Patrol Log #1, 100% Realism, DiD, no loads, [language!] [Images!]

[DMW]

Prolog:

MODS:
Run silent run deep
Operation Monsun
OMEGU
Merchant skinpack v2 RFB
SH4 authentic flags
Paulsen soundmod
Csengoi’s enemies of germany



After a disappointing SH5 I thought id try going back to SH3 GWX, though I then found that my SH3 disk is cracked. I then went on the subsim forums and found MODs for SH4 Atlantic campaigns so i thought id give them ago. Its been a very long time since i have played any SH games, and never a 100% realism, DiD, no-loading game, so i thought my lack of experience might nicely represent that of a new u-boat Capitan, but IMHO im still an order of magnitude worse.

This is not in any way ment to be historically or technically correct, Ill probably end up calling everyone the wrong name, every bit of equipment by the wrong term and mention things in the war that haven’t happened yet. The point of this is not at all to be realistic or historically accurate, but just abit of fun.

On that note it started out as a captains log style, and ended up as a diary/memoir/monolog. If anyone enjoys it I will do a similar for U-56’s second patrol, though it may take a long time due to exams coming up. Also do not expect perfect spelling/grammar, infact if I were you id remove any preconceptions of even half-decent spelling, im no wordsmith , and haven’t bothered to re-read the document, maybe this is more realistic, the uboat Capitan wouldn’t have a digital spellchecker....

Without further ado... 

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Commander log

1st Aug 1939:

I have now just been greeted with news of being placed in the command of U-56, a Type IIC U-boat stationed at kiel. Having just completed Uboat commander training she will be my first command. I hear the previous Capitan shot himself in a brothel toilet, what a way to go in this war of glory... Well it means I shouldn’t have much to live up to, that saying I don’t think the crew are as green as I am so lets hope theres no major cockups. Though I am disappointed not being given command of a type VII, I feel it is best to start with something simpler and soon hope to make the fatherland proud. Soon I will meet the crew for the first time and get a chance to do drills around the harbour area. This will also be my final formal test before we finally get to attack the tommies!






15th Aug 1939:
Today I met the crew for the first time, good bunch of fellows on the whole it seems, alot of new names to remember, even just the officers. I asked around about feelings of the war, the younger men seem fairly impartial of who the enemy are, there just looking for a fight. The fewer older seamen seem to have a mix of opinions which seems often the discussion at the bars late at night.

Currently I haven’t yet seen U-56, shes going for an overhall, which means we might not make our test drills around the harbour before our first patrol due 3rd sept. This both excites and worry me, but the future has yet to come clear.

28th Aug 1939:
Eventually the over-hall is completed, taking longer than expected thanks to missing spares. We get to take the boat out tomorrow for a test drill, we will only be going out into the harbour and bringing her down and up again, but I’m very excited.

29th Aug 1939:
Today we took the boat out, all seemed to be well, engines running smooth (which are brand new), till we took her down to 30 meters, a pipe burst spewing water into the command room, injuring a seaman. We blew ballasts and surfaced returning back to port with minor flooding. The private only suffered small injuries, but will not be well enough to be with us for our first patrol, instead we have a new hand, I forget his name but at the moment I’ve given up trying to remember all names of the lower ranks. The broken pipe has been fixed, and has made me rather concerned as alot of the jobs have been rushed. We are due to leave in 5 days, but we have been denied any drill dives to test the boat! I have expressed my feelings to deaf-ears, so let’s prey the mechanics do a better job.

3rd sept 1939:
We leave for our first patrol...
While the torpedoes are being loaded, I traverse the ship with the chief engineer - Rheinhardt Hartmann, looking for any potential problems or weaknesses, we find none and have light chat with some of the crew members while they work loading the torpedoes and taking on fresh water and supplies.

A Few hours later we depart the harbour, our course though kiel canal will be long, and not so dangerous. I allow the crew to put on the radio, with minimal men at stations there is much talk and spirits are high amongst the men, I spend alot of time with the officers getting to know them, and I let the cook give the men extra rations.





