Strange encounter last night with a British Destroyer

cawimmer430 · 08-27-09, 04:29 AM

Hi guys,

I had the most weird encounter last night with a British V&W Destroyer off the Western Cost of the British Isles.

It was around midnight in extremely poor weather and rough seas. Visibility was close to zero and it was pouring heavy rain. I was traveling on the surface at Kleine Fahrt speed. All off a sudden, directly across from me, a V&W Destroyer comes my way. He basically just appeared out of nowhere and was maybe 10 meters across from my port bow. Our trajectories meant that we were perpendicular to one another.

Here is the funny part. I was too stunned to react. My first thought was to crash drive but at the same time I figured THIS IS IT, I'M DEAD MEAT. Strangely enough, the British warship didn't fire at me - no machine guns and no cannons. I guess we were too close to each other for that to work. Anyway, he was traveling at extremely low speed too. So for those 15 seconds maybe, my watch crew and the guys on the destroyer just stared at each other in pure amazement as our ships pass each other - each not daring to make a wrong move. After I pass the destroyer, I order an immediate crash dive at max speed and a hard turn to starboard, dive to 150 meters and then go silent. The destroyer, doing his part, increases speed, circles the area and drops a few depth charges. Both of us then part ways. He gives up after awhile and I creep away.

Wow.

czwij · 08-27-09, 04:41 AM

i bet something like this would actually happen

Jimbuna · 08-27-09, 07:12 AM

A pretty rare occurence but quite possible when the visual range is down to just a few metres

Red Heat · 08-27-09, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cawimmer430

Hi guys,

I had the most weird encounter last night with a British V&W Destroyer off the Western Cost of the British Isles.

It was around midnight in extremely poor weather and rough seas. Visibility was close to zero and it was pouring heavy rain. I was traveling on the surface at Kleine Fahrt speed. All off a sudden, directly across from me, a V&W Destroyer comes my way. He basically just appeared out of nowhere and was maybe 10 meters across from my port bow. Our trajectories meant that we were perpendicular to one another.

Here is the funny part. I was too stunned to react. My first thought was to crash drive but at the same time I figured THIS IS IT, I'M DEAD MEAT. Strangely enough, the British warship didn't fire at me - no machine guns and no cannons. I guess we were too close to each other for that to work. Anyway, he was traveling at extremely low speed too. So for those 15 seconds maybe, my watch crew and the guys on the destroyer just stared at each other in pure amazement as our ships pass each other - each not daring to make a wrong move. After I pass the destroyer, I order an immediate crash dive at max speed and a hard turn to starboard, dive to 150 meters and then go silent. The destroyer, doing his part, increases speed, circles the area and drops a few depth charges. Both of us then part ways. He gives up after awhile and I creep away.

Wow.

*Salute

Some years a go i had the same experience...and with similiar weather conditions, and location... but for the next time insted you order crash dive you order PD and silent running...and then you wait to see the reaction of the DD...and for more defense you can simple order a silent dive to safety deep without incrising your speed and with out make a lot of noise, all so keeping a low profile against the DD.

For another hand you didnt aspect to see a DD comming out the fog (like a ghost

) so close to you...so your reaction it as crash dive (and lets get out of here fast!

) wich alert the DD of your presence in the area and he start the attack against your U-boat.

BulSoldier · 08-27-09, 07:35 AM

I had something similar.But instead of to see the dd crossing my bow, by the time i climbed to the bridge we already rammed the DD. I dont remember what hapened later but it sure scared me when I first saw what we hit.

Red Heat · 08-27-09, 08:10 AM

Even today...when the weather is very bad with poor visibility an fog...sometimes it happened to recebe a msg from the watch team in the bridge: "Ship at short range" i all aways remember of that enconter with DD come out of the fog like a ghost ship!

08-27-09, 08:18 AM

Blind AI if this happened in daytime. The most horrible weather in SH3 is rain, fog and waves. But visibility is still at least 300 meters visible. So DD had to open fire at you at least from machine guns and try to ram you. Very different thing is if this encounter happened at night you can hardly see other crew members so chances of accidents raming another ship is quite high then.

Red Heat · 08-27-09, 08:43 AM

I only can tell what happen with me it was in the afternoon, and the weather was heavy with strong wind, rain and fog...my visibility is very poor and i only able to see a little forward of my bow.

Then i recebe the msg " ship at short range" and i "fly" to the bridge to see what it was...and it was a DD in my right side turning away of my position, slowly sailing away...my reaction was PD and silent running.

The DD didnt detect my presence and no shots was fire, i keep my boat in PD about 10 minutes and then i sail away in the oposite direction and i execute a normal dive, all aways i silent running untill i lost contact with the DD. This it was the first, the only, and the last time wich this strange situation happened with me of long years of silent hunter. Nothing more i have to said...

BROJD · 08-31-09, 12:01 PM

I read a similar real-life story about by the commander of an Israeli tank column in the Golan Heights in 1967 (I think). They passed another tank column at night at a crossroads. While the columns were passing each other the commander realized that the other tanks weren't Israeli, but he was too nervous to fire and let the other column past.

Kapt Z · 08-31-09, 03:54 PM

I lost two good boats to lone destroyers in night storms. I made it to the bridge for one only to see the towering bow of a DD crashing into my stern. The other time I didn't even make it that far.

