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#4515108 - 04/07/20 12:48 PM Re: The War Patrols of U-46 [Re: DBond]  
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Thanks very much! It's been a lot of fun. Sub sims are a long time love, but I had gone years away. It's fun to be back on the bridge, and I like writing AARs. The first attack in this AAR was my first shot at a moving ship in about three years. It comes right back to you.Thanks for reading. Hopefully we can get a few more patrols in before the eternal one comes.

A couple of notes about the career. When we returned to port on August 1, we had spent two days turning circles off the coast. I knew August 1 was the date the Cross became available. The way it works in SH4 is that you can only get upgrades that were available at the time you returned to port. If it becomes available during the refit, it will not appear. So in order to not reach port too early, we sailed in circles while the time ticked to August 1, and were able to install the Metox as a result. A bit of gaming the game.

After returning from the first Cross-equipped patrol, I decided to transfer back to the Atlantic. The Cross would give the margin of safety we would need to survive there. The Med is cool, but all of the lone merchants are one of two types, either the 5,000 ton M-KF-M (E) or the 1,800-ton version. No tankers, or CAM ships, passenger freighters or any variety at all. Plus, the high volume of task force contacts is a bit over the top, and the narrow waters make interception much easier. There's no struggle, no toil, no desperation of months at sea with no sightings. The enemy is still as dangerous, and the entire sea is within range of land bases. Add to this good scout coverage and several convenient base locations from which to replenish and it all adds up to me wanting to transfer back to the Atlantic. But no transfers are available. Not sure if that's permanent, or if the sim has some sort of cool down after a transfer. I'll keep checking when returning to port, and if one become available to France I will take it. Eventually the game will do this for us, first to Toulon when Italy surrenders, and upon invasion of southern France we'd be heading to Norway. There's a lot of surviving to do in the mean time smile



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#4515126 - 04/07/20 02:29 PM Re: The War Patrols of U-46 [Re: DBond]  
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Originally Posted by DBond
War Patrol 11, July 16 to August 1, 1942


U-46 set sail from La Spezia on her eleventh war patrol on July 16, 1942 after a refit of one month. The rumored Metox was still not issued to the boats, but the T III G7e had been delivered. This new model is thought to have fixed the faults we had experienced on our torpedoes since the outset of the war. We will see.

Our assigned patrol area was in the CH grid off the coast of Algeria, near the spot where we had attacked and missed the carrier on the previous patrol. Distances are compressed in the Med. And just two days after leaving La Spezia we arrived on station in calm and clear conditions. The Condors in France were enlisted once more and soon we had been put on to a task force steaming to the northeast at 21 knots. While attempting to find it one bright afternoon, the watch spotted a ship coming up astern. When an enemy ship is spotted the game pops up a dialog asking you what your orders are, like dive, or maintain. When it's allied though, this message does not pop. When it did not appear here, I knew that it was friendly. So I spun the scope around to identify it if I could. At 15 km though it was difficult and I could not see the flag. It appeared to be a small mast-aft freighter of about 2000 tons. While engaged in this, the watch spotted another ship approaching from the opposition direction

I spun the UZO on to the bearing and saw it was a destroyer, probably one of the escorts for the task force we were hunting. I plotted the speed and clocked it as 21 knots, and we were way out in left field, no real chance to get in, especially considering the flat sea. And I have to assume they'll have radar. I ran in anyway to see what we could make of the opportunity. Tracking the task force, which had a fleet carrier in it, was hard, as they seems to be zigging. But soon it dawned on me they were engaging that coastal freighter we were looking at minutes before. Soon, the friendly ship was smoking and on fire. The enemy ships were about 13 km away and U-46 was on the surface and the task force had a zero angle. U-46 submerged, but it was already too late. I suspect we had been picked up on radar, and as we went deep the destroyers converged and once again gave U-46 the business. We sprung some leaks and took moderate damage, but once again slipped away, and the veteran crew repaired everything and we remained on station to complete the assignment.

