shortest U-Boat career
 

I recently reinstalled SHIII to try out the GW mod, after a few single missions, I launched into a new career, which turned out to be the shortest I ever had.

Lt Herbert Röbing was assigned the U-53 out of Kiel. We left port at 9 a.m. sept. 1st, 1939 and took a shortcut through the Kiel canal (very nice job, by the way :up: )

U-53 was assigned patrol grid BF 17. Since Britain and France were still neutral ( or so we thought ), Lt. Röbing decided to sneak through the English Channel before war was declared. U-53 moved at high speed down the coast to pass by calais on the night of sept. 2-3.

At 0100 on the morning of sept. 3, the bridge watch spotted a warship. Lt. Röbing reached the bridge just in time to see an enemy destroyer lighting up the boat with searchlights and FIRING!. :ahoy:

U-53 quickly dived, however the sea in that area was only 27 meters deep. :oops:

Lt Röbing ordered silent running, but it was too late, depth charges rained around the sub, severally damaging it, causing flooding and destroying the forward batteries. :help:

The sonar operator announced the enemy warship was quickly moving away, so Lt. Röbing decided to surface the ship and escape at high speed. Once on the bridge, the enemy destroyer was spotted on a westerly course. Lt. Röbing ordered flank speed towards the south. However, the enemy spotted U-53 and bent on speed to RAM! :gulp:

Lt. Röbing tried to setup a quick torpedo shot from the stern tube, but the enemy was too quick and was mere yards away when U-53 dove. It was however too late, U-53 was struck. The boat rolled 45 degrees to port and hit bottom at 40 meters. There was extensive damage, both the hydrophone and the radio were destroyed. :lost:

Lt. Röbing decided to lay low and keep quiet, hoping the enemy would lose U-53. But it was not to be, even without the hydrophones, the crew in the control room could hear the enemy ship coming closer and closer... :damn:

At 0120 on the morning of september 3rd, 1939, U-53 was lost with all hands. The first U-Boat sunk in the war ... funny thing is, the war had not officially started yet. :huh:

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p.s. - I have started a new career and have come up with a new personal rule: "STAY AWAY FROM THE ENGLISH CHANNEL!"

Sorry to hear it. On the other hand, when the game was new several people reported loading it up, setting Ahead Standard and promptly running into a pier. Game over, ship sunk. Do they count?

I have had several careers where I was bombed and killed within an hour of leaving port.

RuB 1.45 with Airstrike.

The Kiel Canal exists in the game? And I was going around Denmark like a sucker!!!

:damn:

There´s a terrain add-on, which adds it in.

My shortest career was few months ago, I left Lorient, spotted a friendly aircraft. Heard explosion, my boat catched on fire, aircraft had disappeared, I sank. Never knew what happened. :hmm:

The standard saying amongst British Submariners at that time was:-

"If it flaps its wings, It's friendly."

British Submarines reported lots of attacks by Allied aircraft.
British surface ships also attracted 'friendly fire'.

No. And yes. As Dowly pointed out, there is a mod now which produces it nicely. NYGM and Grey Wolves mods both include the canal, so you don't have to go through the hassle of installing it yourself.

The Kiel Canal exists and it's very well done.

I actually enjoyed that short career. I was coming off a long under ice mission in Dangerous Waters where I tracked and sank 8 soviet submarines without having a single torpedo fired at me in anger, so I was reckless and cocky. I was racing through the channel at 128x TC, not bothering with periodic visual or hydrophone check and I got my head handed to me on a platter by the AI.

It's nice to have to deal with a ruthless, competent AI, it keeps you on your toes and makes the game interesting.

:ahoy:

:lost: :()1:

A "SALUTE" to the crew of the fallen U-53!!!

I can't wait until I am finished modding... I can't REALLY play the game and be happy with it until then. :cry:

I am interested about this 'Kiel Canal'. Is it in version 1.4b or do I have to download a mod for it, if so, does subsim have it? Robert

One time in vanilla SHIII.. left port and returned to base after only a few minutes of gameplay. I got the Knight's Cross. Imagine that.

Robj250! Go to U-Boot.RealSimulation.com What you are looking for is called NYGM Terrain add in.

-RC-

Medittereanean U505

Within 3 days in a storm i got caught by a destroyer, rammed and DC'ed.. Surfaced to surrender.. that was it.

It has been done and is excellent work, I may add.

In my first career in the Grey Wolves, I used Kiel for the first time. But I do not use tha canal in every mission. There seems to be some single merchant traffic around the tip of Denmark.

my first gw career was also pretty short... well at least to usual sh3 standarts
sunk on second patrol in dez40 by an v&w destroyer