Since it was 1942 for both I just assumed they had radar. I usually spend a lot of storm time at about 60m now.

09-23-09, 01:08 AM

It's scary as hell when that happens.
It's hard to pull yourself out of that initial shock and think.
It takes an extra ½ second to tell myself "THINK, STUPID".
If we haven't been sunk by then I manage to figure out a way out.
Man oh man, that slow, hard SH3 tension is powerful stuff.

08-27-09, 04:29 AM	#1
cawimmer430 Torpedoman Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 114 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	Strange encounter last night with a British Destroyer Hi guys, I had the most weird encounter last night with a British V&W Destroyer off the Western Cost of the British Isles. It was around midnight in extremely poor weather and rough seas. Visibility was close to zero and it was pouring heavy rain. I was traveling on the surface at Kleine Fahrt speed. All off a sudden, directly across from me, a V&W Destroyer comes my way. He basically just appeared out of nowhere and was maybe 10 meters across from my port bow. Our trajectories meant that we were perpendicular to one another. Here is the funny part. I was too stunned to react. My first thought was to crash drive but at the same time I figured THIS IS IT, I'M DEAD MEAT. Strangely enough, the British warship didn't fire at me - no machine guns and no cannons. I guess we were too close to each other for that to work. Anyway, he was traveling at extremely low speed too. So for those 15 seconds maybe, my watch crew and the guys on the destroyer just stared at each other in pure amazement as our ships pass each other - each not daring to make a wrong move. After I pass the destroyer, I order an immediate crash dive at max speed and a hard turn to starboard, dive to 150 meters and then go silent. The destroyer, doing his part, increases speed, circles the area and drops a few depth charges. Both of us then part ways. He gives up after awhile and I creep away. Wow.

08-27-09, 04:41 AM	#2
czwij Watch Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Czech Republic Posts: 23 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 0	realistic i bet something like this would actually happen

08-27-09, 07:12 AM	#3
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,500 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	A pretty rare occurence but quite possible when the visual range is down to just a few metres __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

08-27-09, 07:35 AM	#5
BulSoldier Samurai Navy Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Burgas/Bulgaria Posts: 550 Downloads: 40 Uploads: 0	I had something similar.But instead of to see the dd crossing my bow, by the time i climbed to the bridge we already rammed the DD. I dont remember what hapened later but it sure scared me when I first saw what we hit. __________________ By the hour !

08-27-09, 08:10 AM	#6
Red Heat Ace of the Deep Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Portugal Posts: 1,093 Downloads: 267 Uploads: 0	Even today...when the weather is very bad with poor visibility an fog...sometimes it happened to recebe a msg from the watch team in the bridge: "Ship at short range" i all aways remember of that enconter with DD come out of the fog like a ghost ship! __________________ "There is three kinds of man: the living, the death, and those who are at Sea." Plato

08-27-09, 08:18 AM	#7
Contact Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	Blind AI if this happened in daytime. The most horrible weather in SH3 is rain, fog and waves. But visibility is still at least 300 meters visible. So DD had to open fire at you at least from machine guns and try to ram you. Very different thing is if this encounter happened at night you can hardly see other crew members so chances of accidents raming another ship is quite high then.

08-27-09, 08:43 AM	#8
Red Heat Ace of the Deep Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Portugal Posts: 1,093 Downloads: 267 Uploads: 0	I only can tell what happen with me it was in the afternoon, and the weather was heavy with strong wind, rain and fog...my visibility is very poor and i only able to see a little forward of my bow. Then i recebe the msg " ship at short range" and i "fly" to the bridge to see what it was...and it was a DD in my right side turning away of my position, slowly sailing away...my reaction was PD and silent running. The DD didnt detect my presence and no shots was fire, i keep my boat in PD about 10 minutes and then i sail away in the oposite direction and i execute a normal dive, all aways i silent running untill i lost contact with the DD. This it was the first, the only, and the last time wich this strange situation happened with me of long years of silent hunter. Nothing more i have to said... __________________ "There is three kinds of man: the living, the death, and those who are at Sea." Plato

08-31-09, 12:01 PM	#9
BROJD A-ganger Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 77 Downloads: 32 Uploads: 0	I read a similar real-life story about by the commander of an Israeli tank column in the Golan Heights in 1967 (I think). They passed another tank column at night at a crossroads. While the columns were passing each other the commander realized that the other tanks weren't Israeli, but he was too nervous to fire and let the other column past.

08-31-09, 03:54 PM	#10
Kapt Z Grey Wolf Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: ...somewhere in the swamps of Jersey. Posts: 909 Downloads: 157 Uploads: 0	I lost two good boats to lone destroyers in night storms. I made it to the bridge for one only to see the towering bow of a DD crashing into my stern. The other time I didn't even make it that far. Since it was 1942 for both I just assumed they had radar. I usually spend a lot of storm time at about 60m now.

09-23-09, 01:08 AM	#11
Snestorm Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	It's scary as hell when that happens. It's hard to pull yourself out of that initial shock and think. It takes an extra ½ second to tell myself "THINK, STUPID". If we haven't been sunk by then I manage to figure out a way out. Man oh man, that slow, hard SH3 tension is powerful stuff.