[HEMISENT]

Hi Rubini.
(a bit long.)
RUB 1.44&HT1.46
Some more feedback for you as requested now that recent changes to HT 1.46 with the airpower issue are apparently solved. (Thanks again on that one) I wanted to check how a mission plays out with a Milch Cow resupply by being on station before the resupply sub-I was not too concerned with excessive torpedo expenditures. I wanted to use them all up in a reasonable amount of time.
My intention is to meet up with U 460 scheduled to be on station at Grid BC11 Feb 6
2nd patrol departs Brest in Type VIIC

Jan 12 1942
19:28
Destination Grid BE47
Exited harbor normally, avoided nets and minefields using supplied map.
Headed straight for assigned grid. Spent the obligatory 24 hours then set rough course west towards Halifax following convoy routes. speed 9kts


Jan 25 1942
03:04
Western edge Grid BC94
Periscope depth
Sound contacts merchant moving slow approx hdg 260
ordered surfaced change course to intercept.
05:10
1 C2 cargo and 1 small merchant were intercepted and sunk using all forward tubes plus 1 stern torpedo
Departed area on surface hdg 251 at 12kts.

Jan 27 1942
17:30
Surfaced.
Ship sighted brg 040 hdg east smoke on horizon.
Ordered ahead standard. Set course for intercept
22:35
Stormy night, heavy seas. Surface attack against Large Cargo. Fired tubes 1,2 & 3. Ship must have seen us ,
changed course hard to port.
22:36
1 impact / 2 misses
22:37
Fire tube 4 set at high speed
Impact! Ship immediately slows and begins to settle evenly with slight list to stbd.
22:49
Heavy seas washing over aft deck area. Ship is making 1 kt
22:55
Fired stern torpedo 90 deg to port side. 400m distance. Torpedo is a dud.
23:54
Running parellel off her port side while crew reloads. speed has increased to 3kts.(AI damage control apparently working)

Jan 28 1942
00:03
vessel begins zig-zag manuevers, speed 3 kts, still wallowing in heavy seas. list to stbd appears not as pronounced.
00:59
Fired bow tube at 400m. Impact! ship breaks in two. Sinks in seconds.
01:00
Ordered course due north destination Grid BC11. 1 remaining torpedo in aft external storage.

Feb 01/1942
03:01
Arrive Grid BC11, Set up patrol pattern awaiting scheduled date and time.

Feb 03/1942
16:44
Weather clears enough to allow retrieval of stern external store. Reduced speed to 2 kts.

Feb 06/1942
00:53
Rcvd msg "U 460 arrival on station". Ordered course change to rondezvous area
03:05
At designated area, depth 25m attempt locate milch cow by sound.

Feb 08/1942
12:18
Surfaced. Ship sighted! Course changed to intercept.
12:41
Rondezvous with milch cow. Took up station approx 10m off port side. Calm seas.(approached/overtook milch cow at very slow rate to avoid AI avoidance, also any distance closer than 10m AI takes over and resupply sub reverses or changes course instantly)

Hit exit/Dock at U 460
Rubini,
Patrolled general area, it took 1.5 days to locate slow moving milch cow.
Alternating between surfaced and submerged. I suppose without radio or other means of communication this was acceptable. No gps back then.
Last resupply test was using previous version SH3 Commander(2.1?)
resupply took 12 hours as advertised.
This test mission I have SH3 Commander 2.2 installed, all settings exactly the same but following mission started many days later. Something different with the "days in base". I need to change something here.
On restarting thru SH3 Commander I was advised that I lost Matrosengefreiter Willi Sammann. I guess this would simulate a crewman staying on the milch cow for medical reasons(they carried doctors)or transfer for other reasons. Anyway, all in all everything played out pretty well except for the days in port issue.
.