lunch with my officers. Suddenly the music stopped and the radioman yelled from his station:

"Received multiple contacts in and around the port of Hartlepool, Herr Kaleun!"

I looked around the table. Everyone was quiet. Then our chief, an old veteran who was a submariner in U-20 in 1916, looked at me and nodded his head. Back to the control room.

"Mr. Totenhagen, plot a course to Hartlepool. We are going to take this war to their backyard pool."

The crew was stunned. A harbor infiltration on our second patrol? I knew this young captain was gonna get us killed!

Reached Hartlepool, 25 km from the harbor.

"Sound contact! Warship, bearing 090, constant distance, long range!"

I had spotted a V&W destroyer and lined up for a torpedo shot. Range 1200m, angle on the bow 24stb, speed 17kts, tube 1, fire! One minute later, BOOM!

Continued our submerged cruise at 4 knots until we were inside the harbor. Reached the harbor at 0551 hours. Spotted a C2 Cargo and a T2 tanker. Ordered a full complement on the bow torpedo room. Fired 2-shot salvo at the C2 off to port and another 2-shot salvo at the T2 off to starboard at a range of 1500m. A minute passed, and a huge explosion off to port. Seconds later, a titanic explosion off to starboard. Both freighters hit. We watched as both freighters sat in the shallow waters burning. Not only did we sink 2 ships, we rendered 2 piers useless for a good month. But we had to get out. Soon enough the patrol boats and that menacing trawler sailing back and forth would find our position and send destroyers to kill us all. Navigator reports depth to keel is 14 meters. No escape.

Ordered ahead full and broke the surface 10km and steamed towards deep waters until we spotted another destroyer. Another V&W destroyer. Lined up for a stern shot at 1800m and scored a direct hit on her stern. She started to sink stern first and list to starboard but as minutes passed she just sat there. I surfaced the boat 1000m away from the crippled tin can to inspect the damage. Much to our surprise, the crippled ship opened fire on us! I shouted to the stokers to give it all she's got and had a crew man the deck gun. Now we were to the destroyer's stern where she could only train one main gun on us and their torpedo tubes' limited traverse couldn't kill us. 5-inch naval shell, 40mm and 20mm rounds were flying over our heads but we returned fire with our own. Their 5-inch hit our stern, disabling our stb diesels and flooded the stern torpedo room. Our 88 scored a direct hit on their stern guns but their AA guns were still firing on us. Lost 3 men but we kept fighting. For a menacing 10 minutes we exchanged fire until finally one shot from our 88 hit something big in that destroyer. We saw the biggest explosion we had ever seen. Must have hit their aft magazines.

After that engagement I ordered the navigator to plot a course back home to Kiel and assessed the damage. We limped our way back home doing 7 knots on one engine, and had lost four sailors. I told the radioman to put Duke Ellington's "Take the A-Train" back home and breathed a sigh of relief as we entered German-patrolled waters.

I for one am not sympathetic to the Nazi cause but was I happy to see a warship flying a red flag with a swastika .

We didn't reach the Atlantic English coast of the French coast but that was my most eventful patrol yet.

was sneaking out of portsmouth, at 2:15 hours, decided we were far enough from the harbor to surface..when all the sudden when i got surfacedt a destroyer was heading straight for us! straight ahead...by then i was pissed :nope: and decided what the hell, im gonna get sunk, why not go down fighting..so i ordered the deck gun manned and fired about 7 shells at the destroyer..which too was firing back, and those shells sounded as if a bus flew past me.. five of our shells hit the target, when the destroyer was about less than 800M, i ordered a dive of around 25m to avoid getting hit...went submerged, and then i see enemy unit destroyed, i surface the U-boat and sure enough the destroyer was sinking behind me...what luck huh. funny because of all the ships i have sunk in the game...i have only sunk one destroyer...any tips on sinking those guys? just started playing SH3

It`s late Feb. 1943 as U-88 slips from her bunker, and is guided past the minefield that guards St. Nazaires harbor, we are on our 33rd patrol. The U-88 has been a lucky boat so far, we`ve seen more than our share of action, and have evaded DD actions against us, with only minor damage during her previous 32 patrols.

