Tell us what you are upto in your current campaign

Originally Posted by Salvadoreno

Hey Snestorm and Sublynx.

Have you guys ever figured out how to mod out those 2 ships convoys fom 1943-1945??

I opened the Campaign layers and got a little overwhlemed with all the crap on there. Shew. Now i know why i dont mod. But it looks as simple as a deletion of an entry from 1943-1945

Advice:
Alter, but never delete.

It's easy to get overwhelmed in there. It can take the better part of a day just to scroll the file. As an alternative to deleting, you can reduce the SpawnProbability to as low as 1%.

The hardest part will be locating those ships in the file.

[Kmdt Kozhein]

Originally Posted by Bakkels

Well I didn't want to start a new thread for this, but I'm watching The American. And a ship comes on to screen and the first thing I think is: 'That's looks like an Ore Carrier! woohoo 6500 tons!" How weird is that....

Hah hah, that happens to me on drives into the city where I live because you can see ships leaving and entering Table Bay (Cape Town). A friend's apartment overlooks the bay. Sometimes, when we have sundowners, all I can think is: Man, I wish I brought my u-boot.

Originally Posted by Snestorm

I'm glad the tip worked out well for you. I try to keep an eye out, and share when I can.

Capetown:
[...]
It's generaly a grid for IXs during the latter years of the war.

[...]
So, when I get a Capetown patrol, I always assume it's going to be my last patrol.

Ok, I see. Yep, I also go where I am sent. I've never been fond of the IXs; they feel too roomy .

I'll wave when you get to Cape Town, and tell you where the gun batteries are...

Never made it to, or anywhere near, Capetown.

Encountered a convoy west of The Canaries.
Fuel could be spent on the convoy, or the Capetown trip, but not both.

Over the next several days 6 approaches were made, and 5 attacks were carried out. 14 of 14 torpedoes were expended. Grids covered were DT62, DT38, DT35, DT32, DH78.

3 ships were sunk for 24.550 GRT.

Beginning in the area west of Gibralter there were a number of alarms for aircraft, and on 2 occasions RN destroyers were encountered along Spain's west coast. Aircraft destroyed the radio antena, radar antena, flak gun, and both periscopes.

U159 docked at Lorient on 9.nov.43.
Her history to date is:
5 war patrols between 17.apr.42 and 9.nov.43.
10 merchants sunk for 96.489 GRT.

It appears that Capetown is still on the menu for our next patrol.
GR83 has our name on it.

[sublynx]

Originally Posted by Kmdt Kozhein

Hah hah, that happens to me on drives into the city where I live because you can see ships leaving and entering Table Bay (Cape Town). A friend's apartment overlooks the bay. Sometimes, when we have sundowners, all I can think is: Man, I wish I brought my u-boot.

This reminds me of a thread I once read:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...ddicted&page=3

I tend to watch cars driving by and try to figure out what their AOB is

[sublynx]

Leutnant z.s. Helmut Unger
U-552, VIIC
11. Flotilla, Bergen
Orders: Patrol grid AK13

To BDU. Patrol assessment. The results of our first patrol were weak. Four small merchants sunk for 8600 BRT, three damaged. Most of the torpedoes hit, but in 400 - 500 meter visibility it was difficult to plan any shots. Four of the torpedoes were shot as point and shoot shots at ships that could not be identified because of the low visibility. Three of those did hit something but it was all guesswork prepared by hydrophone bearings.

We did have one opportunity to attack in good visibility, but I didn't order the navigation officer to calculate the fastest course to intercept outside the enemy's sighting range. I was lazy there and the result was we never got a chance to attack in visibility of more than 500 meters. If I had taken the time and effort to count the approach exactly we would have had a decent chance of getting a salvo fired at a light cruiser. I guess have to be more aggressive. My crew did an excellent job on the patrol and I am confident our next patrol will be much more successful.