Two days later we found another task force, this one at least six destroyers with two light cruisers in the center. There may been eight destroyers. The two cruisers were identified as Dido-class, a modern, but light light cruiser of around 6,000 tons. Three bow torpedoes were fired at the second cruiser in line from the max range of 5000 meters. The task force was clipping along at 21 knots, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. All three missed however, whether ahead or astern I can't say. The task force never became aware it had been fired on and never broke stride, going over the hill in to a fine sunset.


The lead elements of the light cruiser task force sail on unaware they had just been fired on

[Linked Image]




We remained on station for a couple more days and received a radio report of a 'warship' to our east, heading past our patrol area toward Gibraltar. Warship reports indicate a single vessel, not a task force. What could it be? I plotted an intercept and set off at flank speed to see if we could intercept. On the night of July 22, U-46 made contact with the ship, which was plotted at 21 knots and amazingly, was a fleet carrier sailing alone. Again, we made the sighting out of position, and the carrier's high speed left little time to correct it. Since it was night, we remained surfaced and ran in at flank speed. The chief was giving it all she had and the speed ticked up to 18 knots at times. The best we could manage was a shot of 3500 meters before the carrier would be past. All four bow tubes were fired along her length and we turned 90 degrees to run along her course in case we hit her. Then we'd be in better position to follow up should it become necessary. After a run of over five minutes one torpedo struck the carrier at the stern. The other three missed. The first T III to hit worked as designed, and small secondary explosion shot flames up above the torpedo's water spout. The carrier turned away and we chased, and soon she showed a starboard list and down severely by the stern. The carrier was still making eight knots along her base course despite the heavy list. U-46 ran ahead while keeping a distance of 6000 meters, and then turned back in submerged to attack again as the carrier zigged past. From a range of 600 meters two more electrics were fired, both hit and detonated, and the carrier blew up and went down by the stern.


I took a number of images of the carrier attack, but they are quite dark. On some monitors they may be very hard to see. I'll put up one shot though, this of the carrier listing as seen though the binoculars as U-46 made the end -around to attack a second time

[Linked Image]




Unescorted fleet carriers is a new one for me, but there it was, so we took a shot. Fortunately one torpedo hit and slowed her enough to keep up and get in on her again. Not sure why three fish missed, I assume astern and it was the first torpedo fired at the bow that hit the stern, indicating my speed calculation was probably too slow. But that's all speculation for the wardroom. Having fired nine torpedoes at the cruiser and the carrier, all from the bow compartment, U-46 set course for La Spezia, and tied up on August 1, after just two weeks at sea, having sunk one carrier for 23,000 tons. Captain's log attached below, and in the background an image of the red-lighted conning tower, with just two green lights left on bow tubes. If I were really the skipper of U-46 I'd spend countless hours in here. But in the sim, it's a spot you never really visit.


Love the first screenshot in this post!


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#4515221 - 04/07/20 09:53 PM Re: The War Patrols of U-46 [Re: DBond]  
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Originally Posted by DBond
Thanks a lot trindade, I appreciate the comment. The hunting off the coast of your country is some of the finest in the sim smile That's cool you've returned to sub simming. Good hunting. Which boat do you command? I haven't played SH3 in way too long.


With Korvettenkapitän Otto Popp's career nearing 1943, it's a good time to take stock of what's unfolded thus far, and some comments about our Type VIIB. The first point is that I am thrilled to have survived to this point. We've had too many close calls. We've taken depth charge damage from a number of escorts, and also at least that many aircraft. Time and again we've gotten under just as the attack came, but so far none of these attacks was quite enough to sink us. As noted in the AAR, we need the Metox, which when we get it will be referred to simply as the Cross. Being able to detect the enemy's radar signals will flip the score, and give us invaluable warning of approaching radar-equipped aircraft and surface ships. Not only that, it also serves to help find targets, particularly task forces and convoys, especially in heavy weather. It reveals a bearing and that is a huge help in developing an interception or avoiding one. Range is shown in the sim as 13km, shorter than hydrophone by about 7km. But that allows the time we need to take action.

