Tales from the Naval Academy

mmm...Dönitz · 03-03-09, 01:33 PM

Last Thursday was a great day in my burgeoning career in the Kriegsmarine, as I finally passed out of the Naval Academy having completed my convoy attack exam in spectacular style on the third attempt.

The first time was pre GWX, and due to an *ahem* clerical error at the Academy office, after sinking the entire convoy (minus escorts) I returned to base to find that the entire patrol had been set as a practise rathern than an exam.

The second attempt was somewhat shorter. After installing GWX3.0 and setting realism to 100% (and making sure the appointed examiner was on board this time) I intended to put two eels each into a medium cargo and small tanker before starting my evasion of the Hunt-1 escort. Unfortunately, a tramp steamer crosses my path at the last minute and catches one eel, meant for the cargo, right on her bow so I'm detected a few minutes before the intended targets get hit. However, after apparently evading interception attempt I passed under the convoy and decided to come to periscope depth on the far side to start setting up for another attack on the cargo. Unfortunately I've surfaced right in the path of an unknown ship that had not appeared on my hyrdophone operator's sweep. One crash dive later I'm down at 180m with two busted periscopes and damage teams trying to patch up my leaking hull while I sneak away at 2kts, rigged for silent. After surfacing to effect what repairs I can to the outside, my attempt at a heroic deck-gun attack on the destroyer (who is still on my tail) goes somewhat awry when my deck-gunner stubbornly refuses to fire at anything. I decide to end the exam after my watch officer gets blown off the bridge by the destroyer's main guns at point blank range. Grosse Gott, this training is realistic

After a week or so the Academy finally rounds up another crew that are willing to put to sea with me. The examiner (visibly trembling this time) is checked aboard and the attack starts the same way as the previous one did - a textbook run on the two main targets, this time with a much better angle that keeps the other ships out of the way. As I submerge on an evasion course I hear the four satisfying explosions as the eels find the tanker and cargo. The tanker goes down instantly, the cargo a few minutes later.

Going silent, I crawl along on a course parallel to the convoy, falling steadily behind but trying to keep in a position. After a good half hour it appears that I've not been detected, or at least the destroyer crew don't have a good idea where I am and I decide to come up for a look. To my utter dismay, history starts to repeat itself and while passing up through 50 meters a ship that is not on the hydrophone plot appears on an attack run and drops depth charges right on my bridge and foredeck, wrecking the deck gun, flak gun, both periscopes and causing some serious flooding. Cursing my luck, I set my depth for 130m and reluctantly un-rig from silent so the repair crews can get to work. As I limp away at 1kt with about 15m under the keel, the destroyer makes repeated attacks, sometimes getting a lucky hit. The flooding comes and goes and I have trouble maintaining depth. After about half an hour I have my lucky "Das Boot" moment and the hull scrapes the bottom as a "shovel full of sand" holds my boat up at 148m and stops me sinking any further.

As the repair crews get the flooding under control and repair what they can, the destroyer makes figure-eight patterns over head, obviously still locked in on my position, but making no more attacks. With a bit of TC the boat is soon watertight again and as functional as it can be. Once again rigged for silent, I lift off the bottom and head away from the convoy at 2kts. Watching on TC32, the destroyer contact gradually fades away.

After another half hour, I bring the boat very slowly up to 50m, listening at the hyrdophone myself for contacts. Nothing. Up to perisope depth (not that I can see anything). Still nothing. I come up to decks awash into the night at about 10:00pm and set the damage party to work on the watch tower. Everything else on the top of the boat has had it, but at least thie time I'm not being persued. To my delight I discover that the UZO still works - I can still fight, albeit on the surface!

With the boat fixed up as best as possible I decide that flunking out a third time isnt an option. I set an assumed course after the convoy at ahead flank. After some searching I spot some streaks of light on the horizon. It takes me several minutes to work out that they are searchlights. The convoy is lighting my way back to them!

