I guess timing is everything,
I just spent Christmas Day 1939 in Scapa, in my IIa: U16. It took 3 of my 5 fish (I mean eels) just to get inside. I decided to try Scapa after my patrol zone came up empty, but I was resolved to hunt merchants or capital ships only.
We took the long way around, and were forced to kill a V&W in the South channel. As we hooked around into the Western entrance another V&W suprised us out of the fog and we were forced to kill him too. Did I mention that the weather was as bad as it gets? The lookouts kept reporting that they couldn't see the bow, much less the destroyer that almost ran us over. Even Aubry would have flogged these lookouts. Just past the first island in the channel a Hunt I jumped us from out of nowhere and I had to kill him too.
Well, no plan survives contact with the enemy, and I was forced to shoot three times in self-defense so I only had 2 eels left. When I got inside I was hoping for a fat, juicy target. But NOOOO! Nothing but destroyers, tug boats, and trawlers. And all of them hunting me.
This a DID career after all so I snuck out of there with my tail between my legs and two eels left in the tubes. I'm not proud of it but I am still alive, and so is my crew. We finally surfaced 40 kilcks west of the mouth of the western entrance with almost no battery and even less air.
We did sink 2 V&Ws and a Hunt I; but Bdu chewed me a new one anyway. We were sent out to kill shipping, not to indulge in blood feuds with warships. I am afraid that Uncle Karl is getting ready to put me on the beach. In 5 patrols we have killed 6 merchants but we have also sunk 8 warships. I think Uncle Karl thinks I am a waste of a boat. He wants to sink shipping and I keep going after the destroyers.
Insubordination was always my hobby in real life so why should my sim career be any different?
Anyway, congrats on the Illustrious. I wanted to give my crew a prize like that but they will have to settle for getting back to Kiel alive. My guess is that the crew is happy enough with that. When I finally get them back aboard and sober, I'll ask.
JBC
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