I don't remember my first loss in stock SH3 but I do remember my first GWX loss. Very well in fact
I was out near Rockhall banks when I got word of a Task Force heading straight for me. After having weeks of miserable weather, zero visibility and a boat load of dud torpedoes everything went red and I ordered flank speed for an intercept course. Being battered from a convoy attack that went wrong and Bernard manning the hydrophones missing every contact in the known universe I decided to vent my pent up medieval blood rage that had been brewing.
We sat at periscope depth, only coming up for the occasional bit of air and the odd game of life-size guess who (it was usually Hans, though by this point we all looked pretty similar after a month at sea) we picked up contacts directly east of us. Stroking my epic face rug that now clung to my chin like some form of rabid squirrel I took a peak through the periscope.
"one... two... three... four. Yes four of them heading our way. Hubert fetch me my battleaxe and prepare a boarding party"
"Sir, you don't have a battleaxe." he stuttered nervously "nor do we have enough men to board four ships."
"Very well, we'll just have to use the torpedoes instead." I replied, still nursing the creature that was now living on my face. We sat and waited, listening as the sound of the screws grew closer to us and our impending glory.
I risked another look through the periscope, "My God! It's the Nelson, open tubes one, two, three and four."
Slowly she edged towards us, 40,000 tonnes of glory, medals and all the women in Germany. Hmm... All the women in Germany, swooning over my shiny new medals and new found renown.
"Up periscope!" I yelled.
"Sir, the periscope is already up"
"Oh sorry, my mind was elsewhere" I said rather sheepishly. "Make ready to fire."
Just a few more seconds and she's mine. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears, sounding like the warships screws we had eagerly anticipated all day.
"Wait for it, wait for it" I started to hesitate, she looked just beyond reach "Fire"
The whooshing of the torpedoes told us that they were all on their way, in less than sixty seconds we would know whether our gambit had paid off. The pounding of my heart grew louder and louder. It really did sound like a warship. Well maybe not a warship but a destroyer closing fast...
Spinning the periscope 90' my heart sank. The last thing I thought as the destroyer went through my face was how much I really liked my beard.