19:00
Passing an empty unmarked port though kiel canal it seems rather ghostly with a sun-set glinting red light off peaks of the wave, as a lone factory exhaust tower throws black smoke into the air. Though I can hear the echoing banter of the crew from down below, it still seems very quiet on the conning tower. Im still getting used to the smell of the salty sea-air. At our current speed the navigation officer estimates about 8.5 hours till we exit kiel canal, or around 03:30.

I decide to sleep between 22:00 and 03:30 to be woken when we reach the end of kiel canal, at which point i am to inform the crew of our orders.

4th Sept 1939:
13:34
I am awoken by one of the crew, I forget his name already Rupert or something, we have just left the vicinity of Kiel Canal, and the navigator wishes orders. I make my way to the command room, greeting what few crew that are still awake. Our destination AN49 – just outside Hartlepool, I suggest we make way for the deep section of water around 30-80km from the shore. Being careful we take the longer route, via the deep water incase of emergencies. I return to bed. To inform the rest of the crew tomorrow.





6th Sept 1939:
05:30
Position: AN5642
No contacts so far, Yesterday I overheard the crew joking about pulling a prank on one of the officers. I fear them wrestles so decide to surprise everyone with an emergency crash drive at 0530. Depth under keel is only 70 meters so ill cut it off short, but it should give the crew a wakeup call.

CRASH DIVE screams 2IC. The alarm sounds and water gushes down from the conning tower as the watch scramble in equally surprised, though soaking my left arm, must remember to stand further away from there in the future. The crew are slow and lazy, the rush forward is more of a sleep deprived wander - one man tripping over a bulkhead causing a yelp of pain followed by alot of swearing and laughter.

After I express me disappointment at the crew, I state there will be doing emergency crash dives twice daily till we arrive at our destination. As the boat levels off at 50m, I tell the chief to bring her up to 30m for a sound check, nothing. I tell the disheartened crew of our destination outside Hartlepool, this helps raise sprits as its right in the British shipping lanes, surely we will claim several boats to our name.

6th Sept 1939:
0800
Calm weather, sea dead flat, no fog and little cloud cover, nothing to report. To improve moral which has been hampered by the series of drills I tell the crew, the first man to spot a ship gets double rations.

1138
Position: AN5564
SHIP SPOTED! Yells down one of the watch.
Bearing 298
My encouragement of extra rashes seems to of worked!
We halt the boat, the smoke travels towards our aft. It must be going East, seems a strange place/direction for either allied or axis ships.




I set a course East at full steam ahead, and wait for the ship to pass to around 110’.
Then set a course ESE, causing it to come at our 90’, then keeping the boat turning keeping the enemy ship at 90’ will keep us in an arc brining us around to the quarry’s 12’oclock (using the UZO). All this time it is unidentifiable class of ship and nationality.


We can then come to all stop and periscope depth, I sound silent running and the alarm to battlestations, we lie in wait. Sure enough the boat comes towards us, looks like a M-KF-M (K)? at this range, still no flag, where the hell is the flag?.




We start plotting its range and bearing, I calculate it moves 1.5km in 7 minutes, which is about 7 knots.

We start entering attack data to the TDC, Speed 7, AOB, 38, range... wait what’s that, the flag? Damn! Swedish! Abort! Attack, a wave of disappointment hits the entire crew and myself, we have to let is sail on by. Still, at least old Jochen gets double rations tonight as I promised.





We continue on west till the Swedish ship is out of sight before surfacing, can’t trust neutrals not to report our position to the enemy, I treat them with great suspicion.

17:23
Aircraft spotted
“Chief Crash dive & change course”
Or at least was the plan, I strain my ears listening for a splash of a depth charge, my worry of the aircraft and trying to organise everyone I had forgotten to check the depth, a loud crash and a jet of water in the ear told me we had hit the bottom, or at least something at around 60 meters. ****, back full, depth 30 meters, ALARM, repair crews to stations. I couldn’t believe we had dived 60 meters in that time, it went so fast, maybe the crew are starting to sharpen up!

