Our fourth patrol (heading from Thalia at Cadiz back to home base in Wilhelmshaven) started very unlucky. I hope it's not a bad omen... A convoy contact was reported by BdU, so we headed straight to meet it. After approach we submerged and tried to get as close as possible, but we were spotted by a destroyer (a periscpe in a pitch black night), managed to fire only one torpedo from a long distance (missed) and immediately crash dived. That night we lost the escorts and WERE FOUND AGAIN three times. Three times we were depth charged for quite a long time and had hard time trying to evade them. But the luck was on our side again - they managed to hit us thrice, but the hull integrity is still 100% (sic!) and only periscopes and guns were partially destroyed. When we eventually surfaced in the morning, succeeded in all repairs and the boat is again flawless and floating... But the very first patrol night was quite terrifying.
I think they got angry for the previous patrol and now they'll do their best to find us at any cost. Considering leaving the area immediately... But the Large Merchants are such a temptation... Still thinking, officers drink and the crew is so silent... no jokes, no laughing, only fear in their eyes. We need a spectacular success to break the bad omen.
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