Fellow Kaleuns...Need OP Drumbeat advice
 

To: BdU
From: U-505
January 29, 1942

American T2 Tanker sunk at CA54 off Cape May Point. Tanker was about to enter Delaware Bay when torpedoed. Tanker was alone and unescorted. Hydrophone check detects no other ships in the vicinity. Tanker may have been empty since no secondary explosions after torpedo strikes. Tanker took FIVE torpedoes before sinking!

END TRANSMISSION

I thought you would all enjoy that little patrol report. Anyway I am using the Grey Wolves Mod (TOTALLY AWESOME, BTW) and I decided to start my life just after America enters the war. So natrually the BdU sends me to the coastal waters of the eastern USA.

However, is it a little weird that I haven't run across any patrolling escorts yet? I am in CA54 and I would assume that patrol activity would be heavy at the mouths of the Delaware and Chesapeake bays. I have only heard that tanker I was talking about on the hydrophone in days.

Also should I be worried about mines? Have the Americans laid them yet? If so where? I know I could cheat and look at the campaign files but asking here is a more realistic "gathering intel from fellow Kaleuns at the nightclub" way to do it.

Finally what can you all tell me about Operation Drumbeat. I know it was the start of the uboat campaign in American waters but thats about it. Is my mission simply to harass American costal shipping or raid harbors or what?

BTW, my ears are glued to the hydrophone. The water is VERY shallow here!

THANKS!

CA, so you're pretty far way of home.
I've been in New York once and took some photographs with me.
But at that time there was no Gw mod yet :down:


I think it's always better to take pre-causion when entering swallow and narrow waters.
You never know what the enemy is doing to stop us.

Keep up the good work!

Re: Fellow Kaleuns...Need OP Drumbeat advice
 

Dreambeat and monsun boats is about all i do. :88)

I think the patrols are a littler further inland, closer to the harbor proper. Ive Patroled around the New York harbor before, and i never stay in a patrol grid that has 30 meters of water for any longer then the alloted 24 hours. ( A further note about shallow waters, they espeically suck in rough weather, ive had my boat slam against the seafloor on several occasions causing minor damage and flooding.)

All that said you wil encounter armed trawlers, and the occasional DD all up and down the East coast. Not to mention planes, i consider these the greatest threat (assuming you ahve improved airpower mod or version thereof) However I find that they cover such a large area that DD patrols are not very effective. I can usually duck them at my liesure. Although ive been deteced by them a few times.

Ive yet to encounter a mine, i have however, encounted lots subnets around harbors. That said, i dont go harbor raiding very often, and when i do its very deliberate.


You can do what you like really. The key thing about drumbeat, is the caribean if you ask me. Historically the US was getting alot of petroloum from venezuala. So you'll see alot of tanker traffic from the vacinity of curracco, and up and down the US coast, most of the time they stay on the shelf. It could be argued that sinking these tankers would be of intrest. You'll liable to encounter most traffic east of florida, DB98 i think is one of my favorite hunting areas. Further south, you have shipping lanes that run between Jamica and cuba, heading to port of spain. As for the gul of mexico, ive never had much luck there. If theres traffic there, its up on the shelf west of florida, and i like 30 meters of water like a hole in my head.

Drumbeat
 

Op Drumbeat started with five boats, with orders to begin operations all at once on a signal from Bdu.

The Americans were not prepared for war, and had no convoy system and almost zero ASW assets for many months.

They refused to believe and accept British advice and suggestions.

They left shore lights on without restrictions, so ships were silouetted and easy targets.

I don't know how much of this is in GW mod, but they claim to be realistic. I would say you have a pretty happy time ahead of you on this patrol. Lots of luck.