Tell us what you are upto in your current campaign

[banryu79]

Originally Posted by Zosimus

Intercepted two icebergs today.

Didi they spot your uboat and tried to ram it?

[Zosimus]

No. I thought they were some kind of ship, actually, and had the course and speed worked out. They were going quite slowly, though. When I set up for the shot, I went to the periscope and saw icebergs.

[banryu79]

Originally Posted by Zosimus

No. I thought they were some kind of ship, actually, and had the course and speed worked out. They were going quite slowly, though. When I set up for the shot, I went to the periscope and saw icebergs.

I think you have just been fooled by the new, experimental Artic camouflage of the merchant navy!
It works well, now the last problem to sort out is how to shorten the long transit time without busting the deception... :p

[UKönig]

Kaleun Konig's really bad dream...
Or U73 has a really bad day

After a boring patrol we got some excitement in the form of a nosy British destroyer. Lined up a shot on the unsuspecting target and sunk him at 2 clicks away.

Decided to try out Iceland again. Was back on the surface, with the last bloom of daylight resting on the horizon, putting some charge back in the batteries when we spotted the Short Sunderlands on approach. Too late, and too close to dive, we took evasive action. We managed to avoid the incoming bombs of the first wave, and when the coast looked clear, I gave the order to dive.

We got under, and down to about 18 meters, when the next volley arrived. Bad luck this time. We took one of the bombs in a direct hit to the conning tower. All at once, the attack scope, the sky scope, and the radar set (the big bulky one bolted to the tower), were all destroyed.

We took some other damage that I didn't have time to consider, and we got down to a safe depth to 'ride it out'. We came back up to periscope depth a few hours later, after night had completely fallen, and found the coast was again clear.

Back topside to refresh the air and the batteries, we continue.

Entering Iceland, the weather turned to crap. I figured we should be a little bit safer from surface detection that I delayed submerging for the daytime run. My not-so-alert watch crew was slow in spotting the destroyer that was on patrol. As a result, I was forced to dive with an enemy ship in close proximity. Like, 1800m and closing. In the end, it was the flight of Sunderlands that did the job, and got the honors. We didn't notice them at all.

"Alaaaaaaarrrrrmmmm!!!!!"

But it was too late. The flight of four worked as a team and we took another direct hit, 2 really, forward in the crew's quarters/torpedo room and aft, in the diesel engine room, with hull breaches immediately reported. The damage control team went to work, against hopeless odds, to repair their boat, and their lives. The next series of bombs hit us, only when we had dropped to about 20 meters, a cluster of 3, which took us just aft of the conning tower. The force of all three blew the boat in half, with the aft wall of the control room collapsing under the weight of the incoming water...

...Where I awoke, on my bunk, in a cold sweat. I was having a really bad dream, when our 'ships doctor' threw a glass of water in my face, to wake me up.

"Sorry sir", he shrugged. "But you were talking in your sleep, saying some pretty nasty things, I might add, and it was starting to spook the men."

"I understand". No hard feelings, I would have done the same. "I have an inspection tour to conduct anyway, might as well just get to it"...

[Gunnarr]

August 3, First Patrol

I sink 2 British and 1 French Merchant Ships. But I was so gun ho I did not notice it was AUGUST not SEPTEMBER yet. I thought the war already started! German boats fire at me at my return to base.

August 31, Second Patrol

War is declared on route to destination. I see a passanger ship but pass it up, I didn't want to kill any more civilians so soon...

British destroyer finds me at night. A depth charge lands square on top of me, and explodes. I sink like a rock.

There ends the pathetic career of Günther, who is now rotting in hell, by mistake.

[banryu79]

Originally Posted by Gunnarr

August 3, First Patrol

I sink 2 British and 1 French Merchant Ships. But I was so gun ho I did not notice it was AUGUST not SEPTEMBER yet. I thought the war already started! German boats fire at me at my return to base.

Lol, BdU was so mad they didn't take the time to properly court-martial you and apply summary justice on the whole crew

[Gunnarr]

Originally Posted by banryu79

Lol, BdU was so mad they didn't take the time to properly court-martial you and apply summary justice on the whole crew

Hey, I sent patrol/contact reports and they replied with GOOD JOB and hope for good hunting, they tricked me! I think person in charge had it in for me

[Kip Chiakopf]

I'm really ticked at myself. I completed a career with 10 successful missions in my VIIB and was the 4th ranking ace when I was reassigned to a training command. I opted for a second tour. I was just in time for Dunkirk. I took my VIIB near the action. Twice, I snuck in and each time I sank a destroyer. I pressed my luck and snuck in for a third attack. I'd just launched my eel, when I was detected and sunk.

I got too cocky and pressed my luck too far. I forgot that the real objective of this game is survival!

[sublynx]

U 353, November 1942, west of Gibraltar. It sure is slow trying to get through the straits...

[Gunnarr]

fourth patrol!

I leave Wilhelmshaven after a great third patrol, best I ever done. Happy and cranking the gramophone, "ships spotted"! At AN 95, southern part of the German bay, just west of Helgoland. I go to the bridge, and assume they are german. they are heading east after all, and very close to german portsL I can't see their flag clearly, but it looked red, so I assumed, german! Who else still to be here?

but then I am under fire! they must be British! I immediately go to periscope depth, but take damage from their AA fire, heir larger calibre miss and do not get a hit before I am under water. They turn and are headed right towards me! I didn't have time to submit a contact report either! I head north east, hoping to get closer to Heldoland, where I assume some Germann ships would help me. But they are too fast, they are catching up!

