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SUBSIM: The Web's #1 resource for all submarine & naval simulations since 1997
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SUBSIM: The Web's #1 resource for all submarine & naval simulations since 1997 |
08-25-05, 05:48 AM
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#16 |
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Lucky Jack
 Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Finland
Posts: 25,052
Downloads: 32
Uploads: 0
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Thx, Der Schatten!
My 8th patrol is on the way. Just passed the Gibraltar and I`m headed to EH95. Hopefully I can finish it today, it`s been storming for days now. Really slows my boat down, still ~2000km to go + return to base. And it`s getting booooring!! Only one sound contact made, it was on the coast of Portugal, lost it because the storm.  Oh, BTW. I play on 64x TC, so these long patrols take their time... |
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08-26-05, 05:46 AM
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#17 | |||||||||||||
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Lucky Jack
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Finland
Posts: 25,052
Downloads: 32
Uploads: 0
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8th PATROL
May 14, 1941 I sit in local tavern, air is full of smoke from cigars. It reminds me of our last patrol. When we were hit by the aircraft`s bomb. Electric engines caught on fire and the boat was full of smoke. I order another beer and go back to my corner table. As I sip the beer my sonarman, Karl Creuts walks in. I invite him to my table. -"Where is everybody?" I asked. Karl looks at me and says, "Where do you think they are, polishing torpedoes back at U-103?" I noticed Karl was changed... don`t know how, but he was changed. -"What`s the matter, Karl?" -"This is going to be my last patrol, BdU wants me as a sonar trainer to Naval academy!" He replied. -"Good for you... Every patrol we make, gets us closer to death..." I said silently. -"What do you mean, herr Kaleun?!" Asked Karl, with a shocked look on his face. -"Our last patrol... do you realize how close to death we were??" -"As long as you are in command of the U-103, crew is sure that we`ll make it." Karl said. I really didn`t like, what Karl said. I`m not the one who chooses, wether we die or live! Karl asked me to join the others at the other tavern not so far from here, but I declined, we have a patrol tomorrow and I really need rest. Lorient`s dry docks were full, so we were transferred to 7th Flotilla, St. Nazaire. I like St. Nazaire, the weather is better and RAF rarely come here. I heard a week ago that when we were unable to go to the Mediterrain on our last patrol, they ordered another boat to go there. BdU haven`t heard from it since the boat sent a status report saying they are starting infiltration of the Gibraltar. Newspaper said it was missing and presumed sunk by the allied forces. May 15 I woke up early, at 06:30. I decided to take a walk and go see the U-103. I didn`t believe my eyes when I first saw the boat! It was just like it was on our first patrol. New paint and everything! I bet it was the finest boat in the whole atlantic! Damn, I`m proud to be the kaleun of that beauty! I`m standing in the conning tower... I hear music... I hear sound of diesels... roaring... I can feel the vibration as the engines shake the boat... Our 8th patrol is beginning. 18:35 - Sea is calm, winds 3m/s. We depart from the port of St. Nazaire, heading to EH95, 2000km NNW of Freetown. May 16 14:38 - I sent a status report to BdU two hours ago, I got this odd answer to it. It said "Be more aggressive!". I wonder what`s with them, are they mad at me, because I didn`t manage to infiltrate the Gibraltar on our last patrol?? I decided to only send them messages, when they asked for it. Sea`s calm, visibility clear. May 17 12:23 - No ship sightnings, it almost feels like we are the only one sailing the Atlantic. Position BF75, just NNW of the portugese coast. Weather has changed radically, winds now 15m/s, visibility poor. Ordered boat to submerge to 20m, ahead one-third for six hours. 17:03 - Extended the submerged time to nine hours, surface at 21:00. 18:59 - Gottfried, our medic reported that one of the torpedomen was sick, he had really high fever. With my permission, he was transferred to other duties, as a cook`s assistant. 21:00 - Surfaced the boat, weather still stormy. I order us to remain submerged as long as the storm lasts, surfacing after every six to nine hours to load batteries. May 18 00:30 - Batteries charged. Submerged to 20m, ahead one third. 02:11 - Gottfried reported that the sick torpedoman is ok now and can return to his post. 05:39 - Leaking pipe in stern quarters. Fixed in 15 minutes. 08:11 - Surfaced to charge batteries. Weather stays the same, stormy. The waves are biggest I`ve ever seen! We have great difficulties to stay on course. 11:43 - Submerged to 20 meters, ahead one-third. 