The Liverpool Experiment

January 28th, 1941. The crew and I, having spent some time waiting in stormy weather roughly 10-15km outside Liverpool, were expecting the convoy to arrive any moment. Our beloved Type IXB was nearly out of torpedoes, having had no chance to fire the deck gun on the entire patrol, due to the especially bad weather.

Heinrich spotted a shadowy vessel coming out of the fog. The convoy had arrived! We moved into a better position, identified the choice targets and commenced our attack. Expending the last of our eels, we proceeded to sink a Large Merchant and Large Cargo vessel. Thus encouraged, we dove to 35m, cursing the comparatively shallow waters, and headed away. The A&B escort searched frantically, and was soon joined by two other warships, and a patrol boat. Thus began their 5 hour hunt. Dawn was swiftly approaching.

Eventually, having made our way quite a distance from the original attack position, and having taken some minor damage to the scopes and flak guns, I began to wonder if we were going to make it. I had made a particular effort to keep the engines pointed away from the probing menace. We would escape for a while, only to be picked up again by the A&B, which continued to make use of the infernal sonar. Pinging, and pinging, driving us mad with terror, as the warships hammered us with depth charges.

The A&B was full astern of our boat, racing full on, about to lay down, what was likely to be a devastating blow, and then it happened... That is to say, nothing happened. Where once, the air was dominated by the roar of the predator's engines, there was now only the dull hum of our own engines. Instantly, I questioned Johannes, my best sonar man. He could only locate three of the vessels. I had the rudder turned, adjusting my heading numerous times, hoping to get a better angle for his search. Nothing. The fourth and original ship was gone!

It was then that I put two and two together... Johannes could not pick up the convoy 135 degrees of our position. They were there a moment ago! I assumed the obvious. The A&B vessel, the cargo ships.... They were obviously some sort of new British experiment, and had somehow been teleported out of harm's reach, along with their defender! The British had preceded the Americans and their Philadelphia Experiment by nearly three years! We were saved!

Without their sonar capability, our getaway was simplicity itself. Hours later we congratulated ourselves on our luck, and proceeded home toward Lorient, as fast as we could manage. ...but never again did we forget our brush with the Liverpool Experiment!


P.S. - I love fortunate programming decisions!

[flag4]

Originally Posted by Hans Uberman

January 28th, 1941. The crew and I, having spent some time waiting in stormy weather roughly 10-15km outside Liverpool, were expecting the convoy to arrive any moment. Our beloved Type IXB was nearly out of torpedoes, having had no chance to fire the deck gun on the entire patrol, due to the especially bad weather.

Heinrich spotted a shadowy vessel coming out of the fog. The convoy had arrived! We moved into a better position, identified the choice targets and commenced our attack. Expending the last of our eels, we proceeded to sink a Large Merchant and Large Cargo vessel. Thus encouraged, we dove to 35m, cursing the comparatively shallow waters, and headed away. The A&B escort searched frantically, and was soon joined by two other warships, and a patrol boat. Thus began their 5 hour hunt. Dawn was swiftly approaching.

Eventually, having made our way quite a distance from the original attack position, and having taken some minor damage to the scopes and flak guns, I began to wonder if we were going to make it. I had made a particular effort to keep the engines pointed away from the probing menace. We would escape for a while, only to be picked up again by the A&B, which continued to make use of the infernal sonar. Pinging, and pinging, driving us mad with terror, as the warships hammered us with depth charges.

The A&B was full astern of our boat, racing full on, about to lay down, what was likely to be a devastating blow, and then it happened... That is to say, nothing happened. Where once, the air was dominated by the roar of the predator's engines, there was now only the dull hum of our own engines. Instantly, I questioned Johannes, my best sonar man. He could only locate three of the vessels. I had the rudder turned, adjusting my heading numerous times, hoping to get a better angle for his search. Nothing. The fourth and original ship was gone!

It was then that I put two and two together... Johannes could not pick up the convoy 135 degrees of our position. They were there a moment ago! I assumed the obvious. The A&B vessel, the cargo ships.... They were obviously some sort of new British experiment, and had somehow been teleported out of harm's reach, along with their defender! The British had preceded the Americans and their Philadelphia Experiment by nearly three years! We were saved!

