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k2r!:salute:
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LSH2015 First Campaign
---------------------- 93% Realism ----------------------
We need steady optics since we have no prisms. Event camera enabled until I've some more practice. Weapons Officer assistance for identification only. ------------------------------------------------------------ Received patrol orders after our shakedown cruise (Patrol 1) to maintain radio silence and patrol grid AM18 (Patrol 2 - 19390824 - 19390913). We tracked a few surface vessels through our grid and conducted tracking / firing drills as I'm a bit out of practice. 19390903 - AM18 - After the outbreak of hostilities, we received word that a small convoy would be coming through our patrol grid. Found 4 ships, British flagged, sank 2 of them with torpedoes and 2 with the deck gun. They were not armed. All torpedoes found their marks and calm seas with our deck gun ended them. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. 19390904 - AM25, AM1 - Found a few more single ships, also flagged british, ended 1 with a single torpedo shot, the other with the deck gun. No armed resistance. 19390912 - AN34 - Tracked a vessel, plotting an intercept course after receiving radio messages from B-Dienst. Sea state was pretty horrible with 10 knot winds and heavy rain and fog (approx 1km visibility). Used sonar and previous plotting to estimate a firing solution and get into position. Magically appearing out of the fog about 20 degrees before firing, we were able to put an eel into the hull. It went down quickly. Which was fortunate because we couldn't use the deck gun to finish. After multiple unsuccessful attacks due to poor sea state and torpedo failures, we returned to Wilhelmshaven with a total of 42,977 in tonnage. A great patrol but not without its disappointments. With the sea state being so rough through many encounters, we had to rely on torpedoes. Relying on the torpedoes, and lining up great shots, only to have 6 torpedoes in our inventory fail, was very disappointing (we even had the torpedo depth set to smooth water). We also tracked an unarmed merchant in the Nord Meer, that we would have loved to add to our tonnage, but after getting close enough to identify the flag, spitting distance really since it was the middle of the night and the moon was on the other side of the ship, it turned out to be a Russian ship. We were constantly harassed by Flugzeug during our return trip by day near Britain. Looking forward to our next patrol. On a side note: - I try to be as patient as possible with the time compression and enjoy 'being at sea'. This patrol probably took 36+ hours of actual playtime, I cruise while I'm working from home sometimes, and try to run intercepts at near to realtime. The tension must be properly built. lol - This is the first campaign I've run in years. - I've considered tuning down the torpedo failures, but having them in keeps things interesting to say the least. And who can be a WWII submariner without knowing frustration. - I considered installing the flags enlighten mod, but having to get close enough to spit at the Russians, while wondering if I could attack them or not, was extremely satisfying, especially when I realized that by getting on the other side of them to view the flag in the moonlight added an insane amount to the realism of the game. - Manually tracking targets with map work, the RAOBF, and Angriffsheibe make the torpedo shots / kills all the more glorious. - I recently added Ahnenerbe's hi res / widescreen mod and plan on trying it on the next patrol. Looks very promising in practice. - I want to thank all the modders that make a good game when it was released, a great game even into modern times. Mod list: _LSH3-2015__FULLVERSION _LSH3-2015_ATM-BlueWater-SunFix _LSH3-2015_SLS_SpecialEffectsBig _LSH3-2015__HistoricalMessages _LSH3-2015__Patch_HSIE-V16B1 Thomsen's Sound Pack V3.2cg (I love the ambience even if the voice overs are repetitive and don't make sense in Deutsch) Ahnenerbe WideGui 1920 x 1080 Final * Now just to find some nice tracks for the gramophone. Und jetzt brauche ich viele Bier! :up: |
3 rd patrol
U-4
15 DEC 39 23:50 hrs., 2nd watch climbs to the bridge, Degen, Hansen, Rausch, Barsch and myself. I ask Degen, "you like the selection of records I took along this time?" "Yes sir," he replies. "If only they didn't take as much room to store them," I say. "Perhaps one day we can record music in a smaller media, Capt'n," he says. "Yes, something the size of a book of matches", I say. "Which records did you bring this time, Capt'n?, he says. "The stars and stripes forever", by Sousa "Woo-Woo", by Harry James "Deep Purple", by Bea Wain "Opus No. 1" by Tommy Dorsey "Ain't misbehavin" by Fats Waller "Don't forget your old shipmate", by Jerry Bryant "Dizzy Fingers", by Zez Confrey "My hat's on the side of my head", by Roy Fox "When Irish eyes are smiling" by John McCormack "Sing, sing, sing"by Benny Goodman "South Austraila", by Dubliners "Finnegans Wake", by the Irish Rovers "When you're smiling", by Billie Holiday "Sir, I was wondering, how is it you have records with a recording date of 1940 on them?", he asks. "Simple, I have a HP desktop PC in the storage locker above my bunk. I connect it to the satellite dish on the bridge, purchase and download MP3 files from Amazon digital music, then click and drag the files to the gramophone folder", I say. A blank stare is his only response. 16 DEC 39 09:57 hrs. It will be light soon. Dive. Make your depth 40 meters. Ahead 1 knot. 20:11 hrs. We bring her up to periscope depth for a look around. Clear sky. Heavy sea. A bit of light left. We surface. 18 DEC 39 07:21 hrs. Make your depth 40 meters. Slow to 1 knot. 08:05 Sound contact. Merchant, slow turns, closing, 342 degrees, long range. Surface, steer 280 degrees, ahead slow. 08:26 No moon this evening. Very dark. Cold. Steer North. 09:03 There she is! A tug boat. 09:34 English flag. Fire! She goes down by the stern very fast. We search the wreckage. No survivors. 10:11 Make your depth 40 meters, ahead 1 knot, return to plotted course. 19DEC 39 06:00 hrs. Patrol area AN 16 reached. Plot a course for Scapa Flow. I climb up to the bridge. Once there, I begin to sing: "Eternal Father strong to save Whose arm hath bound the restless wave Who bids the mighty ocean deep It's own appointed limits keep Oh, hear us when we cry to thee For those in peril on the sea." 14:38 Sound contact, warship, fast turns, closing, bearing 58 degrees, long range. Battle stations. 15:50 Warship sound contact fades, then is gone completely, last bearing 222 degrees. Secure from battle stations. 18:52 Sound contact, merchant, slow turns, closing, bearing 112 degrees, long range. Steer North, periscope depth, maintain speed. 19:51 Ahead slow, she's at 40 degrees, a small one. I estimate we will be about 800 meters away from her when we make the T. 19:55 Open bow caps. British flag. 19:58 Fire! Fires on deck. She sinks slow, neither by the bow nor the stern. We stay down to avoid aircraft. Make your depth 40 meters. Speed 1 knot. Return to plotted course to Scapa Flow. Two eels remain. Carl A. Lange Jr. sub-Lt. |
U-4
19 DEC 39 21:21 Surface the boat, ahead slow. Clear sky's. Heavy sea. Crescent moon. Two hour watches. I climb to the bridge. I raise my glasses to slowly scan 360 degrees. Cold. Like hunting deer in the Black Forest back home. Up before dawn to sit quiet all day in the hunting blind. Search for any sign of movement in the woods. A twig snaps to the left, a slow turn of my head and there he is! An eight - point buck! Here, the English are our prey. They come within range. We pull the trigger. To warm our hands on the bridge, a No. 10 tin can with cotton waste soaked with rubbing alcohol is set on fire. 22:50 Ship spotted. 82 degrees. Long range. Dive, periscope depth, speed 1 knot, steer 290 degrees. 22:56 All stop. Up scope. A tin can, doing 13 knots. Battle stations. Rig for silent running. 23:02 She's at 50 degrees. 23:05 Secure from silent running. Open bow caps. 23:07 Fire! One minute later she goes down by the stern. Ahead slow. Surface. Search the wreckage for survivors. 23:15 "Capt'n! I see men in the water!" one of our own shouts. "Steer towards them", I say. We fish out ten survivors from the tin can, all of them suffering from the cold. They're taken below, wrapped in blankets and seated near the electric heaters. We radio BdU a patrol report. 23:36 Radio message from BdU: "Return to base". Carlewitz plots a course for Wilhelmshaven. I put Hartenstein in charge of our "guests". 38 men on board now. 24 DEC 39 Christmas Eve A Christmas tree is assembled and decorated. A shot of schnapps and 1/2 bottle of Becks beer for everyone, including our guests. "Silent night, Holy night, All is calm, all is bright..." I climb up to the bridge. I light a cigar. I face aft to avoid the ocean spray. The setting sun warms my back. 25 DEC 39 18:44 Christmas Day. There they are, the lighthouses of Wilhelmshaven. Four petty officers, in shirt sleeves, accompany me on the bridge. Clear sky's. Sunny. Ahead, flank speed. Soon, we make 12 knots! Thurmann is smiling in the engine compartment. He loves his diesels. At this speed I hope to burn off any soot deposited in the exhaust valves. We coast up to the crowd and the band on the pier. Prisoners ashore first. Off to the stalag they go. Good to be home. Carl A. Lange Jr. sub-Lt. |
Jan 1941. Stalking around Faxafloi Bay in the dark, a Town-class destroyer suddenly sailed from the gloom less than 300 meters ahead, heading right down my throat. The crew must have been super busy, because my tower was still above water when it passed maybe 10 meters off to port and kept on sailing towards Reykjavik.
