Close calls, tell your story! - Page 2

Dowly · 08-16-05, 02:58 PM

Man the fog is a deadlier than an destroyer!

I was cruising my way trough the channel between Ireland & England. Weather was bad, wind 15m/s, fog heavy. I was almost on my patrol grid so I stayed on the surface to get there faster. I was on nav map and TC was 1024. Then it dropped to 8 and I saw this ship icon on the map. I put quickly TC to 1 and ordered flank speed and rudder full to left. Then went to conning tower to check, how close the ship was. I almost had an heartattack! All I saw was the grey metal of the C3 cargo ship!!!

Here`s the pic:

Zie Chuckinator · 08-16-05, 03:00 PM

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: are u high, giddy, merry, whatever u call it or are you having ur moment?

Dowly · 08-16-05, 03:02 PM

lol, nah, not high or anything. Just sleepy.

And I like drawing, tho I suck at it! :rotfl:

kiwi_2005 · 08-16-05, 03:25 PM

Cruising back to Kiel from a successful patrol, in the BE grids, im just out of the english channel and what i thought would be all plain sailing from here on i decide to throw on my earphones hit the compression time to 2x speed and listen to some good old german music. i got external view and are happily watching my VIIb skim the surface at flank speed. I let the crew light up ciggarettes and yell out an order to bring me up a coffee on deck. Music is blaring we're all singing, then all of a sudden BOOM! BOOM! Aircraft attack! our boat rocks side to side i spill my coffee all over my keyboard, i give the order to crash dive, heavy damge and flooding in 3 compartments, then a loud griding noise appears and i realise we have hit the bottom SHALLOW water! next sonar yells out destroyer closing fast. RIG FOR SILENT RUNNING! Engineer reminds me we wont be able to repair boat in silent running. The tension is on me all eyes looking my way, what is the kapitain going to order. PERISCOPE DEPTH! ahead slow. Destroyer now 1200 yrds running fast zigzaging UP PERISCOPE! set torpedoe for fast! fire when ready. Swoosh! torpedo running Sir. 20sec, 40sec, ....we miss. F**K! Take her down 025 feet ahead flank. Nothing happens, speed zero! My crew are too bummed out to react to my orders! Bloody RUB MOD! engineer looks at me strangly wondering what im mumbling about. We're sinking slow amazingly destroy comes next to us but doesn't drop any charges... we're now on the bottom and i order the crew to rest, engineeer shuts down all engines. Now its just a matter of waiting.... to be continued.

Seeteufel · 08-16-05, 03:34 PM

Phew, that was close (BF13, Oct 23, 1939, Type VIIB boat), two Hurricane fighter bombers dropping their load on our boat to revenge the C-2 cargo torpedoed and sunk 3 minutes earlier (...one single bomb each of whatever size, were loud Bangers though, killing a lot of fish right behind us (40-50m), but not causing any damage to the boat...).

I guess it was lucky that we were just going back to course, the boat making 15kn towards home ... Bootsmann Adolf Conrad bagged one with the 2cm Flak...I think he'll be among the first to be promoted and awarded back in Kiel...

akula_krieg · 08-16-05, 10:37 PM

December 1942, grid square BE33.

Sonar contact, lone merchant traveling slow. Surface and find out the weather's gone to hell since I've been under. Heavy fog, heavy seas, hard rain, visibility out to maybe 400 meters at most.

It takes me awhile to locate the ship, but eventually I'm on her tail. Still can't see her; I've been tracking for two hours through sonar checks every twenty minutes.

Then, out of nowhere, she appears out of the fog, about 350 meters dead ahead, and she's a fully-armed liberty cargo. Turned my bow into twisted metal within five seconds. I quickly snapshot two torps and crash-dive...due to high seas, the boat's slow going down and the cargo continues to rake the deck with fire as accurate as a seasoned destroyer.

Thankfully, the torps blast her in two before I become another U-Boat casualty. I actually had to head back to port after that...my hull integrity was down to 93%, two bow tubes were permanently out of commission, and I had two dead crewmen.

Ever since then, I've decided to let bad weather pass before attempting an attack.

-akula-

HMCS · 08-17-05, 03:19 AM

1st patrol in the fall/winter of '39 - brand new VIIb - rotten weather, so I cruise topside during the day, thinking that the gentlemen of RAF Coastal Command are taking the day off.

