Wasting Torpedoes

[Hitman]

Back to the original topic

U-Boats in the Mediterranean did shoot at anything they found; targets were too scarce to save torpedoes, so they wasted them on fishing boats if necessary.

In turn, during the happy times torpedo saving was stringly favoured by aces like Otto Kretschmer, whose motto was "One torpedo, one ship"

Simply different reactions for very different situations, as was logic.

The official doctrine (U-Boat commanders Handbook) encouraged in 1943 to expend as many torpedos as necessary and "not hesitate in shooting salvoes as long as full target destruction was ensured. Better one sunk ship than two damaged ones!" Another paragraph also indicated that the commander must take whatever opportunity he has: "What you have, you have. Don't let torpedo saving considerations deter you from doing the most effective attack"

[Murr44]

"U-Boats in the Mediterranean did shoot at anything they found; targets were too scarce to save torpedoes, so they wasted them on fishing boats if necessary."

Very true. I've justed started another Mediterranean career (U-73, Oct. '41) & the merchant traffic is next to nothing compared to the Atlantic. What is there usually consists of one merchant accompanied by at least two escorts. I've been lucky so far though; in this first patrol I've managed to sink 4 merchants (3 escorted, 1 lone) for just over 22,000 tons. The first was a Empire-Type freighter that I crippled. I shot two torpedoes at her; 1 missed & the other slowed her down to a crawl. I had to wait until the escorts abandoned her to finish her off with a third shot. The 2nd was a large merchant. Again the same result (2 shots, 1 miss) & I had to wait around until she was ditched by her escort. Finished with a stern shot when the V&W was far enough away for me to escape. 3rd one was a Granville freighter that was really stubborn. She took 3 shots (1 missed because I misjudged her draft ) & still kept plugging along. Fortunately she had no escort so I surfaced (it was dark) & finished her with the deck gun. Last one was a Passenger/Cargo that I hit with one torpedo & sank with the deck gun. So I have 2 torpedoes left in the fore tubes & 1 or 2 in the stern. I'll be saving 1 of the stern torpedoes for the trip home in case I run into trouble.

[Sailor Steve]

Well, here's another one to blow your minds.

San Carlos, Spanish steam merchant, a measly 223 tons. Worth a torpedo, but they missed.

At 19.50 hours on 16 Dec, 1940, U-37 missed the San Carlos with one torpedo off Cape Juby and decided to attack the vessel at 20.00 hours from a distance of 800 metres with the deck gun and the 37mm AA gun, but the deck gun broke down after 21 shots. The 15 crew members and 13 passengers abandoned ship in two lifeboats, but one man was lost. The Germans rowed in a dinghi to the ship and placed scuttling charges on the vessel that later sank the ship. Doing so they noticed that the fired rounds had not been able to penetrate the 20cm strong wooden hull of the ship.

http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/722.html

I think the deck guns need to be stronger.:rotfl:

[jpm1]

it would be amazing to know the wood name and to have more info on the shipyard which built the boat ...

[Hitman]

Well if they were so desperated to even try to sink a 223 tons merchant I understand they didn't mind it was neutral or even half-allied (Spanish)

[Sailor Steve]

Yeah, I've found a bunch of those. Some of them were accidents, the boat being way out of bounds for a semi-friendly, but many of them were carrying contraband supplies for the Allies...or at least the u-boat kaleun claimed they were.

[Lzs von swe]

Well, as for neutrals, many Swedish ships were sunk by U-boats. And in the Ost See they were hunted by Russia, for carrying iron ore to Germany.

More on topic, I fire 2, or more, torpedoes at any target. One may be a dud:hmm:
Realistic or not, I will rather waste a torpedo then have to stay in the area, waiting for the ship to sink.