As mentioned in the OP, I decided to take a Type VIIB because of the reported bug that causes issues when a boat receives some sort of conning tower upgrade, usually in the form of additional space or platforms for mounting AA guns. The Type VIIB does not receive these upgrades in OM for whatever reason, so I reasoned would be immune to this particular bug, allowing me to sail though a career without running in to a dead end. As you may have noticed, I don't man the AA guns and they have not been fired at all in this career. If there are aircraft in sight I dive, and no mistake. We face a lot of dangers but aircraft are at the top of the list. As a result I do not miss any of these possible upgrades as I wouldn't be using them anyway.

At no point have we been offered any new boat type, like in most shades of Silent Hunter. A type VIIC is an improved version, but in some ways slightly inferior, such as speed, which is already on the slow side. One pertinent consequence is the fact that without the control room expansion of the VIIC, I get offered no hydrophone upgrades. We began the war with the standard Gruppenhorchgerat, with a range of around 20 km. This is good enough, but we are locked out of upgrades. Our version is not rotatable, meaning it should be less effective ahead and behind, but that does not seem to translate to the sim.

In addition, I believe that we will not be offered a schnorchel when the time comes, should we make it that far.


Since the outset of war, things have gone well for U-46. We have sunk about 450,000 tons of enemy shipping, including two fleet carriers, a cruiser and two destroyers. The arrival of the T III electric torpedo is excellent, and it is good to have reliable torpedoes after three years of shooting defective ones. The Metox is crucial though, and without it it is only a matter of time before an aircraft gets the drop for good. My shooting was very good, with only about six misses though all of our time in the Atlantic. This is down to positioning, and if you look at any torpedo impact screenshot you see the range is set between 500 and 1000 meters. By conning the boat to the best position, firing the fish becomes academic and then just a matter of dud-rate. Most of my misses I attribute to error in speed calculation. Through our time in the Atlantic, we only missed one ship entirely, and that was the destroyer during the convoy attack on June 29, 1940 in grid BF 41. That torpedo missed the destroyer, but went on to strike a passenger freighter that went down. Since arriving in the med however our percentage has gone way down, with shots at high-speed task forces from long range having low probability of success and our hit rate has gone down sharply.

As we move in to 1943 we face an increasingly lethal enemy. The Torch landings in November of 1942 will begin to switch control of the Med over to the Allies, and we should see an ever-increasing enemy presence in the form of air patrols and hunter-killer groups. Convoy escorts are sure to be radar-equipped. I am not sure if DF'ing is a thing in Silent Hunter, but I don't use the radio in case it is! I don't send status reports to Donitz just in case. Sometimes I will use the contact report to alert headquarters to a convoy contact for a bit of roleplay, but with no other subs in the game it's just for flavor. No need to send beacons and bring your kameraden in. Too bad really, friendly and enemy subs in the game would add so much. Imagine taking hours setting up a shot only to have it blow up in your scope. That actually happened to me in the U-47 career, but it was the Luftwaffe who did it, in the waters between Malta and Sicily.

At this point I have two clear goals. Survive the war and sink a battleship. We have yet to see any battleships in this career, discounting the battlecruisers. It's not very likely we make it to the end, I know that. The one thing that we have over our historical counterparts I believe is that our radar detectors detect all radar. There's no worry of losing our detection ability on the advent of centrimetric radar for example. At least I believe this is how it works. As long as we heed the Cross' warning, we should be able to avoid surprise attacks, and it will be depth charges that pose the most lethal threat.


Leutnant z.s. Peter Hoffmann, 2nd Flotilla, Lorient 1940, U-103 Type IXB. I'm on my first patrol, 20k tonnes and still hunting. salute
Interesting, I use the same realism as you. But I envy your guts attacking big convoys.
I'm pretty conservative on my attacks, I don't take many risks. For example a big convoy well covered and I turn away. In this case if I've got a good opportunity one attack and I'm out. But only if I have a good chance of a hit. 99,9% of my attacks are at a classic 90 degrees angle. It's by far the best solution to sunk anything IMHO and it is the only one I know well smile
Yeah I'm a big fan of the portuguese coast as well, plenty of targets in many occasions.
My careers are pretty slow with so many stuff to play (flightsims, simracing, etc.) and not much time to do it. Thanks for your AAR.

