U-Valhalla - tell me your death story, Herr Kaleun

[Abd_von_Mumit]

I think it would be interesting to gather stories about our last moments in the game.

First it's always good to hear a good story.

Second we should never waste a possibility to learn something new.

Third we could then make a statistics report on how we usually die, when, where, why... (of course it's Bernard at most). This info could be useful for modders but also for other players (to avoid death). I've always liked to play with statistics (you know, those numbers, schemas, tables, functions) and if you give some details, I'll try to present a kind of "death chart".

So please do not hesitate to tell your death story, Herr Kaleun. It would be best to stick to career stories, I think. We are much more cautions when playing in career mode than in single mission, as we want to save our achievements and beloved crew. Let us know:
- what killed you (DD, rock, plane, friendly fire, Bernard),
- with what it killed you (depth charges, ramming, mine, subnet, gunfire),
- where you were killed (port or see, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Baltic, North See, Scapa Flow),
- when you were killed (night or day?, month, year),
- why do you think you were killed (cockiness, poor equipment, accident, bad luck),
- do you think you made some mistakes that caused the disaster?

Provide as many details, as you can and wish - weather, type of boat, enemy characteristics... Just anything can be important.

Every story will be read. Every Kaleun will be listened carefully. All of us deserve our place in U-Valhalla.

[Vacillator]

Okay, here's a quick one (adapted from my post elsewhere).

I found HMS Rodney in a convoy into which I'd infiltrated nicely and got lined up perferctly for the kill. Then I started making my mistakes! Fired tubes 1 and 2 at her, but got greedy and fired 3 and 4 at a large merchant. Meantime 1 and 2 hit and Rodney opened up on me (even though I was at periscope depth). I didn't last long!

Presumably I should have given her at least 3 straight away and made myself scarce...

The convoy was off Ireland, heading for Liverpool I'd guess. Early 1940.

[Abd_von_Mumit]

I'm not good at telling stories, but these two are going to be short ones.

First death kissed me when I tried to go through Der Kanal (La Manche or English Channel). Mistake followed mistake... First mistake was trying to pass Der Kanal. Second: I run at 10 knots speed that was much too fast. Third: I did it on day with good weather and high visibility. Fourth: Of course I was surfaced. Fifth: I was running (I hear you laughing loud) at 4096 time compression... When I saw "Ship spotted" report it was much too late to do anything. A destroyer damaged my sonar before I managed to dive, so I was completely blind under the water. Her friends came very soon, some 2-3 more destroyers and other smaller units, like trawlers/patrol craft. No chances in such shallow waters. I couldn't believe that, but I was still able to live for 15 hours... But finally they got me in the morning, when my batteries went flat and the oxygen went to the red area... DC-d to death. Type IXB, February '40.

Second time it was much faster. Somewhere around AM52 I prepared for an attack on an east-bound convoy. Went sumberged, silent running, machines stopped, waited for the convoy to get closer, all the time listening at the sonar (never raised my scope). Then the lead escort started to ping me (?!). I immediately ordered 2 knts and dived deeper. When it stopped pinging and went to attack run, I ordered flank speed and hard turn left. I was still like about only 20 metres deep. She dropped her depth charges very precisely. After the first boom I saw multiple damage reports and immediately after the second and third blasts I saw the death screen. Had no time to switch to the damage control room. Launched a 'blind' spread of torpedoes, don't know if any of them hit anything. Type IXB, December '40.

[bigboywooly]

Patrol in 1940 in a IXB
Forget the grid

Came across a large convoy in real bad fog
I should have shadowed and waited till weather cleared but being greedy thought I would press the attack

Made a side on attack , aiming for the furthest column I could see and managed to hit 3 ships - sinking one tanker
Warships seemed to head for the opposite side of the convoy so rode my luck and continued to load torps while keeping pace with the convoy and heading into the middle rows
One of my earlier hits went down too
Managed to load bow torps and fired again on another 2 tankers
Both of these sank
Managed to hit a small ship with the stern tube that also sank
Now I had 57000 tons
All I had left were external fish and should have just broke off contact and crept away
The escorts had no idea where I was

So like a dumbass I surfaced to decks awash while running in the middle of the convoy
Could barely see the ships either side and none of them put lights on so I carried on
I could hear a DD in the distance dropping DC but they were way of where I was

All of a sudden I get " Warship spotted short range closing fast 001 "
Spun around to see a destroyer on a collision course at high speed
Impact
Screen of death

Uboat destroyed by collision

[Abd_von_Mumit]

Originally Posted by bigboywooly

All of a sudden I get " Warship spotted short range closing fast 001 "
Spun around to see a destroyer on a collision course at high speed
Impact
Screen of death

Uboat destroyed by collision

And that was a brave death. Almost a knight's one against a barbarian horde alone!

[Biggles]

long time ago, while playing stock SH3, I was searching for targets outside Florida in shallow waters....it was heavy fog...


that bloody DD came out of nowere....I was dead before I even could think "Holy sh...:"

[WOD]

Originally Posted by bigboywooly

Patrol in 1940 in a IXB
Forget the grid

Came across a large convoy in real bad fog
I should have shadowed and waited till weather cleared but being greedy thought I would press the attack

Made a side on attack , aiming for the furthest column I could see and managed to hit 3 ships - sinking one tanker
Warships seemed to head for the opposite side of the convoy so rode my luck and continued to load torps while keeping pace with the convoy and heading into the middle rows
One of my earlier hits went down too
Managed to load bow torps and fired again on another 2 tankers
Both of these sank
Managed to hit a small ship with the stern tube that also sank
Now I had 57000 tons
All I had left were external fish and should have just broke off contact and crept away
The escorts had no idea where I was

So like a dumbass I surfaced to decks awash while running in the middle of the convoy
Could barely see the ships either side and none of them put lights on so I carried on
I could hear a DD in the distance dropping DC but they were way of where I was

All of a sudden I get " Warship spotted short range closing fast 001 "
Spun around to see a destroyer on a collision course at high speed
Impact
Screen of death

Uboat destroyed by collision

Now I´m glad to see I´m not alone with this
Nearly same happened to me in the north of the Canarian Islands.

But I was better in one thing....the collsion with the Black Swan was not the only one....2 made it right to get me nearly the same time....and all two collided with me at full speed...the 2nd 5 seconds later as the first...2 Black Swans vs a single UBoat from typ IX C....

Fate was same as u had....and I have had over 70000 tons sunk from that convoy.

[bigboywooly]

lol
Glad I am not alone

[Brag]

11 May 1941, 5th day of patrol. U-103 IXB. 200 miles west of Gibraltar. U-boat lost with all hands.

With accute perspicacity, I intercepted the large zigzagging convoy at 0315. The weather had turned sour: Moderate seas, rain. Without seeing escorts found myself amid a bunch of small freighters. Managed to get intermittent sightings of a large and a medium merchant. Launched four torpedoes at extreme range. 2 exploded prematurely, one missed. One hit: Large merchant sank immediately. Following my own dictums dove silently to 200 meters. Was not bothered by escorts.

Clear of the convoy, surfaced, plotted intercept for the following evening. followed plotted course at TC32, dealing with tired crew and torpedo reload.

Crash, bang "Das Boot ist bescheldig."
"Alaaarm."
We crash dived. Conning tower, flasck & DG, forward crew, aft crew, electric motors, aft torpedo compartments damaged.

Evaluating: Damage was not severe.
Pinging, destroyer rumbles overhead. We qre at 30 meters (I had slowed the dive not to agravate damage.
"wasserbomben."
Ahead flank. We avoided the DCs.
Off silent running, fixed leaks. Damage under control. Continue dive to 80 meters. Back to silent running.
Destroyer makes another pass. Depth charges explode some distance away.
Haha, we've made it. 5 minutes later we are at 100 meters. The destroyer makes another pass.
End of career

Analysis
Mistake number one. Proceeding in vicinity of convoy in low visibility at more than TCx1
Not considering convoy would change course.
Getting too smug about destroyer's capabilities, not avoiding depth charges by going flank at the moment of drop until the misses were at a greater distance.
Forgot to keep turning ALL the time.
Conclusion: After many succesful attacks, captain got overconfident.

Read the advice on convoy attacks on my webbie. If you don't get overconfident, they will work until you make a mistake.