Luckiest hit ever...

Philipp_Thomsen · 12-11-08, 02:56 PM

December 9th, 1943.

I was in the region near northern irishland, AE99, in patrol, when my watch officer spotted a shadow in the horizon. I asked my chief officer to set a course to intercept, and about 12km distance I could see a formation of 12 ships, which two of them were battleships. They were cruising at the speed of 8knts and had 3 v&w as escorts. We set a course to intercept, went ahead flank and about 6km distance we went underwater. It was dusk, little fog, so safe do to.

Around 2,5km distance I fired all my 4 eels, having another two to spare, after a long patrol. Aimed two in one battleship, and another two in the other. My guys were reloading the two fishes left, and the uboat was sitted dead in the water, 16meter below, just enough to see what was going on the surface. The nearest ship was a v&w, about 2km away, while the other two were on the other side of the convoy, too far to be considered dangerous.

Some minutes later, the two first fishes hit the battleship, one at the aft and another right below the main guns in the aft, and while the other battleship was trying evasive maneuvers, it was too late for him... some seconds later, another two hits. The two battleships were still standing afloat, but losing speed... I knew that if they didn't sink, they would be dead in the water and I could finish them up later, so I started backing up very slowly and went down to 50 meters.

Next thing I know, I was being pinged... the damn v&w found me! I quick asked chief to go ahead flank to the bottom, in spiral. First depth charge session was delivered when I was only 90 meters, and one of them hit me in the tail, cutting of both of my propellers... I had only my rudder, and I knew I wasn't able to go anywhere after that... The flooding in the aft torpedo room made me sink very fast, and at around 180 meters with the flooding stopped but with the room half filled with water, I knew it was too dangerous to risk, so I yelled "ANBLASEN!!!"... the chief repeated the order and the sailor turned the valve counter-clockwise in a firm stroke. The needle was telling me that the compressed-air was being used, and until 75% the uboat was still going down... at 219 meters, it stopped sinking and started going up.

A quick check on the sonar and the good news! Only one v&w after me, while the rest of the convoy and the other two destroyers were heading away. Another turn in the needle and I found that bastard running straight in my direction, and before I could figure out the distance, I started hearing it echoing everywhere inside the submarine. I thought "ahead flank", but without the propellers it's useless, the noise of the machinery would just make things easier for him. Damn, what to do? The uboat was slowly going up, and was already around 160 meters.

I ordered rig for silent running, engines stopped, and waited for the worse.

I heard him passing right above us, and at 140 meters the sonar operator whispered "wasserbomb".

Three or four explosions, first one far away, and the others getting closer... few seconds with no explosions, seconds that last weeks... another explosion right above us, the uboat rolled around, and the last one hit us right in the middle. Lights went out, glass broke and chief reported damage and several floodings in the command room, sonar room and foward restrooms. I saw in a flash the fuel needle going down, we were losing diesel. Sent everybody to stop the floodings, and by the same time I checked to see that both periscopes were destroyed, the needle was hitting 170 meters.

Werdammt!

ANBLASEN!!!

The air was already at 40% when I ordered... that made me concearned...

I thought... "it's no use doing this over and over... I'll have to try something".. I checked the torpedo room, and I had one fish ready, while the other was half loaded. The uboat stabled at 220 meters and start going up... I had about 3 minutes to finish loading the second fish.

But then stroke me... how would I aim... I have no periscope...

It even crossed my mind to surface and use the uzo, or even the deckgun...but with the uboat already screwed up, it would be death sentence. I decided to go for a lucky strike. Around 120 meters, he went over me again, smashing me hard, and again I had flooding everywhere. The weapon officer reported that the fish had being loaded, and I yelled again "ANBLASEN!!!"... The uboat was already in upward motion, but I knew I needed more, the water was coming in and the uboat was getting heavier.

