100,000 Ton Patrol

[Umfuld]

Long story here, nothing that amazing. Just wanted to write it out and share. You are not expected to read this, but you might enjoy. I don't know. :p



Just finished a short but productive patrol from St. Nazaire. 8 ships for 100,336 tons!

I'm sure I've topped that total in the past, but now I'm using 100% realism and it feels a lot more satisfying.
I still don't really know what I'm doing with manual targeting/no WO assitance, but seem to be getting it done. I would say it's tough to miss at 800m but hit a few ships with multiple torps from distances of 2500-3000m.



Heading to my patrol grid I got a report of a convoy heading SW from BF13.

I intercepted during the day and foolishly attacked in the light. I felt rushed in firing by a wing escort that was coming up pretty quick.
Bad entry into the convoy and I probably shouldn't have taken the shot from that distance, but Lg Tankers are such big ships I felt I couldn't miss with all 3 torps. I was wrong.
Dove right after firing and was lucky to get away with minimal damage. Some light flooding that I was able to wait until I was deeper to repair - although diving with even light flooding is always stressful.

Don't know why but I'd sensed I was going to have bad luck on that run, and it wasn't just the daylight. This convoy was loaded with big ships. 2 Lg Tankers, a Med Tanker and 1 or 2 Lg Merchants had me drooling. But the 3 Destroyer escorts I saw (I assume there was a 4th escort behind but never confirmed) didn't give me a good feeling.
I know Corvettes can be tough, but nothing makes your stomach sink like a DD.
During the D/Cing came a report of one torp hitting. It was too long a time to have been the Tanker, so I just hoped it wasn't a neutral as I made my way away from the danger.


I thought about leaving this convoy and finding one with a couple of less destroyers. After all I hadn't gone to my patrol grid yet and I hate having to sail 1000km away from base with only a torp or two.
But man, thinking of those tankers made my choice easy. I was going to bleed this convoy dry or die trying.


Next three attacks were done at night. This was more luck than good planing. One of the things I'm adjusting to without WO Assistance is intercepting. I'll confess, I used to get TDC data on far away targets so I could easily plot their course and intercept. Can't do that any more, and getting in front of a convoy isn't as easy as it used to be.
And these ships were moving pretty fast. I kept underestimating their speed and had to pull back and plot a new intercept more than once.

Also I'd like to credit my watch crew for twice spotting the wing escort from 5000+m when the convoy changed course slightly, but in truth the real credit should go to the 8K Stay Alert Crew Mod.

The Modern Medium Tanker, Large Tanker and a Large Merchant were first to go.
Unlike most U-Boat skippers, I'm a bit of a coward. I don't like approaching convoys on the surface. And again with rookie skills at plotting intercepts I wasn't making very good entries into this convoy.

First sinking I decided to twirl my boat around and fire with my Aft tubes. I felt 2 torps would bring this ship down and always try to use up my Afts first if I can. Hit-Hit-Sink. This would be my easiest torpedoing of the patrol.

Next run I was forced to fire early and at 2000+m because of the Large Cargo coming right at me (see also: bad skippering). Fired a salvo of 3 torps and dove at speed. Hit with all the torps. Sank right away.

4th run at this convoy I go for the Large Merchant as again I've blown my entry into the convoy and it's the only big ship I'll get within 3000m of. Wing escort coming up on my port side forces me to fire early again. I fire and dive. Hit-Hit-Hit-Sink.
Gosh Large Merchants are heavy ships - who knew?

I had little trouble from the escorts on these three runs. Some pinging, some D/Cing, but I wasn't forced to speed up or turn once.

Well, I knew there was still at least a Large Tanker left so I decided to make one more run at this convoy. But before I could, while I was still trying to get away from the escorts, my hydro operator reports a contact well away and behind the convoy. Ah ha! Must have been that mystery torp hit from my failed first run.
Not sure if that was the case or not as it was simply a Passenger/Cargo, and they usually don't survive torp hits. Popped up and sank it with my deck gun.