I didn't even think to hit the screenshot button... |
4th patrol
1 Attachment(s)
27 JAN 40
U-4 21:29 hrs Reports from other boats regarding dud eels. Jurgen Zinke made rate of Radioman while ashore. I request and receive permission to transfer to our original boat, U-4. Steam eels set to contact pistols, fast speed. Ahead slow. Carlewitz plots a course to our patrol area AN73, shallow waters. *sigh* I don't sleep well in shallow waters. I'd rather have one hundred fathoms under our keel. I climb to the bridge. Clear sky's. Calm sea. Half moon. I hear the sounds of "Ain't misbehavin'" by Fats Waller from the open hatch. Our boat is now referred to, among the barracks, as the "Clown Car" after our last patrol ended with 38 men exiting when we docked. I squared it away with Donitz about taking prisoners. Having experienced P.O.W. status himself, he advised he was willing to "look the other way" as long as we acquired tonnage during our patrols. 28 JAN 40 0849 hrs I climb to the bridge this morning. The coast of the continent visible on our port. Barrier islands visible on our starboard. These barrier islands remind me of the time, years ago, my brother & I travelled to Lake Superior in the States to visit Isle Royale. At the Eastern end of the island's Rock Harbor, we paddled my canoe Westward, between the island and barrier islands to the South. In every gap between those barrier islands, the waves from Lake Superior hit us. We discovered thimble berries the size of your thumb in a meadow there. A good memory. 29 JAN 40 2031 hrs. Ship sighted. Dive, make your depth 10 meters, steer 190 degrees, ahead 1/3. Battle stations. Very shallow waters here. Our target makes a turn South. We steer 213 degrees. English flag. 2045 hrs. Fire! She goes down by the stern, very slowly. Men have time to get into a life boat. We approach them and ask, "Name of your ship"? "Jenny Lynn", is the reply. I check the manifest, 2343 tons. Close to shore, fair weather, provisioned well, they have a good chance. "Return to plotted course", I order. Secure from battle stations. 0212 hrs. Ship spotted, heading right at us. Steer 200 degrees. Battle stations. We sail a while, then turn to make the T. 0217 hrs. All stop. Polish flag. Open bow caps. 0222 hrs. Fire! Dud. Secure from battle stations, make your depth 10 meters, ahead slow. 0229 hrs. Surface, return to plotted course. 30 JAN 40 0952 hrs. I climb to the bridge. Clear sky's. Calm sea. Cold. The morning sun rises at 210 degrees aft. I light a cigar. My thoughts turn towards that dud eel from last night. Zander is dissecting our eels this morning. Noon daily position report sent to BdU: AN82 - note to self: leave "Dizzy Fingers", by Zez Confery in the barracks on next patrol because it was difficult to hear when it was played. - Non-stop sound reports in this area. Merchants, warships and small craft. 1 FEB 40 2000 Sound report, warship, 60 degrees bearing, long range. Dive, make your depth 10 meters, rig for silent running, steer 45 degrees. I wear the headset of the sound man, Zenke, to follow the contact. Let's see if we can turn fast enough to make the T. Scope up. Open bow caps. An armed trawler, doing 10 knots. Secure form silent running. Battle stations. Almost there, AOB 84. 2313 Fire! Down scope. Dud. Rig for silent running. Speed 1 knot. Return to plotted course. 2330 Secure from silent running, Surface. Recharge batteries. Two eels remain. 2 FEB 40 0840 hrs. Ship spotted, a big one, 41 degrees, long range. Dive, make your depth 10 meters, speed 1 knot. Scope up. A c-2 cargo, bearing 85 degrees, doing 9 knots. 0926 All stop. British flag. Open bow caps. 0926 Fire 1! Connect 2. Open bow caps. Fire 2! Fires seen in front of the bridge. She slows to 4 knots and limps to her destination. No eels remain. Carlewitz plots a course for home. I hand Cruetz at the radio, our patrol report with instructions to wait until noon to send it to BdU. We hear a depth charge explosion near our last position. Noon. Surface, ahead slow, patrol report sent to BdU, dive, make your depth 10 meters, speed 1 knot, return to plotted course. 1221 Radio message from BdU : return to base For the next six days, we settle into a routine; dive at 0800 hrs., surface at Noon for the daily position report to Bdu, then dive and remain submerged until 2000 hrs. when we surface again. We listen to the radio and the gramophone records. We play cards. We watch films in the bow compartment. During those times when we are on the surface, I climb to the bridge, light a cigar and watch the waves. 9 FEB 40 0127 hrs. We turn the corner and there they are, the lighthouses of Wilhelmshaven. Ahead flank. 0153 Ahead slow. 0212 Speed 1 knot. All stop. Home. Carl A. Lange Jr. sub-Lt. Our new Tower emblem is shown below. |
Patrol 5
5th patrol start
U-4 8 MAR 4 1919 hrs. Ahead slow. Carlewitz plots a course to AN28, SE of Bergen, Norway. Deep water. Good. I'll sleep well. Both diesel engines upgraded. Problems remain with dud eels. Degen made rate of medic while we were ashore. Before I climb to the bridge, a hand Creutz a phonograph record, with instructions to wait until I'm on the bridge to play it. "Aye, aye, Capt'n", he says. I climb to the bridge. Clear sky's. Calm sea. From the open hatch I hear a few guitar strums, then the voice of Gene Autry singing, "I'm back in the saddle again". I sing along... "I'm back in the saddle again Out where a friend is a friend Where the longhorn cattle feed On the lowly gypsum weed Back in the saddle again" With limited space on board for records, I've shuffeled the deck and settled on these selections for this patrol: "Ain't misbehavin" by Fats Waller "Anchors Aweigh" by the U.S. Navy Band "Back in the saddle again", by Gene Autry "Deep Purple", with Bea Wain. "Finnegans wake", by The irish Rovers 'My hat's on the side of my head" by Roy Fox "South Australia" Dubliners "The Stars and Stripes Forever" by Souza "The Star of the County Down", with John McCormack "When Irish eyes are smiling" by John McCormack "When you're smiling" with Billie Holiday "Woodchoppers Ball" by Lawrence Welk "Woo -Woo", by Harry James 9 MAR 40 1919 hrs. This evening's film in the bow compartment is "Stagecoach" with John Wayne. Things go smoother around here when the food is good, clothing and bedding are clean and the bilges are clean. Daily position reports sent to BdU: 11 MAR 40: AN38 12 MAR 40: AN35 12 MAR 40 1747 hrs. Sound report, merchant, medium turns, 211 degrees, long range. Steer South. Ahead standard. A good chance she's a neutral in these waters. We investigate anyway. Steer 121 degrees. 1809 Dive. Make your depth 30 meters. Ahead slow. I put the headphones on in the sound room. She's sailed 9 km since the first sound report. In this light we should see her soon. Surface. Steer South. Ahead 1/3. 