[Rambler241]

Beware of convoys in the English Channel, or as in my last patrol, exiting the Channel SW of the Scillies. This one was very large, I recall 8 columns of 4, with an armed trawler in the van, and a likely second trailing behind. Sank the AT in the dark (best use of AP ammo IMHO), and was just going down to periscope depth to pass through unobserved to attack the other, when we we picked out by a searchlight - a V&W searchlight as it turned out, accompanied by shells bursting just ahead of the boat. Brown trousers were issued to all personnel immediately. Sneaky British Navy had a habit (in SH3) of concealing a DD at the end of the outer port column of Channel convoys. I should have remembered...

Sneaky Kriegsmarine commander turned head on to said V&W (as could now be identified), and shot our last Type I up his fo'csle at 400 metres. Battling it out with the second AT in the middle of a zig-zagging convoy was not a good option, so we gave the motors a few amps while the AT was outside sonar range, surfaced, and zapped it from astern. Ammo was now in short supply, so contented myself and the crew with two C3s - 5 shots for the first, and 9 for the second, leaving just 2 in the locker. Returned to Brest in triumph, after a fruitful patrol with a nice (but hard-won) bonus at the end.