By 01:00am I am within 10km of the convoy and can clearly see each ship, steaming at a leasurely 2kts westward with the Hunt-1 back in the lead. I decide to submerge, run parallel at this distance until I'm well in front, then turn in at 90de to their course and lay in wait while the destroyer sails by, then pick off the tramp steamers before getting the hell out. Unfortunely I don't get far enough in front before turning and I pass within the destroyer's detection range. As I come onto my attack course, the destroyer breaks off from the convoy and heads straight towards me at high speed. I decide there's only one thing for it. I come up to decks awash and order ahead flank, turning into the destroyer head-on. I quickly guess the proper settings for tube 1 before heading up to the bridge.

Topsides, the night is dazzlingly lit by the destroyer's searchlights aimed right at my boat. Shells are whistling overhead but (presumably because of the small target and fast closing speed) I'm not being hit. The view through the UZO is terrifying - the destroyer's bows more than fills the scope. She passes 400m range. "Torpedo los!" Over the racket on the bridge I don't hear it leave the tube. I order 20deg right rudder, hoping my boat's ass won't swing out into the destroyer's path. Too late…

There's a screech of metal hitting metal as we scrape alongside each other. Three of the four bow tubes takes damage and flooding breaks out in the bows compartment. As the stern strikes the destroyer one diesel packs up and the batteries take damage. I quickly set my damage team to work on the flooding and head back up to the bridge to witness the end of yet another failed exam. Looking astern from the bridge the destroyer passes quietly away, suddenly a massive explosion rockets out from her bows and she digs her nose into the ocean. My crew watch, stunned, as she sinks in about 30 seconds, leaving her stern clear of the water. My head-on torpedo attack must have found its mark after all.

I'm all but adrift a few km away from the last three tramp steamers in the convoy, all of which have now extinguished their searchlights. Thankfully the damage received during the collision is light and soon repaired, but at any moment I exect to find that one of the tramps is armed and come under renewed fire as I drift closer to their course…

Having fixed the damage, and with three bow and one stern tube loaded I decide to finish what I came back to do and set an attack course for the lead tramp, who is still zigzagging west at only 2kts despite all the commotion. As I close the distance, one tramp appears to turn onto an intercept course, but I easily outrun it. Coming into close range I notice that I still have not come under fire. The lead tramp takes a torpedo amidships but keeps going. I turn to fire on the second and third ships, one of which goes down right away. By now its obvious that none are armed and I'm having my own personal "happy time" cruising around on the surface amongst what little is left of the convoy. Two of the tough little tramps are still afloat but listing heavily and on fire and I have one torpedo left. I line up on the closest ready to give it a second shot. My finger is literally on the fire button when someone yells "She's going down!" I standup from the UZO and see that, yes! The stern is underwater. I quickly order the boat hard about and line up on the last target, which is virtually decks awash but still moving. A second eel into the bows soon stops her and she goes down a few seconds later.

So I'm at the end of my exam, on a sub with no deck or flak guns, no persiscopes and an exhausted, but still 100% alive and uninjured crew. The entire convoy is on the sea bed, including its destroyer escort. I pass out of the exam with an "excellent" rating.

OK, so pressing home the attack on the surface was a pretty foolhardy thing to do in GWX but the exam sets a target for tonnage sunk and you have to hit at least one tramp steamer to attain it. In career mode I'd have bugged out after the first attack and settled for the medium cargo and tanker, most probably trying to get away before even being detected. Also, being able to cruise around unmolested to clean up at the end is pretty unrealistic too, but again ina a career I wouldn't waste so much time on tramp steamers (certainly not two good torpedoes). I know passing the exams doesn't count for a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, but its been a vaulable exercise and I'd rather learn things in the Academy then out at sea!

Anyway, its beers all round for my crew at the local gasthaus - especially those on the damage control teams - before we set out on a much more cautious first career patrol!

Sailor Steve · 03-03-09, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmm...Dönitz

...I'd rather learn things in the Academy then out at sea!

Good point! And great story. Don't forget you can gain a wealth of experience from the Single Missions as well. My personal favorite so far is 'Happy Times'.

