[RoaldLarsen]

I'm back to SH3 after several years' absence. I'm playing the Real U-Boat mod with Harbour Traffic and an extensive set of my own mods loaded with SH3 Commander. My current career is intended to test some refinements to my crew fatugue model and more realistic crew composition. I play Dead is Dead and 100% Realism, and my mods are designed for greater realism too.

CAREER: Norbert Nacht

On August 1, 1939, Lt. z. S. Norbert Nacht (Crew 34) was appointed to the command of U-21, a type II boat of Flotilla 1 "Weddigen", based in Kiel. After sea trials and a shakedown cruise to the coast of Norway off Bergen (AN24), U-21 was placed on active duty and Nacht was promoted to Oberleutnant zur See on August 29.

WAR PATROLS

First War Patrol, September 2-14, 1939

As part of the response to the Polish attack on the German radio station at Gleiwitz, U-21 was ordered to operate against Polish shipping south of the island of Bornholm in the western Baltic (patrol grids AO83-86). En route to the patrol area, U-21 received the radio message, broadcast to all u-boats, to begin operations against the British (but curiously, not against the French).

On September 5, a day after arriving in the assigned area, U-21 received a radio report of a Polish freighter steaming westward close to Bornholm. U-21 intercepted and carried out a submerged attack, sinking the target with a single torpedo fired from 500m away.

On the afternoon of September 12, U-21 detected a ship, and approached it on the surface, close enough to determine it was Polish. The close approach alerted the crew of the freighter, which began to zigzag. U-21 conducted a surface attack, firing a single torpedo. The torpedo seemed to hit the target, but failed to explode. U-21 manouvered for a second attack, which was successful from 450m (Shorter than 500m because the freighter was zigging towards the U-boat at the time. U-21 was in reverse to maintain a sufficient range.)

The next day, U-21's lookouts sighted a cargo ship approaching and U-21 dived, taking up a firing position perpendicular to the ship's course. Nacht was able to spot a Polish flag through the periscope, and sank the target with one torpedo from 500m.

During the patrol, U-21 detected, investigated and reported several Norwegian fishing vessels. There was no sign of Polish naval or air forces. Upon return to base in Kiel, Nacht was promoted to Kapitänleutnant and awarded the Iron Cross, 2nd class, in recognition of his accompishments during the patrol. The entry of Russia into the war made it clear that Poland was finished, so Nacht requested, and was granted, a transfer to 2nd Flotila "Saltzwedel" in Wilhelmshaven.

Second War Patrol, September 16 - October 16, 1939

Immediately upon his arrival at Wilhelmshaven, Nacht was ordered to take U-21 on a patrol off the southwest corner of Ireland (AM87). Given the limited fuel capacity of the type II boats, the only possible route involved a run through the English Channel. Fuel management would be very important, with surface cruising speeds restricted to 5 knots most of the time.

On September 18, while transiting the North Sea in grid AN82, U-21 received a radio report of a British freighter headed towards a port in the Netherlands. The enemy ship's reported location was only 25km WNW of U-21's position. Nacht was perfectly placed to intercept. However, heavy rain had reduced visibility to less than 400m, although the sea state was calm. Nacht decided on a submerged attack guided only by hydrophone bearings. Because he didn't know the target's ship type, he used a shallow setting and an impact trigger. The hydrophones quickly picked up the sounds of the approaching freighter, which seemed to be on course and on schedule. Target speed was calculated from the time it took the ship to get from its reported location to Nacht's position. When Nacht judged the target was 600m away, he fired a single torpedo. When the stopwatch reached the expected running time, nothing happened. Several more seconds passed, and Nacht decided he had missed. He ordered U-21 to surface and run parallel to the freighters's course, hoping to establish visual contact. As the crew was preparing to bring U-21 to the surface, an explosion was heard. The target had been running several hundred meters north of its presumed course, but the hydrophone bearings and correctly calculated speed had sufficed to bring the torpedo to its target. U-21 found a C2 cargo ship dead in the water, and finished it off with another torpedo below the stack.

Shortly afterward, the skies suddenly cleared and U-21 was attacked almost immediately by a British aircraft. U-21 dived and avoided the bombs.

Now it was time to pass through the Straits of Dover. Running on the surface at night, Nacht brought U-21 to a point 35km NE of a line running from Dover to Pas de Calais. He dove at dawn, and proceeded submerged at 2 knots for about 45 km, changing course to avoid warships detected by the hydrophones, and rigging for silent running whenever a patrolling warship got too close. U-21 surfaced unscathed and undetected the next night, and ran SW while recharging its batteries.

On September 21, while running submerged about 30km S of Beachy Head, hydrophones detected a freighter steaming westward along the coast. Since there were no current warship contacts, Nacht decided to turn northwards to interecept. The target was sunk with a single torpedo fired in a submerged attack from 500m off the target's course.

Six days later, U-21 detected and chased a British naval tug, about 135km SW of the Isles of Scilly, sinking it with a surface attack at dusk. The next day, Nacht thought they were far enough from land that air attack was unlikely, so he decided to run surfaced during daylight for the first time since passing the Sheldt Estuary. He was wrong. U-21 Was fortunate to be be missed by the two Britsh aircraft that detected him.