Boy, was I wrong - a Hurrie roars out of the clouds and fog and drops a bomb square onto my fantail - we hover at 50+ m. trying to control the flooding - we finally get it under control a 1/2 hour later- I decide to continue the patrol, and we get a payoff of 50000 grt sunk, three of them T3's

We make it back to Wilhelmshaven - with a blackened bum.

glenno · 08-17-05, 03:48 AM

(march 1940)(RUB1.43) I was in the middle of a convoy at night with 15 knot winds . The waves were huge but no fog or rain . Best type of weather i think for subs because you are harder to spot in between the waves . Anyway i had just sunk two C2s and was parallel with a third going in the same direction about 700mts away . Suddenly a canon shot from the bow of the C2 . Hang on a minute , Do C2s have canons ............................ Crash dive............. A destroyer comes around the bow of the C2. The canon gets me . Bad flooding . I was able to stop the flooding and dived to 100 mts .

Detritus · 08-17-05, 07:22 AM

Summer '42, east of Halifax in IXB. Until now, the patrol had been very good. Spent most my torps on the way to patrol grid between NY and Halifax, hitting Liberty's, Victory's and such like nobody's business. Thought I'd go and hit a convoy/task force in BB91, since lots of them seemed to go through that. Somehow, I managed to sail one grid too north and had a bit of hurry to intercept, thereby failing to notice depth changes on navmap. Hit the convoy allright: T3, 2x T2 and C3 and ordered ahead one third, course inside the convoy, depth 150 meters.Imagine my surprise, when we hit the bottom at 67m

In no time, 2 corvettes and 2 destroyers were pinging and DCing us like mad. The convoy was in shambles, so I tried to get merchants between us and the escorts, which seemed to work.. Two hours later I thought we actually managed to make a slip, inching our way to deeper waters- 20km away. Then the corvettes found us again and gave sheer hell for 2.5 hours. Eventually, I just gave up: " Screw this, were dead anyway and I've to hit the sack if I'm gonna go to work in the morning". Hit TC8 and in 20 seconds the bastards just left

You tell me, I only work here. 96% hull integrity, 166000 tons in the bag :|\

Bill Nichols · 08-17-05, 08:19 AM

Here's a different kind of 'close call'.

September, '39. I'm on my first patrol, west of Great Britain. I've already sunk a destroyer and my crew is itchin' for more blood. Weather is shiXXy, 15 m/s winds and high seas. Fortunately, it's daylight and visibility is good.
Lookouts spot a ship heading my way. It's a large cargo ship! Dive! In position for a two-shot salvo at close range. Shoot! Both fish impact, but fail to explode

I watch the cargo ship sail away, and only then notice the Stars & Stripes flying at its stern

(So what, if the U.S. had entered WWII in 1939, instead of 1941?)

Dowly · 08-17-05, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Nichols

Here's a different kind of 'close call'.

September, '39. I'm on my first patrol, west of Great Britain. I've already sunk a destroyer and my crew is itchin' for more blood. Weather is shiXXy, 15 m/s winds and high seas. Fortunately, it's daylight and visibility is good.
Lookouts spot a ship heading my way. It's a large cargo ship! Dive! In position for a two-shot salvo at close range. Shoot! Both fish impact, but fail to explode

I watch the cargo ship sail away, and only then notice the Stars & Stripes flying at its stern

(So what, if the U.S. had entered WWII in 1939, instead of 1941?)

Lol, I had a same thing with a french merchant. I launched a torp and just when I pushed the enter I noticed the flag. "Miss, miss, miss, PLEASE MISS!!!!" But it hit, good thing it didnt sink.

Ula Jolly · 08-17-05, 08:51 AM

Similar to the two above:
Right south of Sydney early in the war I find a sound contact... plot a course on the map and steaming to intercept. Weather is dreadful, so I can only faaaaiiiiiiintly see the contures of the bastard in the fog. Becomes more and more apparent, so I finally lob a fish at'im.
External camera forward, and see the flag. I go something like:

"BE DUD BE DUD BE DUD BE DUD BE DU, thank you GOD!"