Okay, one more run at this bugger. This time I aimed and timed it right and actually got inside the convoy. Hooray!
Had to dodge a Large Cargo steaming at me though, ended up passing in front at about 100m. Good thing I'd hit back slow about 60 seconds before it passed. Phew!
After it passed I fired at the last Large Tanker and dove. Again, bang-bang-bang, sink.

Man, I'm really getting the hang of this.


Get away again without too much trouble. I've got 7 torps left. I decide to go to my patrol grid because I'm a renown whore. Nothing on the way and nothing on the way back.
I decided to park/patrol (daytime-submerged, stopped / night surface patrol) around BF41 since I've got torps left. Report of lone merchant, intercept - Tanker! Turns out to be a mini convoy of 4 ships - neutral.

Finally get good report. Only it's a sub circle and not the normal convoy icon. Ah ha! This is what I've been reading about here the past few days. A wolf pack attack, and I'm in range for intercept.

When I get there I see 4 ships on fire. 2 Whale Factory ships and 2 Black Swans. Nice job, boys!

Not fearing the buring Black Swans I move in for the kill on the 2 burning Tankers. (Eat your heart out Phil Esposito).

Not knowing how much damage they have I decided to shoot 2 torps at the first. Both hits, but no sinking yet.
I guess my scope had been spotted right before firing as the nearby ships put on their search lights, but the wounded Tanker was moving too slow to avoid the torps.

I dove a little to go under some oncoming traffic and when I surfaced I brought my boat around to finish off the Tanker. Before firing I take a quick look around with my scope and see a Black Swan steaming toward me about 1500m away. And this fellow was not buring. Yikes!
Quickly I look back to the Tanker, tweak my data and fire and dive at speed. Hit. Sink.

I hoped to get right under the oncoming Large Cargo to block the Swan but failed as I took a bit of a beating. Nothing that needed to be repaired though - IXB - one tough ship!


Well, this battered convoy seemed like fun, but my 3 remaining torps needed loading and I didn't like that Black Swan much so I go deep and away.
Shortly I'm told another Whale Factory ship has sunk.
In my haste I'd mistakenly fired at and sunk the second wounder Tanker and not the one I'd hit moments before. And now it was down.

Bonus!


Black Swan was tough, but I got away finally. Decided to go back to park/patrol with my final three torps.

Finally a Large Cargo is reported and I set up the shot with my final Aft torp. A hit.
In hindsight not sure why I did this. I had two Fore torps left and a big ship usually needs more than one. (See also: Bad Skippering)
I began spinning around to fire my last 2 torps and I missed with both.

I pop up to finish with my deck gun but find the seas too rough. Well, what a bummer. A great patrol that will have to end on a sour note I guess, as that ship isn't going down with one shot, it's moving pretty fast.

Well, it does go down after about 10 minutes. Heehee. That's pretty lucky right there.


So that's it. My first 100k ton patrol with GWX1.03. I wish it could stay 1940 forever. But the new year is weeks away, and things are gonna start getting tough before too long.
Now I just have to find an outfit that will go good with my Knight's Cross w/ Oak Leaves and Swords.

Nov. 16th - Nov. 27th:
Ondina - 10,302 tons
Sinclair Rubilene - 17,803 tons
Silverbelle - 12,815 tons
Rio Azul - 2,508 tons
Wauhatchie - 17,804 tons
Southern Empress - 14,340 tons
Ole Wegger - 14,339 tons
Nebraska - 10,425 tons

[bigboywooly]

Kudos kaleun

Nice read too and a good way to attack
Keep nibbling at the convoy
Like it

[STEED]

Originally Posted by bigboywooly

Keep nibbling at the convoy

Nibbling will not win the war everyone should bite big chunks out of them.

[bigboywooly]

He did
Tanker sized bites

:rotfl:

[Umfuld]

That was luckiest 100,000 tons in history. But I learned some lessons about convoy approaches.

Hopefully I can improve without having to resort to surface attack.


The horror. The horror.

[Brag]

Good attacks! good read. Drinks are on you!

[Jimbuna]

That was a really cool read matey

[nikbear]

Very good read that,and you do yourself a diservice by saying bad skippering.You fullfilled all the criteria of a good kaleun,aggressive,succesful and you brought the boat home in one piece that my friend is a damn fine patrol