Just spent 5 torps trying for one 4650ton Merchant... a tale of woe inside...

[Shrike37]

I'm new to SH3 and just started a GWX3.0 campaign in 1939 driving a VIIB. It is 4 Sept 1939 and I'm doing manual targeting to make the game a little more interesting. I've already sunk my first ship, a small merchant (2325 tons), with my first torpedo shot of the war a day ago. It was a relatively small and fast vessel at 1400m so I feel fairly confident in my torpedo solutions.

Anyway, I spot a Granville-type freighter (4650tons) the next day at ~5km moving away. I take a couple readings to get a basic idea of course and speed. I plot a quick and dirty intercept course that keeps me out of its way so I don't get spotted. A while later I end up in a good place waiting for him. Sure enough he comes along and I take some more readings to get his data. I fine tune my location and direction a bit based on those new readings.

I'm all set up for a good 90 degree shot (0 gyro angle) at ~1100m. The seas are pretty rough though, so I'm not 100% on my data (with all the bobbing up and down of his boat and mine) but feel pretty good. I get a 2 torpedo spread ready to help account for any error due to the rough seas.

They are the basic TypeII early war electric torpedoes. I set them for 0 depth and impact detonation because of the manufacturing flaws they had in real life. I open doors I and III; I let them fly. I have most realism stuff on, but I like the free move camera to watch the show. So I jump in the camera and follow the torpedoes underwater. About halfway to the target, one of my torpedoes explodes!

I can only guess that the huge waves messed up the torpedo somehow and caused it to detonate. The merchant takes evasive action and my second torpedo misses by ~50-100m. I'm almost positive that I would have hit him if the one torpedo didn't prematurely detonate and warn him.

I'm still a little shocked about the whole thing at this point. I've spent about 50 min. of my life trying to sink this guy. I've already wasted 2 torpedoes on him. I can't let it all be for nothing because of some random chance torpedo malfunction. To top it all off, I have my son in my lap telling me to, "Get him daddy!" So, even though I have a little voice in the back of my mind telling me this is a mistake and to cut my losses, like watching a really bad B movie, I just have to keep at it.

I quickly do a hydrophone check to make sure there isn't anything to be concerned about. Sure enough, we are the only two ships around. By this point he is doing crazy manuvers and going full speed ahead. I realize that I will not be able to get another good torpedo solution unless I can get really close. So out of the water I come and go to flank speed to close some distance.

At this point I remember I have a deck gun! I tell myself that this sucker is going down without wasting any more torpedoes. I quickly try to man the gun, but to my dismay, find out the seas are too rough and am not allowed As I am cursing my crew for lacking the courage to man the deck gun in 15-20ft waves, I open torpedo bay doors II and IV and set the two on spread, lower the depth to 3m (in case the waves were the cause of the premature detonation) and aim them straight ahead at 0 degrees. This turns my Uboot into a point and shoot weapon.

I close to ~500-600m on the jinking merchant. I'm sure everyone on board that freighter is pissing their pants at this point. I wait until his evasive manuevers put his starboard side to my bow. I kick the rudder, in order to lead him just a bit and fire!

This time neither torpedo predetonated. Unfortunately, the first one missed... but the second was dead on. Aghast, I watched as the second bounced harmlessly off the rounded belly of the boat as a great wave lifted the freighter out of the sea at the worst possible moment!

At this point I am furious. What would my crew and BdU think of me wasting 4 torpedoes in a failed attempt on a mere 4650 ton ship! So I did the only thing I could do at that point. I turned around, not to bid a hasty exit with my tail between my legs as you might expect at this point, but to get my final saving grace in position. I had 1 stern torpedo left! If I was going to waste 4 torpedoes in a failed attempt, how much worse would it be if it was 5 wasted torpedoes instead?

At this point, I'm sure the freighter is thinking that God is on their side. Imagine being in their shoes for a min. They are cruising along until the sea explodes a couple hundred meters away! Then a submarine surfaces in the distance and comes rushing at them. Then they all hear a loud thud as a torpedo hits them but does not explode! They probably were praising their maker for causing both torpedoes aimed at them to be duds! After all this, the submarine finally turns around and starts to leave. They must have been cheering and dancing.

Then their worlds come crashing down as the last and final torpedo does it's job and explodes right at the keel midship! Amazingly it was an impact detonated torpedo, but a wave lifted the frieghter again; this time at the perfect moment! The freighter breaks in two shortly after impact and sinks!

Finally I sit in contentment and watch the air bubble and oil slick froth at the sea's surface. At that moment I vow never to attack anything under 10,000tons in rough seas again. So was it worth it, 5 torpedoes for 4650 tons of merchant?

[rubenandthejets]

It was worth it.

You are doing your best with what you've got. Uncle Karl will pat you on the back for showing the proper aggressive attitude, sinking ships and bringing your boat back home safely.

Carry on.

[Doolar]

I'm with rubenandthejets . I'd do the same thing .

[warispeace]

Great story! Thanks for sharing.
If I had missed with #5 I would have rammed the SOB and taken him down with me. I've never had a torp blow up on me like that. That's some bad luck.

[sunvalleyslim]

Shrike37,
A most impressive story......Had it been easy, you would have said "I'm bored". The greatest thing about this sim is its reality......This is what a real U-Boat would experience....Life is not easy.....You must expend that energy necessary to overcome all.......That's why when you were done you raised your arms and screamed................OH YEAH BABY YOU"RE GOING DOWN.........

[Leandros]

If you compare the value/cost of each torpedo against a 4-5000 ton ship the whole torpedo load could have been used without any shame. OTH, thinking about what could have been achieved with those torpedoes on other ships, is another matter. You would probably experience as many duds.

What I wonder about is if the dud percentage improves (decreases......) with more experienced torpedo crews....?...game-wise it ought to - just my opinion. I have a feeling this is the case but not sure.

[1480]

Better to destroy little than damage much- BOOT Commanders Handbook, welcome Herr Kaleun....

[SteveW1]

could have been more aggresive and rammed him

[nikbear]

Everybody who has set to sea from the start of the war will have been through this scenario,the eels at the start are notorious for being duds at times But the most important thing is YOU perceviered and took down the enemy,that is what matters most,
And remember,the eels let you down,your aim didn't,you can be proud of that

[Jimbuna]

That was an interesting read Shrike37

[meduza]

You did well, Herr Kaleun!

Nice story, too.

[Bent Periscope]

They're not going to be all be easy, glad you got him at the end. I'm sure your son was happy to see how you finally got him.

Great story.

BP

[AndyW]

Originally Posted by Shrike37

At that moment I vow never to attack anything under 10,000tons in rough seas again.

You will reconsider that anyway once you survive until the years 1943/44/45. Sinking only one or two 4,000 tons is a superb patrol result.

In fact I found that those "early" 1939/40 careeers are spoiling me to a level of carelessness and overestimation of capabilities which put my DiD career to an end almost all of the time once the tide shifts and the hunter becomes the hunted.

Cheers,

[BasilY]

Once spend 5 on a Passenger/Cargo. Yeah, it's worthy it.

[Paul Riley]

Dont worry Shrike,
In my copy of the Uboat Commander's Handbook there was one reference that stuck in my mind,and it was something on the lines of "do not be disheartened,do not allow anything to wear you down" . This was a clear reference to the UBoat captain maintaining his cool and remaining positive and focused,and it looks like you did just that.You could have quite easily turned from the attack in frustration and dismay,but you gave him your final and ultimately decisive knockout punch!