New computer, new command, new paint job, new lease on life with the Grey Wolves.
TL;DR warning.
Assigned U-53, Patrol one was a standard shakedown cruise in the North Sea. Spent maybe 5 days at sea training the crew to dive, crash dive, surface, load, unload, gun loading, AA tactics on blimps (Okay,..I can imagine, right?)
Anyways, We are sent out to patrol the northen end of the Irish sea, and we arrive on station four days before war breaks out,...not that my crew officially knew anything, anyways. Sonar contact picks up a merchant ship. We surface and plot an intercept in the guise of needing a bearing back to Germany. It's a deep sea trawler and I notice he's almost too deep in the water. Ordering a boarding party, we find a number of Jueden on their way to...someplace. Half tempted to sink the trawler, I tell him to drop his...cargo off and not report my position, claiming I would personally find the captain if he did....
WAR! After a number of semi-confusing messages from BdU and others, we begin our official mission. With a bit of luck, we managed to sink a Large Merchant for ~10k tonnes. Fuel and no contacts demand we return home, though after we managed to sneak up o na destroyer and sink her.
Patrol 2.....Failed. A storm hid a tiny island west of Scotland and we ran aground...Limping home, we shore up for repairs and relaxation.......after I Answer to the Furher personally...
Patrol 3. After..insperation from the Leader to ensure that I take care of the boat in a much more responsible manner, we go around Scotland and slink into the Irish Sea, much more carefully this time. Bagging another large Merchant for another ~10k, my lookouts spot a search plane. Crash diving, we swiftly slink away from the area and head towards Liverpool.
Sonar contact on a convoy and I plot an intercept. In position, perhaps with an hour before daybreak, and underwater, I watch as the lead destroyer passes without picking me up. Good, all is well. Then he turns around and does a search pattern. Lowering the scope, I stop the screws and tell the men to be silent. Sonar tells me he has turned and I rish rasing the scope. He's moving away at speed...Perhaps a friendly U-boat? Or just weird British tactics,...Half an hour goes by...I start to make out the silouets of large merchants, tankers, and a battle...wait,..A battleship!? Can't be!...Lets get closer. Risking a brisk pace of 3.5 knots, I move into a more favorable position and raise the scope again. A triple check of the recognition book, as well as my Weapons Officer confirming, we spot a Nelson Class ship...Distinct but we wanted to know which one in particular.
Unable to tell, though Suspecting Nelson herself, I order a salvo of tubes one and four launched at a range of 1750 meters. Not risking a dude or defect with the magnetics, as I do not trust them yet, Impact pistols fire. Two hits for two. A swift scan shows no escorts approaching, and the Nelson has slowed down. Fearing she will not sink, I fire the remaining torpedoes from the fore tubes. Again two more impacts. Certain she is doomed, I flood the tanks and take us deep....or as deep as I can, 55 meters with another 12 below me. Silent running and turning away....PING!
PING! PING! Flank speed, rudder hard right! In the chaos, hwoever, Fritz also put a full dive on the planes. We bottom out in seconds, though avoid the ashcans. Ordering damage crews to ensure flooding, if any (none) is taken care of, I try something risky. Rasing to periscope depth, and after an annoyed slap on the head of Fritz, I slowly slink away from the British Hunter.
Ping...ping....ping...PING PING! Wait for it...wait, steady lads, helm hard left, depth 55 meters! Flank speed! Unfortunantly, the crap that the Brits dropped blasted my stern to hell, diesels damages, batteries damaged...but all functional. Damage repairs get the flooding under control. We bottom out as flooding in the aft crew room takes hold, though the men get ahead on that swift enough. Splashes! I hear In a hushed shout. Luckily, the British had the wrong depth or the wrong spot, as all missed, even if they rattled the cooks cutlery a bit.
As the damage team gets the electric engines fixed, and all flooding stopped and pumping, I wait for the next ashcan run. It's closer. Sliding to periscope depth, I order the stern tube, only remaining filled tube, at present, set to impact and a fast screw. It will be risky...With some clever manouvering I get the British behind me. Raising the scope, I open the rear tube and fire!....NO! It was too far ahead! He turns on me. Flank speed, rudder hard right, depth 55 meters! After perhaps three or four depthcharge runs, the rear tube is reloaded.
Periscope depth! Tube five, fast screw, impact pistol! Zero gyro, FIRE! At a range of 460 meters, the eel swims as fast as it's steam engine will go. My weapons oficer counts down Five, four, three, two, one, ze-boom..bwau-bvroooom!!!! I watch as the entire crew ducks as the warship's magazine explodes, taking the bow of the destroyer off from the rest.
Now, it's been an hour, maybe three, since the rest of the convoy took off...However, I decide not to surface just yet. Flank speed to 60 meters, course 000. Reducing speed to 2.5 knots, I order silent running and we do a swift circle. Two warships, based on screw sounds, and I return north. We avoid the second and third destroyer, miraculously...and return to port as swift as possible.
Upon return, the Furer himself, al lthe way from Berlin is awaiting me to present a medal to me. Now awaiting further orders.