Without their sonar capability, our getaway was simplicity itself. Hours later we congratulated ourselves on our luck, and proceeded home toward Lorient, as fast as we could manage. ...but never again did we forget our brush with the Liverpool Experiment!


P.S. - I love fortunate programming decisions!

hmm, very interesting. i wonder what Donitz will think or Werner Von Brown

[CherryHarbey]

hate to spoil a great story but the convoy must have reached its last waypoint and so they just disappear, otherwise we'd have all the harbours full of every convoy that had ever sailed.

Unless, the destroyer had just been imformed of something vital happening in Liverpool, cup of tea and a slice of cake, maybe? Was it around 4.30pm??

[Skunkito]

Knowing Liverpool there's a fair chance the convoy got stolen.

[papa_smurf]

Sounded a bit risky been outside Liverpool in a type IX/B. Not the best boat for stalking outside a harbour.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Skunkito

Knowing Liverpool there's a fair chance the convoy got stolen.

ROFLMAO

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by CherryHarbey

hate to spoil a great story but the convoy must have reached its last waypoint and so they just disappear,

Most of the convoys are scripted to be deleted when they reach they're final waypoint, otherwise the ports and surrounding navigation channels would quickly become congested with up to 6 years of traffic.

This is how we simulate dockings and arrivals/departures of shipping.

[Sailor Steve]

And the reality is that 15 km out of Liverpool the waters would be swarming with destroyers and patrol boats at all times. I doubt you would have been able to get that close in the first place.

[frau kaleun]

Don't listen to these buzzkills, Hans. I believe you!

[Gerald]

good service to visiting boats, especially U-boats,friendly environment and its minefields and a relatively small passage for the coming and outgoing boats,beer and food is cheap, very welcome!

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Most of the convoys are scripted to be deleted when they reach they're final waypoint, otherwise the ports and surrounding navigation channels would quickly become congested with up to 6 years of traffic.

This is how we simulate dockings and arrivals/departures of shipping.

This is what I figured the case to be. In this case, it probably saved my life. Well... In the game.

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

Don't listen to these buzzkills, Hans. I believe you!

Thank you! It is your generous donations of tin foil that keep me going! The men are starting to look at me strangely while we keep watch for enemy vessels. I think they are planning to kill me, as my haberdasher is vastly superior to theirs. Mutiny is imminent.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Hans Uberman

This is what I figured the case to be. In this case, it probably saved my life. Well... In the game.


Thank you! It is your generous donations of tin foil that keep me going! The men are starting to look at me strangely while we keep watch for enemy vessels. I think they are planning to kill me, as my haberdasher is vastly superior to theirs. Mutiny is imminent.

Get yersel over to a certain Canadian port and witness the biggest selection of scripted vessels/targets

[Tessa]

Ime getting to the Liverpool harbor or even just the inlet is much more difficult than sneaking into Scapa Flow or Lock Ewe. Escorts just love to find any kind of type IX's there with that huge bullseye of a massive hull. Even with a type VII getting into Liverpool even early in the war is difficult at best (made worse that its shallow) or Bristol. Later in the war anything inside the Irish sea is suicide unless you've got mega paitence to spend most of your time submerged at silent waiting for the chance to pop up long enough to at least re-supply your air and some battery power.

Originally Posted by Tessa

Ime getting to the Liverpool harbor or even just the inlet is much more difficult than sneaking into Scapa Flow or Lock Ewe. Escorts just love to find any kind of type IX's there with that huge bullseye of a massive hull. Even with a type VII getting into Liverpool even early in the war is difficult at best (made worse that its shallow) or Bristol. Later in the war anything inside the Irish sea is suicide unless you've got mega paitence to spend most of your time submerged at silent waiting for the chance to pop up long enough to at least re-supply your air and some battery power.

The SE corner of AM53 is hell, but it's better than trying to come up from the south.
Once the RAF starts flying at night, it's pretty much guarenteed to be a one way trip.

Early on, I like the challenge of entering The Irish Sea, or even The Med with a IXB, but have never had the guts to enter any port. Prien, I ain't.