Shortest patrol ever

[Einzelganger]

04 Jun 1943, GWX 2.0

U-847, an IXD2 has left Bordeaux for her 3rd patrol when about 150 km out from port her watch spots 3 German JU-88 bombers flying ahead of us in the distance. So far U-847 under command of Oberleunant Horst Luddecke has been very succesfull in her previous patrols and although things on the seas are getting tougher there still seems to be little too worry about.

Suddenly IWO Werner Hess sees the Luftwaffe JU-88s are under fire as black puffs of smoke start lining the skies around the aircraft. Are the English this close under the French coast ? While looking on at the aircraft in amazement suddenly in the distance the watch spots, first 1, then quickly 2 and then 3 destroyers which have now divided their attention between their airborne prosecutors and the newfound threat on the surface.

Despite quickly diving shells start to fall around the U-boat and damage is being taken. Eventually the ships are identified as 2 Black Swans and a River escort and it seems they have caught the scent of blood in the shallow water.

Frantically searching for the U-boat 1 of the Black Swans passes behind her at 700m and is hit with a magnetic torpedo under the bridge which causes a massive explosive. The other Black Swan now has an idea where to look and starts a very effective depthcharge run.With damage and flooding in almost every compartment suddenly an opportunity presents itself when the River escort passes infront of us at about 800m. Another torpedo hits and breaks the escort in two.

After nearly an hour of evasive actions finally the last Black Swan is finished with a torpedo and U-847 surfaces to asses her damage. With suspected heavy damage to the pressure hull and numerous pieces of equipment being out of order the desicion to return home is made.

But during the next evening only 50km short of Bordeaux a pair of Sunderlands jump the IXD2 and diving is out of the question. The flakcrew manage to down the 2 aircraft and evasive manoeuvres prevent almost guaranteed destruction.

Finally, U-847 pulls into Bordeaux with only 3850 BRT and her captain and crew suprised they are still afloat but suspecting any new dive would've probably been their last.



This was my shortest patrol ever in GWX, in total having been out of port for perhaps only 3 or 4 days at most. I didn't see the Luftwaffe again and i think they left the area while i was being attacked by the DDs

If there ever was a clearer example of things to come in this career then this has been it. I'll still try to make it until the end of the war. This game is sometimes too exciting...

[Sailor Steve]

I just recently tried an experimental patrol, my first with GWX. I set sail from Kiel, turned on the 'Kiel Out' auto-navigator. Six hours later I ran aground.

[bigboywooly]

:rotfl:

Turn on the Kiel out THEN set sail
I just shot up the canal the other way at 512TC

@ Einzelganger

Tough start
Least you made it home

[Einzelganger]

@ Bigboywooly

Though start indeed, i think things in this war may start to change for the worst. This is my first career in a IXD2 after having played hundreds in VII and IXB/IXC boats so i'm happy i've survived this patrol. Not too sure about the rest of the war...

The only thing that bothers me, after starting SH3Cmdr my senior flakofficer has been put in hospital after a car accident..... That must be some luck

[bigboywooly]

Perhaps he knew what was coming

:rotfl:

[i_b_spectre]

I've had my boat run aground in the Kiel Canal a couple of times using the navigator's "toward Kiel" and "away from Kiel" waypoints. Now, I zoom-in and make adjustments to waypoints that are not centered in the canal. It's a bit time consuming, but so is the voyage through the canal and I just want to get through it as fast as I can without dinging my boat.

[Penelope_Grey]

Well done on making it home Einzelganger! Good effort, the british are on the ball in late war.

Even though I strongly recommend diving when facing aircraft, you can't do that in shallow waters such as them, so it pays to have an efficient gun crew.

[NealT]

At least you made it out of the harbour.

I had one where I was leaving Brest and never made it into the bay...had the Wellingtons get me so bad...after sinking my minesweeper escort...that I had to turn back before getting clear...made it back with 10% left in the hull...

[Wulfmann]

In GWX1.03 ala Iron Coffin accounts I added those right outside the harbor patrols from June 44 on in France and had to leave submerged as German patrol boats exchanged fire with the Brits.
These were armed with hedgehogs and I got caught with a couple that had me abandon my career within sight of the sub pens. I turned about and went into the bunker whence I came and surfaced ending the patrol.

Does that sound short enough???

Hold on; I did better (worse?)

In Brest on a GWX2 44 patrol I waited for the bombing attack to be over (Having been damaged leaving port the last time) assuming the sub pen would protect me. Nope, I was hit enough to question my capability to sustain more in a 44 patrol so ended the patrol exactly in the same spot without ever cranking up the diesels!!!

Wulfmann

[Dowly]

I think my shortest patrol has been the time I ran my VII to one of the piers, I think it was in Lorient.

[NealT]

Originally Posted by Dowly

I think my shortest patrol has been the time I ran my VII to one of the piers, I think it was in Lorient.

That's right! I forgot about the time I transferred to a new base with a IXC and the base was only supposed to handle VII and I took damage and sunk right in the bunker...

Like the good captain I am...I went down with the ship I guess cause it came back telling me my entire crew had been killed...

Geez Dowly...why did you have to remind me of that fiasco