(Story) U-46 puts to sea again - Page 102

DareDevil · 09-24-14, 07:23 AM

Quiet but typical submariners ending... unfortunately

Laughing Swordfish · 06-26-15, 01:34 AM

Still alive, Daredevil, just been
in limbo!
Wow, I can't believe I've left it so long.
Still stalking the convoy....and being stalked....
More soon.
LS

Sailor Steve · 06-26-15, 02:15 AM

Too late! I held my breath so long I turned blue and then popped.

Waiting patiently for the next installment.

Jimbuna · 06-26-15, 07:42 AM

Welcome return matey

Laughing Swordfish · 06-27-15, 01:29 AM

"30 Port".

Otto repeats the order to his helmsmen, and I'm pleased to see young Lenz, much calmer now, attentive to his wheel.

An instinctive guess, really. I'm thinking that our destroyer cetainly won't give up just yet, but having probably forced us down out of torpedo range, and my opposite number up there must realise we are well beyond periscope depth anyway, his own instinct will be to double back and pick up contact again, but turn to port himself, to keep him closer to the escort screen.

If I'm right, that would put him on some sort of north-westerly course, while we peel off to the south west. Little by little, so that either way, we'll be showing as little profile to his ASDIC as possible. Thirty degrees at a time, until we're heading south. Buy ourselves some breathing space (literally), before shaking free, and hooking East again, hammering the diesels and re-joining the chase.

"Up 30 meters". Talking of space, I'd like to put some more safe water under us to drop into and duck under the depth charge settings if things do get sticky later. Also it's good for the old girl's valves and rivets to let her loosen her corset a little, when we can.

Some of the younger ones look at me as the boat rises, as if I'm some mystic all-knowing guru who will save them. I suppose it's good for them to believe that. So much of it is one big guessing game, of course; friend and foe alike.

Now, what is our friend going to do up there?

LS

Aktungbby · 06-27-15, 02:11 AM

Laughing Swordfish · 07-01-15, 04:29 AM

Christian ducks out of the sonar cabin.

"Destroyer still on course, Kaleun".

"Thanks Number One. That's good. It means we're putting more sea between us and the Tommies every moment that passes".

That last bit spoken with emphasis for the benefit of the younger crew in the Control Room.

"Now leave Hans to listen out for us. I need you and Willi at the chart table".

That destroyer will turn soon, I know it; probably worried about closing the gap at the back of his flock from us wolves. Not counting Enzel in U-287, there should be another four boats somewhere in the vicinity also. But more importantly he'll want to settle his account with us, so nearly in his grasp before.

"Come on, Captain Jones", I muttered.

"We'll see".

LS

Laughing Swordfish · 07-03-15, 02:45 AM

Now Hans' head pops out from the sonar cabin.

"She's coming back, Kaleun!"

I'm soon crouched over his shoulder with the second earphones clamped to one ear.

Hard to say which way he turned, but no doubt his engines are sounding louder. He can make as much as thirty knots, while we crawl along down here, at two.

"Port 30, maintain depth!"

We're continuing our bend to the south, before breaking east.

If I'm right, we should be able to show him our arse and a good chance of slipping away.

Otherwise, we will soon see.

LS

Kpt. Lehmann · 07-03-15, 07:53 PM

LS! Good to see you about and back at it, old friend!

Laughing Swordfish · 07-05-15, 08:45 AM

Good to be back, Boss. I've missed it!

LS

Laughing Swordfish · 07-05-15, 09:02 AM

The throb of the destroyer's engines are more distant this time. That's a good thing; maybe I guessed right.

The next thing to listen for (and everyone on the boat can hear it - unnerving even to us in the Control Room, but much worse for the boys in other compartments, who can only guess or fear the worst), is that horrible ping of the ASDIC.

We can hear it faintly, forever searching for us, trying to find and kill us. But no resounding ping bouncing back from our hull.

"So far, so good, menschen! Ease us another thirty to port, Chief".

The Laughing Swordfish does as she's told. Sliding gracefully away onto a southerly bearing. Discretion being the better part of valour, as I'm sure Doc would say.

A little more distance, and with any luck we can come up for air, recharge, reload, pump out, and do some minor repairs, around dusk.

Otto is already back checking and tweaking the diesels.

Once we're back on the surface, we have some sea to catch up, but the chase will be on again.