The upward motion plus the little nudge from the ballast was able to drive me up to 19 meters... checking the needle development, I knew that the uboat was going down again, so I had a few seconds to fire something... I open both tubes, quickly and blindly set one torpedo to 45º starboard and the other to 60º... that was the only setting I could change in time. Fired bothe eels, the last one left the tube when the uboat was already at 23 meters.

About 30 seconds later, no explosion... I could recall that those two were electric, and that I forgot about setting depth or pistol. Well... even if I had remembered, I wouldn't have time to do it. The depth gauge near the clock was telling me that we were sinking slowly, around 63 meters already.

While I was distracted with my own thinking, I heard one explosion. The crew started cheering up, and at the sonar room I could hear the destroyer sinking, and some minor explosion.

I couldn't believe it! That had to be the luckiest shot ever! Yes! We are safe! We just have to surface and send a message to bdu asking for help!

So I looked at the depth gauge with a smile on my face, and the smile started to fade... The needle was marking 98 meters, and slowly moving to 99 meters. I asked to chief about the floodings, and he said that the last flooding was stoped about 2 minutes ago, and there's no water in the compartments anymore.

"So why the hell is it sinking?!?!" - I asked myself in my mind.

So I looked around searching for clues, but everything seemed to be ok.

Suddenly I felt a huge emptyness filling my soul... and it happened when I looked at the compressed-air gauge. The needle was marking a few degrees above zero.

In desperation, I berally whispered... "anblasen..."

A very weak noise of air flowing around, the needle beraly dropped, and the needle at the depth gauge stopped moving... it was 109 meters... I was staring closely at that needle, without blinking... after about 15 seconds, she started moving again... 110 meters........ 111 meters........

That emptyness started being filled by death.

I yelled again "ANBLASEN!!!", with the meaning in my head "you turn that valve until you breaks it in two, sailor!".

Again, the needle in the compressed-air gauge beraly moved, just enough to reach the zero marker. I almost put my face in the depth gauge... the needle stoped at 114 meters. After what seemed to be eternity, it started moving again. 115 meters.................. 116 meters.................

In the last moment of hope, I asked the navigator for depth under keel.

He said 368 meters.

I steped back... leaned in the map table for support and started staring at the floor... I couldn't blink...

The metal around me were singing the song of pressure...

The long awaited death was taking too long... the needle went from yellow to red... went from red to blank... by my calculations it was marking around 280 meters already, and then the lights went off...

All of them...

nikbear · 12-11-08, 03:49 PM

Oh Bugger

In the midst of lady luck herself smiling on you,the end came all to quick

sorry to hear of you and your crew's untimely demise

you gave a good fight though

piri_reis · 12-11-08, 03:55 PM

Oh man, I was reading that in suspense hoping the boat would be able to rise at the end..
Great story telling Philip, didnt know you played the game

Your hit on the destroyer, damn that was a hail marry shot, a critical decision at a very stressful moment

meduza · 12-11-08, 04:22 PM

Great story!

Too bad you didn't make it to the surface...

Philipp_Thomsen · 12-11-08, 07:24 PM

Yeah... made me really disappointed...

Task Force · 12-11-08, 08:36 PM

Brings memorys of a old sh3 career I once had. it just kept going and going, then..... lights explode and............. Silence.... Happend in sh4 too. those fleet boats crush to easy.

Tachyon · 12-12-08, 06:16 AM

That was a good read. Worthy of the title "Das Boot 2".

Shadowblade · 12-12-08, 07:09 AM

that was really lucky shot and great story

A Very Super Market · 12-12-08, 12:03 PM

That was an excellent story, but I thought you would get away with it! Happened so many times to me...finally finding a battleship, then getting depth charged and slowly sinking to the bottom..

Never had such a lucky shot though

peterloo · 12-13-08, 10:13 AM

As everyone said, yup, I did thought that you could make it back to PD somehow and finish off at least one, if not both BBs

Great story anyway. Life gets difficult at this time (later '43)

well, you've already tried your best. BdU appreciates your effort in putting those battleships in a halt and allowing others to finish them off (or forcing its crews to scuttle it)

BTW, did you guess the movement of the DD using hypophone being you fire those torpedoes?

