Trinidad Tango
 

From the Captain's logbook of the U-518; a type XIc boat sent to patrol in the West Carribean sea. Commanded by Kaptainleutnant Karl Kruger (crew 35)
October 29, 1942

We managed to break away long enough to both re-charge our depleted batteries and put some good distance between us and where our pursuers surely expected us to be. We found two large American tankers at anchor in the bay of Trinidad - probably feeling quite safe with all the aircraft patroling nearby. They were wrong. Our escape was touch and go - many aircraft sought and attacked us - but we downed two of their large search planes with no injuries or damage to crew or boat. We make our escape in an unexpected path - the Boca de la Serpentine; passing San Francique to the south as we seek the open waters of the south Atlantic. So far my hopes have been met - that they would not expect an escape to the south but rather back to the north - towards France and Germany. Their air power is formidible here but it reveals their complacency as well, and it has cost them two large fuel-oil tankers this day.

Our new torpedoes performed quite well - our only failure was predictibly with a T2 set to run on magnetics fuse. Once we have passed Bridgetown to the west, we shall radio BDU for refueling rendevous instructions. A great day for the brave crew of U-518!

Is this a real log entry from a real Kaleun or is it your piece of fiction?

Well, since there are no type XIc boats in the game... hmm.

I'm guessing it's a fan fic because I don't think a real u-boat captain would stay surfaced to duel it out with 2 planes.

Hey, what kind of commander forgets the type of boat he's on?! That should be a type IXc. :88)

And yes, it's my own personal fiction. Based purely on a career that I'm engaged with at this moment. I've been keeping a handwritten logbook beginning with October 1, 1940 (and beginning with a type VIIb) and now am up to the last entry which you just read.

It's actually made the game much more enjoyable and is a good exercise in prose. It's interesting to look back over the entries and see times of unrelenting boredom change to moments of stark terror.

My only claim to proficency as a virtual U-boat captain would be my survival up to this point. But now near the end of 1942 - I feel the reaper's hand at my back. I actually order a crash dive almost every time we encounter aircraft (because one time they will not miss) but we were charging depleted batteries and our new radar receiver didn't even pick them up - I had flak gunners at hand and after wild flank speed manuvering managed to down one - the other appeared at medium range just as the first was going down in flames. We dove quick after blasting the second as they were about to send in everything that would fly. Which they did. I lost count of the bombs they dropped all around us - a few were uncomfortably close. Frankly I've lost my nerve to go up against them after reading Iron Coffins Speaking of which - I was strafed the other day and the outside view visuals were pretty amazing - fountains of water from machine guns or cannons kicking up all around my boat as we dove down. It looked a lot like the photo on the cover of Werner's book. So glad we didn't stick around. :stare:

For your listening pleasure, you should be playing songs like the Andrews Sisters' "Rum and Coca-Cola" on the gramophone. :D

A fine piece indeed for the tropics - we will play it on our grammaphone as we leave these islands - after we have sunk a few more freighters that is! :)