Once away from the coast we set a course for AL 87 our new patrol area. We are equipted with the latest in Hydraphone, and Radar, just having an upgrade last patrol, the crew is mostly "Old Salts" with plenty of experience under their belts.
Suddenly a warning breaks the late aftrnoon air "Radar Detected" , "Crash Dive take her to 80 meters, we pass 50 meters, and I reduce speed to 2Kts as we decend. Hydraphones not picking up any contacts. Probably A/C as they`ve become like flies lately, They have taken their toll of U-Boats since the first of the year. I let an hour go by, then slowly come to periscope depth. Before I can raise the scope, "Contact, heading NE, moving slow, long range. She`s out of Observation scope range, I have a look around, all clear, and surface the boat.

After several minutes I get another "Radar Detected message, this time I know for sure it`s A/C, a British Catalina to be exact, "Crash Dive 80 meters". We get under fast, when he makes his attack run, we pass 65 meters as we hear the explosions, they were distant, as was the next drop. "Contact, merchant heading NE, moving slow, long range". Damn, a nice target, and I can`t take the chance of losing the boat to the Catalina. It was painful to listen to my Hydraphone Operator, call out the merchants position, till she was out of range. After and hour passed we came to PD, a look around and ,after an all clear surfaced. Shortly after we got the batteries recharged, an the oxygen replinished when again radar was detected, she was another, Catalina, or perhaps the same Chap. He did`nt get us, and I only know I lost some tonnage to the RN Flying Boats this day. May be U-88 will have better luck in the coming days, watch out for enemy aircraft though, Good Hunting. Puts

Read this whilst eating a sunday mid morning breakfast.......excellent, well done http://www.psionguild.org/forums/ima...s/thumbsup.gif

thanks :) im really enjoying writing it, it's actually done in real time, I write it while waiting for a visual etc. It's getting quite long so I think I'll just make a new thread for it

edit: removed them and put them up under: 'U-2 War Journal'. I hope you guys like it

Death Throes of U-88

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y20...II%203/DC3.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y20...II%203/DC2.jpgOberleutnant z. s. Gerhard Jager U-88

7th Flotilla, St. Nazaire, France

24 April, 1943 18:12 hrs.

My mind races back to regain lost hours, I`m trying to remember clearly the details that have put us here in this time, and place. We are a dead, and dying crew, as I look around I see their faces, some sobbing, some coming to grips with their fate, while others are going mad, unable to mentally cope. I drift back to this morning, and another moment in time......

24 April, 1943 04:21 hrs.

We are traveling surfaced at 7 kts. the sea is calm, and the salt air is a little brisk. Ever since the first of the year the Allied air patrols have picked up, and the ever present Catalina`s, and Sunderlands make it almost impossible to travel surfaced during the day. We were attacked only 150 km off St.Nazaire when we departed on the 13th of this month. The vaunted Luftwaffe offers us little if any protection these days.
The dawn will soon arise, and so will the RN`s flying boats, we will dive shortly, and decrease our speed to 2 kts, spend most of the day at 20 meters, and listen for contacts. I recall in early March we were attacked at night by a Catalina, whose powerful searchlights lit up the U-88 like a "Christmas Tree". What a crash dive that was, below decks food, drink, and anything not secured flew thru the boat, the Brits nearly chalked one up that night. A lesson well learned.

24 April, 1943 04:45 hrs.

"Dive the boat, level off at 20 meters, set speed to 2 kts." We scramble off the bridge, and I make sure the hatch is secured, now I can take a little breather, a moment of rest, perhaps a little sleep. The different smells, and the noises surrounds me, machinery running, creaking of the hull, and the water moving against it, voices speaking in normal tones echo thru the boat. The HD operator is busy now, we are equipted with the latest in sonar, radar, and radar detection devices. Last month we also got engine, and battery upgrades. The old girl even got a long overdue facelift.