Philipp_Thomsen · 12-14-08, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peterloo

BTW, did you guess the movement of the DD using hypophone being you fire those torpedoes?

Used my ears actually... The sound of the destroyer is 3D.

Plus, there were no time for sonar seach.

Kpt. Lehmann · 12-14-08, 10:04 PM

Your best post ever PT.

Sometimes "almost making it" or "limping home on one engine"... is better than sinking twenty ships.

Hard scrapes make for much better stories sometimes.

~SALUTE!~ to your crew.

meduza · 12-15-08, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kpt. Lehmann

Sometimes "almost making it" or "limping home on one engine"... is better than sinking twenty ships.

Hard scrapes make for much better stories sometimes.

Couldn't agree more! I quickly forget the ships I sank, even the largest ones. But those moments of hard fight for survival, like the one PT described, stays in my memory for a long time, regardless of the outcome.

kenijaru · 12-15-08, 12:23 PM

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RduDi4HnXKA
for Thomsen and his crew.

Blue-Casket · 12-29-08, 02:57 PM

Ow man so painful i thought there was a happy end but no

I had a propeller lost and lost over more then 50 oil and forward batteries destroyed and attack persiscope destroyed too.

The hydrophone was intact but due to depth charges i couldn't hear anything trough it anymore

But the worst part was!
I wasnt even at my patrol grid.

