What Would You Have Done? New KTB

[Aktungbby]

95% hull integrity! Welcome home Kaleun Here is your Mauser and orders for Stalingrad

[Von Tonner]

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

95% hull integrity! Welcome home Kaleun Here is your Mauser and orders for Stalingrad

At what percentage of hull integrity would one justifiably turn back for home ?

It is 1942 and at dead of night while on the surface on my way to my designated patrol grid I came across a coastal freighter and merchant. I lay in wait on the surface as it was pitch dark. As the coastal freighter passed I fired one torpedo and waited agonisingly for the merchant to cross in line. My game plan was to have fired the second torpedo before the first torpedo hit the coastal freighter and then get under. Unfortunately it did not happen that way. The first struck minutes before I was able to get the second off.

The sky lit up and I was under heavy fire from both ships. I should have immediately crash dived as these ships were going nowhere with no escorts to help them from a submerged attack. But I don't know, one tends to get caught up in the moment and become irrational as the adrenaline of attack, attack pumps through one. So I waited out those precious minutes exposed on the surface and under attack to release the second torpedo.

My officers were screaming out the damage we were taking but one kinda becomes so transfixed in one's game plan that reason becomes the first casualty.

Though the two torpedo's did their work I now sit submerged with hull damage at 62% and wonder if, for the sake of my crew and boat (I play DID) I should not turn back for home. And yes, I know its a bit late down the track to start behaving like a real Kapitan who would never have got himself into this position to begin with I would however like your opinion - go home or continue?

There is a milk cow within distance but I feel that is a little cheat as they were really only there for fuel, supplies and torpedo's - not major repairs to one's boat.

[sublynx]

Originally Posted by Von Tonner

At what percentage of hull integrity would one justifiably turn back for home ?

I wouldn't think about the damage percentage too much. I would take the situation as a lesson to be learned.

Your mistake was not retreating when you should have retreated to have a safer go later. Now you ponder what would be a mistake, to continue attacking or to retreat.

As attacking decisively seems to come naturally for you, it might be wise to keep on learning cautiousness.

When you arrive to your base after the abandoned patrol, you might experience a healthy frustration that might pop up in your mind the next time you are in a situation where retreating in order to keep attacking would be the sensible thing to do.

[Von Tonner]

Originally Posted by sublynx

I wouldn't think about the damage percentage too much. I would take the situation as a lesson to be learned.

Your mistake was not retreating when you should have retreated to have a safer go later. Now you ponder what would be a mistake, to continue attacking or to retreat.

As attacking decisively seems to come naturally for you, it might be wise to keep on learning cautiousness.

When you arrive to your base after the abandoned patrol, you might experience a healthy frustration that might pop up in your mind the next time you are in a situation where retreating in order to keep attacking would be the sensible thing to do.

Why do I feel as if I have just spent an hour with my therapist

You are 100% correct Sublynx. It is a lessoned to be learned. But on a more serious note your remarks on my game play or any others game play would probably give a good insight to what makes that player tick

[WilhelmSchulz.]

I may sound stupid but whats a KTB?

[Draka]

Kriegstagebücher = KTB = War Diary

This is the official record of the U-boat's daily activities during a patrol. It started (first entry) with the maintenance, repairs, etc in port and ended upon return to port. Depending upon the year, etc, up to 13 copies were turned in!

This page will give a wide range of actual KTB's turned in:

http://www.uboatarchive.net/KTBList.htm

Draka

[sublynx]

Originally Posted by Von Tonner

Why do I feel as if I have just spent an hour with my therapist

Maybe I should consult Neal Stevens in order to start a forum called "U-boat Therapist"

[speargun]

Wow, that is an impressive KTB! After I complete a patrol I always write up an expanded patrol report from notes taken during the mission, and it is time consuming with nothing like the detail you have presented. A real labour of love.

The decision to return home having a couple of dead crew and a bashed up boat, I think was a realistic one. You managed to sink three ships for the fatherland- not a bad effort.

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

95% hull integrity! Welcome home Kaleun Here is your Mauser and orders for Stalingrad

Originally Posted by Von Tonner

At what percentage of hull integrity would one justifiably turn back for home ?


The sky lit up and I was under heavy fire from both ships. I should have immediately crash dived as these ships were going nowhere with no escorts to help them from a submerged attack.
My officers were screaming out the damage we were taking but one kinda becomes so transfixed in one's game plan that reason becomes the first casualty.

Though the two torpedo's did their work I now sit submerged with hull damage at 62% and wonder if, for the sake of my crew and boat
.

AHH! NOW IT'S 62%... THAT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT. What settles it for me is if I still have flank speed and can dive to 200 meters or not. As for the other matter; even in pitch dark be 'heavy' at 5-6 meters which shaves off dive time by at least 50 seconds when suddenly 'lit up' by those 'docile looking' merchants. In strong air cover area such as Biscay, it's actually defense #1. Case in point as I recall is Hans Goebeler's book about U-505 which was EXTREMELY heavily damaged just as the crew were 'thinking' about exactly that procedure (and extra lookouts as cloud cover was 'ambush' low) as radar and air activity was prevalent, off Trinidad. The heavily damaged IX U-505 limped back to port and is now on display at Chicago. Fighting any aircraft on the surface iss verboten-whatever ADM Dönitz may say!