stationary convoy

[ktrboston]

Hello All, Just wondering if anyone has ran into this a stationary convoy during April 1940. I was on patrol with my Type VIIB U-boat for the 1st Flottilla and receieved an Enemy Contact report. I just finished my grid and deceided to check it out. Running at 1/3 speed and periscope depth I infiltrated the inlet and thru my crosshairs there was before my eyes a Fiji class, 3 tribal destroyers and 3 troop transport(2 already on fire?) just sitting there. I sneaked within 2000 meters of my closest contact with twilight rolling in. Needless to say I sank the following. 2 of 3 tribal destroyers, 2 of 3 Troop Transports the third on sank on its own and the Fiji Class. I have never seen something like this, Have you!

[bigboywooly]

It has been mentioned before
Just took a look and the group should exit on reaching last waypoint
Have adjusted the end dates so hopefully wont happen again

[antikristuseke]

Was this between Norways coastal islands? If so iv come up on those guys and they are suposed to be there.

[madmike81]

Yeah if it was Norway your lucky you got those guys before the luftwaffe did...

I seem to remember seeing the same thing in my periscope, getting all happy about it...then watching scores...and i mean scores of German planes wipe them from the sea.

Have to admit it was a very cool thing to have seen though...

[Stealth Hunter]

Those damn flyboys trying to take our kills.

Anyway, good patrol it would seem.

[Jimbuna]

As BBW said, we've come across this before.....like all your birthdays coming at once

[Stealth Hunter]

Hell no. I'd want mine to be ON LAND, not at sea.

[Canovaro]

It's the invasion of Norway I think.
AF91 as I recall.

Got sunk there in the last career. Very shallow waters.

[Stealth Hunter]

Either way, there is no hope.

[Tom]

I just visited the same convoy. Weather was lousy, I could only see ships from a range of 600-700 meters, and hydrophones were pretty useless because the ships were stationary.

Managed to sink one light cruiser and one troop transport.

I almost got killed when making my leave. I was running on the surface, thinking I left the enemies behind, when I almost ran into a destroyer. Spotted it at 400 meters, and before I could do anything it opened fire. The shell hit on the starboard side, just in front of the tower, taking out my forward batteries and hydrophone, and causing flooding in the radio room and bow quarters.

With 10 meters of water beneath beneath me, I dove to periscope depth, ahead flank, and started repairing damage, hoping to outmaneuver the destroyer. When it turned around for it's depth charge run, I had the flooding under control, turned sharply and switched to silent running. The depth charges missed my stern by maybe 20 meters.

Luckily for me, the destroyer, which was behind me, made its next turn away from me. Just before it was at its furthest I blew ballast, ordered ahead flank and 15 degrees rudder, hoping to lose it in the dense fog and heavy rain. It worked. The destroyer spotted me once, but it was at 180 with a 90 degree AOB, and before it could turn around to chase me it lost me again, this time for good.

Back at Kiel, the folks were pretty happy with my contribution to operation Weserübung:

9 Apr 1940: Zerstörer C&D - Klassen, 1375 tons
11 Apr 1940: Schlachtschiff Nelson, 36000 tons
22 Apr 1940: Mittelgroßer Frachter, 6403 tons
23 Apr 1940: Leichter Kreuzer Fiji - Klasse, 10725 tons
23 Apr 1940: Truppentransporter, 9273 tons

- Günther Pflock, recently promoted Kapitänleutnant, U-99

[Stealth Hunter]

Keep it up, Herr Kaleun, and you MIGHT just make it with us pros to the rank of Kapitän zur See.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by Stealth Hunter

Keep it up, Herr Kaleun, and you MIGHT just make it with us pros to the rank of Kapitän zur See.

Nah, I don't want that. They don't let Kapitän zur Sees command submarines... I'd rather stay a Kapitänleutnant and keep sailing than be assigned to a silly deskjob at BdU.

On the other hand, do they give you a pretty young secretary along with the promotion to office work?

[bigboywooly]

Originally Posted by Tom

Nah, I don't want that. They don't let Kapitän zur Sees command submarines... I'd rather stay a Kapitänleutnant and keep sailing than be assigned to a silly deskjob at BdU.

On the other hand, do they give you a pretty young secretary along with the promotion to office work?

To become a Lzs you would have to be demoted

http://uboat.net/men/ranks/index.html

But

Hans-Botho Bade
Born on 15 Nov, 1909 in Hamburg-Blankenese.
Crew X/39. Leutnant zur See (R) (1 Jul, 1941)
Died on 15 Dec, 1942
Commands:
U-626


U-626 left her base at Bergen, Norway, on 8 Dec, 1942 for her maiden patrol. She was one of two operational U-boats to have a Commander who was only Leutnant zur See (the other was U-155 in 1944).

[Kongo Otto]

Originally Posted by Tom

Nah, I don't want that. They don't let Kapitän zur Sees command submarines... I'd rather stay a Kapitänleutnant and keep sailing than be assigned to a silly deskjob at BdU.

Werner Hartmann ,was a Kapitän zur See,promoted 1st April 1943 as CO of U-198.
Victor Schütze , Wolfgang Lüth, Karl-Friedrich Merten , Ernst Kals , Friedrich Poske and Jürgen Wattenberg (was promoted to this Rank when in POW Camp)where also Kapitän zur See but they had been promoted while doing Staff Duties or as Flottilla CO´s.

[ktrboston]

Yes, it was around Norway.