We stay at 30 meters till 2100, the damage isn’t apparent till we surface:










I don’t need anyone telling me that this isn’t the way to give an good impression to the new crew. Blame it on a faulty depth gauge? Blame the chief? Or just not mention it? I conclude this will only make the men (and even myself) question my competence, later I will give a speech over supper when all the repairs are made.

For now we continue on the surface at ahead slow, I allow the record player on, the crew have had enough excitement for one day, and by god we need a good sinking to improve moral which is at an all time low!

7th Sept 1939:
11:15
It has become apparent the hydrophone is not operational, and has not been since we set off or is it fixable, I cannot conceive how the sound operator has not noticed this till now, but it means big problems for finding ships, I will report his inabilities when we return, he is putting this ship at danger!, again this has put another big dent in moral! Its tempting to abort the mission now with so much gone wrong, but we carry on, we have a mission and by god I can’t wait till we sink our first ship!

00:00
The moon is east of us, meaning we are silhouetted and the enemy will be cased in darkness which surrounds us all in its biting blackness. I let us move south closer to the mainland but staying in the deeper waters to try and find any sortof merchant we can have a go at.






7:15
A problem, we are merely 60k from the coast, it is dawn and cloudless, if a plane flys near us we will be spotted immediately, and I can only assume there will be a military presence at heartlypool which may soon find us. However if we dive, we have no hydrophone, so our chances of finding an target are reduced to near-nill. I decide we dive and sit out the day till dusk, with periscope observations every hour. Hopefully we can make it nearly to our patrol destination.




9th Sept 1939:
02:11
Ship spotted!
Bearing: 321

We had reached our patrol coordinates, and set up 100km patrol perimeter around it, I plan on staying within the deep section just outside the British harbour and patrolling its perimeter when ship sighted is called. I am awoken by cheers from the crew and instantly jump to stations, this has to be it!





Without hesitation I shout, Alarm, all men quiet down as I rush up to the bridge.
We see a ship far off, it appears to be travelling north, so we head to get infront of it.
Lieing in wait we start calculating its position and speed, 11 knots. I get the 2IC to ID the ship as my eyes still haven’t adjusted to the dark, M-FK-M (R) he suggests and I verify. Range, 2km.
Range 1.5km. range 1km.





And in the darkness though the UZO I just make out the British merchant navy flag, YES a valid target, I inform the crew who reply with hushed whoops of excitement. Flood tubes 1-through-3 I say, torpedo depth of 7 meters, impact detonation, speed fast.

I fire tubes one and two, one at the superstructure and one below the single funnel. An anxious wait follows, will we hit or is it another bad day to top the rest weve had?


we wait, and the wait seems to be forever, then I realise the boat has passed the point at which the torpedoes should of hit, but nothing, I look at the chief who shrugs and look helplessly at the boat which almost mockingly carries on its course as if nothing has happened!

Torpedos missed sir, I hear quietly from an officer, I have to withhold my anger, **** what was wrong, the speed? Distance? Maybe it spotted us, **** we should of gone decks awash. The boat is about 20 degrees to our port now, too far gone for the remaining torpedo we have ready, of which the attack solution would be wrong, and one hit wouldn’t even guarantee a kill anyway, it may just carry on and call in support. ****, we best leave it and carry on. I can barely look at the crew, who glare at me behind my back, I have shamed myself and my country.


Official log book states:
“Fired two torpedoes at British merchant heading NNW, grid AN495, 02:30. Both missed, leaving merchant and returning to course to reload.


07:15
I was awoken to the sound of the alarm being sound, aircraft spotted! This time the first thing I do is check the depth under keel, 107 meters, good! We dive away, and it appears the aircraft has not spotted us. We stay at 40 meters ahead slow, while I get up. I still can hear odd comments by the crew of our failures earlier this morning, breakfast tastes different to usual, I assume cook fired the eggs on the engines or something, anyway im not hungry and leave breakfast.