I fire a torpedo from the aft but it misses. I let them get much closer , and fire my last aft torpedo, and it hits directly under their bow. she turns away, but the other ship is close behind. I have to somehow evade them , and then face them to fire my fore torpedos, I cannot get away and I cannot fight their 4-5 hefty calibre guns. I turn this way and that, and even stop and go full reverse to slow down , to catch them off guard as they are turning to where I am heading. I keep evading and finally get a shot !

All four miss!

I feel dread, we had a great patrol last month, sinking a battle ship for the first time , and now we are going to all die in german waters with our shiny new medals! I try again, as it is reloaded. I trick them again, and a shot is forming as I turn hard. I am waiting for the precise moment, there is little room for error as we are both turning towards each other. But then I see through my periscope, just as I am going to fire my torpedos, their guns are all firing in the air! And then, explosions! Help has arrived!? right when she is hit, I get my shot, and fire.

I am so close though that I worry about being hit by these friendly bombs and my own torpedo exploding and turn hard.

she is sunk! I surface, and see around 7 Ju dive bombers ! never had I been so relieved!

if it were not for those bombers, I fear we would have been done for. they got there just at the last moment!

as the ship sank, I noticed it had mines , not depth charges. I do not know what the first ship was carrying.

I am now heading back home, shaking at this suprise incursion. I hope they forgive me for not doing my patrol, I spent all my torpedos minus 2 on that engagement

[UKönig]

Well trained radio officer received contact report of England bound convoy in grid AJ96. Moved to intercept on the surface. Dove to take a quick listen to make sure I was in the right area. Sound contacts popping up all over. Jackpot. Perfect approach position. Weakly guarded convoy. Some ships new to the task and are sailing in differing directions.
First shot, seeking torpedo at clemson destroyer, one hit, one kill.
Second shot, flanking C3 heavy cargo ship. Hit and sunk.
Third shot, trailing C2 heavy cargo, hit and damaged, forward speed slowing.
Fourth shot, T2 tanker. Missed.
Fifth shot, flower corvette walking drag. He got a little too close for comfort so we fired the seeker from tube 5. Looked like it wasn't going to hit, so we upped scope as far is it would go, and cranked up the speed a bit. That got his attention. As he came in to investigate, the seeker bit him in the ass. Sank stern first. Two of three escorts down.
Had some nailbiting moments while we reloaded, and came around again at the damaged cargo ship. Second corvette getting too close, but not sure where we are. Hit on the cargo ship, damaging it again, but if refuses to sink. Played cat and mouse with the corvette, until we were able to line up a shot with our 3rd seeker. Hit and sunk. No more escorts.
Fired again at another tanker, and hit. No more tanker. Fired at C3 cargo that suddenly changed course. Missed him too. Let the convoy gain a bit of distance on me, surfaced, and began with the deck gun.
Finished off the damaged cargo ship, sitting less than 2km away. Only a few merchantmen seem to have guns themselves so we risk staying surfaced.
Took a few hits reducing our hull to about 49% of normal, but managed to sink 3 more ships. Had to crash dive and blow ballast a few times in between, but we finally ran out of ammo.
With 55,000 tons in the locker, we return to base...

[Rambler241]

First post here - hello all! Any commanders out of Brest - I'll look out for you at Anton's café opposite the big crane near the dry dock...

It's 2155 May 25th 1941, and I'm creeping into position to attack a large convoy heading NE through what's now called the "Celtic Sea", SE of Ireland. The Hunt II destroyer on point has so far made my approach easy by dashing around at speed, but it's now settled down to convoy speed of 6 knots and is only 1500 metres away, so we're on silent routine at 2 knots with periscope partly awash. With just 3 bow and 1 stern Type I fish (I'm a speed freak) left, I've got to make 'em count, so I'm intent on "getting right in there" at close range. So far I've identified a large tanker (type 3?), a troop ship, a C3 and several C2s, so very juicy targets. Wish me luck and hope that the destroyer commanders are sinking too many pink gins in the officers mess. [Update - there's another T3 tanker two behind the first. I should have let that SM get away in the severe storm S of Iceland, and saved the torp. The waves were so high I had to set the fish to minimum depth and magnetic to guarantee a hit. Perhaps not - I don't know how I'll fare yet - my first post here may be my last... Remember me in Anton's café.]

I detected this convoy using sonar - around 2/3 of my contacts are found that way, soon after sinking a small merchant with 2 shots - my second such unexpectedly rapid success on this, my 8th patrol out of Brest. On both occasions, I'd put two shots on the waterline below the bridge, the ship heeled over, and as I was manoeuvring to the far side to attack the upturned hull, the ship sank. That makes 8 CMs and 6 SMs sunk by gunfire (20 AP and 60 HE) this patrol. Either I'm getting my eye in or they're using inferior rivets in these austere days.

So turning the peak of my cap to the rear in the approved piratical manner, it's back to the 'scope, and glory.

[Jimbuna]

Great first post Rambler, welcome to SubSim

[Rambler241]

I like to get into the spirit of things - especially the Armagnac that Anton keeps hidden away in the cellar for me. I've told anyone who asked it's a single malt Islay whisky kept just for me - they're green with envy, not knowing that the truth would make 'em almost as envious.

[Aktungbby]

Rambler241! I go with 20 year old Glengoyne myself...sink the troopship first!