1825 hrs. I'm on the bridge with my glasses. 1829 hrs. I spot her first, bearing 340 degrees. Ahead full. 1847 hrs. She sees us and begins to zig zag, yet, she cannot out run us. Steer 270 degrees. We get in a forward position, then turn to make the T. 1906 hrs. Open bow caps. British flag. Fire! Dud. Re-position boat for firing solution. 1909 hrs. Steer 256 degrees. Steer 280 degrees. 1912 hrs. Ahead slow. All stop. Open bow caps. Fire! 1915 hrs. She goes down slowly by the stern. Men climb into a life boat with one appearing injured. We approach them. They ask if we have a doctor on board, one of their men has a broken thigh. We bring the injured sailor on board. Our medic, Degen tends to the lad's broken leg. "Name of your ship?' I ask. "John Bull" is the reply. I check the manifest, 2042 tons. We are 50 km from the coast of Norway. We throw the life boat a line. Steer 20 degrees. Ahead slow. It matters little to me if the men in the lifeboat have a wireless set with them. I'm not worried about aircraft in this area and if they signal a warship, two things will happen, the tow line will be cut and the warship will be attacked when it appears. Degen reports our guest has a good chance for recovery. 1940 hrs. Batteries recharged, switch to standard propulsion. 13 MAR 40 0014 hrs. All stop. We're 11 km from the coast. The life boat comes along side. Our guest is returned to them. I advise them I intend to sail to within sight of land, then set them free. Ahead slow. 0107 hrs. All stop. Land sighted 4 km away. We pull in the tow line. The sailors in the life boat man the oars. Dive. Make your depth 30 meters. Ahead 1 knot. Return to plotted course. 3 eels remain. I mark a spot with the pointer 10km away and order we surface at that point. Ahead slow. I retire to my rack. I sleep well. 0513 hrs. Surface. Ahead slow. 0541 hrs. Battieries recharged, switch to standard propulsion. Noon daily position reports to Bdu: 13 MAR 40: AN35 14 MAR 40: AN31 14 MAR 40 2330 hrs. Our patrol area, AN28 has been reached. I climb to the bridge. 75% diesel remains. Two hour watches in this bad weather; clouds overcast, heavy snow, thick fog, wind direction 315 degrees, wind speed 11 mps. I turn away from the wind and light a cigar. 0630 hrs. Dive. Make your depth 50 meters. 1 knot speed. Records play on the gramophone. Our routine continues, surface at Noon for daily position reports to Bdu, dive, then stay submerged until dark. Carl A. Lange Jr. sub-Lt. |
5th patrol
5th patrol
U-4 16 MAR 40 0953 hrs. Sound contact, merchant, slow turns, closing, 73 degrees, long range. Steer 270 degrees. Speed 1 knot. Make your depth 26 meters. I put the headphones on and hear slow turns, 290 degrees. In this weather, I'll have to make one of those 400 meter, sudden, out-of-the-fog flag identifications. I turn to Zinke sitting next to me. "You called it right, she's coming at us", I say. 1031 hrs. She's heading aft of us. Steer 90 degrees. 1037 hrs. Surfaced, we maintain course and speed. I'm on the bridge with my glasses. Battle stations. I switch to the UZO, scanning the horizon. Heavy snow. Suddenly, the huge bow of the merchant fills the lens of the UZO. I shout "%$#@"!!! Sound collision! She glides past our bow, 50 meters away. I scan her rigging, British flag. "Think she saw us, gentlemen? ", I ask. Ahead full. Steer North. She zig zags . Steer 90 degrees. Too close for a shot. We may have to shoot blind in this fog. Using rudder controls we get into a T. I plot her general course, North, then steer to a point 500 meters away from her to make the T. Steer 90 degrees. She disappears in the fog. Steer 70 degrees. Open bow caps. Fire 1! Missed. Fire 2! Missed. As she appears from the fog, I see her stern, with enough room for an eel run to sting. Open bow caps. Fire 3! She makes her zig zag turn right into a broadside shot. That did it. Fires on her deck. She sinks slow. Men climb into a lifeboat. Speed 1 knot. We drift alongside the burning merchant. Not too close, gentlemen, she may take us with her, if cargo explodes on her deck. She goes down by the stern. We are close enough I can read the merchant's name on the bow, "Camille", 2343 tons. We are 160 km from the Norway coast. We approach the life boat. All stop. I call to the men in the life boat, "you lads stay right there, we have to dive the boat to get the engines running again. We'll be right back!" Dive. Make your depth 20 meters. Ahead slow. Soon, the hum of the E-motors is heard. Surface. Ahead 1 knot. Steer to the life boat. Thurmann throws a line to the life boat as it pulls along side us. "Anyone hurt?" I ask. "No" is the reply. "We are 160 Km from the coast, we will tow you there", I say. A tow rope is lowered to the life boat. Carlewitz plots a course to the coast of Norway, bearing 100 degrees. Patrol report sent to BdU. Just about 60 minutes, in real time, with that last incident. Shoot from the hip. Just like John Wayne. Snap shots. Reckless waste of expensive, $5,000 mark torpedoes. It's what I live for. 1217 hrs. Radio message from BdU: "Return to base" I'm in the controlroom, sitting on the chart chest. I ask the Chief, Totenhagen, "ever been to Bergen?" "No" is his reply. 'Let's go there", I say. "But sir, you're playing stock, do you remember years ago, what we found in Scapa Flow, after running the gauntlet of tin cans?", he asks. "Yes, I remember, an empty harbor.", I say. "You got any urgent matters back home?" I ask him. "No" is his reply. "Good, let's tow the lads to Bergen, set them free, then we give the crew liberty", I say. Word travels quickly aboard. Liberty in Bergen! Carlewitz plots a course, weaving among the fjords to Bergen. Frederichs, our No. 1, isn't happy. "What about BdU?", he asks. I reply, "they ordered us to return to base. They didn't say how soon". 17 MAR 40 0920 hrs. We reach the coast of Norway. Noon position report to BdU: AN24 1332 hrs. On the bridge, with my glasses, I see the shore 2 Km away. Beautiful mountains. 1505 hrs. Wow! That's a huge mountain! 250 meters away! 1602 hrs. On the bridge, without glasses, I see the lights of the Bergen lighthouses in the fog dead ahead. Almost there boys. Mind your manners in town. Carlewitz asks, "How long can we stay here, Capt'n?" "I'll ask the harbor master", I reply. 1620 hrs. We sail up cross-wise to the pier and throw out the anchor. All stop. We'll use the life boat to reach shore. Quiet and peaceful here. The fishing must be good. I saw a couple of men fishing from the pier. Not one ship in sight. The crew from the Camille are taken aboard. Sausage & sauerkraut are served for supper. The overhead speakers crackle: "The harbor master gives us 48 hrs., we sail 19 MAR 40 at 1620 hrs., liberty gentlemen, play nice in town, End" I remain aboard with a small crew. Hartenstein, wearing a sidearm, commands the life boat to shore. He's accompanied by an armed guard. I'm not worried about problems with the crew from the Camille. They're grateful to be ashore. I'm certain the Tommies have a representative in Bergen to help the lads get back home, safe & sound. I catch up on some sleep. Records play on the gramophone. 