Originally Posted by sublynx

Leutnant z.s. Helmut Unger
U-552, VIIC
11. Flotilla, Bergen
Orders: Patrol grid AK13

To BDU. Patrol assessment. The results of our first patrol were weak. Four small merchants sunk for 8600 BRT, three damaged. Most of the torpedoes hit, but in 400 - 500 meter visibility it was difficult to plan any shots. Four of the torpedoes were shot as point and shoot shots at ships that could not be identified because of the low visibility. Three of those did hit something but it was all guesswork prepared by hydrophone bearings.

We did have one opportunity to attack in good visibility, but I didn't order the navigation officer to calculate the fastest course to intercept outside the enemy's sighting range. I was lazy there and the result was we never got a chance to attack in visibility of more than 500 meters. If I had taken the time and effort to count the approach exactly we would have had a decent chance of getting a salvo fired at a light cruiser. I guess have to be more aggressive. My crew did an excellent job on the patrol and I am confident our next patrol will be much more successful.

From BDU
To U552

I tend to consider 4 ships sunk under very adverse conditions to be anything but a "weak" showing. Patrol well done!

Underway from Lorient on 4.jan.44 at 0447.
Sunrise 0800. Sunset 1630. Half moon. Clear & calm.

U159 has again been assigned to the Capetown area.
GR83 is to be the launch point into the coastal grids south of Capetown.

The commander is less than impressed with the new torpedo loadout, which consists of a majority of FAT torpedoes, and a minority of accuistic torpedoes.
Due to the turning properties of the torpedoes involved, the old commander has, for the first time, ordered that the magnetic pistols not be disabled. His traditional depth setting of 3 meters, will remain unchanged.

Crossed most of The Bay submerged, except to recharge oxygen and batteries.
Once a heavy fog moved in the routine was changed to "running" (at 6½ knots) on the surface during the hours of darkness.

14.jan.44
0600. Present position is grid CG51 (W of Spain & Portugal).
Expect very slow progress until The Canaries have been passed.
No contacts, of any type, to date.

[sublynx]

Originally Posted by Snestorm

From BDU
To U552

I tend to consider 4 ships sunk under very adverse conditions to be anything but a "weak" showing. Patrol well done!

Thanks for the encouragement and good luck on your patrol to Capetown! Hopefully those new types of torpedoes will work for you!

[Kmdt Kozhein]

Originally Posted by sublynx

...
We did have one opportunity to attack in good visibility, but I didn't order the navigation officer to calculate the fastest course to intercept outside the enemy's sighting range. I was lazy there and the result was we never got a chance to attack in visibility of more than 500 meters. If I had taken the time and effort to count the approach exactly we would have had a decent chance of getting a salvo fired at a light cruiser. I guess have to be more aggressive.

Be more aggressive! Or face court marshal?

Originally Posted by Snestorm

Underway from Lorient on 4.jan.44 at 0447.
Sunrise 0800. Sunset 1630. Half moon. Clear & calm.

U159 has again been assigned to the Capetown area.
GR83 is to be the launch point into the coastal grids south of Capetown.
...

Good hunting!

I'm crossing the Northsea (May 1941) on my way to AM37. Not looking forward to this patrol. I have very bad memories of making an attack on a convoy in bad weather and coming under attack by 3 destroyers. We escaped unscathed, but it wasn't pleasant.

I hope though to up my tonnage in that channel at the confluence of AN 18 & 44 as pointed out before by Snestorm.

Oh, I also watched Das Boot for the nth time last night.

[The Dean]

On the subject of Capetown, I made my first journey there a few patrols ago (#12 I think). Bagged next to nothing for my trouble, small tanker and a heavy cargo ship for something like 12K GRT. Seeing as how I was driving an IXB, the trip home to Lorient was a bit tense.




Patrol 15 - October 20th, 1941. U108 IXB.

