This Was One For The Books

SilverGhost · 12-26-06, 12:59 PM

GWX patrol #9 (outbound Lorient) Sept, 1941 started out calm and nice...assigned for BE something or another and ended up growling all over the SE quad of BE after my patrol square.

Weather went to total crap...worst peasoup and waves you can imagine. A few sightings, but nothing I was going to be able to catch in 35 foot seas and dense fog. Went submerged for a break from the heavy swells....PING...I got something here. A Pyro Ammo heading NNE at about 7 knots.

For three hours I ghosted this Pyro Ammo ship trying to close the distance....did a pattern of surface runs for closing speed and a dive downstairs to keep acquisiton. Could not get a visual because of very heavy fog.

Finally...and it took awhile...closed to about 700 meters (no visual), tired and totally obsessed at this point (Capt Ahab comes to mind) I check with TDC...I'm pretty much dead astern of this Brit. I open tube 1 and take a blind shot, steamer on 5 set for mag...a pure gamble in these waves.

BOOM!

Took out his rudder and port prop! Two more blind shots...misses...and an other LONG ghosting as he tried to evade.

Finally...after another few hours, I catch a glimpse thru the UZO....long enough to get a solution...he goes down.

A wretched expense of fish for 6500 tons. Got a couple of cargos the next day with the last few.

AVGWarhawk · 12-26-06, 01:02 PM

Got to hate that fog!

12-26-06, 12:59 PM	#1
SilverGhost Electrician's Mate Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Melbourne, FL Posts: 131 Downloads: 39 Uploads: 0	This Was One For The Books GWX patrol #9 (outbound Lorient) Sept, 1941 started out calm and nice...assigned for BE something or another and ended up growling all over the SE quad of BE after my patrol square. Weather went to total crap...worst peasoup and waves you can imagine. A few sightings, but nothing I was going to be able to catch in 35 foot seas and dense fog. Went submerged for a break from the heavy swells....PING...I got something here. A Pyro Ammo heading NNE at about 7 knots. For three hours I ghosted this Pyro Ammo ship trying to close the distance....did a pattern of surface runs for closing speed and a dive downstairs to keep acquisiton. Could not get a visual because of very heavy fog. Finally...and it took awhile...closed to about 700 meters (no visual), tired and totally obsessed at this point (Capt Ahab comes to mind) I check with TDC...I'm pretty much dead astern of this Brit. I open tube 1 and take a blind shot, steamer on 5 set for mag...a pure gamble in these waves. BOOM! Took out his rudder and port prop! Two more blind shots...misses...and an other LONG ghosting as he tried to evade. Finally...after another few hours, I catch a glimpse thru the UZO....long enough to get a solution...he goes down. A wretched expense of fish for 6500 tons. Got a couple of cargos the next day with the last few.

12-26-06, 01:02 PM	#2
AVGWarhawk Lucky Jack Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a 1954 Buick. Posts: 28,253 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	Got to hate that fog! __________________ “You're painfully alive in a drugged and dying culture.” ― Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road