48 hours goes by fast. We drift a bit in the harbor, turning head-on in the current, yet, our anchor holds fast. 19 MAR 40 1500 hrs. "Entire crew is accounted for, Capt'n", says our No. 1 "Very well", I reply. Dive, make your depth 5 meters, ahead slow, return to plotted course. 1520 hrs. Surface. Ahead slow. 70 % diesel remains. Daily Noon position reports to BdU: 20 Mar 40: AN24 21 Mar 40: AN29 22 MAR 40: AN84 23 MAR 40: AN38 24 MAR 40 0643 hrs. We turn the corner and see the beacons from the lighthouses of Wilhelmshaven. Ahead flank. 0709 hrs. Ahead slow. 0720 hrs. 1 knot speed. I'm on the bridge. From the open hatch I hear "Woodchoppers Ball" from the gramophone. The song ends just as we hear the German National Anthem, played by the band. All stop. |
6th patrol
6th patrol
We transfer to U-5. Totenhagen made rate of watchman while we were ashore. Officers Fredericks and Hartenstein were dismissed without replacements. 21 APR 40 1604 hrs. Ahead slow. Carlewitz plots a course to our patrol area, AN21. We maintain a routine of staying submerged during the daylight, except for surfacing at Noon for five minutes to ventilate the boat and send the daily position report to BdU. I take a peek with the scope before we surface, since the time darkness arrives varies each day with the weather conditions. The object of this routine is to avoid aircraft. I climb to the bridge. Sunshine. Clear sky's. Calm sea. I light a cigar. From the open hatch, I hear John McCormack sing, "Star of the County Down". "Near Banbridge town In the County Down One morning last July Down a boithrin green Came a sweet cailin And she smiled as she passed me by" "She looked so sweet From her two bare feet To the sheen of her nut-brown hair Such a coaxing elf I was ashamed of me self For to see I was really there" "From Bantry Bay Up to Derry Quay And from Galway to Dublin town No maid I've seen Like the sweet cailin That I met in the County Down" As I listen to the lyrics, I remember the times in my life when I was thunderstruck as well. I finish my cigar and climb down to the control room. Daily Noon position reports to BdU: 22 APR 40: AN 95 23 Apr 40: AN 63 24 APR 40: AN 49 25 APR 40: AN 46 25 APR 40 2200 hrs. As we surface, we find ourselves in a storm that will last for five days. Overcast sky's, thunder, lightning, very heavy sea. Poor flying weather. Good. Daily Noon position reports to BdU: 26 APR 40: AN 42 27 APR 40: AN 42 28 APR 40: AN 42 29 APR 40: AN 27 30 Apr 40: AN 27 30 APR 40 2246 hrs. Clear weather. Heavy sea. Patrol area AN 21 reached. Carl A. Lange Jr. sub-Lt. |
6th patrol
U-5
1 MAY 40 AN21 0013 hrs. From the open hatch to the bow compartment, I hear laughter. They're playing a "Laurel & Hardy" film. 1140 hrs. We're at periscope depth. Sky scope up. A look around. Down scope. Surface. 1147 hrs. Ventilate the boat. Ahead slow. I climb to the bridge. Clear sky's. Medium sea. 1154 hrs. Boat ventilated. Dive. Make your depth 30 meters. Speed 1 knot. - "The conversation" - At lunch this afternoon, seated at the table with my two officers, Carlewitz & Totenhagen, it came up in conversation, a question about my goals. "What would you like to accomplish, sir?" - Totenhagen asked. "No. 1 would be to learn. I want to acquire the skills necessary to complete this war in an honorable manner, " I say. "What if we die?" Carlewitz asked. "Dead is dead, my friend. A notice will be posted of our overdue status and our story ends," I say. "We can all be replaced. A new Captain's name will take our place", I say. 'If he only survives a few days, then another will replace him, until the war ends", I say. "No details of the patrols will be posted until he reaches the date and time the prior Captain was reported over due, " I say. "It may be a long while before a new Captain appears on the horizon", I say. "I wonder how many different Captains will it take before one Captain is able to hunt & evade from the start to finish?" I say. "I am not going to hide behind a tree when things become difficult." "No, when opportunity knocks, we will answer the door", I say. 2 MAY 40 0019 hrs. I climb to the bridge. Zander & Sauer are rigging up two fishing poles on either side of the tower. They're using treble hooks wired to big spoons for lures. If we have to make any sudden moves, the lines will be cut. Fresh cod for dinner would be nice. This fishing reminds me of the time my brother & I visted Isle Royale. We met Elling Seglem, a Norwegian fisherman there. He was from Chicago. Every Summer, he would travel by train from Chicago to Duluth, then take the passenger ferry to Isle Royale. Elling reminded me of my Grandfather, with his good sense of humor. After Ellig died, his family gathered all of his letters home into a book, titled "Dairies of an Isle Royale Fisherman" ISBN -O - 935289-13-5 Library of Congress control No. 2002112588 0205 hrs. Sauer gets a bite on his line, soon followed by a bite on Zander's line. For the next four hours, 30 cod are landed, enough for every soul aboard! Cans of lard and bags of corn meal are obtained from storage. Our cook, Sauer, heats up the frying pan on the stove. Soon, the smell of fried fish fills the boat. We wash it all down with beer, 1/2 a bottle each. 3 MAY 40 0134 hrs. Sound contact. Merchant. Medium turns. 244 degrees. Long range. Closing. Steer 150 degrees. Ahead slow. 0240 hrs. There she is, dead ahead, moving away, a big one! Battle stations. Steer 180 degrees. We run along side her, four miles away. We sail to a forward position, turn to 120 degrees to make the T. 0400 hrs. Dive. Periscope depth. Ahead flank. She's about 5,00 meters away, a C-2, doing 9 knots. 0418 hrs. Attack scope up. Open bow caps. I take a chance she's not a neutral. Can't see the flag from this distance. Fire 1! Connect tube 2. Open bow caps. Fire 2! Connect tube 3. Open bow caps. Fire 3! Now we wait. We hear two explosions. I look and she has slowed to 7 knots and starts to zig zag. Her general course is SSW. 0424 hrs. The electric eel missed. Surface. We'll run along side her and load two more fish in our tubes. 0428 hrs. We are doing 9 knots, getting in a forward position ahead of her. The men in the bow are singing the sea shanty "South Austraila" as they heave the eels into the tubes. 0434 hrs. Tubes 1 & 2 are loaded, both steam eels. Set pistols to contact, speed fast. Steer 120 degrees to make the T. Periscope depth. 