I'm new(ish). Coincidentally, I just made a really dumb set of mistakes.

PETC · 08-10-15, 01:06 AM

I've played Silent Hunter III off and on for a few years, but for some reason I never even read the Community Manual. I dove into that a few weeks ago, and I'm enjoying the game much more now. But, that doesn't mean I'm not still Dog-Meat, Newb of the Seas.

I forgive you if after reading hundreds of similar stories you would rather not spend your time reading this, but I hope some find entertainment from my words.

=====================

I started in 1939 in the 1st Flotilla, captaining the Type IIA U-2. My only goal was to sink more shipping than any other IIA captain. Should be simple. My first few patrols were uneventful. Third patrol I got my first kill, fourth patrol had two successful attacks for just over 20,000 tons. Fifth patrol found two more successful attacks, but netted much less. Sitting on the eve of my sixth patrol in early February, 1940, I was essentially tied for 6th most tons sunk. Feeling pretty good I embarked.

The patrol was shaping up to be a boring one, with most of my patrol route complete with no contacts, and nothing being gifted by the BdU. I dove to pick up contacts out of boredom, and there one was! After figuring its course and speed we plotted an intercept course and all went according to plan. Within two hours the Empire Class Freighter was sitting at the bottom of the shallow waters off England's east coast. As I was about to finish up and see if I could find anything on the way home, I got news of a convoy in my backyard. I did the mapping and realized we not only had a chance, but we could be set up real nice for when they come through, so we set a course.

Before I was even in visual range, I dove to pickup some contacts. There they were, so many contacts! But whats this? They're not supposed to be that close... Either, the reported speed had been incorrect, they changed speed, or I messed up, all equally probable. Whichever the cause, we were closer than I imagined. I could identify at least three warships among the freighters. Perhaps at this point, as the captain of a single boat with three torpedoes and no deck gun, this is where some of you would have opted out. I decided: "It'll probably be alright." and surface to sprint up closer.

This would be a good time to inform you that this foolish attack was taking place:

a.) By a single submarine
b.) In broad daylight
c.) Against a moderately well defended convoy.
d.) In less than 25 meters of water.
e.) Less than 30 clicks off the coast of England.

For some reason none of this set off red flags.

And then, the worst possible thing that could have happened did happen. The moment the watch officer stated he had a contact, we crash dove. Shortly after the dive, the sonar man reports: "Warship! Closing Fast! Bearing 060" I was still a decent distance away... but it was possible he had spotted me. I braved the periscope and found that he was on a different course than the rest of the convoy. He was heading straight for me.

I turned the ship towards him, I still had three torpedoes after all. I opened tube one, and as soon as I had a shot I took it. I knew it was a long shot, but I figured it was one of my only shots. As the fish neared closer to the approaching warship, the captain noticed it and turned hard starboard. The torpedo impacted her port side mid-ship, and she was dead in the water. Excellent! But there was more than one of these guys, and one of his buddies was already coming after me at full steam. I didn't have much time.

Shortly afterwards the pinging began. Then the depth charges came.

I dove just about to the bottom and did all the prudent things. We danced for hours. I felt there was simply no escape, but his aim wasn't very good. At one point he started shelling the water in the wrong direction and I got hopeful, but he found me again. After that I nearly made it an entire kilometer away, and was feeling safer, but, he found me again. This went on for an agonizingly long time, and then, my chance! He was making a turn that would be almost directly in front of me... If I could just get my bow on him I might be able to disable or sink him. By this point the convoy was long gone, and if I could put him out of commission I could make my escape.

I ascended to periscope depth, but he had out-turned me. I gave the order to dive once more, but the subs conning tower had poked above the waterline just enough for the destroyers deck guns to get a bead on me. I was now being shelled. Some misses, many close calls, and two direct hits to the conning tower. No major damage, as long as I don't need the radio, or the periscope...

Eventually I made it to water deep enough to help me and I managed to sneak away from him. I set course for a patch of deeper water nearby and planned to wait there until night, and then surface and attempt repairs on the radio. As I descended into the deep basin, I came to a dead stop and just waited. During this time, I decided to check out the damage to my conning tower and switch to my external Cheater Cam. What I saw froze me.

A mine, sat less than 10m abreast of my submarine... its chain descending to the bottom. I was pretty sure that mines needed to be struck to go off, but I didn't know if the wake turbulence generated by my props would be enough to blow me up. Either way, I was drifting, and if I continued to sit there there was a large chance I would drift into the mine. So I left. Carefully. Then I went to change my pants.

I made it back to port a few days later, having learned many new lessons to apply to my Seventh, and hopefully, less terrifying patrol.

I hope you enjoyed reading this wall of text.

tl;dr: I am an ignorant rookie, played a bunch of dumb games, won a bunch of dumb prizes.