GREY WOLF 3 · 03-03-09, 04:05 PM

Nice reading that made

You must keep us informed on your career

sunvalleyslim · 03-04-09, 01:30 AM

Good Luck on your next adventure, you lucky dog..........

Otto Heinzmeir · 03-04-09, 06:56 AM

Good read. You never know, you may still be using torps on a tramp steamer in a career. I just had one of my most satisfying missions and I only sunk 2 ships for 3 tons

But it was satisfying in the realism it seemed to have. In a typeIIA with 5 torps. Two of which turned out to be duds. So 3 good torps. I only enaged 3 ships and sighted maybe 3 more. None were over 2 tons as the TypeIIA has a more limited range and starts in Kiel in GWX. Because of the range I was pretty much limited to AN grids and a lot of ships there are 2 tons. So I went as far as I could. Used up my torps and made it back on fumes as the seas got rough and ate into my knots per gallon.

Sounds pretty bland actually compared to your naval test but it is a blast to play. Deciding if you should bother taking out a lone patroling DD or save the torp for a potential 6 ton merchant that you may or may not encounter. Mangaging your fuel. All that tedious stuff

Otto Heinzmeir · 03-04-09, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmm...Dönitz

a After surfacing to effect what repairs I can to the outside, my attempt at a heroic deck-gun attack on the destroyer (who is still on my tail) goes somewhat awry when my deck-gunner stubbornly refuses to fire at anything.

Did you click on the ammo to select it? IIRC the gunner won't fire until you selct ammo by clicking on it.

Jimbuna · 03-04-09, 07:42 AM

Congratulations....you should soon be ready to commence a career.

SINK EM ALL!!

mmm...Dönitz · 03-04-09, 11:06 AM

Thanks all

Career would be starting this week if I didn't have my car to service this weekend

Quote:

Originally Posted by Otto Heinzmeir

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmm...Dönitz

a After surfacing to effect what repairs I can to the outside, my attempt at a heroic deck-gun attack on the destroyer (who is still on my tail) goes somewhat awry when my deck-gunner stubbornly refuses to fire at anything.

Did you click on the ammo to select it? IIRC the gunner won't fire until you selct ammo by clicking on it.

I'm pretty sure I did load the deck gun, so I think its probably more to do with my not selecting a target for the gunner using TAB and SPACE, but I thought you could tell the gunner to select targets himself based on range - which I did try. I didn't get time to select a target manually but I tried the deck gun practise straight after and this worked well. Maybe I'll take a quick suicidal patrol out from the Academy to see if it works as well on a more lively target

