If it weren't for that damned neutral ship...

[Maserati]

I'm playing GWX 2.0, doing my usual "start in 1939 with a type II" career. I've done 5 actual patrols, and done alright against scattered merchants ships off the East Coast of England. The one Norway patrol was a complete bust, nothing but neutrals. Worse was a patrol off Aberdeen where I didn't have enough fuel to properly run down any contacts. The ones I got close to, I couldn't find in driving rain (I have the worst luck diving for hydrophone fixes). And what happens when I turn for home ? Clear skies. Two days earlier and I'd have caught something. As it is, I have to dock at Cuxhaven for fuel. Then back to Kiel for a Type VIIb.

The actual interesting patrol was the third. I had caught one tramp stearmer for about 1950 tons. Then I spotted a fat target, a large merchant. Off the East Coast, where the fat targets rarely venture. Sank it with two fish, 7900 tons. A few days later I was running down a reported contact when I sighted a ship way too far off and in the wrong direction, and it's all lit up. Swedish. I'm maneuvering around the neutral freighter when my crew spots another ship: my original quarry.

And it's another large merchant. I launch my last two fish and get two hits but only one detonation. She starts intermittently burning and begins to settle forward. Ship sighted ! Another Swedish freighter lit up like a Christmas tree.

What is this, Grand Central Station ?

My victim slows to a stop and begins going down by the bows. The first neutral approaches my victim and stops. That's right, she approaches to render assistance. And they'll invade Russia early so they can send me to the Eastern Front if I sink a Swede for any reason. I start moving off to the north, my victim is still smouldering and her decks are awash forward. The neutral is stopped only a few yards away.

Ship sighted !

Son of a female dog !

An ASW trawler hauling ass to the scene of the crime. As I order all engines full ahead the lookouts spot not one but two more trawlers following the first one like three ducklings in a row.

And me all out of boa constrictors.

At full speed ahead I clear the area with no trouble from the trawlers. I get the heck out of Dodge and resume my patrol elsewhere. And closer to home. I love the Type II, but the spunky little SOB has absolutely no fuel. They shoulda rigged a sail on that thing to stretch the patrol endurance. I've had I don't know how many patrols where I ran out of fuel before I ran out of torpedoes. At least in GWX 2 I'm seeing more of the large, fat targets than the usual East Coast fare of large trawlers, tramp freighters and other small fry.

I did not receive credit for that freighter. The trawlers didn't chase me down, so they must have been rigging a tow on the damaged freighter. Damn neutrals, I can't really blame 'em, but I did so want a 19k patrol in a type II.

I have galleries of SH3 images here http://homepage.mac.com/mllaneza/PhotoAlbum15.html and here http://homepage.mac.com/mllaneza/PhotoAlbum14.html.

Here's two very dark ones showing the stricken freighter. The first gallery has the better, later images, y'know... the ones without the bleeding HUD. Glad I found that shortcut.


[IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/mllaneza/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg[/IMG]

and a second


[IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/mllaneza/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-2.jpg[/IMG]

[Schwuppes]

I liked your story.

[Brag]

You have a penchant for writing, keep it up

[Maserati]

Thanks mates, I'll keep an eye out for interesting or annoying occurences.