What a weird patrol - Picture heavy

[bigboywooly]

Ok
So I thought I would start a patrol in a XXI for a change
11th Flotilla 1 July 44 and we leave Bergen

The Hipper is in port



So we follow out the escort into the north sea
Not long before we recieve a map update of a convoy heading south
Off with the radar and set an intercept course
PD and listen to the reports coming in
We get into a great intercept position and raise scope
Pick up lead warship
?
What the
Damn its a Flottenbegleiter - German convoy
Surface the boat
Steer due south

Ramp up the speed to see what the baby can do
Detecting radar signals
5 of them
Then a map contact - Task force
Thats more like it
So we plot an intercept and sink to PD
Scope up and lock on a British corvette
Los a FAT torpedo swing scope round and lock on a Hunt DD
Fire another FAT
Didnt spot another Hunt out of my sight
Hydraphone op screams warship increasing speed closing fast
So I loose of another 2 FAT and dive as deep as I can - Silent Running
Torpedo treffer - hit one of the DD



Now they are pinging me so I am twisting and turning and burst of speed
Shes going down
Took a couple of DC but only slight flooding
Torpedo treffer - shes going down
Well thats another one taken care of - the FAT must have hit it on one of the return legs
Still weaving and turning
Torpedo treffer
Woohoo shes going down
Take a peek up top and see the remaining 2 DD all firing up at the sky
Somewhere up there the Luftwaffe are helping out
Still struggling to shake these last 2 though
More DC and more flooding
They keep this up for a couple of hours
Down to 208mtr so blow ballast - Compressed air down to 25%
Take another look up top
Now it starts to rain and then right in front of my eyes a fog rolls in
Have started to leave the DD astern so make a wild choice and head up to PD
Warship closing fast 90
Dammit
Have 2 acoustics in the tubes so let them go and dive deep again
DC in water - hard a port
Torpedo treffer and down it goes
Ok 1 left and we may make it back to port after all

Warship closing med speed 010 long range
Noooooooooooooo
Still deep and taking a couple of hits
Flooding but not too bad
Merchant slow closing 001
?
Ah the German convoy ( I hope )
Ok so now I continue to head North and lead the DD into the convoy
200mtr damn blow ballast - 10% compressed air left
Ahead flank - up she goes and managed to halt her at 120mtr
Warship closing med speed 000
Warship closing very fast 170 degrees
More twisting and turning - more speed changes
Wasserbomb - coning tower destroyed
Fire another Bold and hes after that so I take another chance to look up top
Fog is really heavy now and can see the smoke of the convoy closing dead ahead
Now the Ge DD lights up the searchlights and takes notice of something at last



Warship closing Very Fast 190 degrees
Wasserbomb - well now I am up top watching and hoping



Brit DD steaming straight at the convoy and still DC me

At last the 2 catch sight of each other and open fire



Well the Flottenbegleiter was no match and soon blew to pieces - he managed to get some good hits on the DD though
On steams the DD and straight toward the first convoy column
The lead ship opens up





At last the DD has had enough and breaks in 2



We surface the boat and gulp in some fresh air
Hard to port to avoid the merchants and send the repair crew up top
Plot a course for home



5490 tons for 4 warships
72% Hull intergrity

Well not looking forward to any more of 44
Only got 130 KM from Bergen :rotfl:

[Scheisskopf]

wow, what a short but crazy patrol

my compliments to you for kicking some a$$

[bigboywooly]

If it wasnt for the German convoy no doubt my @ss would have been kicked
I only sank 4 ships and they were blind luck

[Scheisskopf]

luck is an important part of kicking a$$ sometimes though

[melnibonian]

I see a black future with my IXC ahead BBW. I'm still in 1941 but something is telling me I will not see the end on this war

[Paajtor]

Nice story...must have been a blast!

My homebase is also Bergen, but in August '42.
Already, it's becoming stressfull to even leave Bergen in 1 piece.
The Royal Navy keeps patrolling between the Britisch Islands and Murmansk...usually a taskforce with at least 1 carrier.
I worry much more about the carrier's own air-cover, then about land-based aircraft.

And when returning home from patrol, it's often the same story.
I'm glad I've upgraded our batteries.

[smithcorp]

Awesome report and great shots!

[mr chris]

Sorry im a very late coming on on this. But BBW now that is what i call dishing out a ass whoping There goes a man after my own heart

[Brag]

Heh. Good narration, and great pitchahs. Excellent butt kicking! Congratahoochies. But the future looks gloom for us in 1940.

[AVGWarhawk]

After reading that I'm glad I only get to two patrols in 41 and die....that just looks scary to me