U-53 Dead in the water

[Lzs von swe]

No diesel, all tanks destroyed. No battery power, forward batteries destroyed and aft batteries empty. Pos AN2629. 0040, Sept 27, -39. Requesting help, a towline or a ride home.

Now, in game you cannot do anything but wait for the enemy to find you. Or, dive the boat until it succumbs to pressure. And then use the Cmdr to surrender..

But in real life, what would their options be? Towing the boat from that pos. seems a bit risky:hmm: Taking a crew of 44 aboard an already cramped Uboat, no, that would take several Uboats to save the crew, right? Any ideas Kaleuns?

[McHibbins]

Arme Sau ! (just joking)

You´ll need an LI and a crew like U96 now !

[GoldenRivet]

here is what would likley happen
===============

To: u-53
From: BdU

Message Received and Understood. wounded? medical needs? Please have your Chief Engineer compose a detailed list of the minimum equipment which in his opinion, if repaired, would enable the boat to travel under it's own power. Transmit your requirments to us as soon as possible. avoid detection at all cost, keep radio transmissions to a minimum, and remain submerged if possible. Check in at 10 hour intervals. Upon reception of your chief engineer's requirments we will send U-202 with machinists, tools and parts as he is schuled for departure late tonight.

good luck!
===============

when U-202 arrives, the mechanics would take a raft over to your boat, assess the situation and then have tools and parts brought over from U-202.

U-202 would remain in position until your boat was able to move under it's own power at which point U-202 would head out on its normal patrol, and U-53 would return to base with mechanics, tools and parts.

when you dock... if your base is not where U-202 originated, the mechanics would likley dispatch a truck to carry them and their equipment back to their base by road.

[danurve]

Originally Posted by Lzs von swe

..Taking a crew of 44 aboard an already cramped Uboat, no, that would take several Uboats to save the crew, right? Any ideas Kaleuns?

Actually while checking resources for RL_E Updated I discovered a few instances where crews from scuttled boats often crammed onto other U-boats, even onto type VII's.

I think if another boat was near and could answer it would have been dispatched if anything to save the crew.

[quote=danurve]

Originally Posted by Lzs von swe

..Taking a crew of 44 aboard an already cramped Uboat, no, that would take several Uboats to save the crew, right? Any ideas Kaleuns?

If it was a life or death situation I am sure you could pack the crew onto a full Uboat at least for a ride to port. That sounds logical. I'd rather be a sardine for a little while than dead.

[Jonathan]

You could always whip out the oars and have a old college try at it.

[Uncle Goose]

I believe there was a boat who suffered the same fate, no diesels, almost no batteries left, a busted radio and uncapable to dive. After quite some time (they were already presumed lost) they sailed into the harbor. The crew had constucted a large sail and managed with pure luck to keep themself undetected by the enemy.

[GoldenRivet]

Originally Posted by Uncle Goose

I believe there was a boat who suffered the same fate, no diesels, almost no batteries left, a busted radio and uncapable to dive. After quite some time (they were already presumed lost) they sailed into the harbor. The crew had constucted a large sail and managed with pure luck to keep themself undetected by the enemy.

Of that i would be highly skeptical, but truth is often stranger than fiction.

[Lzs von swe]

:hmm: Would repairing ruptured diesel tanks and then refueling them be possible at this stage of the war?

-------------------

Oh,oh... my wife is calling.... have to go... RL stuff calls me away, will be back..

[Frank0001]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

here is what would likley happen
===============
when U-202 arrives, the mechanics would take a raft over to your boat, assess the situation and then have tools and parts brought over from U-202.

After which, they appear to be Americans with a disguised submarine, and steal your Enigma!

[GoldenRivet]

Originally Posted by Frank0001

After which, they appear to be Americans with a disguised submarine, and steal your Enigma!

never happened... but it is a possibility and a risk that it could have.

[GoldenRivet]

Originally Posted by Lzs von swe

:hmm: Would repairing ruptured diesel tanks and then refueling them be possible at this stage of the war?

-------------------

Oh,oh... my wife is calling.... have to go... RL stuff calls me away, will be back..

i would think that perhaps some sort of temporary fuel tank would be fashioned maybe?

perhaps even drain the drinking water tank, fill it with diesel and rig the engines to draw their fuel from there.

with the right tools, enough enginuity and elbow grease i suppose anything is possible.

[Bosje]

so reading all the above, you can take it that salvage is possible and take the magic carpet home without considering it to be cheating, correct?

(i did the same, travelling to New York and making it back to a resupply sub on the last drops of fuel with my VIIc, then I took the carpet ride without feeling bad about it, lol)

[GoldenRivet]

i would say the 'magic carpet' ride is ok

the way i look at it here are the possible outcomes.

1. An enemy unit finds you and blows you out of the water
2. An enemy unit finds you and causes you to scuttle/ surrender the boat and you're captured
3. BdU orders you to scuttle the boat as a complete loss when a surface ship arrives to take on your crew
4. BdU orders you to scuttle the boat as a complete loss when another U-boat arrives to take on your crew
5. BdU orders you to await assistance/ repair/ towing (this assumes your not 20 miles of the coast of New York of course)

and finally, assuming your radio or radio antenna is destroyed...

6. you scuttle the boat and take to life rafts to either:
a. never be seen or heard from agian
b. become rescued by the enemy and captured
c. become rescued by a friendly unit and returned home
d. become captured by a neutral unit and become interned
e. become captured by a neutral unit only to use your superior numbers to 'hijack' their ship and drive it back to your home port

either way, by a roll of the dice, assuming your situation is as listed in the first post (and you at least have a radio) the possible outcomes as i have speculated on above favor you getting back to dry land (which may or may not be occupied by Germany)

hows that for a detailed analysis? :rotfl:

[GoldenRivet]

additionally... (see above post)

one could actually put this to the dice literally and figuratively.

roll one dice and use the following numbers to indicate your fate:

Roll a 1 or 2: An enemy unit finds you and causes you to scuttle the boat and surrender

Roll a 3: BdU orders you to scuttle the boat when a surface ship arrives to take on your crew

Rol a 4: BdU orders you to scuttle the boat when another U-boat arrives to take on your crew

Roll a 5: BdU orders you to await repair

Roll a 6: you scuttle the boat and take to life rafts (in which case you will roll TWO dice)

Roll between 2 or 3 ... never be seen or heard from agian

Roll between 4 or 5... become rescued by the enemy and captured

Roll between 6 or 7... become rescued by a friendly unit and returned home

Roll between 8 or 9... become captured by a neutral unit and become interned

Roll between 10 or 12... become captured by a neutral unit only to use your superior numbers to 'hijack' their ship and drive it back to your home port