LS

Laughing Swordfish · 07-20-15, 04:47 AM

"Hans?"

The fluttering gesture of his right hand, says 'just so-so' in a universal sign, while his left hand still rotates, in longer sweeps, then minute gradations, the circle of his sonar dial for any stronger contacts.

He offers me one ear of his headphones that he knows I will already soon be reaching for; if not me, it's Christian (who should be now catching up on some sleep in his bunk, but which I know he is not); either way, Hans gets pestered a lot at times like this.

Apart from the only too obvious crash of the depth charges, or if an escort's engines are really running too close, or the asdic is pinging loud and hard, the sonar is our only sensory perception of life and death up there, and down here.

It's faint. Hans tweaks his dial to give me a better and broader sound picture.

Faint. They're somewhere behind us, but not growing. I clap Hans on the shoulder.

"Thanks Hans, that's good enough for me."

I duck back out of the sonar cabin's curtain, and inevitably bump into my First Lieutenant hovering outside.

"Come on Christian, back into the Control Room. Maybe some fresh air soon!"

"Chief! periscope depth, please. On dive planes only; no ballast. Maintain silent routine".

Otto nods and grins, before giving his helm orders. There are more smiles around the confines of the control room. It will take longer to get up to 12 metres without blowing air into the tanks, and water out but that would be noisy, and better safe than sorry. However long it takes, we will be inching back up, and if not able to see the sky and ocean again straightaway, at least then take a peek at it from a set of wonderfully engineered German lenses and optics.

LS

donw · 04-21-20, 09:08 AM

Happy Birthday Rollie! Miss ya mate

Kpt. Lehmann · 04-21-20, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donw

Happy Birthday Rollie! Miss ya mate

That makes two of us. Good to see you as well, donw.

Happy birthday, RdB! Hope you're having a great one.

Know that you are missed!

06-26-15, 02:15 AM	#1518
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Too late! I held my breath so long I turned blue and then popped. Waiting patiently for the next installment. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

06-26-15, 07:42 AM	#1519
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 181,344 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	Welcome return matey __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!! GWX3.0 Download Page - Donation/instant access to GWX (Help SubSim)

06-27-15, 02:11 AM	#1521
Aktungbby Gefallen Engel U-666 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: On a tilted, overheated, overpopulated spinning mudball on Collision course with Andromeda Galaxy Posts: 27,886 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	__________________ "Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness; and I'm not too sure about the Universe"

07-01-15, 04:29 AM	#1522
Laughing Swordfish Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: London Posts: 713 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	Christian ducks out of the sonar cabin. "Destroyer still on course, Kaleun". "Thanks Number One. That's good. It means we're putting more sea between us and the Tommies every moment that passes". That last bit spoken with emphasis for the benefit of the younger crew in the Control Room. "Now leave Hans to listen out for us. I need you and Willi at the chart table". That destroyer will turn soon, I know it; probably worried about closing the gap at the back of his flock from us wolves. Not counting Enzel in U-287, there should be another four boats somewhere in the vicinity also. But more importantly he'll want to settle his account with us, so nearly in his grasp before. "Come on, Captain Jones", I muttered. "We'll see". LS Last edited by Laughing Swordfish; 07-03-15 at 02:23 AM.

07-03-15, 07:53 PM	#1524
Kpt. Lehmann GWX Project Director Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: The Republic of Texas Posts: 6,875 Downloads: 115 Uploads: 0	LS! Good to see you about and back at it, old friend! __________________ www.thegreywolves.com All you need is good men. - Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock

09-24-14, 07:23 AM	#1516
DareDevil Swabbie Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 7 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Quiet but typical submariners ending... unfortunately

06-26-15, 01:34 AM	#1517
Laughing Swordfish Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: London Posts: 713 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	Still alive, Daredevil, just been in limbo! Wow, I can't believe I've left it so long. Still stalking the convoy....and being stalked.... More soon. LS

