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#31 |
Silent Hunter
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Location: Y'ha-Nthlei
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Herr Kaleun,
Congrats to you and to your crew on joining the 100K club. You're now among our ranks. Will order some cognac when we return to port for you. Best of luck until then! -Kptlt. Lothar Albrecht von Siegfried, U-90 |
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#32 |
Weps
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Just achieve my career high of 137,000 tonages, GWX2.1 72% realism, IXB. But I pay for it with my life along with my 56 crew members. Got too greedy, spend my second to last torp on a ore carier (hit but not sunk). With only 1 torp left, 4 DD on my tail, and only 25 feets of water from surface, my type IX has zero chance of chance of escape.
Patrol Summary: 1. Bermuda Raid - 2 torp for a southlampton. deckgun large troop ship in harbor. 2. Patrol off Miami for 10 days, total to 88k 3. Sunk the Atlantic City Day trip Cruise liner (ceremic) total to 100k Last radio message: "L Convoy SE Of NY, Don't attack in shallow wa..." I heard of a website where 100k patrols are being submitted, Where is it? Date and Time Grid Occurrences 22 Apr 1943 1935 Patrol 17 U-65, 1st Flotilla Left at: April 22, 1943, 19:35 From: Brest Mission Orders: Patrol grid ED91 25 Apr 1943 1434 BF 14 Ship sunk! Whale Factory Ship, 12017 tons 26 Apr 1943 2150 BE 62 Ship sunk! Granville-type Freighter, 4707 tons 16 May 1943 1004 DD 18 Ship sunk! Tacoma class, 1430 tons 1028 DD 18 Ship sunk! HMS Southampton (Southampton class), 10725 tons 1214 DD 18 Ship sunk! S.S. Scalona (Large Troop Ship), 12760 tons 22 May 1943 1708 DM 23 Ship sunk! Whale Factory Ship, 12018 tons 24 May 1943 1015 DM 26 Ship sunk! Schooner, 17 tons 1944 DM 26 Ship sunk! Whale Factory Ship, 12019 tons 26 May 1943 0439 DB 98 Ship sunk! M/V Ranier (Modern Tanker), 8833 tons 28 May 1943 0230 DB 91 Ship sunk! Coastal Freighter, 1869 tons 29 May 1943 0620 DB 67 Ship sunk! Intermediate Tanker, 3490 tons 30 May 1943 0451 DB 67 Ship sunk! M/V Quemado Lake (Modern Tanker), 8787 tons 07 Jun 1943 1657 CA 27 Ship sunk! S.S. Albert E. Watts (Ceramic-type Ocean Liner), 15611 tons 08 Jun 1943 0522 CA 28 Ship sunk! USS Mason (Evarts class), 1192 tons 0541 CA 28 Ship sunk! HMS Mignonette (Flower class), 950 tons 0553 CA 28 Ship sunk! River class, 1250 tons 0608 CA 28 Ship sunk! M/V Fort Clatsop (Modern Tanker), 8788 tons 0619 CA 28 Ship sunk! M/V French Creek (Modern Tanker), 8790 tons 0634 CA 28 Ship sunk! M/V Tolovana (Large Tanker), 10598 tons 0701 CA 28 Ship sunk! River class, 1250 tons 0723 Patrol results Crew losses: 56 dead Ships sunk: 20 Aircraft destroyed: 0 Patrol tonnage: 137101 tons |
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#33 |
Weps
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Well, I'm finally out of the club.
![]() Just as I'm leaving, of course, I run into a HUGE convoy of American tankers. I managed to blast a whale factory ship, then had a point-blank shot on a large tanker. First shot hit, but failed to detonate because the angle was too sharp. Second magnetic hit, but failed to detonate because I had the depth set for the whaling ship - 11 M, which was too shallow for the immense 11.6M draft of the large tanker! ![]() Some observations: 1- American destroyers appear to be less capable than British destroyers. Anyone else find this? 2- North of Trinidad was again the best place to hunt, by far. I also did a nice raid on Barbadoes again (with just a destroyer in dock). 3- Frequently, ships appeared to be escorted by twin-engined airplanes. Sometimes multiple airplanes! I went to gun a lone tanker, just surfaced, and got aircraft spotted call immediately! 3 planes where circling away, letting me frantically dive and get the hell out of their attack runs. I then torpedoed the tanker. ![]() ![]() 4- One class of troop ship, the one that looks really boxy, is wickedly armed. I almost did a gun attack when I looked again at the ID booklet and noticed what appeared to be turrets. So I sailed closer (night time), and sure enough, this thing was armed like a cruiser! ![]() ![]() 5- Thankfully, I have yet to even spot an aircraft in the Bay of Biscay. 6- I did much of my patrolling underwater, finding that my detecting range was much better than surfaced (using 16K mod). However, I would surface and patrol up top in good weather that allowed for a wider patrol range and OK detection. 7- Lastly, for like the billionth time, I ferverently wished that we could blast Venezuala's fleet of tankers out of the water! |
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#34 |
Stinking drunk in Trinidad
![]() Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: AU in the USA
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To: Bdu
From: Oberleutnant Pioneer Re: U108 Patrol. Inform the Admiral the decision to upgrade me to a type IXB has been rewarded with 187,213t on first patrol from Wilhemshaven to Lorient ending 8 Aug 1940.
