Woohoo - FINALLY! Bagged my first Kriegschiff !

[panthercules]

Wow - been playing SH3 since forever, and finally ran into only my second task force that I could actually intercept (first one killed my last Kaleun in the Channel during the Dunkirk evacuation, before I could even get a shot off )

After sinking 3 lone small Norwegian freighters during the first 2 days after our invasion began in April 1940, I got a report of an enemy task force heading east toward my location off the Norwegian coast. I was able to spot the smoke plumes before my crew did, and went to periscope depth and got set up for a short shot at the lead big ship in the center column. As it got closer, I saw it was a Fiji class light cruiser, and from where I was it looked like there was another one coming up just behind it.

I fired a salvo of 2 G7e's set to impact because of the heavy seas (13m/s winds), then started to set up the TDC for my next salvo of 2 G7a's for the second ship. That's when I noticed that it wasn't another cruiser, but was a big honking troopship Visions of BRT began dancing in my head

Unfortunately, just about then both my torps hit the Fiji (I had to look - couldn't help myself) and I also spotted the lead destroyer, which had turned around and was closing fast. I had to rush my next shot before the troopship got to my predetermined firing solution, and with all the distractions and last minute TDC changes I somehow botched the shot at the troopship (I think she may have also changed course to avoid hitting the wounded Fiji), but as I lowered my 'scope and crash-dived I was rewarded with a last glimpse of the Fiji rolling over and sinking fast from my first salvo.

Although the escorts forced me down and threw a few DCs my way, I could tell their heart wasn't in it and they didn't really want to leave their now-unprotected charges steaming away unescorted, so they broke off fairly quickly and rejoined the task force.

I know some of our Wehrmacht friends on the ground in Norway aren't going to be happy about my missing that troopship, but at least some of our surface Kriegsmarine comrades will have one less RN cruiser to contend with

Besides, my tubes are reloaded and unless they speed up (they were only running at 12 knots for some odd reason - maybe the troop transports were slowing them down), I might just have enough room before they reach the coast to run around and hit them again - now that I know the troopships are there I'll certainly make them a priority this time around.

Good luck, and good hunting!

[panthercules]

Well, our Wehrmacht boys in Norway can rest a bit easier too

I managed to get back into position on the task force again. There were at least 3 troop transports in column - one in the lead, then a gap, the two more close together. Letting the lead transport go on by unmolested was tough, but I wanted a shot at both of the trailing transports.

I lined up to fire from a little farther away this time (about 900m), so that I would be able to get off my second salvo before the first one hit. Worked like a charm - scored two hits on the no.2 transport, and two on the no.3 - one of the latter must have hit a critical spot 'cause there was a big explosion and that transport went down almost immediately.

The no. 2 transport though sailed on with no noticeable effect, and although I followed along the task force's course (after shaking off the escorts again) I was never able to spot a straggler before I caught up with the task force again - either she went down somewhere along the way or she had a heckuva damage control team.

In my third attack on the task force, I put one torp into the stern of the lead troop transport, and saw it start slowing down and settling by the stern a bit before i had to dive yet again to evade the escorts. Although I tracked down their course once again (after again dodging these rookie escorts) I never found her or the task force again, so I don't know if they got her going again or if she went down while I was riding out the DC attacks.

We only got credit for one of the 3 troop transports I hit But at least we'll be returning to port knowing we did our part to make Operation Weserübung a success

I really love how with RUB 1.44 I'm getting some real time-period-appropriate enemy naval activity now - way to go modders

[edit] Forgot to mention - the reason I eventually lost the task force was they must have radioed for air cover after I hit them the third time, 'cause every time I tried to surface and catch up to them (even after waiting submerged various amounts of time up to about an hour and a half) I'd be spotted and chased back under by aircraft - my watch crew always saw them in plenty of time but they kept me from being able to catch up with the fast-moving remnants of the task force - nice touch

[U-104]

[panthercules]

Verdammte RAF

As I was heading home, only one torp left (stern tube at that), I got chased under by another airplane. For some reason, I cannot see the airplanes any more - must have been 6-8 times on this patrol that my watch crew spotted aircraft between 3,000m and 5,000m out, but I never could see them :hmm:

Anyway, while I was submerged I figured I might as well do a hydrophone sweep, and when I did I picked up a sound contact reasonably close by so I decided to go have a look. Turned out to be a small freighter, and while I was lining up to get in firing position my watch spotted another aircraft - since I couldn't see it I decided to go ahead and submerge to 'scope depth which I was almost ready to do anyway.

I had to do a 180 to bring my stern tube to bear, so the freighter was almost to my pre-set firing solution by the time I could pop the 'scope up for a final check. As the scope cleared the surface, I was amazed to see the entire back half of the freighter in flames

We were off an occupied section of Norway at the time so I figured it must have been our glorious Luftwaffe this time, and that maybe I'd just missed seeing one of those Stuka attacks I keep reading about around here. I only had a few seconds to decide about whether to shoot my last torp, and just as I hit the fire button I realized that the air attack had destroyed the mast on which the freighter's flag is usually located, and there was no flag flying. My torp hit and the freighter sank quickly. Then as I was plotting my course home I noticed the BLUE sunken ship marker on my nav map - the plane had been British after all and had bombed one of our ships, and I had finished it off by mistake

I gave a moment's thought to reloading a previous saved game, but I play DiD (Dumb is Dumb), so I went back to Wilhelmshaven to take my lumps from BdU. Fortunately, Adm Doenitz was pleased enough about the light cruiser and troopship (and the other enemy ships) I sank that I still got 1,100 renown for the patrol - next time though I think I'll let the flyboys finish their own work.

[ICBM]

Originally Posted by panthercules

I fired a salvo of 2 G7e's set to impact because of the heavy seas (13m/s winds),

Heavy seas and you set your torps to Impact? That means that the torps will have to travel close to the choppy surface, trowing the torp around and increasing the change of a premature detonation.

In a storm I always use mag. dets. to keep the torps below the waves as much as possible, just add 0.5m to the draft.

[panthercules]

Originally Posted by ICBM

Heavy seas and you set your torps to Impact? That means that the torps will have to travel close to the choppy surface, trowing the torp around and increasing the change of a premature detonation.

In a storm I always use mag. dets. to keep the torps below the waves as much as possible, just add 0.5m to the draft.

During this relatively early stage of the war there are lots of problems with the magnetic pistols, and they are especially flaky during rough/stormy seas - I get a very high percentage of premature explosions using magnetics in high seas, so I always use impact setting to avoid that problem - I've been getting much better results since switching to this approach, at least during the early part of the war before the problems with the magnetic triggers are fixed.

[nelson]

Originally Posted by panthercules

Verdammte RAF

We were off an occupied section of Norway at the time so I figured it must have been our glorious Luftwaffe this time, and that maybe I'd just missed seeing one of those Stuka attacks I keep reading about around here. I only had a few seconds to decide about whether to shoot my last torp, and just as I hit the fire button I realized that the air attack had destroyed the mast on which the freighter's flag is usually located, and there was no flag flying. My torp hit and the freighter sank quickly. Then as I was plotting my course home I noticed the BLUE sunken ship marker on my nav map - the plane had been British after all and had bombed one of our ships, and I had finished it off by mistake

LOL :rotfl:

[Skubber]

Originally Posted by panthercules

During this relatively early stage of the war there are lots of problems with the magnetic pistols,

Yes, during the early stage of the war I set to impact as well. (Unless I'm going for a destroyer or something that runs very shallow.)

Three troop transports!

Drool.