SUBSIM Radio Room Forums

...seeing a u-boat in GWX other then in port or such.

August 1940, off the entrance to the Straits of Gibraltar, and in horrible weather (overcoast, pouring rain, mountainous seas - visibility is likely 100-150m, at best).

Right in the midst of a huge convovy (sound contacts so thick I can't even really focus on many single vessel sounds). With no hope of seeing much, I submerge and track the closest sound contact, with the Obs. periscope up. I'm not even sure how I will ever be able shoot anything from sufficient range for the eels to arm since I will never see it far enough away. As we close, I'm glued to the Obs. 'scope (nose to the monitor, actually :lol: ) straining to see something. Then, there it is! What the...? It's a type VII, on the surface, in the middle of the convoy!

I went off after other sound contacts then, and managed to bag a 12K+ ton Norwegian whale factory ship. Actually, he nearly ran me down, but I went emergency astern, and frantically guestimated a firing solution. When I figured he should be about 500m ahead (I'd lost sight of him by the time he was less then 200m away), I loosed off a four tube spread, and apparently 2 hit - which was enough (what's the saying? "I'd rather be lucky then good").

I then dove deep to reload, and watched the other VII with the external camera. He plowed along on the surface, and by flying the camera around, I could see he passed within probably less then 1000m of several big merchants and even a warship or two. He never did anything though - kind of disappointing as I'd have loved to watch him attack something.

He's also steaming roughly the same course as the convoy, just from inside it instead of shadowing it. He's in for a shock if the visibility clears :huh:

It was just so cool to see though - him apparently oblivous to the convoy, and it to him.

Almost made me brazen enough to just surface in the midst of them too, ... almost (I'd have gotton run over for sure if I had, knowing my luck and my myopic watch crew).

<edit> :lol: Zooming in on him just now, the flak gun is manned and ready! In this weather, a plane would have to be wheels down on the deck before he'd see you or you see him!!

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U-48, on patrol off Morocco (after resupply from MV Bessel)