0459 hrs. Ahead slow. Open bow caps. Attack scope up. She's 1100 meters away. 0500 hrs. Fire 1! Connect tube 2. Open bow caps. Fire 2! That did it. Fires on her deck. She splits in half and sinks fast. 0503 hrs. Surfaced, we search the wreckage. No survivors. A life ring is found. "King Arthur" is written on it. British. Patrol report sent to BdU. Rausch crafts a white-colored pennant. 6446 is written on it. 0607 hrs. Radio message from BdU: "Return to base" Carlewitz plots a course for home. Dive. Make your depth 30 meters. Speed 1 knot. 4 MAY 40 0330 hrs. We surface. Clear sky's. Heavy sea. I light a cigar. 0730 hrs. Dive. Daily Noon position reports to BdU: 5 MAY 40 AN 27 6 MAY 40 AN 42 7 MAY 40 AN42 8 MAY 40 AN 43 9 MAY 49 AN 46 10 MAY 49 AN 49 11 MAY 40 AN 63 12 MAY 40 AN 93 13 MAY 40 AN 95 50% diesel remains. 1447 hrs. A harbor ship is on fire! Steer 240 degrees. Ahead flank! A mine? Ahead slow. A torpedo boat. Ours. We fish two men out of the water, alive. On fire, with her ensign flying, she remains afloat. The other crewmen are missing. "Keep a sharp eye, gentlemen", I say. 1735 hrs. A mine sweeper moves aft of us. 1833 hrs. We turn the corner. "Maintain course and speed", I order. 1940 hrs. We enter the Wilhelmshaven harbor as a light wind from the East is under a storm front above us. Speed 1 knot. All stop. Carl A. Lange Jr. sub-Lt. |
7th patrol
7th patrol
U-5 10 June 40 2019 hrs. Hansen was promoted to Chief Seaman. Carlewitz made rate of damage controlman. Ahead slow. Carlewitz plots a course to our patrol area, AN 67. Shallow water, heavy traffic. He examines the sea chart to locate a suitable area. He spots a deep channel in our patrol area, about 9 Km wide and 60 Km in length. Good. I climb to the bridge, light a cigar and keep a close eye on the water dead ahead of us. "1 x TC, if you please, Chief", I say. "I want to watch ahead of us for mines", I say. I'm not certain if it was a mine that got that torpedo boat on our last patrol. Best to be ready at the rudder controls if a porcupine appears. 13 JUNE 40 2240 hrs. AN 68 We surface in a storm. Medium sea. Bad flying weather. Good. Ahead slow. 14 JUNE 40 0902 hrs. AN 67 We reach our patrol area. Using the pointer, I begin to mark positions, sounding, with a note for each depth. Mark # 1 - 39 meters Mark # 2 - 44 meters Mark # 3 - 54 meters 1825 hrs. Dive. Make your depth 30 meters. Speed 1 knot. 2235 hrs. We're running on the surface, ahead slow. The storm continues. Carl A. Lange Jr. sub-Lt. |
7th patrol
7th patrol
U-5 14 JUNE 40 2338 hrs. We're running on the surface. I climb to the bridge. Heavy sea. Rain. At times, the tower is underwater for four seconds. Tough to keep a cigar lit in these conditions. 15 JUNE 40 1135 hrs. Foul weather gear drys by the electric heaters. Carlewitz reads a book at the chart table. Totenhagen sleeps in his rack. Six men sleep in the bow compartment. Seven men, including Totenhagen, sleep in the stern quarters. Creutz, in the radio room, listens to a soccer game back home. 1811 hrs. Sound contact. Warship. 217 degrees. Long range. closing. Steer 270 degrees. Maintain speed 1 knot. Give her the narrow silhouette. 1828 hrs. Sound contact at 360 degrees. Rudder amidships. Zink, in the sound room, can no longer hear the contact. I put the headphones on. I can hear her at 360 degrees. Using the rudder controls, I keep the sound bearing within 10 degrees from 360 degrees. 1909 hrs. I can no longer hear the sound contact. Return to plotted course. 0200 hrs. Surfaced, I climb to the bridge. Heavy sea. Overcast. Thunder. Lightning. No rain. I light a cigar. 16 JUNE 40 0748 hrs. Dive. Make your depth 30 meters. Speed 1 knot. NOON AN 67 75% diesel remains. 1213 hrs. We test our endurance. Dive. Make your depth 30 meters. Speed 1 knot. Men off-duty wear CO2 cartridges. 17 JUNE 40 0248 hrs. 50% O2 remains 0812 hrs. 30% O2 remains. Periscope depth. 0817 hrs. Surfaced. Twenty hours submerged. 18 JUNE 40 0300 hrs. Periscope depth. Sky scope up. A look around. Cloudy. Surface. Ahead slow. I climb to the bridge. Medium sea. Thunder. Lightning. No rain. I light a cigar. 0330 hrs. I climb back down to the control room, go to my locker above my rack. There, I find my album of "The Grand Canyon Suite" composed by Ferde Grofe in 1931. I give the record to Cruetz, in the radio room, with instructions to play the selection titled, "cloudburst". Seems appropriate considering the weather. Carl A. Lange Jr. sub-Lt. |
7th patrol
7th patrol
18 JUNE 40 Noon AN 67 Clear sky's. Calm sea. 19 JUNE 40 0203 hrs. Sound contact. Bearing 350 degrees. Medium turns. Merchant. Steer North. Maintain depth of 18 meters. Speed 1 knot. O2 95% 'I x TC, if you please Chief", I order. 0203 hrs. Sound increases in volume. Good. 220 hrs. Steer 10 degrees. Speed slow. We steer to a T. 0225 hrs. Slow to 1 knot so I can listen in the sound room. I experiment, using a pair of rifle range ear muffs over the headset to see if I can hear better that way. Much improvement! She's at 330 degrees. Battle stations. Set 3 steam eels to contact pistols, fast speed. Steer 4 degrees. 0235 hrs, Steer North. 0236 hrs. Speed 1 knot. 0239 hrs. She's at 336 degrees via sound contact. 0251 hrs. Steer 45 degrees. She's at 286 degrees. 0256 hrs. All stop. Rudder amidships. 0257 hrs. Scope up. I spot her smoke at 290 degrees. Down scope. I estimate she's 3 1/2 Km away, right on course, SSE. 0309 hrs. Scope up. She's at 310 degrees. Range 2200 meters away. Speed 8 knots. A small merchant. Down scope. 0319 hrs. British flag. Open bow caps. Fire 1! She sinks slow, turns on her starboard side before sinking. Men have time to climb into a life boat. Surface. Steer to the life boat. We pull along side the life boat. Hansen, on the bow deck, throws a line to them. They secure the line to a clete on the bow of the life boat. "Anyone hurt?", I ask. "Two dead , two injured", is the reply. "Bring the injued on board", I say. While the dead are sewn into canvas and buried at sea, our medic Degan, tends to the injured taken below. We are 143 Km from the British coast. "Name of your ship?", I ask. "El Chapo", is the reply. 2343 tons. Their Captain and I agree to keep the two injured men on our boat. One is critical . If they were to remain in the life boat, their chances of survival are nil. Well provisioned, including a wireless set, the men in the life boat hoist a sail then steer SSW. 0343 hrs. Dive. Steer West. Make your depth 20 meters. Speed 1 knot. 19 JUNE 40 Noon AN 67 Surfaced. Clear sky's. Medium sea. Ahead slow. One of the injured men passed away last night. We bury him at sea. The other injured sailor is healing from a broken leg. "William" is from Birmingham, 18 years old, a good-natured kid. The crew like him. 1233 hrs. Dive. Make your depth 18 meters. Speed 1 knot. 1926 hrs. Sound contact. Warship. Closing fast. 42 degrees. Medium range. Rig for silent running. 