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roadrage · 11-06-11, 08:00 PM

Nothing like tangling with some destroyers to get your heart rate up.

Kapitanleutnant Ernst Klein commanding U-551

I really don't know how we escaped this one without a scratch. Just east of the Rockall Bank, in thick fog <900m visibility, we literally ran into the middle of a convoy. First indication anything was around was a large cargo popping out of the fog 800m off the starboard bow. Needless to say we were detected, dove, fired off one single shot, two salvos and the stern tube at what we could see and got out of there. So we surface probably 1.5km from the convoy (escorts are blind as a bat, hehehe), load the externals and head in again. First thing that pops out of the fog is an empire type freighter at 500m. Dive, fire tubes 2 and 3, 2m depth, 15degree spread. One dud. Fire tube 1, hit. Ordered ahead full to get a shot at him with the stern tube. Sonar man says warship, bearing 330, short range. WHAT! Tube 1 ready. Out of the fog looms an auxiliary cruiser. Hard to port, salvo shot tubes 1 and 4, 2m depth, impact pistol, 15 degree spread. 2 hits and she's going down. Empire type capsizes. Now let's see what we can catch up to in here. Ahead flank, new course 140. Warship contact, bearing 160 closing fast, warship contact bearing 30 closing fast. Flower class comes racing around the auxiliary, fire stern tube, reload it fast. Miss. All hands to stern torpedo room! Tube 5 ready. Black swan frigate barrels out of the fog, dead ahead. Sonar man yells out, Destroyer on attack run! Hard to starboard, let him line up. Rudder amidships. Flower class is breathing down our necks, and we're on a collision course with the Black swan. Chief is cursing me, screaming to dive and get down out of the conn. Black swan is at 350m, dead ahead, fire tube 1, depth 4.5m 0 gyro. Spin the scope around, flower class less than 200m, screw it, fire tube 5, depth 5m, gyro 0, crash dive. New course 180. Brace for impact. Depth charges in the water. And they missed, and I missed.

Lucky for them, taking on U-551 like it's some bunch of amateurs. Crawled away at 150m, surfaced and ran full steam to St. Nazaire, our new base.

CAPTAIN'S LOG

31.8.40. 2237 Patrol 10
U-551, 7th/13th Flotilla
Left at: August 31, 1940, 22:37
From: Kiel
Mission Orders: Patrol grid AM17
0000 Radio orders, effective immediately our base is St. Nazaire. Our possessions at Kiel will be mailed to us. (Coulda just told us that an hour and a half ago when we were in base.

)
14.9.40. 0818 Grid AM 19 Ship sunk! SS Sea Darter (Large Cargo), 9580 tons. Cargo: Mail/Packages. Crew: 60. Crew lost: 14
0819 Grid AM 19 Ship sunk! SS Penerf (Small Freighter), 1664 tons. Cargo: Timber. Crew: 33. Crew lost: 30
0823 Grid AM 19 Ship sunk! SS City of Carlisle (Large Merchant), 9907 tons. Cargo: Coal. Crew: 70. Crew lost: 69
1059 Grid AM 19 Ship sunk! SS Afghanistan (Empire-type Freighter), 6674 tons. Cargo: Trucks. Crew: 47. Crew lost: 47
1106 Grid AM 19 Ship sunk! HMCS Prince Henry (Auxiliary Cruiser), 13850 tons. Crew: 234. Crew lost: 37
17.9.40. 2243 Patrol results
Crew losses: 0
Ships sunk: 5
Aircraft destroyed: 0
Patrol tonnage: 41675 tons
No damages
All torpedoes expended.

Received the German Cross upon arrival at base, promotions and medals for the crew. Also was informed that I am to report back to Kiel immediately to take command of the 5th Flotilla.

11-06-11, 08:00 PM	#3728
roadrage Sailor man Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 44 Downloads: 25 Uploads: 0	Nothing like tangling with some destroyers to get your heart rate up. Kapitanleutnant Ernst Klein commanding U-551 I really don't know how we escaped this one without a scratch. Just east of the Rockall Bank, in thick fog <900m visibility, we literally ran into the middle of a convoy. First indication anything was around was a large cargo popping out of the fog 800m off the starboard bow. Needless to say we were detected, dove, fired off one single shot, two salvos and the stern tube at what we could see and got out of there. So we surface probably 1.5km from the convoy (escorts are blind as a bat, hehehe), load the externals and head in again. First thing that pops out of the fog is an empire type freighter at 500m. Dive, fire tubes 2 and 3, 2m depth, 15degree spread. One dud. Fire tube 1, hit. Ordered ahead full to get a shot at him with the stern tube. Sonar man says warship, bearing 330, short range. WHAT! Tube 1 ready. Out of the fog looms an auxiliary cruiser. Hard to port, salvo shot tubes 1 and 4, 2m depth, impact pistol, 15 degree spread. 2 hits and she's going down. Empire type capsizes. Now let's see what we can catch up to in here. Ahead flank, new course 140. Warship contact, bearing 160 closing fast, warship contact bearing 30 closing fast. Flower class comes racing around the auxiliary, fire stern tube, reload it fast. Miss. All hands to stern torpedo room! Tube 5 ready. Black swan frigate barrels out of the fog, dead ahead. Sonar man yells out, Destroyer on attack run! Hard to starboard, let him line up. Rudder amidships. Flower class is breathing down our necks, and we're on a collision course with the Black swan. Chief is cursing me, screaming to dive and get down out of the conn. Black swan is at 350m, dead ahead, fire tube 1, depth 4.5m 0 gyro. Spin the scope around, flower class less than 200m, screw it, fire tube 5, depth 5m, gyro 0, crash dive. New course 180. Brace for impact. Depth charges in the water. And they missed, and I missed. Lucky for them, taking on U-551 like it's some bunch of amateurs. Crawled away at 150m, surfaced and ran full steam to St. Nazaire, our new base. CAPTAIN'S LOG 31.8.40. 2237 Patrol 10 U-551, 7th/13th Flotilla Left at: August 31, 1940, 22:37 From: Kiel Mission Orders: Patrol grid AM17 0000 Radio orders, effective immediately our base is St. Nazaire. Our possessions at Kiel will be mailed to us. (Coulda just told us that an hour and a half ago when we were in base.) 14.9.40. 0818 Grid AM 19 Ship sunk! SS Sea Darter (Large Cargo), 9580 tons. Cargo: Mail/Packages. Crew: 60. Crew lost: 14 0819 Grid AM 19 Ship sunk! SS Penerf (Small Freighter), 1664 tons. Cargo: Timber. Crew: 33. Crew lost: 30 0823 Grid AM 19 Ship sunk! SS City of Carlisle (Large Merchant), 9907 tons. Cargo: Coal. Crew: 70. Crew lost: 69 1059 Grid AM 19 Ship sunk! SS Afghanistan (Empire-type Freighter), 6674 tons. Cargo: Trucks. Crew: 47. Crew lost: 47 1106 Grid AM 19 Ship sunk! HMCS Prince Henry (Auxiliary Cruiser), 13850 tons. Crew: 234. Crew lost: 37 17.9.40. 2243 Patrol results Crew losses: 0 Ships sunk: 5 Aircraft destroyed: 0 Patrol tonnage: 41675 tons No damages All torpedoes expended. Received the German Cross upon arrival at base, promotions and medals for the crew. Also was informed that I am to report back to Kiel immediately to take command of the 5th Flotilla. Last edited by roadrage; 11-06-11 at 08:15 PM.