The Diary of U389 (Warning Lots of photos)

[mia389]

This is an online diary of my SH5 experience. I will update this everytime I make any progress on my patrol. Thanks to TheDarkWraith for the journal application found in his UIs. My mods are on my signature link if anyone is wondering.

Patrol 1 La Rochelle

Thursday, March 20, 1941
09:05 Captain Herbert Werner reporting on U389. Departure time will be at 1500 Local.
11:21 Have met with all of my crew. 40% of them, this will be first patrol. Officers are all experienced.
13:38 Boat is ready for sailing. Last of food being put on now. Crew saying final farewells. Good crowd for our departure.
15:05 Set speed 4 knots. My first patrol is underway.
15:36 Set course 235 until 22:30L Speed 12knots
22:28 Changed course to 260 for 1 Day 22.8 hours. ETA next turn point March 22 21:18
22:31 Weather is good. Crew is relaxed and comfortable in new home. Plan on training maneuvers for next hour.
22:58 Performed daily trim dive.
23:25 Performed practice crash dive. Crew and boat did very well.
This picture was taken just before departure on 3/20/41
3/20/41 Leaving sub pen
3/20/41 Leaving La Rochelle
3/20/41 This picture is the navigators map and our course to our patrol zone.

Friday, March 21, 1941
07:02 Performed trim dive
07:46 Green horns are starting to get sick. let them up on deck for a bit. Beautiful morning - calm seas. Navigator shooting the sun
This was taken 3/21/41 en route to our first waypoint.

Saturday, March 22, 1941
09:21 Getting lots of reports of cook spreading Nazi politics. Sent XO to take care of it.
11:56 Performed trim dive
12:34 Seas are picking up. Think we are about to enter a storm.
14:41 Seas were getting rough dove to 80 meters for a couple of hours to give crew a rest. Heading back to surface
14:47 Surfacing the boat brought a surprise to calm seas.
14:47 Emil shooting sun for updated position
15:01 Even after going under we are only 30 mins behind our ETA at turn point. Unless Emil gave me a bad fix
18:24 Received Radio message that Dieters (Watch Officer) brother has died in the fighting on the East front.
21:47 New heading 180 for 50.6 hours. ETA at patrol zone is March 25th 00:26


Sunday, March 23, 1941
06:18 Beautiful morning. Visibility is good and seas are calm. Dieter is holding up good for the bad news he had received
07:00 Just performed morning trim dive. Upon surfacing we received radio message of U551 being sunk with all her crew. It was her first patrol
07:00 I went to school at Neustadt with the XO on U552. I hope I don't meet the same fate.
10:22 Crew has found a small mouse and named it Toby. Seems we have a mascot now.
18:01 Had a easy travel day on calm seas. Had a great meal tonight. Tomorrow we will have to throw some rotted food over
23:41 Ommat has found a cracked valve spring on port side diesel. Running on starboard side until he fixes it.
3/23/41 Coming up from trim dive.
3/23/41

Monday, March 24, 1941
01:25 Ommat has fixed Diesel engine.
07:01 Performed daily trim dive
08:36 We are entering the northern part of our patrol zone. Seas are clam but have lots of fog.
20:26 Emil is shooting the stars for location.
3/24/41 Here you can see some of the fog.

Tuesday, March 25, 1941
01:11 New course 090. Heading East to find some tonnage! Tomorrow is going to be our day I feel
06:42 Great day for hunting. Calm and Clear.
07:09 Performed daily trim dive
14:19 Farther east we go the more the chance of enemy shipping. Im ready for my first one!
3/25/41 Watch crew looking for elephants
3/25/41 Picture ofU389 taken from a JU88 that was patrolling for convoys.

Wednesday, March 26, 1941
04:01 All stop. Have reached a position in Gibraltar bay. Waiting here to engage shipping leaving or entering.
04:23 Dived for sonar check
06:42 Stayed at 30meters all night. Surfaced boat
06:44 Started search pattern.
07:13 WO Reports ship spotted!
07:18 WO was relieved from shift. Eyes were not working.
07:20 Crashed dive! Aircraft was spotted. Few 303 round hit deck as were submerging. Looked like Mosquito or Buefighter
08:50 Surfacing.
09:02 Aircraft spotted, Crashed dive. They know we are here now.
11:51 Surfaced boat. Continuing search pattern
12:02 Aircraft spotted, Crashed dive. Staying at 50 meters for rest of day.
21:34 Surfacing boat. Continuing search pattern
21:36 Emil is getting celestial fix. I fear we are getting close to strait.
Here is our map and our hunting grounds for the next week or so.
As you can see we are using new camera. Picture of Carl looking for ships on 3/26/41
3/26/41 Just surfaced from being forced under due to Aircraft.