SilentPrey · 08-10-15, 01:33 AM

I might have gotten caught trying to run the channel...

Welcome to SubSim!

Aktungbby · 08-10-15, 01:52 AM

PETC!

good story!

VONHARRIS · 08-10-15, 01:57 AM

Nice story. Well done on surviving against such odds.
Welcome to Subsim.

THEBERBSTER · 08-10-15, 04:13 AM

A Warm Welcome To The Subsim Community > PETC
You Will Always Find Someone Here To Help You
New To Silent Hunter <> Need Help <> Click On My Thread Link.

u crank · 08-10-15, 04:23 AM

Welcome to SubSim PETC.

Kip336 · 08-10-15, 05:58 AM

I'd like to say:
Any attack that you can limp away from and return to port is a successful attack.

Great story. I think we have all done something similarly daring at one point in our careers.

Welcome to subsim, may the winds be fair.

Rambler241 · 08-10-15, 07:43 AM

You've had a lucky escape and learned a lot. One of the most important things IMHO is to use sonar both regularly and frequently - you've got 30+ km hearing range. Plot a few adjacent 8 km circles in the English Channel with the compass tool, then a couple of touching 32 km circles and see the difference. To get more than 20 km range (a limitation of the AI with sonarman listening) do your own scans.

On my last mission, from Brest to AM32, NW of Scapa, more than 2/3 of contacts were picked up using sonar, and tracked to a successful conclusion. If you don't use sonar, and use it as a matter of course, you're sailing with blinkers on. I get a map contact - it's 50 km away for example. First thing I do, unless I've just done a sonar check, is to do one right away. That contact may be just a 2k tons ship. Takes up no more than 2 minutes, and may reveal several things, like there's a warship en route to your likely intercept point, or there's another target along the way or just off, perhaps even jucier, or another within range - a convoy perhaps. I'll do another check on the way to that 50k distant target, or more (about once every hour or 20-30k) if further away.

Whenever you do a sonar check, check the whole 360°. Your lookout crew are constantly scanning all round - follow their example and do the same with sonar. Just sunk a target? Drop down for a sonar check - there may well be at least one warship coming to investigate, or another (or two, or more) target(s) within sonar range. Putting some distance between your boat and the sunk target is wise, but you need to know whether you're going to run into a distinctly unfriendly warship.

Doing such regular and frequent checks (and doing them yourself) may be looked on as micro-management by some, but it gets results, and in my experience, lots of 'em.

Sailor Steve · 08-10-15, 09:11 AM

Not at you, or your misfortunes, but at your descriptions of them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PETC

For some reason none of this set off red flags.

Quote:

No major damage, as long as I don't need the radio, or the periscope...

Quote:

...and switch to my external Cheater Cam. What I saw froze me.

Quote:

Then I went to change my pants.

Very good stuff. I'm also glad you mentioned your empty patrols. I've had more than my share, and I enjoy them just as much as the more exciting ones.

HW3 · 08-10-15, 10:41 AM

Welcome Aboard! A most excellent read.

Fahnenbohn · 08-10-15, 11:20 AM

An initiatory patrol !

PETC · 08-10-15, 11:44 AM

Hey all, thanks for the kind words and sound advice. I just recently discovered that I can in fact manually operate the hydrophones, so that led to my succesful tracking of the Empire Class ship I sunk earlier in my sixth patrol.

I also forgot to mention that I am playing GWX3, and that shortly before the sinking of that freighter, watch spotted an airplane closing on my position. Crash dove and switched to cheater cam again to watch him dive my previous location, but not release any of the small bombs he was carrying... That was quite a scare as well, eapecially considering that I failed the flack section of the Naval Academy HARD.

Jimbuna · 08-10-15, 03:26 PM

Welcome to SubSim PETC

UKönig · 08-13-15, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kip336

I'd like to say:
Any attack that you can limp away from and return to port is a successful attack.

Great story. I think we have all done something similarly daring at one point in our careers.

Welcome to subsim, may the winds be fair.

...Daring... yes, let's call it that.

UKönig · 08-13-15, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PETC

Hey all, thanks for the kind words and sound advice. I just recently discovered that I can in fact manually operate the hydrophones, so that led to my succesful tracking of the Empire Class ship I sunk earlier in my sixth patrol.

I also forgot to mention that I am playing GWX3, and that shortly before the sinking of that freighter, watch spotted an airplane closing on my position. Crash dove and switched to cheater cam again to watch him dive my previous location, but not release any of the small bombs he was carrying... That was quite a scare as well, eapecially considering that I failed the flack section of the Naval Academy HARD.

And if there is one thing I am good at, is shooting down aircraft. So much so that that is usually how I will get killed. I become too brazen and won't realize that I'm in over my head (pun not really intended) until the bombs come down...