U-21 arrived at its designated patrol area of AM87 on October 1, having used nearly half its fuel. Nacht decided that he would need to plot a return course much closer to Cornwall if he was going to allocate any fuel for patrolling his target grid. The weather had deteriorated quite badly: high seas, driving rain and no visibility, so Nacht chose to patrol submerged most of the time. He was quickly rewarded with a hydrophone contact. Shortly after nightfall, U-21 found the target and surfaced quite close to it, but the visiblity was so poor that nobody could make out the target's flag, even though they got close enough to scrape paint. Trailing the target until morning light would take U-21 well out of its designated patrol area, and Nacht was unwilling to risk sinking a neutral ship, so he reported its position, course and speed, and returned to patrol. He found no more targets in the area until declining fuel forced him to turn homewards. The weather remained foul thoughout U-21's stay in AM87.

The day after U-21 left the patrol grid, the skies cleared enough to allow aircraft to fly, but seas were still high. The following day, U-21 was surpised to be attacked by multiple aircraft while running on the surface, still rigged for red. Apparently, the British aircraft had taken off before dawn. Although their bombs missed as U-21 crash dived, the aircraft were able to summon a nearby destroyer. U-21 detected the destroyer's approach on hydrophone and Nacht was able to employ a burst of speed and a change of course before the destroyer got too close. Another short burst of speed was applied while the destroyer was turned away from U-21. U-21 was able to avoid detection by the surface ship.

On October 7, U-21 was proceeding submerged in an easterly direction in BF2597 when the hydrophone operator reported a merchant approaching. After repeated hydrophone readings put the ship on a generally southwestward course, with no warship contacts, Nacht ordered U-21 to surface and run at speed on a southerly course to intercept. U-21's final torpedo claimed its victim in a surface attack in BF2832.

Later that week, hydrophones detected a naval task force coming out of Portsmouth and heading east, but U-21 was unable to report a course or speed. A few days later, right after successfully getting through the Straits of Dover, U-21 found and reported a convoy running up England's east coast.

U-21 returned safely to Wilhelmshaven on October 16, with the Engineering Officer reporting "out of diesel fuel" as they passed the island of Mellum at the entrance to the Jade Bight. KptLt. Nacht was awarded the Iron Cross, First class.

ATTACK STATISTICS

Torpedoes fired: 9
Torpedoes hitting target: 9
Topedoes exploding on target: 8
Ships sunk: 7

With 18,932 tons sunk, KptLt. Nacht stands third among Germany's submarine aces.

CREW

U-21 has a complement of 25 souls comprising:

1 x Kapitänleutnant - Boat's commander (equivalent to RN Lieutenant)
1 x Matrosengefreiter - Seaman Cook

Sea Division

1 x Leutnant zur See - Commander of Sea Division, and first watch officer (IWO)
1 x Obersteuermann - Senior Petty officer, Quartermaster, Navigator, and IIWO
1 x Bootsmann - Bosun and Third Watch Officer (IIIWO)
1 x Oberbootsmannsmaat - Senior Bosun's Mate
1 x Bootsmannsmaat - Bosun's Mate
6 x Matrosengefreiter - Ordinary Seamen

Engineering Division

1 x Leutnant zur See - commander of the Engineering Division (LI)
1 x Obersmaschinist - Senior Diesel Chief (DC)
1 x Maschinist - Electric Chief (EC)
2 x Maschinenmaat - Machinist's Mates (MM)
2 x Maschinenobergefreiter Stokers, 1st Class (MOG)
2 x Maschinengefreiter - Stokers, 2nd Class (MG)

Technical Staff

1 x Mechanikersmaat -Torpedo mechanic
1 x Funkmaat - Radio mate
1 x Funkgefreiter - Radio operator

Totals

3 x Officers (Offiziere)
4 x Senior Petty Officers (Unteroffiziere mit Portepee)
6 x Junior Petty officers (Unteroffiziere ohne Portepee)
12 x Sailors (Mannschaften)

WATCHES

The Ka'leun has set the following watches:

1st Sea Watch: IWO, Bootsmannsmaat, 2 x Matrosengefreiter
2nd Sea Watch: IIWO, Oberbootsmannsmaat, 2 x Matrosengefreiter
3rd Sea Watch: IIIWO, 2 x Matrosengefreiter

Starboard Engine Watch: 1 x DC, 1 x MM, 1 x MOG, 1 x MG
Port Engine Watch: 1 X EC, 1 x MM, 1 x MOG, 1 x MG

The captain, the LI, the technical staff, and the cook do not stand regular watches. They serve as needed. The Diesel and Electric chiefs, though nominally in charge of the two engine watches, tend to work most often when their respective mode of propulsion is in use.

The crew of a Type II is too small to consistently run compartments at top efficiency, but the torpedo mechanic can often help out with the motors and batteries, while the cook and radio staff can serve as supplementary lookouts.