Uboats in the Suez Canal - late 1942

Akula4745 · 10-21-09, 11:17 PM

After being told the Suez Canal was controlled by the British in late 1942... I just had to try and sneak through. I refueled at Messina and then entered the canal at port Said around 16:40 and arrived at the Red Sea 3 days later. Picked up multiple radar warnings by Port Said - but the canal itself was thankfully empty all the way down to As Suways and the Gulf of Suez.

I ran wide open - 17 knots - all the way down to the Gulf of Suez. Making the transit at night proved a smart choice as I did not have to worry about finding any undiscovered shore emplacements. The Great Bitter lake passed without any sightseeing at all.

When I came out into the Gulf of Suez by As Suways I picked up several merchants docked at the port... but decided not to make a ruckus... and it was a good thing too because the north end of the Gulf of Suez turned out to be thoroughly patrolled by Elco torpedo boats and armed trawlers. Transit time for the canal itself was just under 8 hours at 17 knots.

The canal itself and the Gulf of Suez were mostly empty... with the exception of several troublesome fishing boats and armed trawlers as I got closer to the Red Sea. But then once in the Red Sea there was nothing but open water to the Gulf of Aden.

I left St. Nazaire in the wee hours of October 7 1942... and arrived in Penang on November 15, 1942 - with only 4% fuel remaining. Running wide open as often as possible to transit the canal ate up a lot of fuel. I am not sure I would want to make it a regular route... methinks luck and good karma played a large hand in my completing the transit safely. But anyway... there ya go - it can be done.

Your turn, Ivank!

etheberge · 10-22-09, 12:10 AM

Nice report, it seems like an exciting trip.

But I'm a bit disappointed that "someone" isn't using my German map labels mod

.

Hunter · 10-22-09, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by etheberge

But I'm a bit disappointed that "someone" isn't using my German map labels mod

.

Then you should have said - 'Ich bin ein bisschen enttäuscht', I suppose

I play German language version by myself for better immercion. Btw, where can I find this mod?

Torplexed · 10-22-09, 12:43 AM

Congrats Akula! Now if you can transverse the Panama Canal on your way back to the Vaterland, you get the coveted Iron Cross with crossed sluice gates.

renthewog · 10-22-09, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by etheberge

But I'm a bit disappointed that "someone" isn't using my German map labels mod

.

Im interested in your german map labels mod

where can i download it from mate? cheers

Admiral Von Gerlach · 10-22-09, 02:50 AM

Ich würde es auch mögen. Bitte. Danke.

Akula4745 · 10-22-09, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by etheberge

Nice report, it seems like an exciting trip. But I'm a bit disappointed that "someone" isn't using my German map labels mod

.

My dear friend, Big E... I made the Suez Canal trip using my OM "testbed" installation and not my "regular" OM install. Your German map labels mod is a core ingredient of my primary OM install and to be honest... I have no idea how I survived so long without it. It is only through my own laziness and neglect I have failed to add the delightful German map labels mod to my testbed iteration. I can only beg your humble forgiveness for being so inept and unthoughtful...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hunter

Then you should have said - 'Ich bin ein bisschen enttäuscht', I suppose

I play German language version by myself for better immercion. Btw, where can I find this mod?

Big E's fantastic German Map label mod can be found here... and might I say it is truly the cat's meow when it comes to adding a deeper sense of immersion to the game:

Download:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...o=file&id=1372

etheberge's release post:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=156896

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torplexed

Congrats Akula! Now if you can transverse the Panama Canal on your way back to the Vaterland, you get the coveted Iron Cross with crossed sluice gates.

WoO-HOo! Once I have the coveted Iron Cross with crossed sluice gates in my possession... all the frauleins will swoon with sensual delight whenever I walk into the room... oh boy, Panama Canal here I come!!

Torplexed · 10-22-09, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akula4745

WoO-HOo! Once I have the coveted Iron Cross with crossed sluice gates in my possession... all the frauleins will swoon with sensual delight whenever I walk into the room... oh boy, Panama Canal here I come!!

Wow!

looks like soon you'll be exploring...um..uhh...your way into five new...uh..umm...varieties of beer! Yeah, that's it. Beer. Don't forget to post the maps for these.

Hunter · 10-22-09, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Congrats Akula! Now if you can transverse the Panama Canal on your way back to the Vaterland

It would be the first trip around the world in Silent Hunter

ivank · 10-22-09, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hunter

It would be the first trip around the world in Silent Hunter

No I have done it with one of my ocean liners... it is very boring, not having guns.

Akula4745 · 10-22-09, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivank

No I have done it with one of my ocean liners... it is very boring, not having guns.

LOL Yeah... but did you go thru the Panama Canal?

Wijbrandus · 10-22-09, 05:47 PM

Akula,

How shallow was the canal? Was it even possible to submerge if you'd come under shore battery fire?

I'm a daring sub captain, but that seems beyond my acceptable risk. I salute your intestinal fortitude!

ivank · 10-22-09, 06:12 PM

no around it,

Akula4745 · 10-22-09, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wijbrandus

Akula,
How shallow was the canal? Was it even possible to submerge if you'd come under shore battery fire?

I'm a daring sub captain, but that seems beyond my acceptable risk. I salute your intestinal fortitude!

