The importance of damage control preparedness

[dmlavan]

Last night, I re-learned some lessons about being prepared to conduct damage control.

U-471 was on its fourth Med patrol out of La Spezia. The previous three patrols had been challenging for the new crew with constant air attacks and ALAAARM! being the most common word spoken, and the only targets found were either fast task forces that were too far away to catch up with, or 1-2 ship convoys with more escorts than merchants. Each time U-471 had pulled in battered and bruised, on one diesel engine for the last patrol.

In the hunting grounds between Siciliy and Africa, our new Biscay Cross picked up radar transmissions in moderate fog, and the boat immediately dove. We found a hydrophone lead, and pursued it. We heard one cargo ship, with one escort leading it, both heading straight towards us. Ordered silent running and raised the scope. Without warning, a British destroyer appeared out of a fog bank only a few hundred meters away. There were a few tense moments, but the destroyer steamed past.

Based on the destroyer's course compared to our position and bearing, we quickly positioned for a stern shot. As a Medium Cargo ship slipped into view, took bearings, set depth and fired. A single eel exploded 2m under the keel midships, breaking the ship in two. We quickly dove, and for the next 15min evaded dozens of depth charges from an angry destroyer.

Finally, the DD shifted to ASDIC. Using this opportunity to make noise, ordered Ahead Flank to sprint away, and the ASDIC pings started to get fainter. At that moment sonar reported "Depth charges in the water". Suddenly there were two sets of screws... another escort had been on the same bearing as the cargo ship, which masked its sound as we had made our approach, and we fell for the trick of one active and one passive escort in the hunt.

The depth charges found us - flooding in the crew compartment, radio/sonar, and forward batteries. After critical seconds adjusting course, speed and depth to avoid another depth charge attack, I jumped to the crew management section... to find that I had forgot to assign anyone to the repair crew! More precious seconds ticked by as I transferred Sailors to my damage control team... and the progressive flooding was starting to overcome my ability to maintain depth. Another minute spent dodging close depth charges, and took damage aft. Went back to check my damage control efforts, and realized now that my officer w/ the Repair skill was not on the repair team! I put him in charge, but it was too late. U-471 passed 250 meters despite an ahead flank bell and ordering emergency surface - and I watched my "flooding recovery" estimates count down, but at 280m valves started popping and we got more flooding. U-471 slipped below 340m with only seconds left to stop flooding in the control room, when the hull imploded...

The lessons I learned, that many had learned before but I had failed to account for, were:
1. Never go into combat without a repair crew on station. Had they been on station, I'm certain that I would have controlled flooding in time and recovered the boat.
2. Assign your properly-trained officers and crew to damage control
3. Do not rely on the sonar operator for all of your contact reports. Had I spent more time checking the hydrophones, I might have picked up the sound of another escort on a similar bearing as the cargo ship.

Thus ended U-471's Mediterranean career. Time to go explore the Black Sea...