GoldenRivet's 1X Patrol

[GoldenRivet]

From: U202
To: BdU

05AUG1941
GRID BE1745
1655 HOURS


SIGHTED A LONE MERCHANT :: SHADOWING :: END

[Brag]

Ummmm. TCx1 with wife. Heh, that takes guts.

[KeptinCranky]

Yes, the lady does deserve a medal after this,

[GoldenRivet]

hey you know... she has been a trooper... even comes in here and checks on the crew while getting ready for work in the morning while im asleep (she leaves early).

[GoldenRivet]

From: U202
To: BdU

05AUG1941
GRID BE1745
1850 HOURS

SANK TRAMP STEAMER FOR 1.840 TONS :: MERCHANT SUFFERED ONLY ONE CASUALTY :: DISTRIBUTED THREE BOTTLES OF WATER AND FOUR LOAVES OF BREAD TO SURVIVORS IN RAFT :: TOTAL PATROL TONNAGE AS OF THIS DATE 31.500 TONS :: ONE TORPEDO REMAINING :: RESUMING RETURN PASSAGE TO BREST :: END

[GoldenRivet]

U202 Log Book

Though it seemed at first we would have nothing but rotten luck with poor weather and lack of contacts, finally the luck had changed. on days four and five we managed to intercept a convoy which had previously been attacked by another one of our U-boats. Upon intercepting this convoy the initial attack was only mildly successful with the sinking of an ore freighter and another ship being damaged but soldiering on. We were depth charged, and despite a few charges coming close to us the tommies were off by a wide margin on a majority of their attack runs.

The second attack on the same convoy yielded better results, another ore carrier sunk along with a tanker sent to the bottom! The allied destroyers didnt even put up a fight! We broke contact with the convoy, and not a short time later stumbled upon 4 damaged tramp steamers straggling behind the convoy just by pure happenstance. The 4 tiny ships were obviously laboring to keep a pace of 3 knots. one was listing to port, another to starboard, one was obviously flooded by the bow... the fourth had a small fire on the aft deck.

opting for the weakest of the targets we managed to sink two of those tramp steamers before beginning the trip back to brest france.

finally, today just before 1900 hrs we had spent about 2 hours shadowing a lone merchant the smoke of which was only barely visible on the horizon. unfortunately it was no great troop ship or tanker... but another lowly tramp steamer. After sinking it we distributed a small amount of food and water to the survivors. There was but one casualty, his body floating face down in the water just a stones throw from the raft. He appeared to be a RN gunners mate assigned to this particular armed merchant i deduced this from the gunners helmet upon his head.

the remaining crew from the tramp steamer begged for passage to france. The captain of the small craft was a young and strong looking man. his face was clean shaven except for large sideburns. He said they had begun to take on water when some of their hatches had given way in a storm the previous night. He was considering a return to Southampton when the torpedo hit but feared the ship wouldnt make it back to land.

further discussion with the crew revealed that I was correct about the gunners mate... he was the last man off the boat, and had jumped feet first from the stern of the ship without removing his helmet... this action broke his neck and caused his death.

[SandyCaesar]

Well done!

31k tons on 1xTC? That's an excellent haul.

Wishing you a happy voyage home. Keep ready, though. No loose talk about luck, good or bad--don't want to jinx it, now.

[GoldenRivet]

I wish i could chock it up to skill Sandy, but i have to give a lot of the credit to luck.

When i received the report of the convoy i turned to intercept it with all my fingers and toes crossed in hopes that the rainy stormy weather we SH3 players know all to well would clear up before it came time to attack.

luck popped its head in and cleared the sky for me not a few hours before my plotted intercept point was reached!

That first encounter with the convoy had my heart pounding and my palms sweating in the way that some first person shooters will get a player revved up!

the entire time i was picking targets through the scope i was thinking to myself "Dont screw this up! Dont screw this up!" unfortunately i sort of botched the first strike. I could have taken out 3 ships in the initial attack, but unfortunately i miscalculated the speed and out of 5 shots i only scored a couple of hits.

I got impatient and input the speed indicated in the contact report of 8 knots into the TDC. In reality the ships were slightly slower - perhaps 6 knots - the short version.... i got impatient and it cost me. live and learn.

the luck came through again after the second strike when i came across the damaged convoy stragglers... that was about as close to a freebie as you can get in SH3. those poor bastards might as well have dropped anchor and had targets painted on them

then several hours later when i least expected it... no less than 5 minutes after i posted in the forum that i was heading back to port... my watch crew spoted ANOTHER ship!

like i said... i got lucky... and i doubt that if i do a 1x patrol again i'll have an experience as good as this one.

i went into this thing fully expecting to see a few lone merchants out there once in a blue moon... i never expected that i would intercept and attack a large convoy by the end of Day 4!

[predavolk]

You're lucky in the game, but wow, your wife actually helped you with your cruise?!? Wow! Glad it went well for you (and the baby monitors are a neat idea).

[GoldenRivet]

I consider myself quite lucky.

No report today, sorry, I have been well inside what I would consider the "safe zone" I'll finally hit port at about 3am I think. Not far now to go.

I'm pretty much considering this thing finished at this point.

Thanks for keeping up everyone!

[bookworm_020]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

Thanks for keeping up everyone!

Better thank the wife as well!

[yayster]

I enjoyed it very much.

:-)

[Aktungbby]

yayster! after a bit of a silent run!

[Jimbuna]

Welcome to SubSim yayster

[desertstriker]