My immortal story :)

On my first patrol I thought I will come back home with full loads of torpedos from BE 62. Bad weather all the time made all hopes vanishing to find any victim to send to the bottom.. but when just a few grids were left till final destination God send me a good weather by morning so I dived just in case to avoid air surprises. Meanwhile sonar man pickes up some noise, one contact, then came second, third.... damn it's convoy, long range, adjusted course to a beam of convoy up ahead. I was in place just in time, there was sailing a large convoy with protection of only two black swan destroyers from the front and from back and one pathetic looking S class sub on the far corner of the convoy). Well BDU was still forbiding attacks on armed vessels, but I just couldn't let this chance go by so easily with only couple of ships destroyed. I succesfully atacked those two destroyers and surfaced to take the whole cake! S-call sub was a joke it was floating ahead half surfaced, only the bridge was seen and those men on the deck gun was always half of body in water I opened some light fire on those floating ducks just to say hi, they returned lazy fire with terrible unacuracy, so after some bangs on they bridge they just stopped and left me to enjoy the whole peace of cake. From 20 ships I managed to sunk 12 when I got empty of whole ammunition..
When I returned to port I got promoted instantly to Oberleutenant, but no medals to crew.. ? on the summary of patrol there were 0 renown award either.. :\ it was somehow pitty to see that, but I guess it was a penalty ticket for sinking those destroyers..

On my second patrol while on the route to patrol grid at black black night almost in the middle of north sea my watch crew spotted unkown darkened tug boat heading south west (direction English channel), I came at about 1 km away from the target and was trying to get a clear view of the flag, this was like mission impossible thing or the tug boat was sailing without the flag.. so I opened fire anyway from the deck guns, after sinking it I checked the map and.. drawing of sunk ship was in blue..

Well **** happens u know.. I thought I will be sentenced to death for this when I'll come back to homeland.. . I continued the patrol, sunk two small cargo vessels on the way to patrol grid, later no action.... BUT

On the way back approximetly 300 km north west of scapa flow sonar picked up a bunch of warships approaching, but not directly ahead... After setting an intercept course I was still quite far away from task force - distance ~ 8.5 km . when I lifted up the persicope................ HMS HOOD in perfect (green) fireing position, with lots of escorts around, keeping steadilly 25 knts.. quickly with my shaking hands I fired 1 and 2 tubes at the stern of HMS HOOD, why I didn't fired 3 and 4 I can't realy explain, I was sure if I woun't sink it I will slow it down and the rest of the task force would leave him behind to meet the destiny. But I was so wrong, two explosions went nicely on the stern of HMS HOOD but it was still looking strong on the float, his speed droped to 18 knts ,I could see escorts were dieing to pick a trail on me ) and whole task force slowed down to 18 too fast and too crowdy place for lonely VIIB.. and no leavings behind of course.. respect for that, but no big joy for me, I had to let it go
But still on my way back, sounds of 5 sinking cargo ships cheered me up one by another
At the port my crew finally got first medals and one promotion to one crew member and the fault of friendly fire was forgot
Right.. I must be lucky


Good hunting captains and remember the small loses may lead to big victories sometimes

[rik007]

Not a 1944 experience!

[Von Manteuffel]

The big warships are fefinitely harder to sink in GWX2. In am October 1939 patrol I came across a convoy heading South some way West of the Scilly Isles. I was just smacking my lips over a couple of nice fat large freighters when I noticed somethin odd beyond one of them - HMS Nelson! - slap bang in the middle of the convoy.

I managed to get off a tight salvo of all 4 forward tubes at her. Three hit. I shadowed the convoy at depth for hours, eventually falllng behind and continue shadowing on the surface when I needed a recharge. After ages I let the convoy go, dived and went to investigate the single contact left in its track. There she was, listing to starboard, but still under way (5 knots). I shadowed her for another few hours, but it became clear she wasn't finished. It took another 3 hits before she finally went down.

When, oh when is some kind soul going to include renown for damaging ships. If you look on any of the sites which record the careers of U-Boat commanders, their kills are listed, but so are instances where they damaged ships - and a damaged ship, needing repair, perhaps with some of its cargo destroyed would use up valuable war resources. I've removed renown for reaching and patrolling my assigned grid square and completing the mission, so kills is all I've got.