Patrol log of U-178

[Keelbuster]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

At first i thought..

"damage?"

then..

"This isnt serious, no H.I loss, ill stop the boat at 50 meters and get a way from that bloodly plane, or he's REALLY gonna put a hole in me."

Then i thought,
" this doesnt feel right were going down too fast."

I past the 50 meter mark, QUIIIICK.

Then i started looking at the damage and the flooding more closely.

At 70 meters i was realzing theres too much water in the boat, and she was going down quick. I checked the boats angle (to make sure i wasnt about to make my decent even faster), blew ballast and went to flank. At that point i clicked on the damage control team.

Then i realized the motors wouldn't put out more then 3kts.

Then i went about spreading crew about the boat to make sure all compartments had crew in it to respond to damage and flooding.

The flooding didnt stop, thats, when i realize the main pump was out. I then diverted ALL of my attention to that.

By that time it was too late.

I know exactly what you mean. Death can come real quick from air attack. I lost a great boat that way - by the time i had surveyed the damage, I was nose down in the depths.

Anyways, if you ever want to post patrol logs, I'll read em.

Kb

[Khayman]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

Patrol 2
U-178, IXD2, 10th Flotilla
Left at: 02 June 1942, 06:00
From: Lorient
Mission Orders: Patrol grid ED98

That's my favourite patrol grid

Like you I found that air patrols were frequent there. One U-Boat commander said it was just as bad as Biscay. It's definately a case of submerged running during the day, and crossing fingers when you have to surface to get into a shooting postion. The nights weren't too bad though.

On my first patrol there I made the mistake of chasing down a merchant in broad daylight on the surface. He was unarmed and I thought I'd use the deck gun. It never occured to me he would radio for help, or that the help would arrive before I got close enough to open fire. Four aircraft appeared and made my life interesting. I learned to be more cautious after that.

On another patrol there my watch spotted aircraft and I was in two minds whether to fight or dive. I decided to crash dive and the resulting bombs destroyed all of my flak guns. This was when I'd just reached the area! So I spent my patrol there with no flak guns at all. It made my mind up though, crash dive was the only option for the remainder of that foray.

At least the water there is deep. My last patrol grid in a new career was CA73 just off Norfolk. I popped my periscope up to see if I could see a sound contact. An aircaft spotted my periscope and headed straight for me. Go deep fast you might think, but not in 28m of water! Instead I blew ballast and waited agonising seconds for the boat to surface so I could man flak guns. My men managed to shoot it down (and got some well deserved medals back in port).

For all the hassle though I still love the Caribbean. Lots of tankers and lots of excitement. I hope dying didn't put you off it

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by Khayman

For all the hassle though I still love the Caribbean. Lots of tankers and lots of excitement. I hope dying didn't put you off it

I died in the south atlantic, not the caribbean.

Your talking to Mr. Paukenschlag here!

[Khayman]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

I died in the south atlantic, not the caribbean.

Your talking to Mr. Paukenschlag here!

Ooops

I should have gone to bed (it's 5:30am for god's sakes!). It's better than rambling nonsense while half-asleep

[spork542]

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I will avenge U-178 if it's the last thing I do. Well I'll try at least.

[Myxale]

Salute Sailors!
Such a sad day! You started so strong and then...




PS. I don't understand why did you hesitate, Ok panic - i give you that, but "Ich verlange ordentliche Meldung" is one of the first thing i holler.
As fot those logs, they were great even it the final outcome of your Boot was a sad one! I really would like to see more of you in that department!
:hmm:

[Ducimus]

I don't understand why did you hesitate,

For starters i underestimated the distance the plane was too me. I should have stayed on the surface and manned the flak guns. So that was mistake number 1.


Mistake number 2 is i underestimated the severity of the damage after the that goose laid his eggs.

When the bombs hit, the first thing i did was check the damage report.
My thoughts were thus (al of which flashed through my head in about a second):

1. "Pressure hull not damaged, whew! What luck!"

2. "Crap, conning tower is smashed, ill bet my periscopes and RWR are out Ill have to cut short my patrol dammit!"

3. " We're flooding. I dont see how, he didnt get my pressure hull. Oh well, nothing we havent handled before. It always looks worse then it really is. Planes always do this to me, although this time it looks like we caught it good. Cant be that bad, pressure hull is 99%, he barely scratched me"

4. "I need to get under at least 30 meters before he comes back or ill catch those too."

