Its good to be back and to share a round. We're all still alive after three more patrols, so I guess first round is on me...
Let me see - highlights. OK.
On Patol 3, in huge seas and wind at dusk in appalling visibility (down to 300 -500m), (in AM97, I think it was) my hydrphone operator detected a large merchant tavelling East heading into the Bristol Bight. I chased the bugger all night, because, once again, I couldn't get ahead flank, so I had only a half knott per hour closure rate. Frustrating! At least I didn't also have the directional drift I had last time.
Why did I persevere for 15 hours all the way into AM99? It was a Whale Factory ship, and I was sick of Medium Merchants! I wanted a real prize and some bragging rights to bring home for the crew. So, about 11 hours into the chace, we got within range, dead astern, and let go a couple of T1s, set to Mag pistol (the perfect scenario). They both pre-detonated.
The next two Impacts bounced off! So, after reload, I tried another two Mags. These seemed to be going fine, but one passed harmlessly less than a metre under the hull (and, before you ask, yes I had the draft set right!), while the other bounced off the bottom of the hull and floated harmlessly to the bottom. Arghhh!!
So, we stuck with it trying to overhaul the monster for another few hours, finally coming 500m abeam of him, intending to take an impact shot, when a triple-damned DD shows up! I had no trouble evading him, but by then I had lost aquisition, somewhere SW of Cardiff.
I think that ship was under the protection of Loki!
I was so furious, I decided to go to Cardif to see if I could locate him. Had to get in to under 1.5 km to see anything. No Whaler, but a nice Ammo ship. However, my XO made me see sense (temporarily), and we left it alone, as it was in a small harbour on the wrong side of a wharf and a submarine net.
But I wasn't done yet - off to Bristol - determined to salvage something!
Got in close enough to find accessible a Modern Tanker & a Troop ship. Drew up my preferred firing lines and maneuvered out to 3 kms, to let go of my last bow fish at the Trooper, followed by a 500m right turn to line up the Tanker with the last stern shot. Both impacts did their jobs (FINALLY!), but neither vessel went down. Spent the next two hours avoiding the hornets nest - two DD's, 4 ASW's and about 6 Torp boats. Wasn't too hard though, as I had launched from about 3 kms out, so the bulk of their hunt was inshore of me.
By now, it was a good sea state and little wind, but still poor visibility, so I travelled submerged another 5 kms and took the risk of surfacing and loading both external stores at full stop. How we got away with that, I have no idea, but suffice it to say, we then repeated the previous attack profile and succeded in putting both on the bottom. (Though I don't know what to make of "Intelligence" - they are claiming the Tanker's cargo was Scrap Metal! As if!)
Although we came back with our worst ever patrol results - 6 kills credited for a total of 29760 tons - it was still strangely satisfying.
You talk now - I'm thirsty - I'll tell you about the others on my next round.