Thursday, March 27, 1941
00:45 Radio Report Received! Enemy Task Force, Long 05 23W 36 07N Course 187 Speed 5knots
00:46 That report is Task Force leaving Gibraltar. I think they will go East. If the go West we will be waiting.
04:24 Toby has died.
07:02 Task Force sighted B079!
07:06 Heading 345, Ahead Flak,,, Pursuit is on!
07:18 I only see a single ship. Looks to be Merchant. I think my WO was jumpy after that contact report
07:18 Crew is arming deck gun. No I.D on nationality of ship yet.
07:27 Shes British!
07:30 Engaging with deck gun
07:48 Gave merchant crew some water and bread for their life boat. Will call in their position later.
07:51 First ship sunk, 4,000 tons est, Medium Composite Freighter.
07:52 Heading west at 15 knots.
08:11 Aircraft spotted! Crash dive, No need to report their position!
08:11 Staying submerged for next 3 hours.
3/27/41 Turning to intercept merchant
3/27/41 Merchant final breaths
3/27/41 Was taken just after crew supplied merchantmen.

[TheDarkWraith]

cool idea

[Trevally.]

Looking forward to the next report Mia389

[THE_MASK]

Good read

[mia389]

Thanks guys. Kind of fun making the game into a small story. Updated from Wednesday, March 26, 1941

[THE_MASK]

One thing i forgot to do on my patrol report is say what realism and realism mods i use .

[mia389]

Thursday, March 27, 1941 Continued (Long day)
15:06 Faint sound contact to east. Surfacing full speed ahead
15:09 Surfaced in small squall.
15:26 Aircraft spotted. Crashed dived. Cant believe they are flying in this weather.
15:28 Picking up a ship B353 on sonar. Also sounds to be a torpedo moving from B090 to 360.
15:31 Surfaced, Full speed, charging batteries. They are down to 50% from being submerged all morning.
15:40 Smoke on horizon! Bearing 356!
15:46 Visual on 6 ships. Looks like a task force formation.
15:49 AIRCRAFT CARRIER dead ahead. Coming strait at us.
15:49 Battle stations, Periscope Depth.
15:49 40% battery might give us problems in a bit..
15:50 Rig for Silent Running.
15:59 Battle ship right behind Fleet Carrier.
16:00 Going to try for 2 torpedo's for each Capital ship.
16:11 They will be passing very close. I'm guessing 800 meters. I misjudged my position a little.
16:19 Didn't get time for torpedo solution on Battle ship. All 4 went into Fleet Carrier. She is going to bottom.
16:21 Furious Fleet carrier sunk. 22,000 tons.
16:21 Taking U389 Deep. Already being pinged by escorts. Passing 97 meters.
16:22 Crap, They found us.
16:24 Depth charges above.... Going to be long night.
16:25 Benno has picked up another task force bearing the one we attacked. Another Carrier and Battleship.
16:25 Many escorts above. Crew is being baptized. It was worth it though.
16:27 Depth charges are getting closer. Going deeper. New depth 155 meters.
17:29 We found bottom at 152. All stop
19:58 The good thing is we are not using any battery. Bad thing is they are still up there. Seems they have moved farther south.
21:03 They are moving away now but picked up new warship closing from 270.
23:04 Surfacing boat. Sonar has huge convoy to our south!
23:10 Boat has surfaced. We can smell the smoke.
23:11 Whole horizon to south is full of smoke. New course 180 ahead flank!
23:12 Sent contact report
23:33 We are paralleling their course trying get ahead for intercept. We are only making 15 knots. No time fore recharging batteries. All tubes reloaded.
23:39 New course 090 for intercept!
23:41 Periscope depth
23:45 Fired 4 torpedo's at 4 different ships. Going to 140 meters, silent running.
23:48 2 Torpedoes hit 2 different ships. Other 2 missed intended target, but with the amount of ships in convoy they might hit others.
23:53 Hah! Torpedo Impact!
23:57 Depth charges above!
Taken while approaching TF strait on.
Here I am at periscope depth waiting for them to come.
This was taken from a crew member on the Battle ship moments before the carrier was struck with a torpedo
View from Battleship after Carrier was hit.
View from escort of carrier sinking.
Taken from escort. See the DC exploding?
Taken from an aircraft that was flying overhead. Escorts DCing U389.