5. "Ill stop that boat at 50 instead of 70 meters where there pressure isnt so bad and deal with this flooding"

6. "Wow the flak and deck gun is destroyed. He hit me harder then i thought"

7. Why isnt this flooding stopping, hey were going down kinda fast.

8. "50 meters, boat not responding. Schite, am i gonna have to blow ballast, that will be a first. Ill try flank speed and raise depth first. If i surface im done for."

9. "3 kts at flank speed, now at 70 meters, boat not responding.. Schite, blow tanks NOW"

10. "whats the problem with those damn repairs?"

11. " boat still dropping fast, coming on 100 meters, blow tanks again!"

12 " repairs? whats the problem?!, oh crap main pump damaged"

13. BLOW tanks again! My god were dropping like a rock. Focus on that dam pump, MAYBE we can save it but i doubt it, its too far gone.

14. 220 meters.. CRAP! Dammit Its no good, ive lost the boat.

15. Watch depth gauge and wait for the ineveitable.


Such were my thoughts.

[Myxale]

Sorry man, i've had such hopes for your Boot.

And as for your Logs. Well it eas stated in one U-Boot Book, that writing log is one form of novelwriting for some Kaleuns!
If my patrols were that rich, i would write for sure!
The logs i write are dry, cuz there's notthing happening!

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by Myxale

The logs i write are dry, cuz there's notthing happening!

Look at the bright side, if your trying to survive the war, its probably better :P In reality, with a few exceptions, generally speaking, the most action packed and famous boats didn't live very long.

It seems SH3, is very much like real life in this regard.

Of my prior careers.

U-128:
In a fantastic engagement, sank 1 battleship and 1 light cruiser in a night surface attack in early 1941, and by shear luck, a missed torpedo intended for said battleship, hit a SECOND one behind the first, slowing him down for annother appraoch, and i sunk THAT one too.

This boat, as i recall, was sunk by aircraft.

U-189:

This one hurt the most. My longest surviving Uboat and it looked like i might acutally survive the war. Captain walker and his destroyer group did a number on me when leaving biscay.


U-333:
In an uncanny simiularity to the actual U-333, this boat was also rammed by a destroyer and depth charged. I made it back to port with only 27% hull integrety. I thought i had a real lucky boat this time.

This boat was ultimatly destroyed by aircraft in what was arguably the most dramatic deaths ive ever had. I was caught on the surface at daybreak just as i was about to dive for the day. The bomb hit starboard side where the diesal rooms were. Engines destroyed. entire bridge watch was killed. Couldnt manuever, and the boat was sinking slowly by stern. I could do nothing stand there on the bridge and wait for him to circle around for his second run.

[Keelbuster]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

Captain walker and his destroyer group did a number on me when leaving biscay.

I've never been caught by that HK group. One time, late war, in Biscay I heard fast screws and set an intercept course. When I popped the scope I didn't see any tall masts. To my horror, there were only five black swans (i think) in a column formation, moving very fast in a wide arc. Luckily they were turning away from me. I disengaged silently, and shuddered thinking about what would have happened if they had detected me. Certain death, I suppose. That must have been one BAD trip for U-189.

Kb

[Ducimus]

For U-189, i hadnt even exited biscay proper. I was closer to the Northern coast of spain, but not quite on the "priening route". I was crusing, outbound in route for another caribean patrol. They key thing here is, i left my radar on, which i think the game detected.

So im outbound and I get "Radar signals detected", and crash dive. As im sitting down there i get a single high speed screw report. Then another, and another, and another. MOving fast, right for me.

It's was obvious by then who it was. So i went deep, fast and tried to get out of that general vacintiy. Which didnt do me any good. I don't know what it is with HK groups like that, but if they smell you out, their on you link stink on ****.

It was a grueling 2 hour fest. But i was surviving, and it looked like i might get out of it. The upper decks were trashed, utterly. It was during this depth charging that i made a decision NEVER to remove the deck gun.

One depth charge landed right accross the main deck. The only reason i didnt sink me is cause it hit the deck gun first. Blew it clean off, BUT, the boat survived hull intact.

Another depth charge landed right on the wintergarden. THe Flak guns absorbed the damage. I surived, hull intact.

Another one exploded just above the conning tower. Left a big scorch mark. Destroyed the periscopes, Radar, RWR, and snorkel, the conning tower was red in the damage report, but i survived.


You know how i really died?

I ran out of time to play, saved the game, with the intent of finishing it later. I was sort of left on a cliffhanger.

So i came back later, reloaded the game, and everytime i reloaded the game, my boat was being spinned 360 degrees (imagine the boat rotating so the conning tower is going aruond in circles around the hull) and died.