__________________
An AU writer marooned in the USA. The American Pioneer story continues @ www.grantmadden.com Latest publication: Chicken Soup for the Soul Angels and Miracles |
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#35 |
Weps
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Wow Pioneer!
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#36 | |
Stinking drunk in Trinidad
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I set off from Wilhemshave 15 May 1940 on my ninth patrol but first in the IXB. After clearing the headland I hugged the coastline proceeding west on the 65m mark while I adjusted my crew positions after getting a new Watchman and losing a torpedoman. Bdu had detailed me to patrol CG75 (near Gibralter) so I had plans of slipping through the English channel. With the Allied retreat I opted to head north and was on day 7 offshore from Cambridge before my first contact became a confirmed sinking. South east of Scapa Flow around 26 May a storm moved in that would stay with me the entire voyage. With deck guns unable to operate, the hurricane weather meant one shot would cripple a ship, but I would have to stick around for it to sink. After getting one shot into a tanker on the west side of Scapa Flow, it took 3 days to sink, by which time I was already in the channel near Loch Ewe. I started in on Loch Ewe in the afternoon and by 2200 was in the harbour. There were a few USA vessels there who shot at my scope (so much for being neutral). Inside the harbour I bagged two docks with one shot each and a CV for about 87k. Coming out of Loch Ewe I reloaded the external torpedoes in time for a heavy convoy moving north through the channel - two more tankers and one Granville, each with one shot. Turned west into the Atlantic and the storm was still with me, 22 hours submerged, 2 hours after sunset to recharge the batteries, it was a crawl down the Western Approaches. I missed at least one task force in the fog and one other convoy before settling on the single merchant route. Same drill, one torpedo, but with the weather, had to hang around and "chase" the target till it sunk. BY the time I cleared Ireland, I only had three left, two rear and one forward. The new bases hadn't come on in France yet so I set my sights on Cadiz to refuel/rearm. While crossing the Bay of Biscay, Lorient came on line, and turned and ran for France 960km. The weather cleared the morning I arrived at Lorient, with only one torpedo left in the rear, and not a single shot of ammunition fired. Did not make it to the patrol zone in the 88 days at sea, 75 spent in a severe storm that just followed me. But I love the extra power, and now that I'm starting from Lorient...bring on the "long haul" mileage. If I can take a Type VII from Wilhemshaven to Freetown and back on one tank, what can I do with the IXB. ![]()
__________________
An AU writer marooned in the USA. The American Pioneer story continues @ www.grantmadden.com Latest publication: Chicken Soup for the Soul Angels and Miracles |
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#37 | |||||
Weps
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#38 |
Stinking drunk in Trinidad
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I had about 5 single merchants that I crossed. All but one of my torpedos was a hit, had one detonate early but that was a two shot salvo at an iron ore carrier (on it's own) out of Liverpool heading to Iceland. The tonnage was racked up in Lock Ewe, the rest was about average. In the type VII I had a 96K t haul but never cracked the 100t.