03-03-09, 01:33 PM	#1
mmm...Dönitz Seaman Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Norfolk, UK Posts: 32 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Tales from the Naval Academy Last Thursday was a great day in my burgeoning career in the Kriegsmarine, as I finally passed out of the Naval Academy having completed my convoy attack exam in spectacular style on the third attempt. The first time was pre GWX, and due to an ahem clerical error at the Academy office, after sinking the entire convoy (minus escorts) I returned to base to find that the entire patrol had been set as a practise rathern than an exam. The second attempt was somewhat shorter. After installing GWX3.0 and setting realism to 100% (and making sure the appointed examiner was on board this time) I intended to put two eels each into a medium cargo and small tanker before starting my evasion of the Hunt-1 escort. Unfortunately, a tramp steamer crosses my path at the last minute and catches one eel, meant for the cargo, right on her bow so I'm detected a few minutes before the intended targets get hit. However, after apparently evading interception attempt I passed under the convoy and decided to come to periscope depth on the far side to start setting up for another attack on the cargo. Unfortunately I've surfaced right in the path of an unknown ship that had not appeared on my hyrdophone operator's sweep. One crash dive later I'm down at 180m with two busted periscopes and damage teams trying to patch up my leaking hull while I sneak away at 2kts, rigged for silent. After surfacing to effect what repairs I can to the outside, my attempt at a heroic deck-gun attack on the destroyer (who is still on my tail) goes somewhat awry when my deck-gunner stubbornly refuses to fire at anything. I decide to end the exam after my watch officer gets blown off the bridge by the destroyer's main guns at point blank range. Grosse Gott, this training is realistic After a week or so the Academy finally rounds up another crew that are willing to put to sea with me. The examiner (visibly trembling this time) is checked aboard and the attack starts the same way as the previous one did - a textbook run on the two main targets, this time with a much better angle that keeps the other ships out of the way. As I submerge on an evasion course I hear the four satisfying explosions as the eels find the tanker and cargo. The tanker goes down instantly, the cargo a few minutes later. Going silent, I crawl along on a course parallel to the convoy, falling steadily behind but trying to keep in a position. After a good half hour it appears that I've not been detected, or at least the destroyer crew don't have a good idea where I am and I decide to come up for a look. To my utter dismay, history starts to repeat itself and while passing up through 50 meters a ship that is not on the hydrophone plot appears on an attack run and drops depth charges right on my bridge and foredeck, wrecking the deck gun, flak gun, both periscopes and causing some serious flooding. Cursing my luck, I set my depth for 130m and reluctantly un-rig from silent so the repair crews can get to work. As I limp away at 1kt with about 15m under the keel, the destroyer makes repeated attacks, sometimes getting a lucky hit. The flooding comes and goes and I have trouble maintaining depth. After about half an hour I have my lucky "Das Boot" moment and the hull scrapes the bottom as a "shovel full of sand" holds my boat up at 148m and stops me sinking any further. As the repair crews get the flooding under control and repair what they can, the destroyer makes figure-eight patterns over head, obviously still locked in on my position, but making no more attacks. With a bit of TC the boat is soon watertight again and as functional as it can be. Once again rigged for silent, I lift off the bottom and head away from the convoy at 2kts. Watching on TC32, the destroyer contact gradually fades away. After another half hour, I bring the boat very slowly up to 50m, listening at the hyrdophone myself for contacts. Nothing. Up to perisope depth (not that I can see anything). Still nothing. I come up to decks awash into the night at about 10:00pm and set the damage party to work on the watch tower. Everything else on the top of the boat has had it, but at least thie time I'm not being persued. To my delight I discover that the UZO still works - I can still fight, albeit on the surface! With the boat fixed up as best as possible I decide that flunking out a third time isnt an option. I set an assumed course after the convoy at ahead flank. After some searching I spot some streaks of light on the horizon. It takes me several minutes to work out that they are searchlights. The convoy is lighting my way back to them! By 01:00am I am within 10km of the convoy and can clearly see each ship, steaming at a leasurely 2kts westward with the Hunt-1 back in the lead. I decide to submerge, run parallel at this distance until I'm well in front, then turn in at 90de to their course and lay in wait while the destroyer sails by, then pick off the tramp steamers before getting the hell out. Unfortunely I don't get far enough in front before turning and I pass within the destroyer's detection range. As I come onto my attack course, the destroyer breaks off from the convoy and heads straight towards me at high speed. I decide there's only one thing for it. I come up to decks awash and order ahead flank, turning into the destroyer head-on. I quickly guess the proper settings for tube 1 before heading up to the bridge. Topsides, the night is dazzlingly lit by the destroyer's searchlights aimed right at my boat. Shells are whistling overhead but (presumably because of the small target and fast closing speed) I'm not being hit. The view through the UZO is terrifying - the destroyer's bows more than fills the scope. She passes 400m range. "Torpedo los!" Over the racket on the bridge I don't hear it leave the tube. I order 20deg right rudder, hoping my boat's ass won't swing out into the destroyer's path. Too late… There's a screech of metal hitting metal as we scrape alongside each other. Three of the four bow tubes takes damage and flooding breaks out in the bows compartment. As the stern strikes the destroyer one diesel packs up and the batteries take damage. I quickly set my damage team to work on the flooding and head back up to the bridge to witness the end of yet another failed exam. Looking astern from the bridge the destroyer passes quietly away, suddenly a massive explosion rockets out from her bows and she digs her nose into the ocean. My crew watch, stunned, as she sinks in about 30 seconds, leaving her stern clear of the water. My head-on torpedo attack must have found its mark after all. I'm all but adrift a few km away from the last three tramp steamers in the convoy, all of which have now extinguished their searchlights. Thankfully the damage received during the collision is light and soon repaired, but at any moment I exect to find that one of the tramps is armed and come under renewed fire as I drift closer to their course… Having fixed the damage, and with three bow and one stern tube loaded I decide to finish what I came back to do and set an attack course for the lead tramp, who is still zigzagging west at only 2kts despite all the commotion. As I close the distance, one tramp appears to turn onto an intercept course, but I easily outrun it. Coming into close range I notice that I still have not come under fire. The lead tramp takes a torpedo amidships but keeps going. I turn to fire on the second and third ships, one of which goes down right away. By now its obvious that none are armed and I'm having my own personal "happy time" cruising around on the surface amongst what little is left of the convoy. Two of the tough little tramps are still afloat but listing heavily and on fire and I have one torpedo left. I line up on the closest ready to give it a second shot. My finger is literally on the fire button when someone yells "She's going down!" I standup from the UZO and see that, yes! The stern is underwater. I quickly order the boat hard about and line up on the last target, which is virtually decks awash but still moving. A second eel into the bows soon stops her and she goes down a few seconds later. So I'm at the end of my exam, on a sub with no deck or flak guns, no persiscopes and an exhausted, but still 100% alive and uninjured crew. The entire convoy is on the sea bed, including its destroyer escort. I pass out of the exam with an "excellent" rating. OK, so pressing home the attack on the surface was a pretty foolhardy thing to do in GWX but the exam sets a target for tonnage sunk and you have to hit at least one tramp steamer to attain it. In career mode I'd have bugged out after the first attack and settled for the medium cargo and tanker, most probably trying to get away before even being detected. Also, being able to cruise around unmolested to clean up at the end is pretty unrealistic too, but again ina a career I wouldn't waste so much time on tramp steamers (certainly not two good torpedoes). I know passing the exams doesn't count for a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, but its been a vaulable exercise and I'd rather learn things in the Academy then out at sea! Anyway, its beers all round for my crew at the local gasthaus - especially those on the damage control teams - before we set out on a much more cautious first career patrol!