Good hunting

#4515295 - 04/08/20 12:38 PM Re: The War Patrols of U-46 [Re: DBond]  
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Thanks gentlemen.

U-103 you say? Viktor Schütze's boat, and the third-ranking boat of the war (After U-48 and U-99). A fine boat indeed. I can understand avoiding convoys. The IXB is more of a raider isn't it? Better suited to patrolling off Freetown or Hatteras I reckon, not as a convoy hunter in the north Atlantic. And I am always happy to know another manual solution player. And judging by your 20,000 tons a successful one at that. Good luck mate.


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#4515391 - 04/08/20 10:30 PM Re: The War Patrols of U-46 [Re: DBond]  
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Yeah I believe his typical patrols were the long range patrols, south atlantic, US coast, Bahamas, etc. Personally I prefer the Type VIIB or C, more agile and faster, especially in crash diving which is always handy! biggrin
Thanks for the good wishes and good hunting Korvettenkapitän. bottles

#4515463 - 04/09/20 12:50 PM Re: The War Patrols of U-46 [Re: DBond]  
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Thanks mate, I'll need it! Actually, patrols 14 and 15 have been completed, just need to put the reports together. We've almost made it to 1944! We couldn't... actually.... no...., tempting fate...




A couple of times through this AAR I've mentioned reading patrol reports. One of the sources for this is here.

https://maritime.org/doc/subreports.htm

This is for American boats in the Pacific, but it is compelling reading for subsimmers.

Hmm, that site seems to be a pay site now, Here's another one. The way they've digitized it makes these reports harder to read than they used to be. But it's worth it if you are interested in these reports written by the skippers shortly after returning from patrol.

https://www.hnsa.org/manuals-documents/submarine-war-reports/

Last edited by DBond; 04/09/20 06:12 PM.

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#4515652 - 04/10/20 02:33 PM Re: The War Patrols of U-46 [Re: DBond]  
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War Patrol 14, January 22 to February 27, 1943

U-46 set sail from La Spezia on January 22, 1943 once again with a full load of electrics. The steam version of the LuT torpedo was now available. This torpedo can be set to run a certain distance and then run a ladder pattern I judge these ill-suited for our boat. No other modifications or installations. We were once again assigned a grid in the western Med, but this time the grid shifted farther west, in to the narrow waters at the approach to the strait. I expected this area would be heavily patrolled by the enemy, but that it was also a heavily traveled chokepoint. We got the scouts up early and had them spotting for us ahead of our arrival in the patrol area. Soon after leaving port we began getting Cross warnings while west of Corsica, and dove on each one, which were airborne. They were not the scouts, but could have been friendly, though we take no chances and dive immediately on any Cross detection, and can then sort it out submerged.


this shot shows our route and how close the objective is to Gibraltar, putting us well within air search range

[Linked Image]



As a result, the transit to the assigned grid took a little longer than usual, but U-46 arrived on station and began patrolling while the scouts radioed contacts. At one stage we shared this small narrow approach with several convoys,and a number of destroyer patrols, coming and going. With the Americans now in the war, and having landed in North Africa the previous November, we were encountering the latest in American destroyer hardware in these convoys. Attempting to approach escorted formations undetected in calm, clear conditions is now very difficult. We must be extremely cautious, submerging at extreme range and hoping to close to a firing position before the targets get past and go over the hill. We are now encountering a number of fast convoys too, making twelve and thirteen knots, which for a convoy is really moving. This adds to the difficulty in getting fish on steel.

