New Toy (IXB)
 

Finally after 10 patrols in my old trusty VIIB, I have finally gotten enough renown (140,000 tonnes) for a brand new IXB - U123. So crew all ready, brasswork polished and we are off to pastures new. The date is the 14th January 1942 and my sealed orders (which I have just opened) say patrol grid DJ21. Time to get out the charts to see just where we are heading.............. :up:

If anyone is interested, I will keep you updated on my exploits out there in the wide, blue yonder.......... :arrgh!:

:yep: :up:

Enjoy your new boat !

it has a lot of torpedoes, is very fast at surface, 19-20 knts and his dive time it´s not very different that the VII-B boat.

:up:

Going South...............
 

And so the long voyage South begins...........on the first evening, the sunset was just like something out of a Turner painting - the reds, pinks etc just magnificant. I remarked as such to the 2nd Officer and he replied "Bernard, I just love the way the light glistens on your stubble and illuminates your baby blue eyes". :huh:

Hmmm, I wondered, if he was like this after only one day, this could be a very long voyage indeed. :hmm: I hastily ordered a test dive and hurried down the ladder to the control room. We slowly began to sink below the waves and I took one last, lingering look through the periscope around the forward deck. Suddenly, the soggy figure of Warrant Officer Lutz clinging to the scope hove into view - his teeth clutching a selection of paintbrushes.......... :doh:

He had been in the middle of finishing a quick watercolour on the foredeck and had been too engrossed to notice the dive. I wearily ordered us back to the surface whilst I decided what to do with Lutz.

I ordered him below and to the forward torpedo room. His cries for the next few hours were pitiful as the "Lords" dealt with him. I shall not go into his punishment but the next morning it was reported that we were now two Bratwursts missing...... :down:

I pulled across the curtain on my office and reflected on the calibre of men that the U-boat arm was now attracting............

Von Mack,I bet you'll wish you had that VIIB back in less than one year.It's big easy to ping,and to slow to dive.Wait till an aircaft drops a load down your hatch.We even decided our deck gun was a waste and removed It,for faster submerged speed.It is late 1943 Time to live :roll:

I certainly enjoy the few extra knots of surface speed you get in those IXs. But those long voyages...ugh. I can see why Luth organized chess tournaments on his sub.

Bah and humbug :) I survived just fine in IXB all the way to autumn 1944. Then I just got bored and started a fresh career. Niners are great boats if you know how to use them and use some common sense.
It's the pilot, not the plane.

It takes a certain kind of skipper for an IX boat. Besides, theres some real lucrative waters in the caribean and east coast of florida, your not gonna get there in an type 7 :D

:up: :up:

This is only my preference IMHO.

Sure, and I'm sorry if it seemed I fragged you, it wasn't like that. Just had bad news from work and all so guess I let out some steam :damn:
The whole thing with VII vs. IX comparison is actually a bit mysterious. Some swear/curse for one or the other, whereas others have no issues with either one. IMO, it eventually boils down to how you actually [/i]play the game. Going ahead standard in TC512, in broad daylight south of Ireland in 1943 is a sure way to get yourself killed. Tactics, people- it's all about tactics.

Is it the 2nd Flotilla that offers the IXB? I been all the way through with the 7th, and now in late '41 with the 1st and haven't seen it.

Good hunting......

The 2nd, 10th, and 12th flotillas are the long range flotillas.

The 1st, 7th, 11th, 29th, are short to mediem range.

So if you want an IXB early, you'd want to go to the 2nd flotilla.
Also (edit) the 2nd is a good float to go to if you want to beat a drum on the US east coast in 42 :arrgh!:

Dunno much about the 10th, i think they go to the south atlantic more (2nd goes there too though)

Well then,......it's off to the 2nd when we return from patrol 10.

Thanks.

Is it my idea or the Type IX subs seem more resistent to depth charges?I have taken some very close explosions ,which on the type VIII i could swear would have been fatal.I don't remember reading something pertinent to this in the manual.Can anyone say for sure?

Thank you.