24 April, 1943 06:06 hrs.

"Contact Sir, Merchant bearing 003 degrees, moving slow, closing." I`m awakened, told the news, the crew is coming alive. I head for the control room. We are in Grid CG 85, close to Gibraltar, a prime hunting area, although a dangerous one . The Kpt. orders "Periscope Depth." We reach 13 meters and he orders the observation scope raised, a few moments pass, then 4 ships appear at long range. "Down Scope." As he lets the range close, he wants sound updates at 2 minute intervals. I think back to last months slim pickings, we only sank a Small Freighter, in all 35 days out. "Contact Sir, Warship bearing 005, moving slow, closing." The observation scope is ordered up, and at full magnification reveals their type. In the lead is a fat Troop Ship, followed by a Medium Tanker, then a Small Tanker brings up the rear. On their Port side 3 quarters down the trio`s line glides a deadly Black Swan.

The Kpt. moves to the attack scope, and orders silent running, "Up Scope", and final adjustments are made. They are coming on to us closing slowly, unaware of our presence. The Kpts. plan is simple, we`ll target the Medium Tanker first, the Troop Ship next, leaving the Small Tanker unscathed. This will force the Black Swan to hunt for us, or guard the remaing Tanker, and assist the striken ships.

Depth has been set on all four forward eels, the tubes 4 thru 3 are opened. "Up Scope" a slight adjustment to port is made," Fire 4, Fire 3." A four degree turn to port brings us in firing position on the Troop Ship, as doors 2, and 1, are opened. "Fire 2," "Fire 1." The moment of truth, and proof of the pudding is near, as the Kpt. orders "Down Scope, Take her to 150 meters, 10 degree right rudder." The boat glides deeper, as the Helmsman, calls out the depth, and the Hydraphone Operator keeps track of the Black Swan. We pass 52 meters as we hear the first torpedo impact, then another, two hits on the Medium Tanker, it must be a living hell up there. A few moments pass, and another impact followed by yet another. There`s shear panic aboard that Troop Ship now, I feel for those aboard, maybe the Black Swan will call for assistance, and stay with the survivors. The Kpt. orders "Rudder Amidship" as we decend past 100 meters. The Black Swan is making no attemp at locating us, and we hear the ships topside breaking up, explosions, and bulkheads being crushed.

24 April, 1943 07:42 hrs.

It`s been over an hour and a half since we made contact. we are putting some distance between us, and the Black Swan which is still on station picking up some of the stricken vessels crew. The Kpt. secures from silent running, but we will soon have to surface, replinish oxygen, and recharge batteries. This will have to be done quick as possible, there will be no time to load the spare torpedo, I`m certain air patrols will be searching for us, then back to the depths to hide for the day. At 08:00 hrs. the Kpt. orders the boat to periscope depth, the crew is in good spirits, and fresh air entering the boat will do us all good. We reach periscope depth, and the Observation Scope is raised, after a 360 scan, and hydraphone check, the order to suface the boat is given. At 10 kts. we glide across the surface keeping a close watch out for aircraft. The flak crew is at their post in case of unwanted company. After what seems like forever, the batteries are fully charged, and oxygen reserves at 100%. The order is given, "Dive the boat, depth 20 meters, speed 2 kts. continue on present course." As I go below, and make my way to my bunk, I hear the crew talking about our latest victory, there will be much to brag about when we return to base. I will try to rest now, and put this mornings events behind me. We were lucky again, it all comes down to making the right decisions, and carry them out at the right moment. 11:07 hrs. I will sleep now.

