So I tried this last night. While on patrol I encountered a juicy medium composite freighter on a 21* heading about 300KM north of Ireland heading toward Londonberry I believe? Anywho, Once I align my attack approach, I dive to PD to begin moving in range, and calculating the shot my Hydro officer shouts KriegSchiff multiple times ranging from my 345* to about my 20* I look on the map, and Holy Schiese!! Its a HEAVILY escorted something or other (turned out to be a battleship) and I'm in roughly 40 meters of water. They are just 12 KM on the other side of my target, and headed straight toward me! I had Light fog on the forecast. I knew there was NO WAY to get out of their approaching path at PD, so I had to surface and make a run to deeper water. I was deeply concerned about using T.C. because of the occasional defect with watch crew you mentioned. So, remembering Vecko's post here I set us to Battlestations, and flank bell@ 20* true. Sure enough, my watch crew spotted them long before they saw us and luckily we were just out of their sonar/Hydro range at that point. I dove, and they changed course and moved away. I really wanted to move in and try to get that Battleship, but the water was shallow and she had 6 escorts placed 1500 to 2000 meters around her. The water was too shallow on the course they were following and I simply had to tell the men not worth the risk....Let's live to fight another day. Thanks yet again Vecko, If you run into a situation where you think, or know a target is there. but the watch crew isn't reporting it try battlestations. Worked for me.
Rolf Weare, U-51
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