Quote:
Originally Posted by Jan Kyster
Do you know the entire BdU War Log has been compiled?
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And don't forget
interrogation reports and U-boat KTBs. They are a great source of information on things like wolfpack tactics, dive sequences, watch information, operations (some nice special missions as well), daily menus etc etc. Some great stuff. Pity the devs didn't use them. Anyway, the common theme insofar as patrol orders is this:
-U-boat gets assigned an operational area
-U-boat goes to said operational area
-U-boat receives orders from Doenitz (ie, move to new area; attack convoy just north of your operational area; hold/observe/report)
-U-boat rinses and repeats
Yes, of course there were "special missions" and some of the spy dropping and document running missions are interesting reads. Likewise the ones where they open their sealed orders midway (ie, "proceed to La Spezia" kinda stuff). But these were not the norm. For example, the Spanish Agency reported the sighting of "Renown", "Furious" and a second aircraft-carrier in Gibraltar. U-138 was given
sealed orders to attack the ships and/or any cruiser it found there.
SEALED orders, not "Meh, this time you need to sink these 3 big warships in Gibraltar" orders (just think of the breach of security in doing this).
BTW: By all accounts Prien's orders were primarily to infiltrate Scapa Flow for propaganda and disruptive purposes. He was not tasked with specifically sinking
The Royal Oak, just told that there were plenty of targets to go for. I can't imagine the sinking of an obsolete WWI battleship as being anything other than a target of opportunity supporting the primary aim of the mission.