I really felt cheated. I might have made it. I thoguht about acutally reloading that game from an earlier point given the circumstances, but my feeling for that career sank. They were dead regardless , and i just coudlnt continue with it. It felt cheap to do so.

[Gert Bretthauer]

Very nice log to read Ducimus. To bad U-178 got nailed. R.I.P.

This thread actually made me start a D.I.D. campaign. U-53 was the number.

First time I played a campaign on 100% realism. Got tired of my Elite weapons officer. My first patrol made me feel like a green Kaleun (actually I AM a green captain, lol).

My first engagement was a long one and it only resulted in the loss of U-53. I was sneaking up on a medium sized convoy, 2 escorts - or so I thought (november 1939). Sea was pretty calm but the visibility was poor. I got detected by the side escort (who was sailing starboard of the convoy, it seemed like it was really sweeping the area - or maybe it saw my boat on the approach). I crashdived to 180 mtrs when it came straight for me. First DC wave damaged me slightly. I used the silent run / break starboard/port at flank speed when he made his attack run strategy which paid off after 20-30 minuts. This boat, and his partner in crime who arrived at the scene after 10 minuts orso, kept DC-ing my last known area.

I figured the convoy was unprotected now so when I was at 2km I surfaced and made a dash for the convoy. When I finished my plot I went for the attack run and 10 seconds away from firing my torpedo's when... another destroyer spotted me and started shelling. I never saw - or heard - this baby. It's third salvo damaged my boat while it was about to go under. I don't think I have to tell you what his DC's did to poor U-53.....

Things like this happen at 100%. I think I let myself be tempted by the big T3 tanker in this convoy. I did a piss poor job at checking out screw sounds - missed the damn thing....

Anyway - U-101 just embarked on it's maiden voyage. Let's hope I do better this time....

[Myxale]

Well to walk into HK-Walker is a honor of a bad things for sure!


The most exciting thing ever ( beside my almost death by taking damage and sinking down to around 320m due flooding) was actually just tiring. I spotted a small convoy at the lower end of the Channel. After sinking three, i thought i was cool...wrong this resulted in 3 hours real time punding by three angry DD. Lucky for me one run out of DC's And i somehow managed to slip last them and sink one too.
But there nothing cool about it i was tired. Just went to sleep after that.

I freaked everytime i thought i escaped and the PING was heard again. But those are old logs. Ever since...it's just sailing... :rotfl:

[Keelbuster]

Originally Posted by Myxale

Well to walk into HK-Walker is a honor of a bad things for sure!


The most exciting thing ever ( beside my almost death by taking damage and sinking down to around 320m due flooding) was actually just tiring. I spotted a small convoy at the lower end of the Channel. After sinking three, i thought i was cool...wrong this resulted in 3 hours real time punding by three angry DD. Lucky for me one run out of DC's And i somehow managed to slip last them and sink one too.
But there nothing cool about it i was tired. Just went to sleep after that.

I freaked everytime i thought i escaped and the PING was heard again. But those are old logs. Ever since...it's just sailing... :rotfl:

I know exactly what you mean about the exhaustion thing. When my baby (U-71) was on her last patrol before she went missing (may she rest peacefully in the depths), I took a wicked pounding from 3 high-quality Black Swans. It was like a fireworks show - 20 DCs at a time. It lasted hours. I evaded them several times and was re-acquired. It almost ran me out of decoys and i had light damage all about the boat. But I was worse off than U71- I was dizzy, covered in sweat, my heart was beating irregularly, and I was sick to my stomach. It was a FULL on stress response. I just crashed, kinda panting, close to tears. That was some of the most intense gaming I've ever experienced. Reminds me of those old DiD campaigns in Xcom....terror sites...whole squads of seasoned veterans turned into crysalids...the horror...i will never..forget.

Kb

[Ducimus]

You know, im thinking about resurecting U-189. That was my most favorite, long lasting, and successful career. And while i died, it wasn't REALLY my fault.

I did start a new career already. U-123, an IXB. ALready on my second patrol, its dec, 1940, and im already bored. This is just too easy. Infact its patheticaly easy.

This is after i attacked a convoy, took out 3 ships. slipped out the back of the convoy. Not so much as ONE active sonar ping from the 3 escorts. I surfaced with the ship still in sight, sent off two contract reports, reloaded all 6 tubes, AND im bringing external stores in.. been shadowing for about 4hours, not a peep from the escorts...


zzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzZZZZzzz :snore:


http://www.ducimus.net/sh3/shadow_convoy1.jpg
http://www.ducimus.net/sh3/shadow_convoy2.jpg

nevermind im just out of their visual range