__________________
An AU writer marooned in the USA. The American Pioneer story continues @ www.grantmadden.com Latest publication: Chicken Soup for the Soul Angels and Miracles |
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#39 |
Weps
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Long story short. Patrolling African Coast as ordered, I hit a convoy and manage to sink 39K of ships (including one on the way down and a port raid of the islands north east of the Canaries). However, I sustain periscope damage from the counter-attack, and retire to a nearby u-tanker for repairs to periscopes. Then, having lost my Type IV torps in the reloading process, I run into this:
"Well, I just got smoked by a destroyer in late 1943. Attacking convoys is absolute hell now thanks to improved sonar. There's just no escaping it. Using a IXB probably doesn't help, but it's just bloody nuts. I don't play die = end of career (I don't have the time to start new careers), so I will write the whole thing up in my ongoing 100K thread when I reload the game. Briefly: 1- Attacking convoys off the West coast of Africa, along that money line 'cause thats where I was sent (I'd choose the Caribbean again in a heartbeat vs. this convoy doom). 2- First convoy I attack, I nail a couple of ships and speed away nicely. I get over 500M from my last datum point without being detected, go to silent from flank, and coast another 300M. I'm thinking- sweet! Then I get pinged from 1000M away by a destroyer who hounds the crap out of me. Decoys work for about 5-10 seconds. ![]() 3- Back in the game, but now without type IVs. Which will prove fatal. I find and attack a convoy in the midst of a terrible storm. Perfect! I nail four ships, then head down deep and fast (as always, settling at around 220M). I then get pinged. Deploying decoys isn't working well, I end up with 3 of 6 escorts again hunting me. A fan-shaped deployment at 30 degree intervals, 4 decoys, then turning back into the middle of them, actually works once they are all on the other side of them. After a brief burst of speed (~15 seconds), I coast free and clear. Two return to the convoy, but no, the other one detects me again. I'm creeping at 2 knots, 220M beneath the sea, behind a screen of decoys, in 15knot, stormy weather. ![]() Ping, ping, ping. I'm trying everything. Eventually, I get nailed and start taking on water. I see some of the escorts starting to return to my position. Low on decoys, I can't take any more of this, especially not from a pack of 3. I rise to the surface, getting hit on the way up, damaging my forward battery. I managed to fire a quick shot at the lone escort that runs safely under his ship. ![]() ![]() ![]() Penetrating the convoy was as easy as ever. Even easier actually, as either their radar doesn't detect you before you detect it, or they don't respond to it at long ranges. So you get a really nice, early, on-the-surface account of how the escorts are laid out, which makes your ambush choice much easier. But once alerted, this improved sonar is absolutely lethal. My only possible suggestion now is to blow up the escorts, then dive. Maybe an all-out decoy deception could work, I'll try that too, but even if it works, that means only one convoy per patrol. I understand that this lethality is (mostly) realistic, but it really sucks the wind out of your sails and radically alters the gameplay. Convoys are henceforth verboten without good anti-escort torps at the ready (meaning fewer anti-merchant torps can be fired, as the IVs and Vs need to be loaded and ready to use). And after I reload and finish this cruise, I think I'll ask for a transfer to a Type VII-41/42 in Norway while waiting for the XXI. Either that, or I'm taking my boat the hell away from convoys, no matter what! Maybe the American convoys will be easier to beat, but as is realistic, the war just became a LOT more suicidal. ![]() So, I ended up reloading and this time, I stayed the hell away from the convoys and instead attacked single and dual merchants in and around Freetown. I bagged 69K tons, for a combined cruise total of 100K+. So I'm still in the club with this cruise, but it's an even more hollow victory than before because I died during it. My new tactics are to NEVER even approach a convoy without homing torps. I might even consider switching to a VIIC-42 until I get my electric boat. I know that some might chirp at me for not playing DiD, but I'd chirp back that DiD isn't realistic either. Unless you follow Doenitz's suicidal commands to attack convoys in late 1943, in which case it becomes virtually impossible to survive without a steady supply of homing torps. So in both ways, I've gone rogue and can live with both choices- no DiD, no stupid Doenitz tactics (including staying on the surface against all air attacks- although that's another thread). It's enough for me to know that by 1943, as the real data shows, u-boats were screwed. |
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#40 |
Weps
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Well, I didn't hit 100K in Feb '44, but I did discover a new, and deep love for T-IVs and T-Vs! Beside the new torps, I equipped the boat with dual 37s to replace the quad 20s, added improved radar detection and decoys, and I added a schnorkel.
So once again, I'm sent off to the Caribbean (it seems likes it's always there or Africa for me). I'm sent right around Guatanamo Bay, but I didn't stay there long because a) there was no traffic and b) that plays now gives me the creeps. Bad place to get captured! ![]() So it's back to ED 94 and 98, my old hunting grounds. On the way there, I get a small convoy report (along with two big ones). Leaving the big ones alone out of respect for my last debacle, I decide to attack the small convoy. With hopefully just a couple of escorts, I should be able to take them out and then wipe out the defenseless convoy. Well, things don't go as I planned. I'm able to sneak in quite close, but there are FOUR destroyers guarding THREE merchants (two ore carriers, one small merchant). This clearly isn't worth it. Unfortuantely, one of the destroyers is going to pass very close to me on the right flank of the convoy. So I decide to take it out- thus salvaging some renown, as well as giving myself plenty of time to escape. I estimate the speed, wait for it to get close and 80 AoB then shoot! BOOM! Impact, but it's at the very tip of the bow. The destroyer stays afloat! Darn, didn't count on that happening. Panicked, I gun the boat to get her the heck out of there. Diving deep, I switch the boat to silent running. Unfortunately, I am picked up by an incoming destroyer with their now magical sonar. Even heavy waves 200M above me aren't enough to hide me. Fortunately, I have options this time around. I order flank speed, hard to starboard, and periscope depth. I use a decoy to stall the destroyer when he's making an attack run. Long story short, I just miss a stationary shot at this destroyer, with three others coming in to help. OK, homing time. Long story short, two Vs and a IV finish them off relatively effortlessly. A little bit of dogfighting, with decoys to slow them down, does the trick nicely. I then dash after the convoy and sink 'em all, including a brief deck gun action on the surface against one stubborn ore carrier. However, the original target, the destroyer, limps away to port! Oh well, it wasn't really worth a second torpedo, and I've shot a lot of them this engagement. I continue patrolling, hunting solo and dual ships. I even get the chance to gun a few of them in the glassy-calm waters! My highly experienced gunnery crew are masters of reloading the gun, and our rate of fire, combined with our bow-bow tactics, makes these engagements short and successful. On the way home, I stop at the little islands north of the canaries to make a port raid. I hit a modern tanker with my remaining T3, but it doesn't sink. On the way out, my final T5 is sent as a parting gift to a large destroyer who was blindly patrolling the port. Total for the trip = 14 ships, 4 destroyers, 68K, and 2400 renown. Not a bad little patrol! Some important lessons: 1- I'm pretty sure you can't detect ships underwater when you are running your schnorkel. That's realistic, because of the diesel noise, but it also limits your ability to hunt when using it. 2- Which is pretty much fine because Allied air cover is increasing, and the schnorkel is an airplane magnet! I was bombed 3 times while using it. Of course, I had no notice other than the impact of the depth charges, and once, some fairly significant damage to my topside (78% hull integrity, entire length of ship too minor damage). So I'm of the opinion that the schnorkel is pretty useless. If you surface at least you have a chance of detecting the airplanes. Enemy ships (including merchants) also seem to be able to detect the schnorkel fairly easily, and fire on it sooner than they would a periscope at the same distance. So again, I think it is of limited usefullness. Primarily, I would use it to quickly close the gap on incoming ships when they are far enough away that you don't want to drain the batteries (I tried to keep my speed under 7 knots with it to remain realistic). 3- By '44, bigger ships are essentially Q-ships. Although I did end up engaging an ore carrier and a medium cargo ship (separately) with guns, both were already damaged by a torpedo hit. I would NOT advise taking on any large merchantile ships with guns in '44 unless they are already damaged. They look like small cruisers with all their guns, and are probably as well armed, if not better, than a destroyer. 4-As before, wounded/engaged ships will sometimes have an aerial escort. Caught me off guard the first time I surfaced to take out the ore carrier I had damaged! Fortunately, the airplane was at the limits of detection and I was able to safely re-dive. So now I have to decide if it's time for me to move on from my Type IXB to a VII-42, or even the XXI. It's an important decision because two big stealth upgrades just became available to the IXB, and I'd hate to spend the money on them if I don't need to. Last edited by predavolk; 08-25-08 at 02:04 PM. |
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#41 |
Seaman
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Getting 100k ton patrol in late war is definitely much more challenging. When I start my career in 1939, my regular routine starting with raiding Southend at east coast English. The port has 2 large transport (24k x2), a modern tank (10k) and a medium cargo carrying tanks (5k) At the beginning of the war, all they have are a couple of asw trawler and torpedo boats. The net is nearly useless as defense as long as one can get around them. I nap 60k ton that way. Then I head to dover. There is a southhampton light cruiser sitting close to an openning by a dock - easy kill for another (10k). Now I have 70k with a few torp left and still full ammo for my deck gun. The remaining 30k is not that difficult to get. But then I find that it is much more difficult to do as the war progress.
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#42 |
Weps
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Well, my last patrol again fell short of the 100K mark. That's the bad news. The good news is that my new XXI is awesome! I mean, wow. This thing is the real deal.
I won't go into all of the details, but I set out to patrol AM 49, riding the Hebrides Straight (sp?). I took on multiple single or twin solo-ships before reaching my patrol grid, touring it for 24, and returning to AM 53. I get plenty of solo-ship action, but all the convoys I run into are simply too big for me to take on. Even with 6 homing torps on board (cashed in my renown), I can't take on 7+ escorts. I wouldn't even want to take 5 or 6 in case I miss. I also passed on a small carrier because it had 6+ escorts. Not worth it. So I'm almost out of torps, thinking about Lock Ewe or another raid. But I decide discretion is the better part of valor and sail out into the Atlantic so I can make a clean save (don't you all just LOVE the save game bug? ![]() ![]() My usual tips: 1- Decoys work kinda well, but you have to lay them well in advance of your opponent, and leave a "screen" of them spread out so that a slight deviance of course by the pursuer won't open up a clear view of your boat. I also use them when "dogfighting" up close with escorts as a way to throw off their aim, or sometimes, to get them to stop dead in the water. BOOM! 2- Homing torps are SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET. My new operating procedures are to take on lone merchants and/or convoys with 5 or fewer escorts. 3- The snorkel is useful primarily as a means of high-speed underwater dashes during pursuit. As a recharging tool, it remains much more dangerous than actually surfacing your boat. Airplanes are drawn to it like a magnet, and you don't get to see them coming. Once, I detected the plane coming in even though I was submerged with scopes down. I don't know why, but I did dive deeper and evade! 4- Have I said how great the XXI is? This boat, in numbers, is a war winner. Two of them could rip a convoy apart, no problem. Especially with a few homing torpedos to take out the escorts. A wolfpack of XXIs in the mid-atlantic would cut the UK off, no problem. 5- Having not been around the UK since early 1940 in my VIIB, I'm happy to take any suggestions for good hunting spots. So that's it for now. Like I said, I'm happy to take any good UK hunting suggestions. Also, are there mines along the West coast? I'm avoiding the East coast of the UK because I seem to recall it being heavily mined after 1941. |
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#43 |
Sonar Guy
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Look at "New Threads" : A real carnage by JMV - 09 02 2008 - 11:54AM
True enough, only 74% realism... |
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#44 |
Weps
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As I said in the other thread, that's really impressive. Very lucky to find them, but very impressive to take advantage of that rare opportunity! Nicely done. I don't think I'll ever come close to 250K in a single patrol!
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#45 |
Swabbie
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Finally made a 100k patrol. Running 103% realism, been playing this captain since the beginning of the war, 18th patrol it FINALLY happened. Gutted three convoy's of their heavyweights, with a bonus liner putting me over the top.
21 Jan 1942 1430 Patrol 18 U-126, 2nd Flotilla Left at: January 21, 1942, 14:30 From: Lorient Mission Orders: Patrol grid ET98 28 Jan 1942 0232 DU 11 Ship sunk! S.S. Margareta (Tramp Steamer), 2489 tons 31 Jan 1942 2309 ET 12 Ship sunk! S.S. Empire Gem (Medium Cargo), 5447 tons 2309 ET 12 Ship sunk! S.S. Rio Blanco (Medium Cargo), 5450 tons 2309 ET 12 Ship sunk! S.S. Suzon (Medium Tanker), 8947 tons 2317 ET 12 Ship sunk! S.S. Hotspur (Tramp Steamer), 2472 tons 01 Feb 1942 0344 ET 15 Ship sunk! S.S. Empire Steel (Large Tanker), 7610 tons 0538 ET 15 Ship sunk! S.S. Lackawapan (Large Cargo), 5420 tons 05 Feb 1942 0207 ET 92 Ship sunk! S.S. Clyde L. Seavey (Liberty Cargo), 7459 tons 06 Feb 1942 1534 ET 52 Ship sunk! S.S. Benjamin Warner (Liberty Cargo), 7417 tons 1538 ET 52 Ship sunk! Old Liner, 17376 tons 1544 ET 52 Ship sunk! S.S. Corona (Troop Transport), 7790 tons 1546 ET 52 Ship sunk! S.S. Empire Guidon (Tramp Steamer), 3045 tons 09 Feb 1942 1710 ET 11 Ship sunk! HMS Valorous (V&W Destroyer), 1188 tons 1729 ET 11 Ship sunk! S.S. City of Oxford (Large Tanker), 7975 tons 1731 ET 11 Ship sunk! S.S. Pequot Hill (Medium Tanker), 9072 tons 1913 ET 11 Ship sunk! S.S. Stony Creek (Medium Tanker), 9073 tons Patrol tonage: 108230 tons |
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