10:57
“SHIP SPOTTED!, no wait, TWO SHIPS SPOTTED”
Was my awakening greeting, having gone to bed only a few hours before from staying up late last night. Though it has probably been the best way I have ever been awoken. I rub my eyes then squeeze them hard, like im trying to squeeze out the tired feeing behind them, it doesn’t work.

Going topside there indeed are to ships, one appears stationary and the other going to our port.





The plan, though during it execution I got abit enthusiastic at the time and foiled it. Was to chase after the moving ship and sink it with two torpedoes, and save our final one for this stationary ship, which I assume is having engine troubles or is already damaged.

I plotted an intercept course and attacked the moving ship,
11 knots, 1.2km, 75 AoB
FIRE TUBE ONE I yell
LOS was the reply
FIRE TUBE TWO
LOS was the reply
FIRE TUBE THREE
And before I even realised my error
LOS
****, we didn’t want to fire the third one, **** cant let the crew know that, but too late the 2IC perked up:
“Sir wasn’t the last torpedo for the stationary ship?”
“Yes it was, though I changed my mind” (a lie) “we better guarantee this ship sunk rather than have it limp off leaving us helpess to finish her off, anyway its not a small boat, about 6.5 thousand tonnes!”
“sir”

We waited anxiously, I had double and triple checked the values, put a wide spread on the torpedoes, and hoped to god we wouldn’t miss like last time, we couldn’t return to dock with zero torpedoes left and no ships to our name, that would be too embarrassing.

BOOM, Torpedo hit! Fan-****-tastic, a sigh of relief, though it hit rather aft of where I aimed. A few seconds pass when i hear
“Torpedo is a dud sir”, bollocks not what we needed, though least now my accidental third torpedo seems purposeful
Kaboom! The u-boat rocks gently in the hydro-pressure wave created by the second blast.
But the boat keeps going, it doesn’t even look like its taken any damage, it looks brand new still!, how that that be, maybe they pre-detonated just before they hit?
I watch the boat continue to sail on. 5 minutes later and its aft was beginning to droop, damn if only we had another eel to finish her off!, we can only helplessly watch and hope she sinks, another 15 minutes go by, by now its obvious shes slowed to a halt and is going down, we write it up in the log book.

Now we have 80% fuel and zero torpedoes, “time to go home lads” I say. We take the same route out as we went in, via the deep water keeping submerged and initially going at a fast speed to distance us from the sunk vessel which must of called in the RAF or Navy.

We make the rest of the journey home at ahead full, no point conserving fuel when we only risk ourselves more by staying out in this damn ocean for longer!

[Note: FRAPS failed to take screenshots of the above events sorry]




We get back to the dock and everyone his glad to be back, god knows what the crew think of me now, i can only hope the last ship sinking ended their patrol on high spirits and regained some sortof believe in me as a Capitan, well i guess i better go and study my books in the few days i have leave.

[looney]

Ya got to love those duck real slow... yesterday it took me 12 hours of flank speed to overtake a ship (10kn). Perfect attack position (moving at 1kn about 500m off track 0° degree gyro when target is on firing point). When it changes course away from us about 1km short of firing point. Thus another 6 hours flank speed... again perfect position and then I get 2 duds

[alexradu89]

Right on mate keep'em coming! I'm sorry about the missed torps (god I hate duds).

[etheberge]

Very good read DMW, keep it up. It made me want to fire up OM again.

[ShadowWolf Kell]

Originally Posted by etheberge

Very good read DMW, keep it up. It made me want to fire up OM again.

Hehe. Can't say I've played a Type II myself. I've always been partial to the Type VIIs but you're right.

[looney]

WOOOOT UI just sank me a queen E BB, only 1 dud was a 17kn convoy.

Finaly worth the endless wait for ships ended... Got to love the souts else I wouldn't be able to make the shot

[DMW]

Originally Posted by ShadowWolf Kell

Hehe. Can't say I've played a Type II myself. I've always been partial to the Type VIIs but you're right.

Yea the same myself, Ive never played a Type II before, so thought id start at the bottom, plan on getting a type VII asap.