Pride comes before a sinking ...

Obersteuermann · 08-08-10, 08:16 PM

I was pottering about north of Ireland earlier with a brand new VIIC. Weather was appalling, absolute stinker of a storm (visibility ~600m), so I was making regular dips below surface to have a listen for anything going on in the area.

Luck was on my side, I picked up a large convoy! We raced ahead of it, submerged and I positioned the boat just between where the first two columns would pass. Stopped the engines, popped the scope up, and waited. This convoy had been hit by some other lucky captain before me and the front escort had obviously been sunk. A couple of ships were burning as well.

I sat, snug as a bug in a rug, and let the convoy steam over me before launching torpedoes. I couldn't miss! A Modern Tanker passed about 500m in front of my bows, a Large Cargo some 300m astern. Both went down within minutes of each other. I finished off a burning Nipiwan-Park type tanker, and another Large Cargo that appeared out of the gloom. This was like shooting ducks!

Soon enough, we ran out of eels. I patted the torpedo gang on the back and set course back out to sea, staying at periscope depth while thumbing through my KTB and gleefully adding up my total tonnage. Including earlier victories, I'd sunk about 45,000GRT - not bad for a maiden patrol, eh?

Then it happened. At 0421 my soundman suddenly reported Asdic pings. Next, he reported a destroyer in its attack run! 0422, the cans hit, causing major damage everywhere. Straight after that, the damn destroyer rammed my tower - and that was the end of U-421's maiden patrol.

Yes, my friends, in my pride I'd forgotten that there's no such thing as an unescorted convoy in late 1941. The rear sweeper had literally run straight over me while I was patting myself on the back and thinking myself to be the next Kretschmer. I guess the destroyer's soundman couldn't believe his own luck.

Lessons learned:

a) Never hang around near the surface after an attack. Shoot, dive, get away. There's always those long days in between sightings to read the KTB!

b) Even if the weather is filthy, some clumsy idiot in a DD is going to find you if you're anywhere near the surface. Sod's law, it'll happen when he drives his lousy sardine can right over you in weather which you could have been sailing the Graf Zeppelin around in without anyone noticing.

c) War is unfair!

Sailor Steve · 08-08-10, 08:20 PM

Congratulations! That might also deserve a shorter version here:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=147983

Brag · 08-09-10, 10:38 AM

Complacency and over confidence are the biggest killers.
Even in real life, there was a case where no one was at the hidrophone station after sinking a lone freighter. The officers were drinking champagne as a destryer answering the freighter´'s distress call approached the U boat.

The end result, the U'boat had to blow ballast. Those of the crew who did not die were taken prisoner.

sergei · 08-09-10, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brag

Complacency and over confidence are the biggest killers.

Yep, that's pretty much what kills me most of the time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brag

Even in real life, there was a case where no one was at the hidrophone station after sinking a lone freighter. The officers were drinking champagne as a destryer answering the freighter´'s distress call approached the U boat.

Wow

I never heard of that one.
The survivors must have felt pretty silly.

Jimbuna · 08-10-10, 01:54 PM

BE MORE AGGRESSIVE!!

Sailor Steve · 08-10-10, 05:55 PM

Run away! Run away!

Jimbuna · 08-11-10, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brag

Complacency and over confidence are the biggest killers.
Even in real life, there was a case where no one was at the hidrophone station after sinking a lone freighter. The officers were drinking champagne as a destryer answering the freighter´'s distress call approached the U boat.

The end result, the U'boat had to blow ballast. Those of the crew who did not die were taken prisoner.

I remember that but can't find the link to the bugga

How about the aptly named Karl-Adolf Schlitt, on his first real patrol in enemy waters, suffered one of the more unusual losses of a U-boat when series of events resulting from improper use of the boats high-tech underwater toilet forced the boat to surface right under enemy aircraft

http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/1090.html

ryanglavin · 08-11-10, 07:08 PM

NOO!!! Jim's telling me to be suicidal, and Steve is telling me what I should do in the first place!!!

This is soo confusing!

Gerald · 08-11-10, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryanglavin

NOO!!! Jim's telling me to be suicidal, and Steve is telling me what I should do in the first place!!!

This is soo confusing!

in how to deal with the whole,

08-08-10, 08:16 PM	#1
Obersteuermann Shore leave Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 70 Downloads: 13 Uploads: 0	Pride comes before a sinking ... I was pottering about north of Ireland earlier with a brand new VIIC. Weather was appalling, absolute stinker of a storm (visibility ~600m), so I was making regular dips below surface to have a listen for anything going on in the area. Luck was on my side, I picked up a large convoy! We raced ahead of it, submerged and I positioned the boat just between where the first two columns would pass. Stopped the engines, popped the scope up, and waited. This convoy had been hit by some other lucky captain before me and the front escort had obviously been sunk. A couple of ships were burning as well. I sat, snug as a bug in a rug, and let the convoy steam over me before launching torpedoes. I couldn't miss! A Modern Tanker passed about 500m in front of my bows, a Large Cargo some 300m astern. Both went down within minutes of each other. I finished off a burning Nipiwan-Park type tanker, and another Large Cargo that appeared out of the gloom. This was like shooting ducks! Soon enough, we ran out of eels. I patted the torpedo gang on the back and set course back out to sea, staying at periscope depth while thumbing through my KTB and gleefully adding up my total tonnage. Including earlier victories, I'd sunk about 45,000GRT - not bad for a maiden patrol, eh? Then it happened. At 0421 my soundman suddenly reported Asdic pings. Next, he reported a destroyer in its attack run! 0422, the cans hit, causing major damage everywhere. Straight after that, the damn destroyer rammed my tower - and that was the end of U-421's maiden patrol. Yes, my friends, in my pride I'd forgotten that there's no such thing as an unescorted convoy in late 1941. The rear sweeper had literally run straight over me while I was patting myself on the back and thinking myself to be the next Kretschmer. I guess the destroyer's soundman couldn't believe his own luck. Lessons learned: a) Never hang around near the surface after an attack. Shoot, dive, get away. There's always those long days in between sightings to read the KTB! b) Even if the weather is filthy, some clumsy idiot in a DD is going to find you if you're anywhere near the surface. Sod's law, it'll happen when he drives his lousy sardine can right over you in weather which you could have been sailing the Graf Zeppelin around in without anyone noticing. c) War is unfair!

08-08-10, 08:20 PM	#2
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Congratulations! That might also deserve a shorter version here: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=147983 __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

08-09-10, 10:38 AM	#3
Brag Navy Seal Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Docked on a Russian pond Posts: 7,072 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Complacency and over confidence are the biggest killers. Even in real life, there was a case where no one was at the hidrophone station after sinking a lone freighter. The officers were drinking champagne as a destryer answering the freighter´'s distress call approached the U boat. The end result, the U'boat had to blow ballast. Those of the crew who did not die were taken prisoner. __________________ Espionage, adventure, suspense, are just a click away Click here to look inside Brag's book: Amazon.com: Kingmaker: Alexey Braguine: Books Order Kingmaker here: http://www.subsim.com/store.html For Tactics visit:http://www.freewebs.com/kielman/

08-10-10, 01:54 PM	#5
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,481 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	BE MORE AGGRESSIVE!! __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

08-10-10, 05:55 PM	#6
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Run away! Run away! __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

08-11-10, 07:08 PM	#8
ryanglavin Samurai Navy Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Evading that Hunter/Killer Group on my Tail Posts: 584 Downloads: 35 Uploads: 0	NOO!!! Jim's telling me to be suicidal, and Steve is telling me what I should do in the first place!!! This is soo confusing! __________________