New Kaleun on patrol

[Graf Paper]

Ahoy, fellow Kriegsmariners!

Ob.Lt.z.S. Josef Shutz, commander of U-47 reporting in for duty.

I first laid my very eager hands on Silent Hunter III about two years ago and was very happy to play it as-is right from the box. However, my career got cut short due to some failed hardware which prompted me to swear off any game from Ubi.

But...

Much to my joy I am now able to play this sim that I grew to love without any more worries and that happiness is now multiplied by playing with GWX 2.0 installed!


I began my career as Lt.z.S. Josef Shutz, fresh from Weddigen with excellent marks. I am assigned to 1st Flotilla at Kiel. My first command was a Type IIA sub, U-1.

In U-1 I sailed three patrols from Sep. 1939 to Dec. 1939 earning a U-boat Badge, U-boat Front Clasp, and Knight's Cross 2nd Class while patrolling the waters off the British coast in the North Sea. Promoted to Oberleutnant zur See.

By Jan. 1940 I was given command of a Type VIIB, U-47. In my first patrol with U-47, I struck a convoy near Hartlepool, sinking a large cargo ship and an ore carrier. Two destroyers hunted me, but I evaded and sunk both, winning a Knight's Cross 1st Class and German Cross in Gold

My fifth patrol, I achieved a personal best by sinking just a little over 46,000 tons of shipping after wandering the British North Sea coast from the Orkneys down to the Firth of Forth for 8 days.

I started with a raw crew, but many have earned their own medals and awards. My Weapons Officer and Watch Officer have both been promoted to Lt.z.S. after being awarded Knight's Cross 1st Class and Knight's Cross 2nd Class, respectively.

Total tonnage sunk after 80 days of patrols is 94,700 (91,320 merchant / 3380 warship).

I'm in port, waiting for my torps to be loaded, before embarking on my sixth patrol. I'll be headed to the northern coastline of Norway this time.

Very glad to be a part of this community and looking forward to swapping many tales at the O-Club next time I'm in port!

[U49]

Welcome aboard Herr Kaleun

Good hunting!

[TomcatMVD]

Wow! U-47, that's some number!
Welcome aboard Herr Kaleun! Good hunting!

[papa_smurf]

Welcome aboard

[Dowly]

Welcome aboard, GP!

[Sailor Steve]

WELCOME ABOARD!

[rizZO_77]

Welcome aboard kaleun!
I trust you'll find this a very helpful and warm community overhere!

[The Munster]

Welcome aboard Matey

Impressive Stats

[nikbear]

Welcome to a good crew of reprobates sink'em all

[Hanomag]

Welcome Kaluen !!!!

[bookworm_020]

Welcome aboard!

More the merrier, and feel free to keep posting!

[Graf Paper]

Thank you all for the many warm welcomes.

One thing I've always liked about any sim community is the members tend to have a certain camaraderie and more mature mindset than the flaming and childish bashing that seems to dominate other game genres. Sims and sim-like games have always been my favorite ever since the days when my boyish wonder held me enthralled by sims like Test Drive, Chuck Yeager's Jet Ace, and Airborne Ranger on the Commodore 64 then Red Baron, 688 Attack Sub, and F-16 Falcon on the PC. And that's just to name a few.

My first love will always be Mechwarrior 2 and any space combat "sim" like X-Wing or Freespace (yeah, getting technical but how can you call something a sim when it's about a machine that doesn't exist?).

I still have my DOS CD for Wolf Pack and will someday load it up using DOSbox. I have an aging, but still very capable computer and look forward to sharing any nuttiness and deep thoughts with all of you. Yes, I do indeed intend to be as active in this fleet as time will allow. My posts will probably tend to be verbose, especially if it is something I'm knowledgable or enthused about.

Consider yourself warned. :P

I know I more than likely still have much to learn about the nuances and quirks of SH3, but it feels almost natural to be commanding a "unterseeboot". I suppose my time spent in the IIA boats helped to instill a certain wily caution that sticks with me even in the larger VIIB. One of my favorite tactics is to sit at periscope depth at a dead stop, roughly 1000 meters directly abeam of a convoy's projected course which is well inside the outlying escort, and then dive underneath the convoy so their engine noise masks my boat and make my escape abaft or towards deeper water if the escorts are on me too quick.

I'm no scholar of World War II or even U-boat warfare, but I've seen many good submarine movies like "Run Silent, Run Deep" and "The Enemy Below". I also have the requisite director's cut of "Das Boot" (which I've watched more times than I care to admit). "The Enemy Below" is my favorite. The tense cat-and-mouse game between the destroyer captain and u-boat commander just grips you with their sheer cunning and skill. A pity I've never found that one on DVD.

Having never read or found this legendary "U-boat Captain's Manual" everyone speaks of here, I've been using imagination and nerve as my only guides. I hope it will be enough.

I look forward to the time when I can play online with some of you and maybe even learn a little modding.

Well, it's nearly time to go through the "fireboat drill" and gather my officers at the club. We're due to sail at dawn for Norway. U-47, over and out!

[EDIT]: I see I've been promoted from "Bilge Rat" to "Nub"! LOL

[bookworm_020]

Originally Posted by Graf Paper

[EDIT]: I see I've been promoted from "Bilge Rat" to "Nub"! LOL

Wait till you get to Navy Dude!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

[GoldenRivet]

welcome!

You said you were using GWX2 eh?

Well... Nice shoes you got there - what d'ya say you put me in your will so when you get your boat shot out from under you on your first mission so those shiny loafers of yours can be left to me?

Hahaha just kidding, stay out of shallow water and keep a keen watch crew... You might make it home in one piece

[candy2500]

welcome to subsim graf paper