08-16-05, 03:00 PM	#2
Zie Chuckinator Machinist's Mate Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: up ur butt and around the corner... Posts: 121 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: are u high, giddy, merry, whatever u call it or are you having ur moment? __________________ Weekends don\'t count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless. -- Calvin Miss Wormwood: What state do you live in? Calvin: Denial. Miss Wormwood: I don\'t suppose I can argue with that... The only skills I have patience to learn are those that have no real application in life. -- Calvin If you do the job badly enough, sometimes you don\'t get asked to do it again. -- Calvin

08-16-05, 03:25 PM	#4
kiwi_2005 Eternal Patrol Join Date: May 2004 Location: Aeoteroa Posts: 7,382 Downloads: 223 Uploads: 1	Cruising back to Kiel from a successful patrol, in the BE grids, im just out of the english channel and what i thought would be all plain sailing from here on i decide to throw on my earphones hit the compression time to 2x speed and listen to some good old german music. i got external view and are happily watching my VIIb skim the surface at flank speed. I let the crew light up ciggarettes and yell out an order to bring me up a coffee on deck. Music is blaring we're all singing, then all of a sudden BOOM! BOOM! Aircraft attack! our boat rocks side to side i spill my coffee all over my keyboard, i give the order to crash dive, heavy damge and flooding in 3 compartments, then a loud griding noise appears and i realise we have hit the bottom SHALLOW water! next sonar yells out destroyer closing fast. RIG FOR SILENT RUNNING! Engineer reminds me we wont be able to repair boat in silent running. The tension is on me all eyes looking my way, what is the kapitain going to order. PERISCOPE DEPTH! ahead slow. Destroyer now 1200 yrds running fast zigzaging UP PERISCOPE! set torpedoe for fast! fire when ready. Swoosh! torpedo running Sir. 20sec, 40sec, ....we miss. F*K! Take her down 025 feet ahead flank. Nothing happens, speed zero! My crew are too bummed out to react to my orders! Bloody RUB MOD! engineer looks at me strangly wondering what im mumbling about. We're sinking slow amazingly destroy comes next to us but doesn't drop any charges... we're now on the bottom and i order the crew to rest, engineeer shuts down all engines. Now its just a matter of waiting.... to be continued. __________________ RIP kiwi_2005 Those who can't laugh at themselves leave the job to others.*

08-16-05, 03:34 PM	#5
Seeteufel Mate Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Hamburg Posts: 53 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Phew, that was close (BF13, Oct 23, 1939, Type VIIB boat), two Hurricane fighter bombers dropping their load on our boat to revenge the C-2 cargo torpedoed and sunk 3 minutes earlier (...one single bomb each of whatever size, were loud Bangers though, killing a lot of fish right behind us (40-50m), but not causing any damage to the boat...). I guess it was lucky that we were just going back to course, the boat making 15kn towards home ... Bootsmann Adolf Conrad bagged one with the 2cm Flak...I think he'll be among the first to be promoted and awarded back in Kiel... __________________

08-17-05, 08:19 AM	#10
Bill Nichols Master of Defense Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 1,502 Downloads: 125 Uploads: 0	Here's a different kind of 'close call'. September, '39. I'm on my first patrol, west of Great Britain. I've already sunk a destroyer and my crew is itchin' for more blood. Weather is shiXXy, 15 m/s winds and high seas. Fortunately, it's daylight and visibility is good. Lookouts spot a ship heading my way. It's a large cargo ship! Dive! In position for a two-shot salvo at close range. Shoot! Both fish impact, but fail to explode I watch the cargo ship sail away, and only then notice the Stars & Stripes flying at its stern (So what, if the U.S. had entered WWII in 1939, instead of 1941?) __________________ My Dangerous Waters website:

08-17-05, 08:51 AM	#12
Ula Jolly Samurai Navy Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Norway Posts: 567 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Similar to the two above: Right south of Sydney early in the war I find a sound contact... plot a course on the map and steaming to intercept. Weather is dreadful, so I can only faaaaiiiiiiintly see the contures of the bastard in the fog. Becomes more and more apparent, so I finally lob a fish at'im. External camera forward, and see the flag. I go something like: "BE DUD BE DUD BE DUD BE DUD BE DU, thank you GOD!" __________________ I shall punish yee, landlubber! C'mere for spankings and popsicles!