You are far too kind, good sir... whats the old saying? "Only fools rush in where angels fear to tread" (? - anyway something like that). The canal itself was seriously shallow and I doubt I could have submerged completely even in the deepest of spots. In places I would have sworn I was kicking up mud because of the way the boat reacted... I tried to check the depth with the external camera a time or two when I felt like I was dragging bottom... but it was such a dark night I could not see my hand in front of my face underwater - which thankfully also created great cover for me.

However once you got into the Gulf of Suez there was 30 +/- feet of water to hide in. Quite truthfully if it had not been for perfect timing as far as darkness and good choices on my part... I definitely would have been toast a couple of times with the Elco boats and armed trawlers which were patrolling the north end of the Gulf of Suez - by the south exit of the canal. I obviously had good luck... one of the Elco boats was patrolling back and forth E to W slowly working his way south (ESE > WSW > ESE > etc) and good fortune smiled on me as I found myself in a perfect spot to slip past him as he started working his way back up the Gulf... and a light fog in the southern end of the Red Sea didn't hurt my feelings either.

I had several distant warship warnings in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden... but never made visual contact with anything but the Elco boats and armed trawlers just below the south end of the canal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivank

no around it,

Well I guess if we can go through the Suez Canal... it would only seem logical the same is true of the Panama Canal too.

Hartmann · 10-25-09, 02:05 PM

Suez is possible, but panama..

10-21-09, 11:17 PM	#1
Akula4745 Convicted Ship Killer Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Just out of sight... plotting your course and speed Posts: 846 Downloads: 371 Uploads: 1	Uboats in the Suez Canal - late 1942 After being told the Suez Canal was controlled by the British in late 1942... I just had to try and sneak through. I refueled at Messina and then entered the canal at port Said around 16:40 and arrived at the Red Sea 3 days later. Picked up multiple radar warnings by Port Said - but the canal itself was thankfully empty all the way down to As Suways and the Gulf of Suez. I ran wide open - 17 knots - all the way down to the Gulf of Suez. Making the transit at night proved a smart choice as I did not have to worry about finding any undiscovered shore emplacements. The Great Bitter lake passed without any sightseeing at all. When I came out into the Gulf of Suez by As Suways I picked up several merchants docked at the port... but decided not to make a ruckus... and it was a good thing too because the north end of the Gulf of Suez turned out to be thoroughly patrolled by Elco torpedo boats and armed trawlers. Transit time for the canal itself was just under 8 hours at 17 knots. The canal itself and the Gulf of Suez were mostly empty... with the exception of several troublesome fishing boats and armed trawlers as I got closer to the Red Sea. But then once in the Red Sea there was nothing but open water to the Gulf of Aden. I left St. Nazaire in the wee hours of October 7 1942... and arrived in Penang on November 15, 1942 - with only 4% fuel remaining. Running wide open as often as possible to transit the canal ate up a lot of fuel. I am not sure I would want to make it a regular route... methinks luck and good karma played a large hand in my completing the transit safely. But anyway... there ya go - it can be done. Your turn, Ivank! __________________ Akula4745 "If you sit by the river long enough... the body of your enemy will float by -- SunTzu" Last edited by Akula4745; 10-22-09 at 06:33 AM.

10-22-09, 12:10 AM	#2
etheberge Watch Officer Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Montreal, QC Posts: 345 Downloads: 614 Uploads: 10	Nice report, it seems like an exciting trip. But I'm a bit disappointed that "someone" isn't using my German map labels mod . __________________ 11 War Patrols / 56 ships sunk or damaged for 212,022 tons Zero casualties throughout the war Scuttled on 8 May, 1945 in Sonderburg Bay, after German surrender

10-22-09, 02:50 AM	#6
Admiral Von Gerlach Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Colorado and California Posts: 726 Downloads: 358 Uploads: 0	Ich würde es auch mögen. Bitte. Danke. __________________ Erlaubnis an Bord zu kommen.

10-22-09, 06:12 PM	#13
ivank The Old Man Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Huntington, Long Island, New York Posts: 1,426 Downloads: 284 Uploads: 0	no around it, __________________ Head of The Surface Warfare Super-Mod Team Leutnant z. S. David U. Ziegler U-105 IXB On Patrol 1

10-25-09, 02:05 PM	#15
Hartmann Sea Lord Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Grid CH 26, Spain ,Barcelona Posts: 1,857 Downloads: 204 Uploads: 0	Suez is possible, but panama.. __________________ But this ship can't sink!... She is made of iron, sir. I assure you, she can. and she will. It is a mathematical certainty. Strength and honor

10-22-09, 12:43 AM	#4
Torplexed Let's Sink Sumptin' ! Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 5,823 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	Congrats Akula! Now if you can transverse the Panama Canal on your way back to the Vaterland, you get the coveted Iron Cross with crossed sluice gates.

10-22-09, 05:47 PM	#12
Wijbrandus Loader Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Littleton, Colorado Posts: 83 Downloads: 101 Uploads: 0	Akula, How shallow was the canal? Was it even possible to submerge if you'd come under shore battery fire? I'm a daring sub captain, but that seems beyond my acceptable risk. I salute your intestinal fortitude!