Terror of the Black Sea

[joea]

U-145, Type IID
Leutnant z. S. Heinz Birkhölzer and his crew had a tremendous 3rd patrol in February of 1943 sinking 36 790 tons in only 5 days in the Black Sea.

It seems the Soviets were launching a major offensive, including amphibious as part of the sucessful Operation Uranus to cut off Stalingrad and in the Black Sea area to push back the Axis and try to retake Novorossiyk.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:E...to_1943-03.png

They had already landed forces on the 5th of February...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Caucasus

The night of 15th February the watch crew spotted a small convoy including a troop ship carrying Red Army reinforcements so a full spread of 3 torpedoes was fired resulting in 3 hits (including one under the keel ...yea the magnetic exploders work!) . U-145 ran decks awash and at 2 knots fired at roughly 3400 meters distance as it seems the Black Sea fleet is not equipped with radar as our comrades in the Atlantic have to face.

Ship sunk! S.S. Xena Tabitha (Passenger Liner), 30229 tons.

Radioed in the convoy report, maybe the LW would attack the rest of the convoy and slipped away then submerged and reloaded as the two 7U DDs fruitlessly searched with their searchlights for us.

Continued on and the next day spotted another convoy headed straight for us on the surface at long range. Submerged, went to silent running and maneuvered to get into position but were unable to fire at a troop ship though we judged the convoy to be moving at 5 knots. Fired 2 TIIIs at a small tanker at close range ...one missed one hit. Then shot our least steamer at high speed at a small cargo who was now moving at about 10 knots and got another hit. We dropped a decoy and went deep..well 130 meters. The Russians launced an ineffectual counterattack and we crept away and eventually the 2 vessels sunk.

Ship sunk! S.S. Kelvinbank (Small Merchant), 2232 tons

Ship sunk! S.S. Dordrecht (Small Tanker), 4329 tons

Total for the 3rd patrol 36 790 tons, pay back for the 6th Army at Stalingrad and help for our comrades fighting on the Kerch peninsula.

Iron crosses 2nd class for the whole crew. Nothing for the Kaleun though.


Oh also saw 2 lighted Turkish vessels, neutral, on the way home as we were out of torpedoes.

Well really rediscovered the joys of the type IIs...and again impressed with GWX historical detail. If the ship types are not 100% accurate (meaning the merchies doubt there were 30000 ton converted liners in the Black Sea) well the ops with the Soviet operations to retake Novorossiyk were. Fun to run short little patrols.

My sig is correct indeed.