06-27-15, 01:29 AM	#1520
Laughing Swordfish Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: London Posts: 713 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	"30 Port". Otto repeats the order to his helmsmen, and I'm pleased to see young Lenz, much calmer now, attentive to his wheel. An instinctive guess, really. I'm thinking that our destroyer cetainly won't give up just yet, but having probably forced us down out of torpedo range, and my opposite number up there must realise we are well beyond periscope depth anyway, his own instinct will be to double back and pick up contact again, but turn to port himself, to keep him closer to the escort screen. If I'm right, that would put him on some sort of north-westerly course, while we peel off to the south west. Little by little, so that either way, we'll be showing as little profile to his ASDIC as possible. Thirty degrees at a time, until we're heading south. Buy ourselves some breathing space (literally), before shaking free, and hooking East again, hammering the diesels and re-joining the chase. "Up 30 meters". Talking of space, I'd like to put some more safe water under us to drop into and duck under the depth charge settings if things do get sticky later. Also it's good for the old girl's valves and rivets to let her loosen her corset a little, when we can. Some of the younger ones look at me as the boat rises, as if I'm some mystic all-knowing guru who will save them. I suppose it's good for them to believe that. So much of it is one big guessing game, of course; friend and foe alike. Now, what is our friend going to do up there? LS

07-03-15, 02:45 AM	#1523
Laughing Swordfish Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: London Posts: 713 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	Now Hans' head pops out from the sonar cabin. "She's coming back, Kaleun!" I'm soon crouched over his shoulder with the second earphones clamped to one ear. Hard to say which way he turned, but no doubt his engines are sounding louder. He can make as much as thirty knots, while we crawl along down here, at two. "Port 30, maintain depth!" We're continuing our bend to the south, before breaking east. If I'm right, we should be able to show him our arse and a good chance of slipping away. Otherwise, we will soon see. LS

07-05-15, 08:45 AM	#1525
Laughing Swordfish Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: London Posts: 713 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	Good to be back, Boss. I've missed it! LS

07-05-15, 09:02 AM	#1526
Laughing Swordfish Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: London Posts: 713 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	The throb of the destroyer's engines are more distant this time. That's a good thing; maybe I guessed right. The next thing to listen for (and everyone on the boat can hear it - unnerving even to us in the Control Room, but much worse for the boys in other compartments, who can only guess or fear the worst), is that horrible ping of the ASDIC. We can hear it faintly, forever searching for us, trying to find and kill us. But no resounding ping bouncing back from our hull. "So far, so good, menschen! Ease us another thirty to port, Chief". The Laughing Swordfish does as she's told. Sliding gracefully away onto a southerly bearing. Discretion being the better part of valour, as I'm sure Doc would say. A little more distance, and with any luck we can come up for air, recharge, reload, pump out, and do some minor repairs, around dusk. Otto is already back checking and tweaking the diesels. Once we're back on the surface, we have some sea to catch up, but the chase will be on again. LS

07-20-15, 04:47 AM	#1527
Laughing Swordfish Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: London Posts: 713 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	"Hans?" The fluttering gesture of his right hand, says 'just so-so' in a universal sign, while his left hand still rotates, in longer sweeps, then minute gradations, the circle of his sonar dial for any stronger contacts. He offers me one ear of his headphones that he knows I will already soon be reaching for; if not me, it's Christian (who should be now catching up on some sleep in his bunk, but which I know he is not); either way, Hans gets pestered a lot at times like this. Apart from the only too obvious crash of the depth charges, or if an escort's engines are really running too close, or the asdic is pinging loud and hard, the sonar is our only sensory perception of life and death up there, and down here. It's faint. Hans tweaks his dial to give me a better and broader sound picture. Faint. They're somewhere behind us, but not growing. I clap Hans on the shoulder. "Thanks Hans, that's good enough for me." I duck back out of the sonar cabin's curtain, and inevitably bump into my First Lieutenant hovering outside. "Come on Christian, back into the Control Room. Maybe some fresh air soon!" "Chief! periscope depth, please. On dive planes only; no ballast. Maintain silent routine". Otto nods and grins, before giving his helm orders. There are more smiles around the confines of the control room. It will take longer to get up to 12 metres without blowing air into the tanks, and water out but that would be noisy, and better safe than sorry. However long it takes, we will be inching back up, and if not able to see the sky and ocean again straightaway, at least then take a peek at it from a set of wonderfully engineered German lenses and optics. LS Last edited by Laughing Swordfish; 07-28-15 at 05:53 AM.

04-21-20, 09:08 AM	#1528
donw Sonar Guy Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Indiana Posts: 386 Downloads: 25 Uploads: 0	Happy Birthday Rollie! Miss ya mate