Always the little things...
 

Was out on patrol and heading home after managing to sink a ship.

Contrail spotted - apparently I didn't hit the pause button fast enough because it yanked me out of time compression when the plane was starting it's engagement.

I'd originally called for periscope depth because I thought I'd issued the command fast enough to get below and away from the attack - nope! So I order a crash dive.

As the plane begins it's attack, I'm partially submerged. I get down to around periscope depth and hear the depth charges impact the water. Few seconds later, BAM!

I'd managed to dodge all of them but one which put a hole in my command room. Being a periscope depth and only having a single hole, I wasn't too concerned.

I got my engineer over and he started patching the hole - I decided to not close off the command room because it was the only hole in the boat and to just let the excess water spill into the other rooms so he'd not have to wear a rebreather.

By the time he gets the hole patched, water is about ankle-depth from bow to stern. Not bad!

I order the boat to surface so we can start to get rid of the water.

That's when I notice that my compressed air is below 40% and I'm beginning to sink.

I'd forgotten to send someone back to the diesel compressor when we'd surfaced last to refill the tanks and there's not enough compressed air to blow the ballast!

We start sinking - I send someone over to the electrical air compressor to try and fill the tanks - but the pressure differential is too high and it won't fill. Bilge pumps are also overwhelmed by the pressure differential.

I get someone to turn on the diesel compressor, which starts to fill the tanks - but not quickly enough.

About 100mi off the coast of France in the Bay of Biscay, we succumbed to the pressure of the deep.

All because of forgetting the air compressor.

I'm also thinking that I should have immediately surfaced - or attempted to - and manned the flak while repairing the hole rather than let the water in.

Getting hit with full ballast tanks and under water is a baaad situation to be in!

Nice story, thanks for sharing ;)

Good to know, thanks :yeah:

Good to hear the game forces you to pay attention to things like that - Reminds me of "Aces of the Deep", where things like lack of air & not paying attention to water in the bilges often killed me. In a strange way, these deaths are all part of the fun of sub sims! I am sure I'll buy this game once I get my new computer.