08-10-15, 01:06 AM	#1
PETC Sailor man Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 43 Downloads: 31 Uploads: 0	I'm new(ish). Coincidentally, I just made a really dumb set of mistakes. I've played Silent Hunter III off and on for a few years, but for some reason I never even read the Community Manual. I dove into that a few weeks ago, and I'm enjoying the game much more now. But, that doesn't mean I'm not still Dog-Meat, Newb of the Seas. I forgive you if after reading hundreds of similar stories you would rather not spend your time reading this, but I hope some find entertainment from my words. ===================== I started in 1939 in the 1st Flotilla, captaining the Type IIA U-2. My only goal was to sink more shipping than any other IIA captain. Should be simple. My first few patrols were uneventful. Third patrol I got my first kill, fourth patrol had two successful attacks for just over 20,000 tons. Fifth patrol found two more successful attacks, but netted much less. Sitting on the eve of my sixth patrol in early February, 1940, I was essentially tied for 6th most tons sunk. Feeling pretty good I embarked. The patrol was shaping up to be a boring one, with most of my patrol route complete with no contacts, and nothing being gifted by the BdU. I dove to pick up contacts out of boredom, and there one was! After figuring its course and speed we plotted an intercept course and all went according to plan. Within two hours the Empire Class Freighter was sitting at the bottom of the shallow waters off England's east coast. As I was about to finish up and see if I could find anything on the way home, I got news of a convoy in my backyard. I did the mapping and realized we not only had a chance, but we could be set up real nice for when they come through, so we set a course. Before I was even in visual range, I dove to pickup some contacts. There they were, so many contacts! But whats this? They're not supposed to be that close... Either, the reported speed had been incorrect, they changed speed, or I messed up, all equally probable. Whichever the cause, we were closer than I imagined. I could identify at least three warships among the freighters. Perhaps at this point, as the captain of a single boat with three torpedoes and no deck gun, this is where some of you would have opted out. I decided: "It'll probably be alright." and surface to sprint up closer. This would be a good time to inform you that this foolish attack was taking place: a.) By a single submarine b.) In broad daylight c.) Against a moderately well defended convoy. d.) In less than 25 meters of water. e.) Less than 30 clicks off the coast of England. For some reason none of this set off red flags. And then, the worst possible thing that could have happened did happen. The moment the watch officer stated he had a contact, we crash dove. Shortly after the dive, the sonar man reports: "Warship! Closing Fast! Bearing 060" I was still a decent distance away... but it was possible he had spotted me. I braved the periscope and found that he was on a different course than the rest of the convoy. He was heading straight for me. I turned the ship towards him, I still had three torpedoes after all. I opened tube one, and as soon as I had a shot I took it. I knew it was a long shot, but I figured it was one of my only shots. As the fish neared closer to the approaching warship, the captain noticed it and turned hard starboard. The torpedo impacted her port side mid-ship, and she was dead in the water. Excellent! But there was more than one of these guys, and one of his buddies was already coming after me at full steam. I didn't have much time. Shortly afterwards the pinging began. Then the depth charges came. I dove just about to the bottom and did all the prudent things. We danced for hours. I felt there was simply no escape, but his aim wasn't very good. At one point he started shelling the water in the wrong direction and I got hopeful, but he found me again. After that I nearly made it an entire kilometer away, and was feeling safer, but, he found me again. This went on for an agonizingly long time, and then, my chance! He was making a turn that would be almost directly in front of me... If I could just get my bow on him I might be able to disable or sink him. By this point the convoy was long gone, and if I could put him out of commission I could make my escape. I ascended to periscope depth, but he had out-turned me. I gave the order to dive once more, but the subs conning tower had poked above the waterline just enough for the destroyers deck guns to get a bead on me. I was now being shelled. Some misses, many close calls, and two direct hits to the conning tower. No major damage, as long as I don't need the radio, or the periscope... Eventually I made it to water deep enough to help me and I managed to sneak away from him. I set course for a patch of deeper water nearby and planned to wait there until night, and then surface and attempt repairs on the radio. As I descended into the deep basin, I came to a dead stop and just waited. During this time, I decided to check out the damage to my conning tower and switch to my external Cheater Cam. What I saw froze me. A mine, sat less than 10m abreast of my submarine... its chain descending to the bottom. I was pretty sure that mines needed to be struck to go off, but I didn't know if the wake turbulence generated by my props would be enough to blow me up. Either way, I was drifting, and if I continued to sit there there was a large chance I would drift into the mine. So I left. Carefully. Then I went to change my pants. I made it back to port a few days later, having learned many new lessons to apply to my Seventh, and hopefully, less terrifying patrol. I hope you enjoyed reading this wall of text. tl;dr: I am an ignorant rookie, played a bunch of dumb games, won a bunch of dumb prizes.

