Extreme Dissapointment turned into sucess

[The_Blockade_Runner]

Departing Kiel on March 26th 1940,

Running GWX 2.0 so I knew the invasion of Norway was at hand. I took my Type VII up around Norway and made it to the port of Narvik on the Invasion date of April 9th. I watched a task force of destroyers shell the coastline while I picked off the helpless Norweigien ships in dock, mostly all tramp steamers.

So I departed and halfway down to trondhiem I found myself in position of a Taskforce heading toward me at 30 knts. It was some destroyers with an Illustrious class A/C carrier with a SouthHampton class in front and behind the carrier. Looking back at the situation I should have focused all my efforts on the Illustrious. But with 4 foward tubes I greedily aimed tube 1 for the lead SouthHampton Class and the other 3 for the Illustrious.

Fired the first shot at the SH class then moved in closer for the Illusrrious, range about 1500m. Then, DANK, the first torp bangs off the side of the SH class. I forgot to adjust the depth because I wasnt thinking about the Shallow draft that the SouthHampton class has. So the Taskforce starts freaking out zizzagging and slowing to 12 knts. Had 2 destroyers closing on my position, the speed change made me have to wait longer to fire on the A/C carrier, finally when the time was right I fired last 3 tubes on a spread at the carrier from about 1000m then dive for safety.

And then the Illustrious pulls a freakin Barry Sanders, and accelerates to max flank at 30 knts instantly, and all 3 torps barely miss the carrier, I have to tell you of all my years of gaming this was the most dissapointed I have ever felt while playing. Not with the game but with myself, spending hours in front of the computer, finding a golden opportunity like that, the first carrier I have ever spotted at sea and I pissed it all away. (can I say that?)

So I make my escape and contine my corse sothwestward. And then I find yet another taskforce, this one a Nelson BB with 6 destroyers, alteernating speed from 12knts to 20knts. They stay at 12 knts long enough for me to get into position. From about the same range I fire a salvo of 4 torps at the nelson. He must of heard them coming cause he made for flank speed also. Only 2 of the 4 hit, but at least it was 2. So I dive deep, 3 of the destroyers stay to hunt me down. After a couple hours of reallife time (wife was away for the day) of evading the destroyers, they finnly lost me and I went to periscope depth to see the Nelson there much to my delight dead in the water at 0 knts. I sent my last 2 torps into her below her foward turrets and she sank. Add 39000 tons to the patrol tonnage