U-1 takes to the North Sea

floundericiousWA · 11-11-07, 10:59 PM

Day 1.. seagulls... mein gott do I hate seagulls...

the shrill cry of seagulls filled my ears all day as we left Wilhemshaven... I thought I'd finally dimmed them to a distant echo, when I went below to review our orders... but then Bernard called me back up on deck after I'd retired to my quarters, claiming to have seen a contact... it was just seagull droppings on the UDZ lens

Day 3... Radio picks up a stray transmission from a ship... we close to investigate and it's a Polish coastal merchant... so I give the orders:

She rests in peace in 95 murky, turbulent meters of cold inky water... my crew is content... we've drawn first blood

Day 5... we have reached AN16 and begun to patrol...alternating running on and under the water...but it's quiet...too quiet.

No merchant traffic that Hanz can hear, no aircraft...just open water. Thankfully, no seagulls..wait...nevermind, here they come again...

Day 6... we pick up an intercept alerting us to a merchant southbound... we investigate and are unable to make contact. Turning during mid-afternoon to clear our baffles, sonar lets out a shrill cry "WARSHIP! CLOSING MEDIUM SPEED! SHORT RANGE!" I scramble to the scope and see... a C-class destroyer heading directly for us, is less than 2000m away and AOB is less than 5 degrees! Navigation reports the bottom is only 40 meters below us...!

I order a pair of torpedoes fired, set at 8m depth and 10m depth, magnetic pistol...and then submerge, cut speed to 1 kt, rig for silent running, and keep heading directly in what I think is his direction, to keep our aspect low.

despite running true, no joy on either torpedo... damn magnetic pistols!!! A traitor WILL suffer for this...

Which leaves my crew with the terror of a pissed off DD at point blank range....thankfully, he overestimated our range when we fired and charged right past us while we pretended to be a hole in the water...and we were just quiet enough that his distracted miscreant crew missed us...

we slunk away, alive, but royally embarassed!

Day 7: We try to breach Scapa Flow from the east...but a trio of destroyers (including our friend from yesterday) encircle us

Several tense hours later, we abandon the approach...they're just too well covered from this direction. We narrowly avoid an armed trawler by running at high speed on the surface for several minutes...

Day 8: Running north from the Eastern Scapa Flow approach, we come across a merchant making medium speed...we close, and find a Small Merchant running lazily by herself. We destroy the target with contemptuous ease.

Day 9: We're down to our last torpedo and the crew is stressed from hour upon hour of operating in Britain's littoral waters. We get a sonar contact...another merchant heading south. Closing with her, we see a C2 Cargo Carrier under British colors

... She goes down to a single T1 torpedo in her engine room.

Day 11: Sidling into range of Wilhemshaven...the crew is festive and relaxed...it's been a good, if not spectacular patrol... as for me, I'm glad we got out of our scrapes in one piece and took a few trophies from the Tommies.... and then I hear it... my bane... seagulls..

Mein gott I hate seagulls...

11-11-07, 10:59 PM	#1
floundericiousWA Medic Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 164 Downloads: 7 Uploads: 0	U-1 takes to the North Sea Day 1.. seagulls... mein gott do I hate seagulls... the shrill cry of seagulls filled my ears all day as we left Wilhemshaven... I thought I'd finally dimmed them to a distant echo, when I went below to review our orders... but then Bernard called me back up on deck after I'd retired to my quarters, claiming to have seen a contact... it was just seagull droppings on the UDZ lens Day 3... Radio picks up a stray transmission from a ship... we close to investigate and it's a Polish coastal merchant... so I give the orders: She rests in peace in 95 murky, turbulent meters of cold inky water... my crew is content... we've drawn first blood Day 5... we have reached AN16 and begun to patrol...alternating running on and under the water...but it's quiet...too quiet. No merchant traffic that Hanz can hear, no aircraft...just open water. Thankfully, no seagulls..wait...nevermind, here they come again... Day 6... we pick up an intercept alerting us to a merchant southbound... we investigate and are unable to make contact. Turning during mid-afternoon to clear our baffles, sonar lets out a shrill cry "WARSHIP! CLOSING MEDIUM SPEED! SHORT RANGE!" I scramble to the scope and see... a C-class destroyer heading directly for us, is less than 2000m away and AOB is less than 5 degrees! Navigation reports the bottom is only 40 meters below us...! I order a pair of torpedoes fired, set at 8m depth and 10m depth, magnetic pistol...and then submerge, cut speed to 1 kt, rig for silent running, and keep heading directly in what I think is his direction, to keep our aspect low. despite running true, no joy on either torpedo... damn magnetic pistols!!! A traitor WILL suffer for this... Which leaves my crew with the terror of a pissed off DD at point blank range....thankfully, he overestimated our range when we fired and charged right past us while we pretended to be a hole in the water...and we were just quiet enough that his distracted miscreant crew missed us... we slunk away, alive, but royally embarassed! Day 7: We try to breach Scapa Flow from the east...but a trio of destroyers (including our friend from yesterday) encircle us Several tense hours later, we abandon the approach...they're just too well covered from this direction. We narrowly avoid an armed trawler by running at high speed on the surface for several minutes... Day 8: Running north from the Eastern Scapa Flow approach, we come across a merchant making medium speed...we close, and find a Small Merchant running lazily by herself. We destroy the target with contemptuous ease. Day 9: We're down to our last torpedo and the crew is stressed from hour upon hour of operating in Britain's littoral waters. We get a sonar contact...another merchant heading south. Closing with her, we see a C2 Cargo Carrier under British colors ... She goes down to a single T1 torpedo in her engine room. Day 11: Sidling into range of Wilhemshaven...the crew is festive and relaxed...it's been a good, if not spectacular patrol... as for me, I'm glad we got out of our scrapes in one piece and took a few trophies from the Tommies.... and then I hear it... my bane... seagulls.. Mein gott I hate seagulls...