08-10-15, 01:52 AM	#3
Aktungbby Gefallen Engel U-666 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: On a tilted, overheated, overpopulated spinning mudball on Collision course with Andromeda Galaxy Posts: 29,995 Downloads: 24 Uploads: 0	welcome aboard! PETC!good story! __________________ "Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness?!!

08-10-15, 04:13 AM	#5
THEBERBSTER Growing Old Disgracefully Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Hythe - Southampton Posts: 9,609 Downloads: 1133 Uploads: 0	A Warm Welcome To The Subsim Community > PETC You Will Always Find Someone Here To Help You New To Silent Hunter <> Need Help <> Click On My Thread Link. __________________ LSH3-2015 <> TUTORIALS <> ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW <> ALL IN ONE PLACE SH4 <> TUTORIALS <> HOW TO DO IT <> INFORMATION <> DOWNLOAD LINKS SH5 <> TUTORIALS <> HOW TO DO IT <> INFORMATION <> DOWNLOAD LINKS Always Here To Help A Fellow 'Subber' \| Need An Answer to A Question Just Send Me A PM

08-10-15, 04:23 AM	#6
u crank Old enough to know better Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Prince Edward Island Posts: 11,744 Downloads: 136 Uploads: 0	Welcome to SubSim PETC. __________________ “Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” ― Arthur C. Clarke

08-10-15, 05:58 AM	#7
Kip336 Torpedoman Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 119 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	I'd like to say: Any attack that you can limp away from and return to port is a successful attack. Great story. I think we have all done something similarly daring at one point in our careers. Welcome to subsim, may the winds be fair. __________________ Kplt. Kipischovic Malifozik U-336, 2nd Flotilla, Lorient

08-10-15, 01:33 AM	#2
SilentPrey Navy Dude Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 171 Downloads: 58 Uploads: 2	I might have gotten caught trying to run the channel... Welcome to SubSim!

08-10-15, 01:57 AM	#4
VONHARRIS Konteradmiral Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Greece Posts: 1,992 Downloads: 300 Uploads: 0	Nice story. Well done on surviving against such odds. Welcome to Subsim.

08-10-15, 07:43 AM	#8
Rambler241 A-ganger Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: High Wycombe, UK Posts: 76 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	You've had a lucky escape and learned a lot. One of the most important things IMHO is to use sonar both regularly and frequently - you've got 30+ km hearing range. Plot a few adjacent 8 km circles in the English Channel with the compass tool, then a couple of touching 32 km circles and see the difference. To get more than 20 km range (a limitation of the AI with sonarman listening) do your own scans. On my last mission, from Brest to AM32, NW of Scapa, more than 2/3 of contacts were picked up using sonar, and tracked to a successful conclusion. If you don't use sonar, and use it as a matter of course, you're sailing with blinkers on. I get a map contact - it's 50 km away for example. First thing I do, unless I've just done a sonar check, is to do one right away. That contact may be just a 2k tons ship. Takes up no more than 2 minutes, and may reveal several things, like there's a warship en route to your likely intercept point, or there's another target along the way or just off, perhaps even jucier, or another within range - a convoy perhaps. I'll do another check on the way to that 50k distant target, or more (about once every hour or 20-30k) if further away. Whenever you do a sonar check, check the whole 360°. Your lookout crew are constantly scanning all round - follow their example and do the same with sonar. Just sunk a target? Drop down for a sonar check - there may well be at least one warship coming to investigate, or another (or two, or more) target(s) within sonar range. Putting some distance between your boat and the sunk target is wise, but you need to know whether you're going to run into a distinctly unfriendly warship. Doing such regular and frequent checks (and doing them yourself) may be looked on as micro-management by some, but it gets results, and in my experience, lots of 'em. __________________ There are only two kinds of vessels; submarines and targets.

08-10-15, 10:41 AM	#10
HW3 Navy Seal Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Gresham Oregon Posts: 6,574 Downloads: 458 Uploads: 0	Welcome Aboard! A most excellent read. __________________ "Some ships are designed to sink...others require our assistance." Nathan Zelk

08-10-15, 11:20 AM	#11
Fahnenbohn Ace of the Deep Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: France Posts: 1,072 Downloads: 155 Uploads: 0	An initiatory patrol !

08-10-15, 11:44 AM	#12
PETC Sailor man Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 43 Downloads: 31 Uploads: 0	Hey all, thanks for the kind words and sound advice. I just recently discovered that I can in fact manually operate the hydrophones, so that led to my succesful tracking of the Empire Class ship I sunk earlier in my sixth patrol. I also forgot to mention that I am playing GWX3, and that shortly before the sinking of that freighter, watch spotted an airplane closing on my position. Crash dove and switched to cheater cam again to watch him dive my previous location, but not release any of the small bombs he was carrying... That was quite a scare as well, eapecially considering that I failed the flack section of the Naval Academy HARD.

08-10-15, 03:26 PM	#13
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,500 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	Welcome to SubSim PETC __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!