[OSU]

Looks like October 10 of 1940 was a good day for both of us.

U-81, a VIIC, was in the north-east of sector BE when I received a contact report of a convoy heading west. Finally!! A convoy that is close enough that I will be able to make a good interception. We had been plagued by elusive convoys this entire patrol. I plot an intercept course and I arrive there early thinking that I will be set up for a nice port 90 degree shot at the convoy. They got there later than I expected and a little more north than I originally thought too. They were heading south-west.

I race ahead to try to get close enough to the convoy so I can make a good shot. Its 2200 and I can't see a darn thing. I reach the convoy and I can see that there are some nice fat ones in there. I see a large tanker, large merchant, and two ore carriers. I would have liked to get the large tanker and merchant, but they were too far away for me to get an accurate range reading. I aim instead for the two ore carriers that are in the second to left-most row of the convoy. They are coming in not quite perpendicular, but they are bringing themselves closer to me, which is perfect, because there are escorts all over the place. I set up shots on the ore carriers with all my forward tubes. I set magnetic pistols on all of them, as I don't trust the impact pistols at this angle. The first lines up at 000 and I fire tubes 1 & 4, both electrics. I then line up tubes 2 & 3, steamers, and a fast setting so the second ore carrier won't have time to evade my eels. The first ore carrier gets hit by both and immediately stops. Yes! I had managed to hit her propeller, or at the very least destroy it. Only one of my last two torps connected with the second ship, the other must have been a dud. This one slows, as does the whole convoy while I begin to slink away to the north-east. The escorts had no idea where I was until I cleared the convoy, and even then, with three destroyers hunting me, they could not get me. They dropped what must have been 70-80 depth charges in the wrong place. None of them came near my boat. (That's a new thing I just started with this attack. Counting how many depth charges go off. I counted 44 this attack, but only after another 30-40 went off.) I snuck away after maybe an hour. I thought of going after the convoy again and nabbing that large tanker, but I decided not to. I know, I know, be more aggressive. I'm kicking myself for it now.

I now have 12,000 GRT for just 9 days at sea. Things are looking up!