03-04-09, 01:30 AM	#4
sunvalleyslim Ace of the Deep Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Los Angeles, Ca Posts: 1,142 Downloads: 267 Uploads: 0	Good Luck on your next adventure, you lucky dog.......... __________________ Crew member/ decommission member TM2(SS)(SD) 3/68-7/70 DIESEL BOATS FOREVER USS SEGUNDO (SS398)

03-04-09, 07:42 AM	#7
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,473 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	Congratulations....you should soon be ready to commence a career. SINK EM ALL!! __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

03-03-09, 04:05 PM	#3
GREY WOLF 3 中国水兵 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Down deep avoiding drm attacks Posts: 284 Downloads: 33 Uploads: 0	Nice reading that made You must keep us informed on your career

03-04-09, 06:56 AM	#5
Otto Heinzmeir Weps Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Wilhelmshaven Local Pub Posts: 361 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Good read. You never know, you may still be using torps on a tramp steamer in a career. I just had one of my most satisfying missions and I only sunk 2 ships for 3 tons But it was satisfying in the realism it seemed to have. In a typeIIA with 5 torps. Two of which turned out to be duds. So 3 good torps. I only enaged 3 ships and sighted maybe 3 more. None were over 2 tons as the TypeIIA has a more limited range and starts in Kiel in GWX. Because of the range I was pretty much limited to AN grids and a lot of ships there are 2 tons. So I went as far as I could. Used up my torps and made it back on fumes as the seas got rough and ate into my knots per gallon. Sounds pretty bland actually compared to your naval test but it is a blast to play. Deciding if you should bother taking out a lone patroling DD or save the torp for a potential 6 ton merchant that you may or may not encounter. Mangaging your fuel. All that tedious stuff