U-69: Convoy attack

[GT182]

Originally Posted by CaliEs

Where is this area located?

Just outside the Lorient sub pens. You always get faint signals from there.

Just picking on ya Cyber. Looks to be a good start on narrating a patrol. Go get em and 'Sink em all' !

[Cybermat47]

By the timeU-69 was in visual contact of the convoy, it was 9 o'clock.
And, sure enough, there were 5 destroyers and a battleship. "Verdamnt!" Manfred whispered. They were not in any position to torpedo the battleship. Oh well, he thought, might as well get some freighters. However, when they were within 1000 meters of the first escort, he noticed that there were 10 or so men on deck, watching through binoculars. It would only be a matter of time before they saw U-69. "All men below, take us down to 14 meters!" ordered the captain. By his reckoning, the destroyer was out of ASDIC range. After several minutes, when Benno judged that they were surrounded by the merchants, Manfred gave orders to surface. When their boat emerged from the depths, Manfred raced up the ladders, opened the conning tower hatch, and placed the UZO on its pedestal. After doing the calculations for a shot at a freighter, he ordered "Rohr einz und zwei, Los!" He then switched to a closer freighter. "Rohr drei und veir, Los!"
Now all they could do was wait.

[Cybermat47]

Manfred Werner joined the kriegsmarine in 1938. Promoted to captain of U-28 later that year, he became a national hero in the first month of the war, infiltrating Scapa Flow and sinking the battleship Royal Oak and the battle cruiser Belfast. Later that year he took command of U-51, which became famous for being the only successful uboat during Operation Weserübung in April 1940. He was given command of U-69 on July 1st, 1940, and is still in command of that boat.

[Cybermat47]

Whumpf! The first torpedo had hit the freighter! It was followed by another detonation, and several seconds later, the other freighter went up in flames.
However, this had the result of every freighter in the vicinity switching on their search lights. "ALARM!!!!" Manfred yelled, then, followed by the watch crew, slid down the ladder "Take us down, chief, 40 meters!" Benno yelled " Herr Kaleun, all of the destroyers are heading for us!" "Make that 70 meters, chief!"
Benno listened intently to his head phones.
chhhhhhhhhhhhhhsplashchhhhhhhhhhsplashchhhhhhhhhhh splashchhhhhhhhhhhBOOM!!!!!!
Benno ripped his headphones off, for fear of the detonations rendering him deaf.
He looked around, puzzled at the lack of damage. Then he realized that the explosion had only been so loud because he had been listening to the hydrophones. Fortunately, all the other attacks were just as inaccurate, and the escorts gave up after an hour or so. When the captain ordered them to surface, they went after the convoy, with their tubes reloaded, ready to add some more tonnage to their score.

[Cybermat47]

Once again, the U-69 found itself in an unfavorable position to attack the battleship, so they moved in on the freighters. Manfred was standing ready at the UZO, hoping to sink two very juicy freighters. One of his watch crew was watching the nearest destroyer. He frowned. Had it just raised its guns a little?
BOOM! Suddenly, the entire ocean was as bright as day, and all the destroyers were firing at them!
Manfred yelled "All men below! Take us to periscope depth!" They ran down the ladder, Manfred taking his post at the attack periscope. He got the solution, and ordered "All tubes fire! Take us down to 120 meters!"
A destroyer roared over them, dropping depth charges, none of which hit. Then, Whumpf! Whumpf! one freighter down! Whumpf! Whumpf! That's two!

While the crew was silently celebrating, though, a destroyer dropped depth charges on them, one of which descended close to the aft, nearly level with the boat, and BOOM!