1932 hrs. She's running aft of us, moving away, towards the last position of the life boat from the "El Chapo". "There goes the 7th Cavalry, gentlemen", I say. We're 20 Km away from the life boat. 20 JUNE 40 1259 hrs. I'm wearing the head set in the sound room when I hear engine noise, bearing 80 degrees. Medium turns. Ahead 1/3. 1305 hrs. Zinke puts the headset on and reports a sound contact; merchant, medium turns, 81 degrees, closing, long range. 1310 hrs. Battle stations. Her general course is SE. Carlewitz is busy making pencil marks on the chart. 1324 hrs. Ahead standard, we're 3 Km from the T. She's 9 Km away on our starboard side. 1329 hrs. We're 1 1/2 KM from our deer blind. She's 8 Km away. Ahead slow. 1343 hrs. Periscope depth. Speed 1 knot. She's 4 1/2 Km away at 85 degrees. We're 900 meters from her course. All stop. Up scope, x6. There she is, a C-3, doing 8 knots. Down scope. 1350 hrs. She's 3000 meters away, bearing 80 degrees. 1353 hrs. Up scope. Lock scope. She's 2000 meters away. Open bow caps. 1400 hrs. I unlock the scope. British flag. I aim for her fuel bunker. 1403 hrs. Fire 1! Connect tube 2. Open bow caps. Fire 2! That did it. The eel hit, she caught fire, split in half, then settled down to the shallow sea bed, creating a navigation hazard. Her crew have time to climb into two lifeboats. Down scope. Surface. 1408 hrs. Surfaced, we steer to the life boats. Speed 1 knot. Rudder controls are used to steer aft of her. Very calm sea. The sun has set on our starboard side with light reflecting on the wreck. "Everyone accounted for? I call to them. "Yes", is the reply. Some cargo remains on the exposed aft deck. Sauer mans the machine gun. I take control of the machine gun to plink away at the remaining cargo, 200 meters away. It takes a bit of timing for the gun sight cross hairs to settle on the cargo, with the ocean swell rocking the boat. A few more shots and I hit it, causing it to explode, sending debris in all directions. Both life boats are secured to the sides of our boat. "Anyone hurt?", I ask. "One dead, fourteen injured", is the reply. "Name of your ship?, I ask. "Poncho Villa", is the reply. 7909 tons. "Bring the injured aboard", I call to them. The dead sailor is sewn into canvas. He is buried at sea. Both life boats set sail for the English coast. Degen, our medic, gives me his report regarding our guests. Everyone's injuries are stable, with no life-threatening injuries. They occupy the entire bow quarters. Dive. Make your depth 15 meters. Speed 1 knot. 70% diesel remains. Steer NE. 21 JUNE 40 0242 hrs. We're on the surface. I'm on the bridge. I light a cigar. Carl A. Lange Jr. sub-Lt. |
7th patrol
7th patrol
U-5 21 JUNE 40 0943 hrs. Zinke reports a sound contact. Warship, fast turns, 278 degrees, closing, long range. We steer 230 degrees. Rig for silent running. I put the headphones on. Steer South. Sound contact 360 degrees. Rudder amidships. 1008 hrs. Using rudder controls, at 1 knot speed, we match our rate of turn with the sound contacts, slowly following her lead as she heads aft of us. Give her the narrow silhouette. She's 6 Km out, moving away. 1026 hrs. I can no longer hear the sound contact. Secure from silent running. Surface. Ahead slow. 1030 hrs. We're surfaced. I climb to the bridge. Stormy. No rain. 75% O2. 68% diesel remains. Recharge batteries. I slowly scan the horizon with my glasses. 1039 hrs. Boat ventilated. I climb down to the control room "It's a Long Way to Tipperary", with John McCormack is playing on the gramophone. 1145 hrs. Battery recharged. "Standard propulsion, Chief", I order. NOON AN 59 Rain starts topside. Dive. Make your depth 15 meters. Speed 1 knot. 2005 hrs. I'm in the sound room, with the headphones on. Sound contact. 20 degrees. Long distance. Slow turns. Steer 325 degrees. Battle stations. Two remaining steam eels pistols set to contact, fast speed. 2012 hrs. Sound contact 24 degrees, closing. We steer North. 2017 hrs. Rudder midships. Sound bearing 350 degrees. 2027 hrs. Sound bearing 354 degrees. Her general course is SSE. Carlewitz makes pencil marks on the sea chart. We steer 60 degrees to make the T. 2032 hrs. Radioman Zink can hear her now, a merchant, slow turns, long range, closing, 306 degrees. Carlewitz plots her course, which becomes more accurate with each bearing made. We're about 3 Km from her plotted course. She is about 10 Km from us. Surface. Ahead 1/3. 2053 hrs. Dive. Make your depth 15 meters. Speed 1 knot. She's at 300 degrees, about 5 Km away. 2100 hrs. Periscope depth. She's 4 Km away, 313 degrees. 2104 hrs. Attack scope up. 6 x. There she is, 320 degrees, a small coastal merchant, doing 8 knots, out about 2000 meters. Down scope. 2106 hrs. Scope up. Open bow caps. 2113 hrs. 897 meters away, British flag. Fire 1! That did it. She sinks fast by the stern. Surface. Ahead slow. Steer to the wreckage. Down scope. We spot one man in the water, alive. We fish him out, bundle him in a blanket and take him below. "Your ship's name?", I ask him. "Arthur Treacher", is his reply. 2042 tons, loaded with sacks of potatoes and canned fish. Wolfbauer, on the bridge, spots a section of wooden hold decking from the ship, with two crates secured on it. We fish it out of the water, hauling it up on our bow decking. We pry open one crate to discover it filled with 50 lb sacks of potatoes. The oher crate was filled with canned fish. All of it is taken below. Fish & chips for dinner, with grateful appreciation to the "Aurthur Treacher". Good. Now we should have plenty of provisions to last us. I'm on the bridge with Zahn, Marks, Wolfbauer and Bahn. Overcast. Stormy. I light a cigar, then ask Adolf Bahn, "isn't your middle name Bernard"? "Yes sir, it my mum's maiden name", he reply's. Trouble on the horizon, boys. Carl A. Lange Jr. sub-Lt. |
7th patrol
7th patrol
