[AndyW]

Since ever, I’m playing „dead-when-dead“ and I’m currently on my third mission with GWX, playing on 84% realism.


First GWX career (my career # 9) was U-389 (Heilmann) running from Bergen on Sept. 1, 1943. I had METOX, but no Schnorchel. While marching to it’s patrol grid at AK 36, southwest of Iceland, the boat was sunk will all hands on 14.9.43 by an air attack. During that eleven days on it’s first sailing, I had to dive 31 times from air attacks - the 31st crash dive was my last, hull cracked at 130 meters. At least I sunk a Liberty Cargo (7333 tons).

Second GWX career was a continuation of my 8th career, U-577 (Schauenburg) sailing form La Spezia to fishing grounds near Tobruk in late May 1942. After sinking one single British Victory Cargo (7710 tons), U-577 was sunk after eight days west of Sicily by numerous air attacks from Malta-based Hurricanes, Wellingtons and Catalinas. That loss was pretty self-inflicted because I didn’t dive from the enemy planes but tried the fun of having a shoot-out with the bees. The bees won.

After that two losses I’m now playing extremely carefully to manage to finish at least one patrol. My current career (#10) is U-972 (Ltn. Koenig) running in early December 1943 from St. Nazaire to hunting grounds in the air gap south of Greenland. Again no Schnorchel, but METOX and NAXOS. Marching submerged at daytime and on surface at night, I faced 24 air attacks during 9 nights, which I luckily survived with a 85% hull condition. I even shot down one Wellington Bomber (“Ha!! Payback, payback, you darn bee!”), and met a small single Merchant which I sunk (2209 tons). I left Allied air coverage zone on Dec. 15, had a contact with an illuminated Hospital ship guarded by a Clemson, and reached my assigned patrol grid (AJ99) at Christmas 1943.

Right now (Dec. 28, 1943), U-972 is operating against a convoy at AK 76, first time I fight a convoy with GWX. If I survive that, I’ll somehow need to manage to come back in one piece to St. Nazaire, which is realistically only possible by marching 2500 km - submerged most of the time, and if surfaced, with flank or full speed. If I survive that and come home I need to get a Schnorchel at the docks, otherwise I’m doomed on my second sailing in then early 1944, that’s pretty sure.
A lot of "ifs". :hmm:


All in all a good mod, bringing to you the desperate feeling of fear in being outclassed by the enemy air force while on passage between your ports and the patrol area. Getting to your patrol grid and returning home save is becoming a more and more unfeasible mission of itself, just like it was in reality.

Cheers,
AndyW

currently U-972 König, on 1st patrol 12/1943 [SH3 + GWX 1.0 @ 84% realism]
Total: 10 careers, 40th sailing, 856 days at sea, 544,474 tons sunk