Woohoo - FINALLY! Bagged my first Kriegschiff !

[panthercules]

Wow - been playing SH3 since forever, and finally ran into only my second task force that I could actually intercept (first one killed my last Kaleun in the Channel during the Dunkirk evacuation, before I could even get a shot off )

After sinking 3 lone small Norwegian freighters during the first 2 days after our invasion began in April 1940, I got a report of an enemy task force heading east toward my location off the Norwegian coast. I was able to spot the smoke plumes before my crew did, and went to periscope depth and got set up for a short shot at the lead big ship in the center column. As it got closer, I saw it was a Fiji class light cruiser, and from where I was it looked like there was another one coming up just behind it.

I fired a salvo of 2 G7e's set to impact because of the heavy seas (13m/s winds), then started to set up the TDC for my next salvo of 2 G7a's for the second ship. That's when I noticed that it wasn't another cruiser, but was a big honking troopship Visions of BRT began dancing in my head

Unfortunately, just about then both my torps hit the Fiji (I had to look - couldn't help myself) and I also spotted the lead destroyer, which had turned around and was closing fast. I had to rush my next shot before the troopship got to my predetermined firing solution, and with all the distractions and last minute TDC changes I somehow botched the shot at the troopship (I think she may have also changed course to avoid hitting the wounded Fiji), but as I lowered my 'scope and crash-dived I was rewarded with a last glimpse of the Fiji rolling over and sinking fast from my first salvo.

Although the escorts forced me down and threw a few DCs my way, I could tell their heart wasn't in it and they didn't really want to leave their now-unprotected charges steaming away unescorted, so they broke off fairly quickly and rejoined the task force.

I know some of our Wehrmacht friends on the ground in Norway aren't going to be happy about my missing that troopship, but at least some of our surface Kriegsmarine comrades will have one less RN cruiser to contend with

Besides, my tubes are reloaded and unless they speed up (they were only running at 12 knots for some odd reason - maybe the troop transports were slowing them down), I might just have enough room before they reach the coast to run around and hit them again - now that I know the troopships are there I'll certainly make them a priority this time around.

Good luck, and good hunting!