Friday, March 28, 1941
00:04 Enemy is pinging us!
00:19 Benno has picked up another Task Force above us. Thats 3 Carriers we have had in the last 4 hours! At least they have one less!
01:51 SV Medium Freighter finally surcame to the sea! 4000 tons. Other 2 ships must of moved on.
03:08 Battery down to 25%
05:00 Secure from silent running and battle stations... Finally slipped away.
05:01 No sound on sonar, Surfacing boat
05:01 Battery down to 6%.
05:01 Blowing ballast to get to surface to start recharging. We only have cover of darkness for another hour.
05:01 I am sure they will send planes first day light.
05:02 Engine compartment has damage. Crew is fixing compressor, Aft battery and both diesels.
05:04 Boat has surfaced.
05:04 Heading 270 at 12 knots... Recharge batteries!
05:04 My plan is to head west and put the strait behind us. I have a bad feeling about planes come day light.
05:06 Smoke on horizon behind us! Probably the escorts that were attacking us.
06:20 ALARM!!!! Aircraft spotted!
06:20 Sun coming up and with it airplanes!
06:45 Surface boat.
06:47 Recharge batteries
06:50 Detecting radar signals!
06:51 Weather is in our favor. Rain and heavy clouds.
06:52 Aircraft found us.. Staying up to recharge. Engaging with Flak gun!
06:57 Aircraft has been destroyed! He dropped bomb on us and did heavy damage.
06:58 Damage report: Medium Flooding. Fore Battery out.
07:04 Flooding has turned to Heavy... If we do not get it under control soon we will have to abandon ship!
07:22 Flooding is under control!
07:42 Still pumping out water from radio room.
08:11 ALARM!!! Aircraft spotted!
08:43 Surface Boat.. Recharge batteries
08:54 ALARM!!! Aircraft spotted!
08:55 All water has been pumped out from boat. Staying submerged rest of day.
13:06 Battery down to 10%. Going to surface and recharge. Heading 240
13:08 Boat has surfaced. Set speed 12 knots. Recharge batteries. Course 240. Get celestial fix.
13:11 ALARM!!! Aircraft spotted!
13:11 New depth 90 meters. All stop.
13:12 Time to get some much needed rest. Come night time we will recharge batteries.
21:27 Surface the boat.
21:30 Boat has surfaced. Send patrol report. Get celestial fix. Speed 12 knots
21:30 Recharge the batteries.
21:30 Battery 10% Fuel 70%
21:59 Emil has giving me our updated position. We will not travel on our heading for 3 days and 7 hours.
22:00 ETA at new hunting grounds is April 1rst. 5:20 AM

This was taken from a merchant in the convoy before attack happened.
Taken from an escort of one of the ships U389 hit.
Taken from me hiding behind conning tower while being attacked by aircraft. This was after his bomb had hit us.
My crew doing their job while chaos is around them. I was taking pictures
Picture of flooding in control room.
Picture of more flooding.
Plotting map of our new hunting grounds.

Saturday, March 29, 1941
05:05 ALARM!!! Aircraft spotted!
05:05 Batteries have been recharged to 98%.
06:05 Surface the boat.
06:20 ALARM!!! Aircraft spotted!
06:20 Set depth 50 meters.
07:14 Surface the boat.
10:52 Getting radio messages of other uboats having the same success we are having.
13:06 Reported position to BDU. Finally an afternoon without any aircraft.
14:09 ALARM!!! Aircraft spotted!
14:11 Torpedo in the water.
14:11 Must of been torpedo plane.
14:11 Fishy how one after I send a position report to BDU we have an aircraft on us.
14:11 Torpedo pasted above us.
14:56 Surface the boat.
19:16 Have had rough seas all day.