24 April, 1943 13:20 hrs.

I`m awakened by a shudder in the boat, we have increased speed, I will head for the control room,to find out whats happening. We`ve had a sound contact, and the Kpt. has brought U-88 to periscope depth. After several minutes no visual is reported, and no further sound contacts are picked up. We reduce speed to 2 kts. An hour passes before we pick up another sound contact " Contact Sir, Merchant bearing 357, medium speed, closing." Looking thru the Observation Scope, she`s a Large Merchant, she`s alone, the Forward torpedo room prepares Tubes 1, and 3, as the Kpt. changes course, to close the distance. We lower the Observation Scope, and wait. The Kpt. raises the Attack Scope, and goes to full magnification, she`s flying the American flag, and in a hurry to go somewhere, he corrects our course a couple degrees, she will cross our "T" at 1000 meters, a classic shot, and perfect AOB. Tubes 1, and 3 are opened, the order to fire 1, and 3 are given, both eels were set to impact, and streak toward the the target. The Attack scope is lowered, and the .seconds tick away. The first torpedo finds it`s mark, but the second is a dud. The Kpt. raises the scope, and starts to setup another shot, a massive explosion rocks the merchant, one after another explosions rip her heart out, a huge pillar of black smoke that can be seen for miles, races skyward. Her rear cargo hold ignites, and the cargo hatch is blown clear of the ship. "She`s going down Sir." The doomed vessel heads to the depths bow first. We leave the area, our course is East toward Gibraltar.

24 April, 1943 16:39 hrs.

In a few hours, it will be dark, we will surface to charge batteries, and load the external torpedo, then turn NNW away from Gibraltar, and the coast line, we will then head for our beloved St. Nazaire. "Contact, merchant bearing 001 degrees, moving slow, closing, long range." "Contact Sir, Warship bearing 003 degrees, slowing, closing, long range." So she has an escort. "Contact Warship bearing 358 degress, medium speed, closing, long range." Two escorts, she must be special, something the Allies need. We must have this prize. The OB scope is raised, and we have our first look at her, she`s a large vessel, with a pair of escorts, too far off to make her out as yet. We will get closer, for a better look. "Down Scope." The minutes drag, as we approach this trio of ships. The HD station has been updating their bearing, and speed. "Up Scope.' The Kpt. has a good visual on her now, she`s an ammunition ship, loaded, low in the water, she appears wounded from a previous engagement. The Kpt. calls for the Ship I.D. and quickly thumbs thru the Warships, every now and then saying no, until That`s it, the escorts are a pair of Buckley Class. We have not encountered the type before, and glean the pages for info.

"Down Scope," and she slides into her armoured housing. We will be able to take out the closest escort, but the other Buckley is on the starboard side of the Ammo Ship. We will setup to fire a single torpedo at the nearest escort, then two into the Ammo Ship. If all goes well, we will secure from silent running, go to max speed, and show our stern to the remaing escort. We have a Fat II loaded in our stern tube, when he closes the range, we`ll fire the "Stinger", and crash dive.

This is madness, but if executed correctly they`ll never know what hit them. We take another look, still on the same course, moving slow, and in range. All the torps have been set, and double checked. "Down Scope." The seconds fly now, as the Kpt. puts our plan into action, no time for screwups. "Up Scope" The first escort is going to be dead meat, "Fire 1" echoes thru the boat , "Fire tubes 3 and 4, max power, hard right rudder, as we secure from silent running, a deaf man could find us now. The first eel slams into the escorts midship, and breaks her back. The others two find their mark, and the Ammo bucks upward, and settles back into the sea. Horrible explosions, and raging fires, doom her. The second Buckley has come alive, an angry Hornet, hellbent for revenge. The U-88 shudders as we complete our turn and put rudders amidship, the Kpt. turns the scope 180 degress, and I note the expression on his face, and a slight smile on his lips. The Buckley is now astern of us, racing like a bat out of hell, she`s at 900 meters when the Kpt. yells "Open Tube 5, Come on you Beautiful S.O.B." The range has closed to 650 meters.

The Kpt. orders "Fire 5, then Crash Dive, take her to 150 meters, 10 degree left rudder," as all the available crew rush forward adding weight to U-88`s bow. To our horror, the Fat II detonates prematurely, we are now in deep crap. We`ve only past 47 meters, when th HD room reports "She`s pinging us Sir." We barely get to Silent Running, as splashes of canned death fall around us. "We`re taking damage Sir." All hell breaks loose, as we take two hits at the forward crew quarters, flooding that section, and isolating the forward torpedo room. Worse the explosions have killed both the radio, and hydraphone operators, and destroyed the Kpts. cabin. We are blind, and wounded, no need to run silent, the repair crews are dispatched to the area to stop the flooding. The forward torpedo room reports they are trapped with injured crewmen in the compartment.
The Buckley is making a run on us, and all we can do is take it. She hits us again, as reports of conning tower damage, both scopes destroyed, flak, and deck gun mounts destroyed, the boat again pitches downward, as the repair crews fight the flooding. All the crew that went forward are now trapped there, adding extra uneeded weight forward, worse we are short handed. We are passing 180 meters, now, and still in one piece. I glance at my watch, as the lights flicker, but come back on. It`s 17:49 hrs.