08-16-05, 02:58 PM	#1
Dowly Lucky Jack Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Finland Posts: 25,054 Downloads: 32 Uploads: 0	Man the fog is a deadlier than an destroyer! I was cruising my way trough the channel between Ireland & England. Weather was bad, wind 15m/s, fog heavy. I was almost on my patrol grid so I stayed on the surface to get there faster. I was on nav map and TC was 1024. Then it dropped to 8 and I saw this ship icon on the map. I put quickly TC to 1 and ordered flank speed and rudder full to left. Then went to conning tower to check, how close the ship was. I almost had an heartattack! All I saw was the grey metal of the C3 cargo ship!!! Here`s the pic:

08-16-05, 03:02 PM	#3
Dowly Lucky Jack Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Finland Posts: 25,054 Downloads: 32 Uploads: 0	lol, nah, not high or anything. Just sleepy. And I like drawing, tho I suck at it! :rotfl:

08-16-05, 10:37 PM	#6
akula_krieg Mate Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 60 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 0	December 1942, grid square BE33. Sonar contact, lone merchant traveling slow. Surface and find out the weather's gone to hell since I've been under. Heavy fog, heavy seas, hard rain, visibility out to maybe 400 meters at most. It takes me awhile to locate the ship, but eventually I'm on her tail. Still can't see her; I've been tracking for two hours through sonar checks every twenty minutes. Then, out of nowhere, she appears out of the fog, about 350 meters dead ahead, and she's a fully-armed liberty cargo. Turned my bow into twisted metal within five seconds. I quickly snapshot two torps and crash-dive...due to high seas, the boat's slow going down and the cargo continues to rake the deck with fire as accurate as a seasoned destroyer. Thankfully, the torps blast her in two before I become another U-Boat casualty. I actually had to head back to port after that...my hull integrity was down to 93%, two bow tubes were permanently out of commission, and I had two dead crewmen. Ever since then, I've decided to let bad weather pass before attempting an attack. -akula-

08-17-05, 03:19 AM	#7
HMCS Sonar Guy Join Date: May 2005 Location: Squaresville, daddy-O. Posts: 394 Downloads: 186 Uploads: 0	1st patrol in the fall/winter of '39 - brand new VIIb - rotten weather, so I cruise topside during the day, thinking that the gentlemen of RAF Coastal Command are taking the day off. Boy, was I wrong - a Hurrie roars out of the clouds and fog and drops a bomb square onto my fantail - we hover at 50+ m. trying to control the flooding - we finally get it under control a 1/2 hour later- I decide to continue the patrol, and we get a payoff of 50000 grt sunk, three of them T3's We make it back to Wilhelmshaven - with a blackened bum.

08-17-05, 03:48 AM	#8
glenno Electrician's Mate Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 138 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	(march 1940)(RUB1.43) I was in the middle of a convoy at night with 15 knot winds . The waves were huge but no fog or rain . Best type of weather i think for subs because you are harder to spot in between the waves . Anyway i had just sunk two C2s and was parallel with a third going in the same direction about 700mts away . Suddenly a canon shot from the bow of the C2 . Hang on a minute , Do C2s have canons ............................ Crash dive............. A destroyer comes around the bow of the C2. The canon gets me . Bad flooding . I was able to stop the flooding and dived to 100 mts .

08-17-05, 07:22 AM	#9
Detritus Navy Dude Join Date: May 2005 Location: Finland Posts: 177 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 0	Summer '42, east of Halifax in IXB. Until now, the patrol had been very good. Spent most my torps on the way to patrol grid between NY and Halifax, hitting Liberty's, Victory's and such like nobody's business. Thought I'd go and hit a convoy/task force in BB91, since lots of them seemed to go through that. Somehow, I managed to sail one grid too north and had a bit of hurry to intercept, thereby failing to notice depth changes on navmap. Hit the convoy allright: T3, 2x T2 and C3 and ordered ahead one third, course inside the convoy, depth 150 meters.Imagine my surprise, when we hit the bottom at 67m In no time, 2 corvettes and 2 destroyers were pinging and DCing us like mad. The convoy was in shambles, so I tried to get merchants between us and the escorts, which seemed to work.. Two hours later I thought we actually managed to make a slip, inching our way to deeper waters- 20km away. Then the corvettes found us again and gave sheer hell for 2.5 hours. Eventually, I just gave up: " Screw this, were dead anyway and I've to hit the sack if I'm gonna go to work in the morning". Hit TC8 and in 20 seconds the bastards just left You tell me, I only work here. 96% hull integrity, 166000 tons in the bag :\|\