After missing or being driven off on several approaches, on January 29, one week out, U-46 got in good position to attack a west-bound convoy in grid CH75, right in the center of our patrol icon on the map. The scouts had given a report while the convoy was still to our east, and we were able to plot and effect the interception. Weather had turned more favorable, and we shot from outside the starboard-side screen, all five tubes and then went deep. This salvo struck home and three good freighters went down, for 23,000 tons, the final one going under about an hour after being hit. The escorts echo-ranged for a few hours, but never caught our scent, and U-46 evaded to the south at 170 meters, and once clear of the screws, surfaced to recharge and exchange the air. The hatch was hardly secure when we were forced to crash dive on an aircraft radar signal. The Cross has saved us time and again. It's warning heeded every time. I don't know we'd survive without it.



U-46 patrols the western approach to Gibraltar, The scouts have spotted two west-bound convoys to our east. The nearest convoy (large square) was intercepted and attacked on January 29

[Linked Image]



After completing our assigned objective, U-46 set course to the east to patrol the western approach to Malta. During our time in the Med we have identified the route the traffic uses going between Alexandria and Valetta. Three weeks after leaving Gibraltar, on February 20, U-46 intercepted one of the fast, thirteen-knot convoys, west-bound in the CD17 grid. With bright sunlight and moderate swell, we submerged at long range and attempted to run in for a shot. The approach was too long, it became evident after pulling the plug that the convoy was on a more southerly heading than westerly, and this error left us too far out to shoot as the convoy went past.

Thinking there could be stragglers, we kept on regardless, and were rewarded, with three freighters scattered and straggling some fifteen kilometers astern of the main body. No escort stood with them. We chose the nearest as a target, and the only one with a reasonable shot. In a routine periscope approach we sank this ship, 3,800 tons, with two torpedoes. I have tremendous confidence in the torpedoes now and I know if I can shoot accurately that the fish are going to work as designed. As soon as the torpedoes hit home, we turned around and surfaced, running away at flank speed to clear the area in case any of the convoy escorts returned to investigate. We had used more than half the battery in the long approach and to get forced under now would have been perilous. We saw no escort though as we ran away

Getting low on fuel, we set course toward home, intending to have that look in to Valetta that was aborted by bad weather on the last patrol. This time it was a clear, sunny day with calm seas. I wanted to have a look at the port's patrol arrangement and decide how to proceed. U-46 submerged well away from the harbor at dawn and proceeded to close at periscope depth. The hydrophones were picking up contacts crisscrossing the entrance and as we closed we could identify them as patrol boats. We could see no destroyers, sloops nor frigates. I elected to continue and U-46 slipped in to very shallow water, just nine meters under the keel. Highly risky, but I could see some ships moored at the piers and quays and hoped one could be a major warship. As we got closer I could also see a few destroyers which were stationary. I could see no big ones though and feeling very nervous about the destroyers getting under way, or an air patrol spotting us with no room to dive, I elected to send a salvo at a merchant ship and a destroyer moored close to one another. We would retain the stern fish in case it was needed as we attempted to reach deeper water. Four bow torpedoes were fired from a range of 3,500 meters, and we immediately turned around to hightail it out of there.

After a run of about six minutes the torpedoes struck. Too far now for me to really see what was happening, I think two ships were hit. A number of explosions sent flames in to the air, and we were given credit for a destroyer. I believe a freighter also went down, but grounded in the shallow water and in Silent Hunter you get no credit for that. The destroyers in port got under way, but never close, and U-46 reached deep water and evaded to the northwest and the Sicilian coast. We stayed deep until sundown, surfacing after dark and setting course for La Spezia. U-46 tied up on February 27, after about five weeks at sea, having sunk five ships for 29,000 tons, all from convoys plus a destroyer at Valetta. Captain's log attached below.



