[John Pancoast]

Intercept a convoy approx 900 kms SW of Iceland. Early afternoon. Submerged I get into the middle of it, fire all five torpedoes. Two of them after diving to thirty meters and returning to periscope depth to allow a merchant to pass overhead.
Four hits; one large cargo (two torpedoes) and one small merchant sunk, one other cargo damaged. (one torpedo each).
Get down to 80 meters when the payback starts showing up. Maneuver down to 220 meters where after a bit I'm hit.

Serious damage; flooding in the control room and bow quarters. Both scopes, rwr, deck gun, forward deck, radio and hydrophone destroyed. Minor damage forward torpedo room.
Massive hull damage; red on the Hsie colored indicator.
But engines and batteries undamaged !

Immediately blow tanks several times, ahead flank to get up before the hull gives way. Luck ! We make it.
Along the way, get flooding under control, release some BOLD, and start repairs on what can be repaired.
No need to worry about noise now. Want to abandon the boat, but can't without a radio.

So I decide to hug the surface instead. Maybe get under their detection arcs. No other choice with the hull damage.
Level off at twenty meters, silent running, one knot. Don't want to go to periscope depth even though it may be better for the hull; don't want to risk a broach.

Where I spend the next several game hours dodging a few destroyer runs as I try to escape in the opposite direction.
BOLD releases, ahead flank maneuvering, one knot ahead otherwise. I can't dive with my hull damage and I can't surface for a run from them with them so close let alone no scopes to take a look, no hydrophones to help tell where they are.

Another attack run, my last BOLDs. Still no more damage as the BOLDs and flank speed maneuvering are doing the trick, making the depth charges miss. Unable to change depth though. Alternating 90 degree port or starboard; one attack I'll do port, the next starboard.
They're also having a hard time pinpointing me; under their detection arcs ? Satisfying to hear them drop depth charges on my BOLDs.

Finally, it seems I'm in the clear. Should be dusk according to the clock. I wait a few more hours until midnight to be sure, going one knot the entire time. They have radar, but maybe they won't be able to visually see me.
With a little luck, they went back to their convoy. Or they're still overhead. Waiting.

Roll the dice.

Surface ! Be prepared for immediate ahead flank.

Nothing. I'm all alone.

Vent the boat, engines all stop while some minor internal repairs take place.
Come daylight, I'll all stop again to do some external repairs.

Assuming we make it to then; I should be at the far end of their range for any Iceland aircraft but never know.

While the diesels are undamaged, I choose no more speed than ahead slow.
Don't know how much of a pounding the hull can take, even surfaced.

Should be an interesting sail back to Lorient; can't go to crash depth in case aircraft show up.
Plan on going to twenty meters if that's the case. But with my rwr gone, visual spotting is all I have, so I work my best watch crew as much as possible.

On the way ! Long slow sail ahead. BdU will most likely assume the boat lost with us having no radio contact. But the crew is confident, morale is high after already miraculously dodging death.