Getting through the English Channel

Blacklight · 12-15-06, 11:43 PM

Through many efforts going between England and France heading for the Atlantic, I have discovered quite to my and my crew's dismay that the area is FULL of mines and we usually end up strapping on our water wings very fast (The ones with little duckies on them. The duckies help us float better). Is there a mostly safe way to cross through that area where the chance of hitting a mine is less ? I hate having to constantly go all the way around north of Great Britain and then into the Atlantic. It takes forever to get to some mission areas that way and the trip eats up fuel like mad.

mookiemookie · 12-16-06, 12:16 AM

We have a little saying around here:

STAY AWAY FROM THE ENGLISH CHANNEL

If you're going to try it, the only way I could see you making it would be to hug the coast of France and pray that no trawlers spot you. You're in shallow waters there and most likely wouldn't have any room to dive. Attempting to go through the middle of the Channel is suicide with the mines and the DDs and the Elcos and the airplanes.

Swooth · 12-16-06, 12:21 AM

Geez and I went through there once without a scratch, now I just feel lucky

Jmack · 12-16-06, 12:28 AM

so i guess you're not using GW ? right ?

VIICDriver · 12-16-06, 01:02 AM

Went through there once with RuB 1.45 and that was all it took for me to learn.

Yeah I'll chime in:

STAY AWAY FROM THE ENGLISH CHANNEL!!!

12-16-06, 03:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VIICDriver

Went through there once with RuB 1.45 and that was all it took for me to learn.

Yeah I'll chime in:

STAY AWAY FROM THE ENGLISH CHANNEL!!!

I tried it three times before giving up forever. To save time, from now on we could refer to SAFTEC. (It's a bit like 'safety' but has a big C for Caution. Which reminds me of "The name's Morgan - big M, little organ").

Corsair · 12-16-06, 03:58 AM

If you start a career in 1939, there is a moment when you receive a radio message telling you that the Channel is considered closed for german U boats and that Kapt'ns assigned to missions in the Atlantic are to sail across the North Sea. As other above clearly stated, it is strongly advised to follow this order from BdU.
The North Sea being a shallow place and the surroundings of Scapa Flow and the Orkneys being heavily patrolled by DDs and airplanes, I usually hug the Norwegian coast from south of Stavanger to above Bergen and follow the deeper straight north of the Shetlands, staying underwater during daytime and surfaced at night when I hit 200km from the Shetlands where there is an airbase.
There is some traffic there so you might well bag some lone merchants from North of Scotland going down the West Coast and have a good chance of finding convoys even in early war in the western approaches to the north Irish sea entrance (around grid AM 52)
Even with a VIIB, running at ahead standard you have enough fuel to get down to the Bay of Biscay and back. On my present patrol, I am patrolling grid BF47 (with only my 2 external torps left, waiting for nice weather to reload and 35.000 tons in the log on the way down)

AVGWarhawk · 12-16-06, 07:34 AM

This is what I do, start career at Wilhelmshaven and just go north of England. I do not use the channel at all. I wait until Breast is in Axis hands or any of the others along the French coast. I then switch to one of these. The channel, man, is like a bad moon rising. Although you might get through unscathed once, there is no guarantee you will do it again thus ending what could have been an awesome career. Stay away.

d@rk51d3 · 12-16-06, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

I wait until Breast is in Axis hands or any of the others along the French coast.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

I sense a thread Hi-Jacking soon.

AVGWarhawk · 12-16-06, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d@rk51d3

Quote:

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

I wait until Breast is in Axis hands or any of the others along the French coast.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

I sense a thread Hi-Jacking soon.

Darn it! Someone caught my breast joke LOL. Good Show!

Morts · 12-16-06, 07:59 AM

hmm ive sailed through the english channel on patrols in 1940
3 or 4 times i think
only 2 plane attacks in all. nothing really happend to the boat only a near miss with a bomb from a plane

guess U-107 is just one lucky boat

stabiz · 12-16-06, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

I wait until Breast is in Axis hands or any of the others along the French coast.

Thats not just funny, its priceless. I seldom laugh out loud (although the smileys dictate otherwise), but this time I did.

Very sly, very good. :rotfl:

d@rk51d3 · 12-16-06, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Darn it! Someone caught my breast joke LOL. Good Show!

Me and my dirty mind.......