12-11-08, 02:56 PM	#1
Philipp_Thomsen Old Gang Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Drunk at the whorehouse Posts: 2,278 Downloads: 146 Uploads: 0	Luckiest hit ever... December 9th, 1943. I was in the region near northern irishland, AE99, in patrol, when my watch officer spotted a shadow in the horizon. I asked my chief officer to set a course to intercept, and about 12km distance I could see a formation of 12 ships, which two of them were battleships. They were cruising at the speed of 8knts and had 3 v&w as escorts. We set a course to intercept, went ahead flank and about 6km distance we went underwater. It was dusk, little fog, so safe do to. Around 2,5km distance I fired all my 4 eels, having another two to spare, after a long patrol. Aimed two in one battleship, and another two in the other. My guys were reloading the two fishes left, and the uboat was sitted dead in the water, 16meter below, just enough to see what was going on the surface. The nearest ship was a v&w, about 2km away, while the other two were on the other side of the convoy, too far to be considered dangerous. Some minutes later, the two first fishes hit the battleship, one at the aft and another right below the main guns in the aft, and while the other battleship was trying evasive maneuvers, it was too late for him... some seconds later, another two hits. The two battleships were still standing afloat, but losing speed... I knew that if they didn't sink, they would be dead in the water and I could finish them up later, so I started backing up very slowly and went down to 50 meters. Next thing I know, I was being pinged... the damn v&w found me! I quick asked chief to go ahead flank to the bottom, in spiral. First depth charge session was delivered when I was only 90 meters, and one of them hit me in the tail, cutting of both of my propellers... I had only my rudder, and I knew I wasn't able to go anywhere after that... The flooding in the aft torpedo room made me sink very fast, and at around 180 meters with the flooding stopped but with the room half filled with water, I knew it was too dangerous to risk, so I yelled "ANBLASEN!!!"... the chief repeated the order and the sailor turned the valve counter-clockwise in a firm stroke. The needle was telling me that the compressed-air was being used, and until 75% the uboat was still going down... at 219 meters, it stopped sinking and started going up. A quick check on the sonar and the good news! Only one v&w after me, while the rest of the convoy and the other two destroyers were heading away. Another turn in the needle and I found that bastard running straight in my direction, and before I could figure out the distance, I started hearing it echoing everywhere inside the submarine. I thought "ahead flank", but without the propellers it's useless, the noise of the machinery would just make things easier for him. Damn, what to do? The uboat was slowly going up, and was already around 160 meters. I ordered rig for silent running, engines stopped, and waited for the worse. I heard him passing right above us, and at 140 meters the sonar operator whispered "wasserbomb". Three or four explosions, first one far away, and the others getting closer... few seconds with no explosions, seconds that last weeks... another explosion right above us, the uboat rolled around, and the last one hit us right in the middle. Lights went out, glass broke and chief reported damage and several floodings in the command room, sonar room and foward restrooms. I saw in a flash the fuel needle going down, we were losing diesel. Sent everybody to stop the floodings, and by the same time I checked to see that both periscopes were destroyed, the needle was hitting 170 meters. Werdammt! ANBLASEN!!! The air was already at 40% when I ordered... that made me concearned... I thought... "it's no use doing this over and over... I'll have to try something".. I checked the torpedo room, and I had one fish ready, while the other was half loaded. The uboat stabled at 220 meters and start going up... I had about 3 minutes to finish loading the second fish. But then stroke me... how would I aim... I have no periscope... It even crossed my mind to surface and use the uzo, or even the deckgun...but with the uboat already screwed up, it would be death sentence. I decided to go for a lucky strike. Around 120 meters, he went over me again, smashing me hard, and again I had flooding everywhere. The weapon officer reported that the fish had being loaded, and I yelled again "ANBLASEN!!!"... The uboat was already in upward motion, but I knew I needed more, the water was coming in and the uboat was getting heavier. The upward motion plus the little nudge from the ballast was able to drive me up to 19 meters... checking the needle development, I knew that the uboat was going down again, so I had a few seconds to fire something... I open both tubes, quickly and blindly set one torpedo to 45º starboard and the other to 60º... that was the only setting I could change in time. Fired bothe eels, the last one left the tube when the uboat was already at 23 meters. About 30 seconds later, no explosion... I could recall that those two were electric, and that I forgot about setting depth or pistol. Well... even if I had remembered, I wouldn't have time to do it. The depth gauge near the clock was telling me that we were sinking slowly, around 63 meters already. While I was distracted with my own thinking, I heard one explosion. The crew started cheering up, and at the sonar room I could hear the destroyer sinking, and some minor explosion. I couldn't believe it! That had to be the luckiest shot ever! Yes! We are safe! We just have to surface and send a message to bdu asking for help! So I looked at the depth gauge with a smile on my face, and the smile started to fade... The needle was marking 98 meters, and slowly moving to 99 meters. I asked to chief about the floodings, and he said that the last flooding was stoped about 2 minutes ago, and there's no water in the compartments anymore. "So why the hell is it sinking?!?!" - I asked myself in my mind. So I looked around searching for clues, but everything seemed to be ok. Suddenly I felt a huge emptyness filling my soul... and it happened when I looked at the compressed-air gauge. The needle was marking a few degrees above zero. In desperation, I berally whispered... "anblasen..." A very weak noise of air flowing around, the needle beraly dropped, and the needle at the depth gauge stopped moving... it was 109 meters... I was staring closely at that needle, without blinking... after about 15 seconds, she started moving again... 110 meters........ 111 meters........ That emptyness started being filled by death. I yelled again "ANBLASEN!!!", with the meaning in my head "you turn that valve until you breaks it in two, sailor!". Again, the needle in the compressed-air gauge beraly moved, just enough to reach the zero marker. I almost put my face in the depth gauge... the needle stoped at 114 meters. After what seemed to be eternity, it started moving again. 115 meters.................. 116 meters................. In the last moment of hope, I asked the navigator for depth under keel. He said 368 meters. I steped back... leaned in the map table for support and started staring at the floor... I couldn't blink... The metal around me were singing the song of pressure... The long awaited death was taking too long... the needle went from yellow to red... went from red to blank... by my calculations it was marking around 280 meters already, and then the lights went off... All of them... __________________ To each his own

12-11-08, 03:49 PM	#2
nikbear Sea Lord Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Northampton,UK Posts: 1,859 Downloads: 86 Uploads: 0	Oh BuggerIn the midst of lady luck herself smiling on you,the end came all to quicksorry to hear of you and your crew's untimely demiseyou gave a good fight though __________________ 'It is not surely known when the grey wolf shall come upon the seat of the gods' Ericksmal. Last edited by nikbear; 12-11-08 at 05:03 PM.

12-11-08, 03:55 PM	#3
piri_reis Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Istanbul, Turkiye Posts: 715 Downloads: 115 Uploads: 0	Oh man, I was reading that in suspense hoping the boat would be able to rise at the end.. Great story telling Philip, didnt know you played the game Your hit on the destroyer, damn that was a hail marry shot, a critical decision at a very stressful moment __________________ Lt.z.S. Barbaros Hayreddin, U-35, 2nd Flot/Kiel, Type VIIB Oct.29.1939, 2nd Patrol Eastern English Waters Running SH5/TWOS

12-11-08, 04:22 PM	#4
meduza Ace of the Deep Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: on patrol Posts: 1,035 Downloads: 40 Uploads: 0	Great story! Too bad you didn't make it to the surface... __________________

12-11-08, 07:24 PM	#5
Philipp_Thomsen Old Gang Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Drunk at the whorehouse Posts: 2,278 Downloads: 146 Uploads: 0	Yeah... made me really disappointed... __________________ To each his own

12-11-08, 08:36 PM	#6
Task Force Rear Admiral Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: SPACE!!!! Posts: 10,142 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	Brings memorys of a old sh3 career I once had. it just kept going and going, then..... lights explode and............. Silence.... Happend in sh4 too. those fleet boats crush to easy. __________________ Task Force industries "Taking control of the world, one mind at a time"

12-12-08, 06:16 AM	#7
Tachyon Captain Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: India Posts: 514 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	That was a good read. Worthy of the title "Das Boot 2". __________________ My propellor is faster than yours!!!

12-12-08, 07:09 AM	#8
Shadowblade Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 691 Downloads: 13 Uploads: 0	that was really lucky shot and great story __________________ Kapitänleutnant Vlad von Carstein - U-Flotilla Saltzwedel - U-123, Type IXB SH3 GWX 3.0

12-12-08, 12:03 PM	#9
A Very Super Market The Old Man Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Deep in the Wild Canadian suburbs. Posts: 1,468 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	That was an excellent story, but I thought you would get away with it! Happened so many times to me...finally finding a battleship, then getting depth charged and slowly sinking to the bottom.. Never had such a lucky shot though __________________ The entire German garrison of Vanviken, right here in your thread! Last edited by A Very Super Market; 12-12-08 at 12:05 PM.

12-13-08, 10:13 AM	#10
peterloo Commander Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 462 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	As everyone said, yup, I did thought that you could make it back to PD somehow and finish off at least one, if not both BBs Great story anyway. Life gets difficult at this time (later '43) well, you've already tried your best. BdU appreciates your effort in putting those battleships in a halt and allowing others to finish them off (or forcing its crews to scuttle it) BTW, did you guess the movement of the DD using hypophone being you fire those torpedoes? __________________ Romeo is here, but where is Juliet? The 中国水兵 (Chinese Sailor) in subsim

12-14-08, 10:04 PM	#12
Kpt. Lehmann GWX Project Director Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: The Republic of Texas Posts: 6,993 Downloads: 124 Uploads: 0	Your best post ever PT. Sometimes "almost making it" or "limping home on one engine"... is better than sinking twenty ships. Hard scrapes make for much better stories sometimes. ~SALUTE!~ to your crew. __________________ www.thegreywolves.com All you need is good men. - Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock

12-29-08, 02:57 PM	#15
Blue-Casket Torpedoman Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 116 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Ow man so painful i thought there was a happy end but no I had a propeller lost and lost over more then 50 oil and forward batteries destroyed and attack persiscope destroyed too. The hydrophone was intact but due to depth charges i couldn't hear anything trough it anymore But the worst part was! I wasnt even at my patrol grid.