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Originally Posted by Brag
With 15 GWX patrols, I'm not going to say escorts have X ray vision;or heaven forbid, give any ideas to the nefarious GWX modders ideas that escorts are too easy to fool.
But I've run into this Black Swan . . .
After two days of idling in the sunshine some way off Freetown in my new Type IXC sumbie, Got a report of a convoy heading our way. Conviniently we only had to do 5 knots to get close enough to follow it.
Before lunch, I was on my bunk reading an erotic novel some joker snuck under my pillow. This was interrpted by, "Captain to the bridge, ship sighted."
The wind was beginning to churn up a sparkling sea and on the horizon, a Liberty ship chugged along, several masts indicated this was the convoy. I ordered a slightly diverging course when a shell ripped the air over our heads.
No more than 3,000 meters away, a Black Swan whith a big white moustache raced toward us making noise with its artillery. Where did that come from?
"Alaaaaaarm."
Staying near the surface at flank speed we moved away from the spot the fiend had last seen us, then down to eighty meters at silent runnin. The Black Swan dropped lots of depth charges somewhere else then gave up and went away.
I sent a contact report to Canovaro at BDU's Spinnennetz and ploted my evening visit to the convoy.
In ambush position with the sun already down, but enough light to get an appreciation of the convoy, I observed the lead Black Swan go through a complicated dancing routine. Never one minute of straight course. After each evolution it seemed to be heading for me, then breaking off.
Eventually I was inside the screen with a bunch of low value targets. But a Whale factory came into view. I had told myself not to waste torpedoes as we would have plenty of opportunity to nibble at this convoy. One torpedo, one ship.
I was already at 40 meters when the torpedo hit.
Through the observation scope I saw an escort go right overhead and then dump DCs somewhere else. Lots of DC. The Whale factory sank.
We went around the convoy. Same routine. Lined up a perfect shot on a large freighter and dove. Premature explosion.
Drats. Back up to PD. The surface was a mess of ships too close to fire on but managed a hit on the stern of a medium tanker.had to dive as a corvette headed our way. 3 torpedoes failed to hit.
The evening attack went very well (almost), fired 3 torpedoes at a whale factory, a medium freighter and a medium tanker. The whale sunk, so did the medium, the third torpedo hit a small freighter (WTF?!).
Back to ambush for pre=dawn attack, rough seas , the night as dark as a cockroach den. Perfect.
The lead swan is doing its dancing bit and heads straight for me. I lower the scope so the bllighter won't smash it. We're cooked anyway.
It passes overhead. Whew! I guess he didn't see us.
Oh yeah? Here it comes again. This time, no mistake he's heading for me in a tight turn. Same thing, he passes overhead. but no DC. We are too shallow for him.
The convoy is zigzagging, flares illuninate and searchlights sway. I take a quick stern shot at a Liberty and head down.
Through the obs scope I see the Black Swan make another perfect pass. This time he drops. Flank and down to 120 meters. The DCs explode above.
But the bugger loses us and goes banging some distance away.
We still have lots of torpedoes left. The convoy, and us are a long way from home. Somehow I feel this Black Swan has my number.
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