15:42 - Karl spotted screw sounds, bearing 91, moving away. Propably a destroyer, we have no chance to catch it on this weather. 18:01 - Surfaced to charge batteries. Weather unchanged. 21:11 - Submerged to 20 meters, ahead one-third. May 19 04:08 - Karl hears screw sounds from bearing 302, moving slowly, propable heading N or NW. I order the boat to periscope depth. 04:14 - Sound now at bearing 297. Surfaced. Submerge every hour to take new bearing. 05:05 - Sound now at bearing 230. Ship is moving W or SW now. Sound is fainting slowly. 06:01 - Karl reports, no contact heard anymore. Staying submerged, ahead slow. 11:09 - Surfaced. The weather took a turn to the worse, now the fog came in. I can`t see anything! It`s a long way to go, over 4000km left till we reach the patrol grid. 12:32 - Crew had a meal, eggs and ham. After eating I gave everyone 15 minutes free time to rest. I myself went to my bunk too. Reported the BdU about our position and weather. Quote:
22:34 - Surfaced. No contacts. May 20 06:00 - Bdu asked for position and weather report. Quote:
10:08 - Submerged to listen contacts for two hours. 11:54 - Surfaced. No contacts. 20:54 - Submerged to 50 meters, to keep the boat steady while we eat, cooks is tired to clean our mess after eating in rough weather. After eating, I bring the boat to 20 meters to listen for contacts. 23:02 - Surfaced. No contacts. May 21 04:18 - I get cold shivers when I take a look at the map. We are 1000km directly west of Gibraltar. I still can`t stop thinking of how we managed to survive our last patrol... Better to try and not think about it, we survived and that`s it! 12:30 - Sent position and weather report to BdU. Quote:
07:40 - Still no contacts, submerged to 20 meters to listen for contacts. Finally the weather seems to start clearing. Winds now 8m/s. 10:11 - Surfaced. No contacts. 20:23 - Sent position and weather report to BdU. Quote:
11:09 - Submerged to 20 meters to listen for contacts. 12:34 - Surfaced. No contacts. 16:00 - Sent position and weather report to BdU. Quote:
May 24 00:02 - Surfaced. No contacts. 00:05 - Fuel down to 70%. 13:12 - Sent position and weather report to BdU. Quote:
to start eight hour submerged period, then surface to charge batteries and submerge again. This will be done as long as the storm lasts. May 25 07:39 - Surfaced to charge batteries. 09:56 - Batteries reloaded. Submerged. 16:52 - Surfaced to charge batteries. Weather unchanged. 20:33 - Batteries full. Submerged. May 26 03:56 - Surfaced to charge batteries. Changed orders to submerged drive as long as batteries go down to 50%, then surface to charge them. When charged back to submerged drive. 06:32 - Submerged. 13:46 - Surfaced. Sent position and weather report to BdU. Quote:
23:56 - Surfaced. Weather unchanged. May 27 Tenth day sailing in the storm. Crew`s morale is getting low. We could use some action. The daily routines are the only things that keeps my men from going nuts. Maybe today is the day of the U-103... or maybe not. 02:54 - Submerged. 10:34 - Surfaced. Sent position and weather report to BdU. Quote:
14:31 - All of the sudden Karl starts to yell: "Sound contact, herr kaleun! Possible merchant, bearing 355! Closing at slow speed!" Surfaced, course set to 000 at flank speed. 14:48 - Submerged to listen. 14:59 - New bearing 249. Surfaced to chase the contact. 15:24 - Submerged to listen. 15:25 - High speed screws heard from the bearing of the merchant. Either the merchant is a warship or it has a warship as a escort. Decided to quit the chase, because of the bad weather. Surfaced drive. 22:57 - 1000km to target grid. Weather unchanged. May 28 07:06 - Sent position and weather report to BdU. Quote:
ten days when I last saw the sun. And the weather is perfect too, winds at 3m/s, a bit foggy, but it doesn`t matter! Finally the hunt can begin! I`ve been on the tower since I woke up. Better to enjoy the sun while it lasts! 11:20 - Pass the minor island group near Freetown. 17:48 - Sent weather report to BdU Quote:
17:50 - Submerged to listen contacts. Planned surface at 20:00. 20:02 - Surfaced. No contacts. May 29 11:24 - Test dive to 160 meters. Lets see how the weldings hold after the two bomb from our last patrol. At 110m the hull starts to make eerie noises as the pressure takes it in his hand and starts to squeeze. 11:43 - We reach 160 meters, no leaks. Surfaced. 11:47 - Sent position and weather report to BdU. Quote:
Quote:
Storm is back, visibility poor. I sent a message to the BdU that we are returning home. Worst patrol of my career, not a single visual contact! Thanks to the storm. 07:43 - plotted course back to St. Nazaire. It`s going to be a long way back, we have to sail on 'ahead one-third' to not run out of fuel. 10:22 - Fuel down to 50%. 16:27 - Storm calmed. Winds now at 4m/s. May 31 11:57 - Sent position and weather report to BdU. Quote:
Storm that lasted for ten days:  My AA gunner, Wolf Degen listening radio:  After ten days the storm calmed:   Our navOfficer looking his precious map:  Test dive successfull:  This was part 1 of the 8th patrol AAR, U-103 is heading for home as we speak. |
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