21 JUNE 40 2136 hrs. Batteries recharged. Standard propulsion. Dive. Make your depth 10 meters. Speed 1 knot. 2213 hrs. I put the headphones on in the sound room. No contacts heard. Our 16 guests on board are all recovering from their injuries. They have to "hot-bunk" in the bow quarters, where they are confined, with one slop bucket, until we reach shore. I check in on them. They're listening to an English soccer match, when suddenly, the game is interrupted by actor and actress voices from a radio play titled "Heidi". A collective moan is made by the sailors. In the forward torpedo room, Adolf Bernard Bahn is reading the technical manual for the Foche-Achgelis Fa-330. Rotor speed: 205 RPM Cruising height: 130 meters Max. height: 219 meters Min. pulling speed required: 15 knots. Cost of aviation seat belt: 7 marks Cost of Fa-330: 6000 marks Cost of watching "Bernard" sail off the stern on the end of a string: Priceless 22 JUNE 40 0535 hrs. Periscope depth. Sky scope up. Down scope. Surface. Ventilate the boat. I climb to the bridge. Overcast sky. Heavy sea. Ahead slow. I light a cigar. 65% diesel remains. 0547 hrs. Boat ventilated. Dive. Make your depth 10 meters. Speed 1 knot. As the radioman plays "J'attendrai" with Rina Ketty, I drift off to sleep in my bunk. 0818 hrs. We're on the surface. I'm on the bridge, next to our navigator, Carlewitz. "Plot a course for home", I say to him. "Aye aye!" is his happy reply. I climb back down below to go back to sleep. 0826 hrs. Radioman Heller sends a patrol report to Bdu. Thirty two minutes later, BdU sends a reply, "Keep up the good work!" Daily Noon position reports to BdU: 22 JUNE 40: AN 59 23 JUNE 40: AN 67 24 JUNE 40: AN 69 25 JUNE 40 0835 hrs. 30% diesel remains 1x TC. We turn the corner to see the lighthouses of Wilhelmshaven welcome us home. Clear skys. A light fog is above the harbor. The morning sun is on our starboard. Radio message from BdU: Swiss diplomat will be waiting on the pier for our "guests". None of them are going to the stalag. They're civilians as far as I'm concerned. I send the 2nd sailor from the left on the bridge down below so I have a clear view on the bridge. I light a cigar and enjoy the ride to the lighthouses, 2 Km away. 0900 hrs. Ahead slow. 0908 hrs. Speed 1 knot. 0917 hrs. All stop. Admiral Donitz meets us at the pier. I ask for a transfer from the 1st to the 7th Flotilla. Request approved. We are ordered to deliver our boat from Wilhelmshaven to Kiel. She will be used as a training boat from now on, with a new U-number. More men are enlisted, including three new officers. New new recruits travel by train to Kiel. Our new boat, a Type VII-C, will retain our U-5 number. Carl A. Lange Jr. sub-Lt. |
8th patrol
8th patrol
U-5 24 JULY 40 1003 hrs. 1 x TC Loaded with 14 steam eels, we sail from Kiel. Eels are fitted with contact pistols, set for fast speed. Ahead slow. Carlewitz plots a course for our patrol area, AN 69. In my duffel bag I've packed several boxes of cigars and eight records; "Deep purple" with Bea Wain "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" with John McCormack "J'attendrai" with Rina Ketty "My Hat's On the Side of My Head" with Roy Fox "South Australia" Dubliners "The Music Goes round and Around" with Harry Hall "Woodchoppers Ball" Lawrence Welk "Woo-Woo" Harry James Our cook, Sauer, made rate of damage controlman. With 52 men on board, including myself, we now have four radiomen, four torpedomen, three machinists, two damage controlmen and two medics. Watch on board will be the same as in our dugout canoe, 6 on, 6 off. On the tower, the lighthouse emblem. 125 x TC Daily Noon position reports to BdU: 23 JULY 40 AO 77 24 JULY 40 AO 75 24 JULY 40 1947 hrs. 1 x TC We are at the Southern end of "The Sound," on the Eastern shore of Denmark. Depth under keel: 15 meters. I ask Carlewitz, "you remember, years ago, what the depth was at the Southern end of the Langelands Baelt?" "8 meters, sir" he says. "That's what I remember too, very shallow there", I say. "We'll use this route from now on", I continue. 125 x TC Daily Noon Position reports to BdU: 25 JULY 40 AO 44 26 JULY 40 AO 41 27 JULY 40 AN 36 28 JULY 40 AN 38 1 x TC 29 JULY 40 0750 hrs. Patrol area AN 69 reached. 162 tons of diesel remains. 39 meters under our keel. Steer West Carl A. Lange Jr. sub-Lt. |
8th patrol
8th patrol
U-5 29 JULY 40 0759 Hrs. 1 x TC. We're on the surface. Five green horns man the bridge watch, set for two hours in this heavy sea. Clear sky's. Ahead slow. Carlewitz plots our patrol course, a narrow rectangle, running West, then South, then East. Records play on the gramophone. On board, the green horns are tasked with the worst jobs; clean the bilge, empty the slop buckets. Those of us with seven patrols under our belts live the life of leisure. I climb to the bridge. In my pockets; a wrench, two muffler clamps with lock washers and nuts and two metal fising pole holders. Within a half hour, I've got both fishing pole holders attached to the metal railing on the aft portion of the bridge. Puzzled looks from the green horns. I climb down below and search for Adolf Bernard Bahn, finding him in the bow compartment. "You really want to fly that Fa330?" I ask him. "Yes, sir!", is his reply. "You may get your chance if we ever get a bigger boat and are sent to the South Atlantic", I say. As if on que, the entire assembly of sailors in the bow compartment begin to sing: "Into the air, Junior Birdmen Into the air, pilots green! Into the air Junior Birdmen Climb into that old machine!" 0934 hrs. I catch some sleep. With Totenhagen and Carlewitz on duty, I know the boat is in good hands. 30 JULY 40 0800 hrs. We've completed the 24 hours in our patrol area. 153 tons of diesel remains. Carlewitz plots a course to AN 16. Our routine will be as follows: We will try to surface at noon every day to make our daily position report to BdU. Once the boat is ventilated, we dive. We will try to maintain a speed of 1 knot while submerged. We surface at dark, then dive at first light. Diving, surfacing and checking for light conditions topside are accomplished in 1 x TC. Sailing to AN 16 is accomplished at 125 x TC., or 9 hours, 25 minutes real time. Daily Noon position reports to BdU: 30 JULY 40 AN 66 31 JULY 40 AN 65 1 AUG 40 AN 62 2 AUG 40 AN 61 3 AUG 40 AN 61 4 AUG 40 AN 48 5 AUG 40 AN 48 6 AUG 40 AN 45 7 AUG 40 AN 44 8 AUG 40 0016 hrs. The first of six warship sound contacts made durng the next two days. I get plenty of practice giving the tin cans the narrow silhouette. We keep a shallow depth, speed 1 knot, follow the sound contact until 360 degrees or (for the first time for me) at 180 degrees. Once she's reached those bearings (360 or 180) I set my rudders to amidships. I wasn't certain if I could still hear them in our baffles. I did! Just one more reason to clean the wax out of my ears on a regular basis. 10 AUG 40 0148 hrs. We surface to ventilate and recharge the batteries. We have reached AN 16. Our Chief, Totenhagen is on the bridge with me. Clear sky's. Heavy sea. "What do you think about our new boat? I ask him. "She's a sweety!" he says. Carl A. Lange Jr. sub-Lt. |
To: BdU