AVGWarhawk · 12-16-06, 08:36 AM

yeah, men are pretty basic...beer and boobs. We sometimes think of sleep. Thats about it

d@rk51d3 · 12-16-06, 08:38 AM

Then we dream about beer and boobs........:rotfl:

12-15-06, 11:43 PM	#1
Blacklight Ocean Warrior Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Connecticut Posts: 2,507 Downloads: 145 Uploads: 0	Getting through the English Channel Through many efforts going between England and France heading for the Atlantic, I have discovered quite to my and my crew's dismay that the area is FULL of mines and we usually end up strapping on our water wings very fast (The ones with little duckies on them. The duckies help us float better). Is there a mostly safe way to cross through that area where the chance of hitting a mine is less ? I hate having to constantly go all the way around north of Great Britain and then into the Atlantic. It takes forever to get to some mission areas that way and the trip eats up fuel like mad.

12-16-06, 12:16 AM	#2
mookiemookie Navy Seal Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 9,404 Downloads: 105 Uploads: 1	We have a little saying around here: STAY AWAY FROM THE ENGLISH CHANNEL If you're going to try it, the only way I could see you making it would be to hug the coast of France and pray that no trawlers spot you. You're in shallow waters there and most likely wouldn't have any room to dive. Attempting to go through the middle of the Channel is suicide with the mines and the DDs and the Elcos and the airplanes. __________________ They don’t think it be like it is, but it do. Want more U-boat Kaleun portraits for your SH3 Commander Profiles? Download the SH3 Commander Portrait Pack here.

12-16-06, 12:28 AM	#4
Jmack Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 669 Downloads: 23 Uploads: 0	so i guess you're not using GW ? right ? __________________ "victim's ? ... arent we all ? "

12-16-06, 03:58 AM	#7
Corsair Ace of the Deep Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Toulouse France Posts: 1,140 Downloads: 51 Uploads: 0	If you start a career in 1939, there is a moment when you receive a radio message telling you that the Channel is considered closed for german U boats and that Kapt'ns assigned to missions in the Atlantic are to sail across the North Sea. As other above clearly stated, it is strongly advised to follow this order from BdU. The North Sea being a shallow place and the surroundings of Scapa Flow and the Orkneys being heavily patrolled by DDs and airplanes, I usually hug the Norwegian coast from south of Stavanger to above Bergen and follow the deeper straight north of the Shetlands, staying underwater during daytime and surfaced at night when I hit 200km from the Shetlands where there is an airbase. There is some traffic there so you might well bag some lone merchants from North of Scotland going down the West Coast and have a good chance of finding convoys even in early war in the western approaches to the north Irish sea entrance (around grid AM 52) Even with a VIIB, running at ahead standard you have enough fuel to get down to the Bay of Biscay and back. On my present patrol, I am patrolling grid BF47 (with only my 2 external torps left, waiting for nice weather to reload and 35.000 tons in the log on the way down) __________________ NYGM 3.4A / Living SH3 V5.1 + SH3 Commander

12-16-06, 07:34 AM	#8
AVGWarhawk Lucky Jack Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a 1954 Buick. Posts: 28,261 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	This is what I do, start career at Wilhelmshaven and just go north of England. I do not use the channel at all. I wait until Breast is in Axis hands or any of the others along the French coast. I then switch to one of these. The channel, man, is like a bad moon rising. Although you might get through unscathed once, there is no guarantee you will do it again thus ending what could have been an awesome career. Stay away. __________________ “You're painfully alive in a drugged and dying culture.” ― Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road

12-16-06, 12:21 AM	#3
Swooth Mate Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 57 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	Geez and I went through there once without a scratch, now I just feel lucky

12-16-06, 01:02 AM	#5
VIICDriver Engineer Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Lynchburg, VA Posts: 203 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Went through there once with RuB 1.45 and that was all it took for me to learn. Yeah I'll chime in: STAY AWAY FROM THE ENGLISH CHANNEL!!!

12-16-06, 07:59 AM	#11
Morts Admiral Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denmark Posts: 2,395 Downloads: 23 Uploads: 0	hmm ive sailed through the english channel on patrols in 1940 3 or 4 times i think only 2 plane attacks in all. nothing really happend to the boat only a near miss with a bomb from a plane guess U-107 is just one lucky boat

12-16-06, 08:36 AM	#14
AVGWarhawk Lucky Jack Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a 1954 Buick. Posts: 28,261 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	yeah, men are pretty basic...beer and boobs. We sometimes think of sleep. Thats about it __________________ “You're painfully alive in a drugged and dying culture.” ― Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road

12-16-06, 08:38 AM	#15
d@rk51d3 Sea Lord Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 1,952 Downloads: 207 Uploads: 0	Then we dream about beer and boobs........:rotfl: