Tell us what you are upto in your current campaign

[Zedwardson]

Well after the loss of our Warrant officer on shore, we promised to do him proud.

seven ships and 18k tons later, I think we did.


Nothing bigger then a Mid or a Granville, but the most exciting moment was I was gunning a crippled mid, when suddenly our watch saw a warship (a A&B) as I was near the Bristol channel. sp I put 2nd torpedo in the mid and then went to scope depth, tried to put a spread of three eels on the A&B, but all missed, so I crashed dived and his depth charges where well off. So I slowly surfaced, and and waited till he was turning on his search pattern, and put a torpedo in his gut.


Also gunned down two trawlers, a bad day for fish and chips in Britain!

When I go out next time it will be December 1940...

[Sailor Steve]

Karl Fischer, U-30, Type VIIa out of Wilhelmshaven. Was sent to patrol BF16 on August 19, 1939. Have been at sea two weeks. Two days ago war was declared on Poland, and today the British declared war on us. Who knows what the future will bring?

[Zedwardson]

Dear BdU Grossadmiral Karl Dontiz ,


My men on U-35 set out on December 2, 1939, while we would prefer the war to be over by Christmas, we understand that the British Lion must be tamed, so we aimed to be home for Christmas, I had a argument with the quartermaster, seems that he loaded all T1 steam torpedo in my boat. Normally, this would be a complaint, but in the end, it blessed us greatly.

After sinking the SS Glenbeg, a large merchant off the coast of scotland, and finding a tug that we used the deck gun on, we where heading to our patrol area when there was a report of a enemy ship in our area, sailing to us, so we investigated.

Also, Please check the security of our Enigma machines, someone sent a false report that we had abandoned ship.

At night, in a storm, we found ourselves in ideal position as a task force bared down on us, at first I thought the core of the task force was a south-Hampton class cruiser, but I saw something deeper in the Task force, and we identified a Revenge Class Battleship, now, we where at extreme long range, using a scope, 4000+ meters, but we had the steam torpedoes to do the long range shots. Instead of waiting for it to come to me, I moved my bow over and the computer and weapon officers quickly determined that we where ideal range for a slow torpedo launch. Instead of spread, I launched two sets of torpedoes, thirty seconds apart, the first to to get a shot in, and then the next two as we where closer and I let go of all my weapons.

Then there was desperate waiting, two of the torpedoes detonated early, and just when moral had dropped to its lowest level, we had a impact. We are unsure if one or two torpedoes impacted the battleship, and the escorts where looking too close in for us, as they where not expecting such a long, "sniper" shot on the battleship. we noticed the fires where burning, then they went out. and we hug close as we where hoping to place a shot into the crippled Battleship, but it turned out to be unneeded, as the battleship sank bow first as it slowly succumbed to flooding. We dove deep, more to be on the safe side, and carefully extracted ourselves from the Task Force. We promptly sailed home, and where still surprised by the hero welcome we received.

Many thanks for the two Iron cross, 2nd classes and the Iron-Cross, first class for my crew. May I please recommend my watch officer, who now has a 2nd and 1st class Iron Cross, for a command? He will be a good commander for our U-boat fleet.

Also, while my neck still itches for Oak leaves, the first class Iron Cross does eliminate my neck itch till at least my next patrol.

OBERLEUTNANT Z. S. Otto Von Graf
AKA - the man who sunk the HMS Ramillies


Photos of said action below



Ok, this isn't April 1st!




This almost brings tears to my eyes....





This is when I realized the Battleship was doomed.

[Zedwardson]

Otto Keeps killing them...

After loosing his watch officer as he was promoted to a commander, and signing on another officer, and also the talk is that U-35 XO might be getting a command soon, so too much turnover can upset a ship.

After the long party, after sinking a BB and letting the crew enjoy Christmas, U-35 set out again, with a patrol grid deep in the Atlantic, catching a few coastal oilers and trawlers unawares in the Scottish coast as he tried to get around Britain, using the deck gun to good effect. found a Mid Freighter, and had FOUR duds, so in frustration, gunned the mid freighter with the deck gun as well. after crash diving to avoid a plane attack, Graf decides to get out to his patrol grid.

Long uneventful trip out, and due to the spotting system, finds a nice G-Frighter, which two eels puts to the bottom. with four in the front, and three in the back (including a external storage) there was some talk of taking the British unawares in Gib, however off the Spanish coast, I found two french flagged freighters, a mid and a large, running as a paired unescorted convoy. after pulling a end around, and stopping 1200 meters from where they will pass, Graf sets his eels up, 1 and 2 slow, 3 and 4 fast, impact and run shallow. As soon as the front ship was in ideal angle for the slow torpedo, Graf let go those two eels, and immediately moved to the large freighter, and launched the two fast eels at it. Just as the second eel hit the mid freighter, the first eel hit the large freighter, and within seconds, the two freighters, and about 15k in tonnage, was doomed.


Graf returned to base, just seven merchants for 23518, not bad as the new year of 1940 strikes.

[Zedwardson]

Crap - Otto Van Graf will not be returning to base.


heading out on his sixth Patrol in late Jan 1940, he intercepts a convoy, and it was a LARGE convoy, five lines, full of yummy targets, and the convoy will be overrunning him shortly. So at scope depth, scope down, he waits, running silent at a stop, as the Black swan that was leading the way had already passed. Suddenly, it turns around, and charges bone in its teeth at our location, Poping the scope up, fires steam from no five, then crash dives (the torp just didn't have enough time to arm) U-35 reaches the bottom, at 70 meters as the total depth is 80 meters.

There is pinging of the boat, which is now running silent to the west, when there are depth charges in the water, and they HURT.

The boat finds itself on the bottom, one warrant officer dead, and flooding in three compartments, and the conning tower is damaged. Otto crew does heroic attempts at damage control, the boat was on the bottom, "Sunk" even a emergency blow will not get it off the ground. So more work is done to do repairs, and finally, the boat is dry, there is a short term celebration, till the boat rises off the surface, and start to rocket to the surface!

Knowing that he cannot stop the emergency blow, he turns on flank speed, starts to turn, to the shock of the convoy, the Uboat flys out of the water right in the middle of the convoy!

being forced on the surface, as a large merchant was only 100 meters away ready to plow into the U-boat, U-35 decides to stay on the surface, as a dive would cause it to be rammed and sunk, Graf orders the deck gun to be manned to at least keep the mayhem level up, and he hears the watch officer die at his station, a DD bearing down.

as soon as he cleared from the merchant ship, crash drive is sounded, and U-35 find itself deep again, being hammered by depth charges. the first few runs shake the boat, but no damage, but they are getting closer, and the convoy is now pass the boat, and Graf orders a course (going slow and silent) to get away and limp home.

sadly, the next run of depth charges where dead on the boat, and U-35 was lost with all hands.

[Brag]

@Zedwardson
Doom de doom doom

Meanwhile at BDU, I'm still cleaning ashtrays and stiring Doentz's coffee. However Balz is very close to finishing collecting all the bits and pieces needed to build a U-Boat.

[STEED]

My two IXB's are now in May 1941 and still going strong, sunk a few ships in the area today.

[unterseemann]

U-125 Kptlt Haguenau
Patrol 3-Left Lorient 13 aug 42

04sep42:
Western Approaches Grid BE6511
8 ships sunk for up to 55.000 tons
no damage no casualties
5 torpedoes, fuel and food ok.
weather clouds overcast, reduced visibility.

[Leg]

June 43 Mediteranean Sea, south of Lampedusa

Intercepted Task Force directed to invade Lampedusa and sunk three Troops transport and damaged one tanker; heading east due increased ASW measures.

[JohnWoo]

Oberleutnant z. S. Kurt Gies, commander of the U-52 has safely returned to Wilhelmshaven, ending his 4th patrol.
Here follows his report:
U-52 left Wilhelmshaven on the 3th day of the new year 1940. We were assigned to patrol the grid AM 34, near Scapa Flow. I drew a course that would take us through the channel, coursing the south of Great-Britain to Ireland, as I was hoping for some big merchants at [AM 53].
After a day, we spotted our first target at [AN 76]; The SS Cortona, an Empire-type freighter. She was heading towards us, so we waited. She passed us at about 700m and 2 torps made sure here voyage ended there.
Nearing the StraBe von Dover, I felt like making a quick harbor-raid. My first one, raiding Scapa Flow, had been a success, with the sinking of HMS Repulse and over 90k sunk. After studying various aerial photographs, I decided to set course to Dover [AN 79], as it seemed an open harbor, good for a quick in and out.
Around 14:30pm we reached Dover. The WO spotted a destroyer in the distance, so we dived and ran silent past him. Luckily, we weren't spotted. Observing Dover, I’d seemed I had made the right decision as it was full of big merchants. Besides the destroyer and 2 ASW Trawlers, no other warships were spotted.
I ordered our first torpedo to be fired at (what I thought was) a stationary destroyer inside the harbor, to neutralize a possible threath. 2 other torpedoes would be fired at the SS Durham, a large troop transport. We maneuvered ourself at 90°, ready to sneak away quick and launched the torpedoes.
It was now 15:11, the attack had begun. The first torpedo hit 'the destroyer' right in the middle of its bow. Almost instantly, the message of her sinking came in. Looking at the patrol log, the ship I had taken for a destroyer was in fact the HMS Glasgow, a light cruiser (Southampton class). I would say that that was one torp well spend. Of the other 2 torpedo’s only one made it to the SS Durham, due to a premature explosion.
We sneaked to the east, away from our firing position, while the hunters awakened. With the periscope I spotted 3 ships looking for us, but they didn’t seem to find us. Just as I was about to lower the periscope, I noticed the shapes of a floating dock inside the harbor. 33000 tons, that was worth the risk. Since we weren’t at any risk of being detected, I gave the order to sneak ahead, right into the harbor. My idea was to fire a rear torp at the floating dock, turn and steam out into the open sea.
Unfortunately, I forgot about the torpedo nets. From the moment we hit those, U-52’s tower became visible, alerting our hunters. They were heading straight for us, as we were now trapped in the harbor. (At this moment, I thought that U-52 luck had ran out and that my first U-boat would soon have a burial at sea) But my crew recovered fast and once again we ran slow and hidden in the shallow waters, ready for the fight to come.
My negative thoughts were premature, as luck was on our side. Alerted of our position, the hunters steamed straight toward us. In fact, their course was so straight that they collided head-on with one of the dykes, that protected the harbor. 2 hunters were down in a matter of seconds. The remaining ASW trawler, now steaming into the harbor, was swiftly delt with thanks to the rear torp.
At that moment, I realized I was alone in a harbor full of un-armed merchant ships and tankers..
I’m not going to explain the next 3 hours in detail, as this would take too long, but we left the harbor with all torps and ammo expended. 12 merchants lay sunk and another one severely damaged. I couldn’t finish her due to a lack of ammo.
We arrived in Wilhelmshaven on 6 January 1940 after a patrol of 3 days. My shortest one so far.
The total was 12 merchants and 3 warships, good for tonnage of 110840ton sunk. I realized my first goal for SH3, sinking 100k. So now for the 150k!

For now, U-52 has once again set sea.

[JohnWoo]

A little illustration of the attack

[pickinthebanjo]

U-53 Shadowing a convoy north of Ireland in late 39'. Been following it for about 9 hours waiting for dark, after a course adjustment I think I have it now and I'm making the attack

[pickinthebanjo]

Finished the attack, fired three torpedoes all three hit. Sunk an ammunition ship and a small cargo ship (tramp?)

[unterseemann]

17 sep42
U-125 (Kptlt Dieter Haguenau) is back to Lorient after patrol 3
35 days at sea- Patrol zone: Western Approaches
11 ships sunk for up to 65.000 tons (0 warship)
No damage, no casualties

Career total after 3 patrols: 26 ships sunk ( no warship) for 148.194 tons.

[Jimbuna]

BE MORE AGGRESSIVE!!