[ETsd4]

Exciting captains log.
Good idea with photos in sepia colour.

[Rongel]

Thanks for the patrol log! Always nice to read these, when it's not possible to actually play the game myself.

I could really feel the desperation in the last entry! I hope you will make it back home

[mia389]

My boat is beat up and have a choice to make. Keep in the fight or head for home. For now I just need to get out of the area I'm in lol. That airplane almost made me lose my boat. I had 60% flooding in one compartment.

06:52 Aircraft found us.. Staying up to recharge. Engaging with Flak gun!

That was a bad idea. I wont make that mistake again.

The photos I am using Virtual Photographer plugin and it has lots of Old B/W effects. The one I am using is called WW2. At night I have to turn the exposure compensator up to see the photos.

[mia389]

Updated from Friday, March 28, 1941 8:55

[TheDarkWraith]

Originally Posted by mia389

Updated from Friday, March 28, 1941 8:55

Did you actually see the torpedo bomber and torpedo in the water? Did the torpdo bomber attack from high altitude or was it skimming the water when it was doing it's attack run?

[mia389]

He dove in from high then dropped torpedo while being right above water. He was pretty accurate too, but I was at 40 meters. It was pretty cool. At first I thought he was going to strafe the water then I seen him release a torpedo! Was in external view of course.

Yes seen torpedo and bomber.

[TheDarkWraith]

Originally Posted by mia389

He dove in from high then dropped torpedo while being right above water. He was pretty accurate too, but I was at 40 meters. It was pretty cool. At first I thought he was going to strafe the water then I seen him release a torpedo! Was in external view of course.

Yes seen torpedo and bomber.

Cool That's IRAI doing what it does best

[mia389]

These next few days are travel days.
Sunday, March 30, 1941
04:27 New speed 8 knots.
04:27 Seas still heavy. Getting some distant from strait now.
07:14 Performed daily trim dive.
09:44 Received message from BDU that Joesph wife has had a girl.
10:03 Have 2 torpedoes left in forward compartment and one in external. Aft torpedo still has 3. Seas to rough to load from external.
14:52 Seas have calmed down enough to load external torpedo. Crew is doing so now.
15:53 Tube 3 has been loaded.
15:59 New ETA after speed change is April 2nd at 7:48AM
Taken shortly before we starting to unload external torpedo.

Monday, March 31, 1941
06:45 Performed daily trim dive.
07:03 Emil is getting celestial fix.
07:51 Sent position report to BDU.
15:50 Let crew up on deck. Weather is good.
22:12 Biscay cross has been broken. Josef is trying to fix it.


Tuesday, April 01, 1941
02:36 Biscay cross has been repaired.
06:21 Performed daily trim dive.
08:01 Wili has broken his finger.
11:08 Weather: Partly cloudy, Seas are medium, Wind 6m/s
14:37 Emil getting Celestial fix.
15:44 Crew is ready to see some more action. I guess a few days of travel bores them.


Wednesday, April 02, 1941
07:18 Performed daily trim dive.
07:19 Emil getting celestial fix.
08:32 We are now entering our patrol area. Starting search pattern.


Thursday, April 03, 1941
01:12 Emil getting position.
07:14 Performed daily trim dive.
07:20 New course 022. Start new search pattern.
07:20 Going to start heading north. We are down to 50% fuel. About 3200km away from home.
08:30 Weather turned bad. Heavy rain and seas.
08:49 MAN OVERBOARD!!!
08:49 All stop.
08:50 Back full.
08:50 Back emergency
08:50 All stop
08:59 Dieter was washed overboard. Crew did job recovering him. He is fine.
08:59 Continue search patter. Speed 12 knots.
17:05 Seas are still very heavy.. Going to 40 meters to give crew a break.
17:05 Depth 50 meter. Speed 5 knots.
Picture of the seas in the storm.


Friday, April 04, 1941
01:15 Surface the boat.
01:16 Speed 12 knots, Recharge batteries.
07:18 Performed daily trim dive.
07:18 Still in this storm.
12:56 Emil is getting our position.
21:07 Starting to think there is no convoys on this route.
Picture of our navigation map.We are patrolling north along the convoy route.