From: U-78 2 Nov 1941 Attacked convoy as ordered. Detected by escorts. Attacked. Flo---- Excerpts from journal found among U-boat wreckage: Kapitan Karl Giesling 2 Nov 1941 00:00 Convoy sighted. Bearing 290, Range medium. Turning to 180 to intercept. Poor weather. Fog. 00:25 Lead ship V&W class. 2x Merchants, Granville Freighters. Trail V&W class. Contact Report sent. 00:26 Ordered periscope depth, ahead slow. 00:30 BdU orders attack. Lead escort has turned to heading 010. May have been detected. 00:34 Lead escort tacking, Active sonar heard. We have been detected. Ordered tube 2 readied. Shallow, magnetic pistol, fast speed. 00:35 Torpedo loose at range 900m, gryo angle 0, 35s eta. 00:36 MISS. Emergency dive, actively engaged with sonar. 00:40 Depth Charges. Hydrophones damaged, Tubes 3+4 destroyed, 1+2 damaged. Flooding bow torpedo room. Escorts WELL TRAINED. 02:10 Escorts evaded. Multiple runs with charges. Tubes 1+2 6 hour estimated repair. Hydrophone estimated 2 hours. One torpedo stuck in tube 4. Flooding controlled and water pumped out. Bdu Advised of situation. Ordered to shadow convoy until further notice. 08:15 Tubes 1+2 repaired. Dove to reload tube 1 due to sea state. Still poor weather, fog. 08:30 Tube 1 reloaded. Contact with convoy re-established via Hydrophone. Tube 2 unable to load. Welds on loading rail broken. Surfaced to send contact report. BdU orders us to move ahead of convoy. Sounds like BdU has sent another boat to assist from other radio traffic. 10:00 In position. BdU has ordered attack. 11:30 Passed lead escort undetected. Tube 1 fired at lead Granville Freighter. Range 900m, 50s eta. 11:31 Impact midships. Immediate secondaries. No movement on deck. 11:33 Ship listing to starboard. Sinking quickly. No lifeboats manned. Presumed no survivors. Diving to evade escorts. 11:45 Depth 120m, ahead slow, silent running. Detected by escorts. Someone dropped wrench-- will identify and discipline at later date. TWO sets of sonar pings. DD off port and starboard side, closing fast. Ordered new depth 150m. Bow crew just advised that patches are now leaking, bilge filling rapidly. Active sonar stopped. Two sets of screws heard passing over. Depth charges. First attack missed. Metallic clang heard in conning tower -- possible charge stuck. Second attack incoming. Hope the charge is dud. 12:01 Destroyers have passed over. Splashes heard. These will be close. Ordered crew brace for impact. End of Journal. U-78 was destroyed by a depth charge that had stuck between the periscopes and side of conning tower. During the second attack on her, a depth charge detonated close by and set off the charge that was stuck in the conning tower. U-78 was split in two and all crew lost. This was the crew's third war patrol. In the end, U-78 was not assisted by another U-boat, but by the Luftwaffe. U-78 had successfully sank the targeted freighter. The Luftwaffe bombers destroyed the second freighter and began their attack on the two escorts. Sadly, the Luftwaffe was unable to stop the killing blow being dealt to U-78. Time to start a new campaign... :dead: |
8th patrol
8th patrol
U-5 AN 16 18 FEB 40 0305 hrs. Dive. Make your depth 40 meters. Speed 1 knot. In the sound room, I wear the headphones. No sound contacts. 0356 hrs. Hessler in the radio room plays the records on the gramophone. 0700 hrs. 2nd watch. My method of 'the changing of the guard" is to provide every crewman on board with an equal amount of time off-watch. 0710 hrs. Sound contact, merchant, 219 degrees, slow turns, long range. closing. Steer 90 degrees. Surface. Ahead standard. Carlewitz is making pencil marks on the chart. "Her general course is North" he says. 0735 hrs. Battle stations. We're about 2 Km from her course line. Ahead 1/3. 0737 hrs. Dive. Periscope depth. Ahead slow. 0738 hrs. I put the headphones on. She's at 55 degrees. Loud. Steer 110 degrees. Speed 1 knot. 0750 hrs. All stop. Up scope. There she is. A small one, doing 8 knots. 0759 hrs. Open bow caps. She's at 60 degrees. In this heavy sea, the scope view is blurred often by the waves. Every time I get a look at her, I try to I.D. the flag. 0805 hrs. 700 meters away. British flag. AOB 90 degrees. Fire 1! She goes down fast by the bow. Down scope. Surface. Steer towards the wreckage. No survivors. No ship's name I.D. either. I estimate her to displace 2,000 toms. 0830 hrs. Tube one loaded. Secure from battle stations. Dive. Make your depth 30 meters. Speed 1 knot. Return to plotted course. Tonight's film in the bow compartment: "The Wizard of Oz". sub-Lt. Bauman, with the rate of torpedoman, is in the control room. "When the sea calms, we'll get that eel out of the deck storage, okay?" I say to him. "Aye, aye" is his reply. 0841 hrs. I put the headphones on in the sound room to listen for the 7th cavalry. No sound contacts. 0841 hrs. I sleep. 32 xTC. 1155 hrs. Periscope depth. Sky scope up. Ahead slow. Down scope. Surface. 1206 hrs. AN 16 I climb to the bridge. I light a cigar. 1211 hrs. Batteries recharged. Standard propulsion set. I've got a glass tube, with a cork stopper in my pocket and a lit cigar in my hand. When a big wave is about to hit the tower and dunk all of us underwater for a few seconds, I drop my lit cigar into the tube and seal it with the stopper. When we emerge from the dunking, I remove the cork stopper and continue smoking the cigar. 143 tons of diesel remains. 1224 hrs. Boat ventilated. Without my glasses, I scan the sky. Totenhagen shouts, "aircraft spotted, 188 degrees!" Alarm! Crash dive. Steer 190 degrees. Ahead flank. Make your depth 90 meters. I ask the Chief, "how much in the air tanks?" "150" he says. 1340 hrs. Periscope depth. Sky scope up. 4x. Down scope. Surface. 1420 hrs. I climb to the bridge with the Totenhagen. "Come out of the sun, did it?" I aks him. "Yes sir, a Condor" he replies. "Probably on a bombing run to Scapa Flow" I say. "The plane had a long banner trailing behind it, like one of those your see at the soccer game, when a plane goes over, pulling a sign that says "drink Becks beer" he says. "Just before I climbed down the hatch, I turned around and raised my glasses" he says. "Well, what was written on the banner?, I ask. "Join the Donitz Flotilla!", he says. 1615 hrs. Air tanks filled with compressed air, 100%. Dive. Make your depth 40 meters. Speed 1 knot. We evade a warship sound contact at 2020 hrs. until she can no longer be heard at 2039 hrs. 11 AUG 40 0343 hrs. We're on the surface. Heavy sea. Clear sky's. The sun has set. I light a cigar. Carl A. Lange Jr. sub-Lt. |
^
I got my realism set for no event camera. Does that make a difference when I try to take a screenshot? Screenshots are something I haven't tried before in SH3. Also, if I am able to get a screenshot (control + F 11), where does the photo end up in my computer? The documents folder or the pictures folder? Or, some top secret folder, buried by Ubisoft in a place where no one would expect to look?. I've tried twice with no results. I also hit the "enter" key, next to the number pad, when I tried to drop the control panel down, sending an eel out the bow tube. Well, it's been fun lads. I'm outta here. Join this. Do that. Sounds like my ex-wife. |
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