Sent to patrol CF96, for the second consecutive mission. Remained on station for 3 days, and snagged one of those odd two-merchant convoys, as well as a lone heavy freighter. Elected to head due north, hoping to expend the rest of my fuel (and torpedoes) off the west coast of Ireland on some convoy or another. On the way, however, I ran head on into a small convoy headed due south. Contact was made in BF74, 8-10 smallish merchants and 2 heavy cargo ships, escorted by 2 corvettes and a trawler.



Screw Ireland. Catch as catch can.

Contact lasted for 2 days and carried south into BF77. 4 attacks made, two from within the convoy, two ranged. Both heavy freighters and 5 small merchants sent to the bottom. Was greatly amused upon noticing the convoy's map icon at one point had dryly adjusted itself from "convoy" to "small convoy." Sonar detected reinforcements on the way to assist the hapless corvettes, so I bugged out and headed for home and sweet, sweet renown.


Returned to Lorient November 4, 1941. 10 ships sunk for 39.242 GRT. Shortest and most productive patrol in over a year.



Debating a transfer to La Speiza in the near future.

Originally Posted by sublynx

Thanks for the encouragement and good luck on your patrol to Capetown! Hopefully those new types of torpedoes will work for you!

Thanks for the good wishes.

The FATs I can learn, get used to, and maybe even like.
It's the thought of what BDU expects to be done with the 5 accuistics that's a bit unnerving.
And they expect us to survive attempting that 5 times?!
No choice but to give it my best, without trying to compete with the kamikazis.

Originally Posted by Kmdt Kozhein

Be more aggressive! Or face court marshal?



Good hunting!

I'm crossing the Northsea (May 1941) on my way to AM37. Not looking forward to this patrol. I have very bad memories of making an attack on a convoy in bad weather and coming under attack by 3 destroyers. We escaped unscathed, but it wasn't pleasant.

I hope though to up my tonnage in that channel at the confluence of AN 18 & 44 as pointed out before by Snestorm.

Oh, I also watched Das Boot for the nth time last night.

Thank you, sir.

Be careful in AM37. There is traffik, but it's rather shallow and infested with aircraft.

The deeper parts od AM53 might be a nice place to finish up.
In on the surface by night, and outward submerged by day.
Your hydrophone operator should be a busy man.

However you decide to tackle it, Good Hunting!

Originally Posted by The Dean

On the subject of Capetown, I made my first journey there a few patrols ago (#12 I think). Bagged next to nothing for my trouble, small tanker and a heavy cargo ship for something like 12K GRT. Seeing as how I was driving an IXB, the trip home to Lorient was a bit tense.





Returned to Lorient November 4, 1941. 10 ships sunk for 39.242 GRT. Shortest and most productive patrol in over a year.



Debating a transfer to La Speiza in the near future.

Nothing quite like keeping one eye on the fuel, and the other on the lookout for the RAF, or whatever other fuel guzzlers show up, eh?

Thumbs up on your patrol. Well done!

La Speiza? For a IX driver?
I fear you'll die of boredom, but you'll never know for sure unless you give it a shot.

[sublynx]

Originally Posted by Kmdt Kozhein

Be more aggressive! Or face court marshal?

I sure don't want to follow the course Heinz Hirsacker sailed ...

http://uboat.net/men/commanders/495.html

[sublynx]

Leutnant z.s. Helmut Unger
U-552, VIIC
11. Flotilla, Bergen
Orders: Patrol grid CF32

31.7.1942
0203 Grid AE86. Cloudy, visibility 8 - 9 km, wind 8 m/s. Two US destroyers sighted while running on the surface. Initial distance 8 - 9 kilometers. Their estimated course was 195, speed over 19 knots. A Somers class followed by a Clemson class, the distance between the ships was estimated at 3000 meters. Evaded at periscope depth, they didn't seem to have a clue about my presence, so probably not radar equipped. The pair might have been an ASW group patrolling the narrow sea area between Iceland and Scotland that is not patrolled by enemy airplanes.