Noob errors

[frau kaleun]

Enroute to Blecher for refueling and rearming I came across a tramp steamer. I manned the guns and quickly sank the steamer and continues my course to Bleucher. Unfortunately I forgot to unman the guns, and as we approached Bleacher my gun crew opened highly effective fire setting Blecher on fire.

I'm sure I remember a post on another thread where someone recounted a patrol where they were going to rendezvous with a German tanker for refueling at sea (not in some friendly or neutral port). While patrolling the appropriate area in anticipation of the supply ship, they sighted a tanker coming into range that appeared to be flying the red British ensign, and sank it. Then continued to cruise around looking for that German tanker they were supposed to be meeting, which really ought to have been around there somewhere... only to realize that it wasn't a Union Jack they'd seen up in the corner of that "British" tanker's flag but the, er, swastika of a German flag. On a German tanker. That was waiting to refuel them. Oopsie!

Am I imagining things or did I really read that? Can't remember who posted it.

I have never left my gun crew on duty by accident and had them start firing on a friendly, but I have ordered the guns manned, finished off a big-a$$ merchant, gone back to the nav map with a grand feeling of accomplishment, then returned to the bridge several hours later to find my WO keeping watch alone in the tower in a vicious storm while the rest of the lads are still dutifully manning the gun, to which they are now hanging on for dear life because they're spending three minutes out of every four underwater.

Still my favorite, from my first few forays into plotting a course on the nav map: not realizing that a coastline that looks like a relatively straight line at one magnification will actually turn out to have lots of little jagged bits that jut out into the water once you zoom in close enough to see them. And then plotting a course along said coastline at minimal magnification that does not take into account all those little jagged bits, which become even easier to see when you are running aground on one at full ahead.

Also: painstakingly navigating my boat all the way back up into the pen from which I started my patrol, even turning her around and backing her in, and then sitting there waiting for the game to say "Mission Complete" or some such, then moving the boat back out and into the pen, trying to "hit the magic spot" that will tell the game that, like MacArthur, I have returned. Then getting frustrated and wondering WHY WON'T THIS STUPID GAME ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I HAVE DOCKED MY BOAT, WTF?

All because I've forgotten that there is no "magic spot" and I need to hit Esc to end the patrol.