The Grey Wolves - convoy attack (w/screenshots)

[Skubber]

I have struggled a little learning how to sink ships with this mod. Well – I'm still figuring it out I guess.
Slow-but-sure flooding (or maybe no-so-sure) is certainly different than just Kerpow! Sunk.
Overall I like it. It makes each sinking precious, rather than just a one-torpedo routine.
I hope other Kaleuns will report on their GW successes/failures.

The Attack

It had been an entirely uneventful patrol when we stumbled across a wide sound-band of propeller noises during our routine morning check. U-101 had slipped well into the convoy before we realized there was a Bogue escort carrier sitting right the center of the steaming freighters. The prize in the middle of the pudding. (So that's why those planes had been buzzing us way out here off the coast of Ireland!) The destroyer and frigate escorts seemed clueless, and before long we were positioned right where we wanted to be. That is, ninety degrees and five hundred meters from our soon-to-be prey.

Three torpedoes were set for impact – to be sure – I wasn't letting this one get away! The tension was high as we set to launch the spread, as it was the first time this Kaleun had been presented with a clear shot at a carrier of any kind.
Shoosh. Shoosh. Shoosh.

Just as I was considering my next targets in the convoy, we heard three distinct detonations. All three eels had found their mark! (But at close range, there was really little doubt.)


And a little closer...


By the time I had the periscope back up for a second look, the carrier was almost underwater. It sank that quickly!

Soon afterwards, an aft shot at a cargo ship also found it's mark, but a parting shot at a a C3-type freighter sailed on through the convoy without hitting anything.

Our second run through the convoy was, er, interesting. Two hits on a liberty ship produced no clear sign of sinking, just a bad list. And a solidly hit cargo ship plodded along at just a few knots. After this, the fog of war descended, both figuratively and literally.

The surrounding warships still seemed pretty much out to lunch, so I decided to make use of the pea soup fog that had dropped over us to give my crew the time they needed to reload. The quickest move once the reload was complete was to set up the liberty ship for a stern shot. I got our boat into position, aware of the fact that one of the escorts was closing in fast. Shoosh. The aft-fired missile was away.

Immediately we peeled away from the incoming warships (if you can call four knots "peeling".) Then the shot on the liberty impacted, but with no immediate sinking. Now I began to look for the wounded cargo vessel. I thought I had its location, judging by the soundman's reports, and I took the risk of ramping up the speed to be sure we got in one last strike.

No such luck. Just when I thought we were on track to intercept our prey, a frigate appeared out of the fog, steaming right down our throats!

By luck, a homing-device torpedo was loaded in one of the fore tubes, and I produced a seat-of-the-pants solution, giving the order to fire and crash-dive in the same breath. We veered ninety-degrees to port as we hurled our unterseeboot into the depths. Unfortunately, the homing device gave our eel no real advantage in a bow shot, and the menacing screws of the frigate approached alarmingly.

WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! The depth charges rocked us badly, but somehow we were undamaged. Now all the escorting warships honed in on us, certain they had cornered the killer of their precious aircraft carrier. I am sure they could almost taste their imminent revenge. It was a short, but intense depth-charging. And I have to say I was surprised the enemy gave up hunting us so quickly.

Soon we were creeping back up, oh so cautiously, to have a look for the wounded ships. The cargo ship was located without too much trouble, and piteous moaning sounds from the dying liberty ship were heard through the sound equipment. Our very last torpedo was spent on the fully upright, but dead-in-the-water cargo vessel. But our final attack attracted some unwanted attention – the soundman soon reported in that a warship – most likely our friend the frigate – was fast approaching.

I was not so eager for another near-death walloping from this fellow. Rather than crash-dive, we blew ballast and surfaced, then ramped up to flank speed and fish-tailed it outta there. The fog closed in so fast behind us, I was sure that only radar could give us away now. (I had heard of radar. An interesting device cobbled together by those clever Tommies. I was sure we would be getting our own radar soon.)

Well, either this particular frigate wasn't equipped with it, or else he didn't know how to use it. Our aft watchman swears he caught a final glimpse of the warship through the fog, but if so, we left him in our 18 knot wake. And that was the last we saw of him.


After this, the was nothing more to do but head for home. We made a final sweep through the site of our battle about twelve hours latter, hoping to pick off any wounded stragglers. But the ships had either sunk buy now, or escaped. The fog was still thick, and the rain and waves battered us most of the way back to St. Nazarine.

The sum of the tale: a whole barrelful of eels tossed at that convoy, and only a carrier to show for it. Only! Perhaps this patrol is better characterized as a sweet victory tinged with minor disappointment. Once more we were back in port, and alive. And in the end that's all that really matters.

[Kpt. Lehmann]

[Karl-Heinz Jaeger]

Great post and very well written!! Top marks, Herr Kaleun!!

[Alyebard]

[SmokinTep]

Good job.........

[Umfuld]

On my first patrol with GW. I think I have two eels left, with no kills to show for it.

Frustrated to say the least. But really, I only recently downloaded the 1.4 patch as well. So I'd been playing almost a year with the store bought sim. And have gotten too used to the ease of it.
So I'm going to resist the urge to go back to the old way and sink the crap out everything I see. It'll take time, but I'll learn I'm sure.



Good job with the carrier. Forget the cargos that got away. Nothing beats a carrier, imo.

[Scorpius]

Nice one!

Really, the good thing about sh3 and the GW mod, is not how realistic it is, how many tons you get per patrol, how hard or how easy it is - its how much you enjoy it.

If you use a type IIA boat at the start of the war like i do and get 10-20tons per patrol and are happy then good on you! Or if you prefer 1944 with type XXI boats with all the trimmings to deal out some carnage, then again, good on you!

If you enjoy yourself with this game, whatever you do, then you cant ask for more!

This is one, only one (!), example of someone enjoying themselves with this game and with the general mood lately on these forums, people need to learn from this guy.

[The Noob]

I must say that i agree. Everyone shall play SH3 as he/she likes.
After the "What were you guys on?" topic we can need some good mood around here!