Can't open tube doors (OM)... but great start of 7th patrol

[looney]

I'm having a good start of my 7 patrol (type 9B) somewhere july 1942.. Í leave France and I send out the 3 search planes for targets. When suddenly I get 2 TF reported (10kn and 14kn speed) and even better I don't even have to change course.

1st Convoy: Foul weather 15kn wind high waves..The watch spots the 1st (lead) DD so I submerge and I get a massive sound signature, it's not a TF but a large convoy with a Rodney on the 1st row. I setup my torps (salvo-shot: 4 at perfect 0° gyro and 90° aob), I should have made the salvo angle a bit bigger but for the rest 4x boom and the 36k GRT Rodney is sunk, the DD's don't even change course .

I'm reloading my torps and I'm thinking about running after the convoy to hit it again when my sonar guy reports warship at 60°... meaning the 2nd TF... Consisting of 4 DD a Carrier and a light cruiser.. again, perfect solution 1700m; 0° gyro and 90°. I let the carrier pass a bit (gyro about 10-15°) and fire 3 torps at her. Then look at the light cruiser to and fire 1 torp (at around -5° gyro; couldn't get the aft torps to bear). 3 torps hit on the carrier, but the light cruiser torp is a dud. But stil a 26k GRT carrier to the bottom.

I move on to my patrol grid (about 200km north of aruba), after meeting U-460 midoceanwhen I spot a large convoy. I'm in a bad spot but I want to fire 1 torp anyway. When I notice my no 1 and 3 tubes aint opening.
The streamline plates move but the round tube doors don't.. I'm now in hot persuit to make sure some of the merchants don't make port again.

Somewhere on the way to aruba my tubes 1 and 3 got damaged (might be a catalina) Else I don't know what happened. I just hope the boys back in France can repair it, my damage control team sure can't... Stil have 20 torps left .. so I'm gonna hunt americans

P.s. in my 6th patrol i sanke a big ocean liner (40k plus GRT, resulting in a 100k + patrol)

I'm loving it