24 April, 1943 18:01 hrs.

Another salvo of Depth Charges fall around us, breaching the pressure hull at the forward crew quarters, instantly killing all the repair crew working there. Only the command rooms water tight doors hold the sea back, and keep us alive. We`ve lost the forward batteries, and all communication to the forward torpedo room, One can only wonder their fate. The boat is groaning now as we approach crush depth, rivets popping, water fittings bursting. The order to blow ballast is given. The boat
shudders, and creaks painfully, as she tries to rise from the blackness of her grave. The U-88`s rear batteries give out as, the floor plates buckle, and bulkheads moan their last eerie sounds, the lights fail, as U-88 slips back into the abyss of her own making............ Puts

24 April, 1943 18:13 hrs.

For U-88, and her crew, it will forever be 24 April, 1943 18:13 hrs.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y20...II%203/DC4.jpg

'The Duke' to my mates

The train is shaking violently all the time, much like U-93 used to do. It makes writing quite hard. I wonder how Bernard managed to write in his war diary all those times he retreated to his quarters. He was my friend and I miss him a lot, Oberleutnant zur See Bernard Vom Bosch. All that remains of him and his boat are me and the battered old journal in my pocket. It has suffered greatly from the salt water and rough treatment it received since I found it among the debris as I was looking for survivors. There were none. We were tracking a convoy near Gibraltar in very bad weather, suddenly shells started hitting the water around us. Before we could dive, the destroyer came charging out of the heavy rains, guns blazing. How he found us was a mystery to me until I recently started hearing spooky things of this new radio waves location device, radar. Anyway, our boat got shelled intensely by this bastard, bodyparts of the watchcrew were flying all over the place as I was hurled out of the open bridge into the heavy swell. By the time I came to my senses, the boat was gone along with all my comrades. The destroyer was nowhere to be seen either, he vanished as quickly as he had appeared. I found my Kaleuns journal, stuffed it inside my jacket and started to swim for the Spanish coast.

Several hours later I was picked up by a fishing boat which dropped me off at their home port in Spain. There I was, on my way back to the fatherland. Shaken and distrought: Leutnant zur See Freiherr Beckman, known to his mates as 'The Duke'. First Officer on The Rooster and sole survivor of it's demise. Now, 6 months later, still alone in the world and on a train to the Norwegian port of Bergen. After half a year of waiting, training and more waiting, I am now being given my own command. I am officially a veteran after the war patrols under Kaleun Vom Bosch so everyone has full confidence in my abilities, but it is an entirely different war now. Radar and far extended air cover as well as improved asdic have made life very unpleasant for us, the grey wolves of the Atlantic. But we are not defenseless and I was always one to enjoy the hunt. I do admit I am scared and I purchased a small writing journal of my own when I arrived in Oslo last week. It seemed to help my old Kaleun deal with his fears and I guess it won't hurt to vent my emotions through my pen, even if I am already well established as a cocky and arrogant but also aggressive and capable seadog. We shall see.

A brand new type VIIC boat, U-735, is waiting for me in Bergen to take her into commission. Our first testruns are scheduled for september 1942 and after that I will take the boat to war. This journal will be on board.

The Duke

Ivan; good read but the scrolling back and forth because of the image size is driving me nutz. Can I suggest some 800x600 versions?

Ok guys I just had a thought about these fantastic short stories / logs.
I am working on an alternate font for the radio messages which would free up quite a bit of space. As soon as I determine the new charachter - spacing limit it would be possible then to have the game transmit the story / log in the form of radio messages. Authors permission of course.
They would most likely need to be grouped but sent in post-paragraph form.
What do you think?

Nice work Ivan and exciting.:up: