Gibraltar 1941- Crazy!!!

Philogogus · 04-29-08, 01:15 PM

I just did a harbor raid last night on the Gib.

It was quite... interesting. I was in my IXB (Feb. 1940... GWX 2.1 mod). I just put off near Cadiz after a looong patrol in which I was COMPLETELY OUT OF AMMUNITION (thats never happened before...

; out of shells, 20mm and fish). I was of course given the mission to return to my own pens (Wilhemhavens).

However, I decide on a detour to see what riches lay in wait in the Gib. I set off, ahead standard, and see what happens.

I slipped through the straits without much difficulty (pair of Swans were there, but a quick dive and rigging for silent took care of it). After about 1 hour of submerged time, I resurfaced and continued.

About 10km off the harbor I went to periscope depth and to 1/3 speed (let my hydrophones do the looking...). My screen EXPLODED with sound contacts. I adjusted my course for the middle of the pack and rerigged to silent and AHEAD SLOW. Keeping my periscope down, I tracked completely through my hydrophones... every so often I would raise the scope and take a peek myself to see what was about.

About 30 minutes later (real time), I was a few clicks due west of the port. I was using T2's (I dont like T1's... especially for port raiding) so I had to get fairly close (2500m is what I like to be at). I was lining up for a very juicy tanker (modern tanker; 12500GST)... when I saw it. The unmistakable outline of a Nelson BB. My blood pressure went up a few points, and my pulse started racing. I swung my scope around a little more to check for escorts... and saw only a few ASW trawlers (who could not detect a man banging on a steel drum with a sledgehammer) and torpedo boats. As I was checking for escort forces... I saw another juicy target. A anchored Southhampton with a pair of Tribals.

If I were a smoking man, I would need a cigarette by this point. I lowered my scope (but not before marking on my map the exact location of the Nelson and the Southhampton), and lined up for a 4 torpedo spread on the Nelson. I adjusted my torpedoes for a 4 degree spread (at the distance I was it it would place one every 100 feet or so along the hull) and to explode at 14m (right underneath the ship... was hoping to avoid the torpedo belt and break her back) with magnetic triggers.

At 0325 game time, I raised my scope and quickly fired my four fish... secured from silent running and immediately began reloading my tubes for the Southhampton. I put my electrics on Flank and swung my stern towards one of the Tribal destroyers that were flanking the Southhampton and loosed a fish aimed right between the bridge and the first turret (I could not afford to miss, and needed to break the ship in two to get a clear shot at the Southhampton... a submarine net was obstructing my most obvious attack vector).

A few tense moments passed... I needed to quickly get into position for the Southampton kill shot... AND get my front tubes reloaded. This was precious time in which the escorts would very likely detect me (because I was at flank speed... and I was reloading torpedoes so I had to secure from silent running). Luckily, I had spent the previous 6 patrols I had been on racking some fairly serious tonnage so I had the renown to spend on making my torpedo crew the best in the fleet. In a little over 4 minutes, my first two tubes were reloaded (enough I figured for the cruiser).

By this time, I was eagerly awaiting the explosions from succesful torpedo strikes... and I was not let down. Each one of the torpedoes hit and exploded. The Nelson was destroyed by the second torpedo, and the destroyer did exactly what I needed it to do... break in half.

This cleared me for the Southampton shot. I was already lined up, and fired the two fish I had reloaded with a 5 degree spread (at that distance, one would hit to the fore of the bridge, one to the back). Once again, both torpedoes exploded and it broke the ship in half.

Deciding I needed to beat it out of there, I lowered my scope... set myself back to silent rigging... and sailed quietly out of the harbor. I dont think the escorts every figured out what happened.

04-29-08, 01:15 PM	#14
Philogogus Swabbie Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 14 Downloads: 101 Uploads: 0	I just did a harbor raid last night on the Gib. It was quite... interesting. I was in my IXB (Feb. 1940... GWX 2.1 mod). I just put off near Cadiz after a looong patrol in which I was COMPLETELY OUT OF AMMUNITION (thats never happened before... ; out of shells, 20mm and fish). I was of course given the mission to return to my own pens (Wilhemhavens). However, I decide on a detour to see what riches lay in wait in the Gib. I set off, ahead standard, and see what happens. I slipped through the straits without much difficulty (pair of Swans were there, but a quick dive and rigging for silent took care of it). After about 1 hour of submerged time, I resurfaced and continued. About 10km off the harbor I went to periscope depth and to 1/3 speed (let my hydrophones do the looking...). My screen EXPLODED with sound contacts. I adjusted my course for the middle of the pack and rerigged to silent and AHEAD SLOW. Keeping my periscope down, I tracked completely through my hydrophones... every so often I would raise the scope and take a peek myself to see what was about. About 30 minutes later (real time), I was a few clicks due west of the port. I was using T2's (I dont like T1's... especially for port raiding) so I had to get fairly close (2500m is what I like to be at). I was lining up for a very juicy tanker (modern tanker; 12500GST)... when I saw it. The unmistakable outline of a Nelson BB. My blood pressure went up a few points, and my pulse started racing. I swung my scope around a little more to check for escorts... and saw only a few ASW trawlers (who could not detect a man banging on a steel drum with a sledgehammer) and torpedo boats. As I was checking for escort forces... I saw another juicy target. A anchored Southhampton with a pair of Tribals. If I were a smoking man, I would need a cigarette by this point. I lowered my scope (but not before marking on my map the exact location of the Nelson and the Southhampton), and lined up for a 4 torpedo spread on the Nelson. I adjusted my torpedoes for a 4 degree spread (at the distance I was it it would place one every 100 feet or so along the hull) and to explode at 14m (right underneath the ship... was hoping to avoid the torpedo belt and break her back) with magnetic triggers. At 0325 game time, I raised my scope and quickly fired my four fish... secured from silent running and immediately began reloading my tubes for the Southhampton. I put my electrics on Flank and swung my stern towards one of the Tribal destroyers that were flanking the Southhampton and loosed a fish aimed right between the bridge and the first turret (I could not afford to miss, and needed to break the ship in two to get a clear shot at the Southhampton... a submarine net was obstructing my most obvious attack vector). A few tense moments passed... I needed to quickly get into position for the Southampton kill shot... AND get my front tubes reloaded. This was precious time in which the escorts would very likely detect me (because I was at flank speed... and I was reloading torpedoes so I had to secure from silent running). Luckily, I had spent the previous 6 patrols I had been on racking some fairly serious tonnage so I had the renown to spend on making my torpedo crew the best in the fleet. In a little over 4 minutes, my first two tubes were reloaded (enough I figured for the cruiser). By this time, I was eagerly awaiting the explosions from succesful torpedo strikes... and I was not let down. Each one of the torpedoes hit and exploded. The Nelson was destroyed by the second torpedo, and the destroyer did exactly what I needed it to do... break in half. This cleared me for the Southampton shot. I was already lined up, and fired the two fish I had reloaded with a 5 degree spread (at that distance, one would hit to the fore of the bridge, one to the back). Once again, both torpedoes exploded and it broke the ship in half. Deciding I needed to beat it out of there, I lowered my scope... set myself back to silent rigging... and sailed quietly out of the harbor. I dont think the escorts every figured out what happened.