War Patrol 15, March 17 to May 6, 1943

U-46 set sail from la Spezia on March 17, 1943 with a load of electrics. The electric version of the LuT is now available, but ignored and all slots loaded with the T III G7e. No other modifications or installations. We received the same assigned grid as patrol 14. Using the same routines and tactics, U-46 was put on the trail of a convoy on the night of March 24, again exactly one week after leaving port. I was able to conn the boat to a great position, but the escorts were aggressive. Not contentedly sailing straight in formation maintaining their positions, the escorts were sweeping. Running outbound for several thousand meters before turning around and returning, before starting it over again. This is very dangerous for us, as it's very difficult to find the small gap not covered by this search pattern. If we get it wrong, the escorts will pounce. Sea state was favorable. U-46 got in position to shoot from outside the screen, a full five-tube salvo, the stern tube being fired after coming around, which takes a long time submerged. This means this torpedo will be approaching the formation well after the other torpedoes, and much of it's run occurs after the ships have been alerted, if we actually hit anything. As a result I dial in a slower target speed in the TDC for this last torpedo, since the ships will have begun scattering and slowing along their base course. The second ship in the second column was a T-3 tanker, a big one at 11,000 tons and one of my favorite targets in Silent Hunter since the SH3 days. I selected this ship as the first target and fired the remainder at the overlapping rows from a range of 2,500 meters to the nearest column.

Remarkably, all five torpedoes struck home. The T-3 blew up and sank immediately. Then we went deep and did not see the results of the other shots. Thirty minutes later no other ships had gone down and I was feeling a little dejected that such a fine salvo had achieved so little. Then a few minutes later sinking noises could be heard as another ship went down, a freighter of 5,000 tons. Then, fifteen minutes later another of 9,200 tons, and seven minutes after that a fourth ship went down, a big freighter of 9,600 tons, the last two were big, valuable ships. That one salvo of five torpedoes had sunk four good ships for about 35,000 tons. The escorts searched for us, but we slipped away to the north.


After completing the objective, U-46 set sail east to patrol the bottleneck between Sardinia and the North African coast. This was my most productive spot in the Med in the SH3 days, a veritable task force highway. I'm motivated to sink a battleship, but I have to find one first. But after several weeks of lousy hunting, with no contacts worthy of a torpedo, low on fuel and constantly harassed by prowling aircraft, U-46 headed for the barn and tied up at La Spezia on May 6, 1943 after seven weeks at sea, having sunk the four ships in the single salvo for 35,000 tons. Captain's log attached below.





Attached Files PatrolGrid.jpgGibConvoy.jpgP14CL.jpgP15CL.jpg
Last edited by DBond; 04/10/20 03:23 PM.

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#4515768 - 04/11/20 08:01 AM Re: The War Patrols of U-46 [Re: DBond]  
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This must have been a lot of work to produce this War Patrol Mr Bond. It's very well done I must say.


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#4515788 - 04/11/20 12:24 PM Re: The War Patrols of U-46 [Re: DBond]  
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Thanks Chucky, glad you like it. Yes, these are a lot of work. I'd guess I've spent nearly as much time on the AAR as I have conducting the patrols. The pandemic has given me more free time and AARs like this are the sort of thing I like to read on SimHQ. How many full-career AARs do you see these days using any sim? It's really not done anymore, though I wish it was.

I'm not a very good typist, I have a keyboard I don't get along with, and between correcting mistakes and editing images and so on it takes quite a bit of time to produce. I enjoy it though, I like writing, and I like reading my own AARs years down the line, to relive it all. The drama surrounding whether I will make it through to the end is kind of fun, even though it's ME who is doing it haha.

Thanks for reading and I appreciate you taking the time to comment.


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#4515795 - 04/11/20 12:53 PM Re: The War Patrols of U-46 [Re: DBond]  
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I'd love to do some more but I just can't commit right now.The last one I did was for Kerbal Space Program I think,way back in 2012.


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#4516735 - 04/16/20 06:03 PM Re: The War Patrols of U-46 [Re: DBond]  
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A quick note to say I'm sorry for the lack of updates over the past week. I decided to set sail in another type of boat, in Elite Dangerous, on a long exploration expedition and the subsimming has been on hold as a result. Honestly, I'm sorry I transferred to the Med. I didn't know I wouldn't be able to transfer again whenever I wanted. So I'm locked in for the time being, and I want to get back to the Atlantic. I plan to resume the AAR before too long.

Each day I check uboat.net and I like to click on the "what happened on this date" feature. I click on all the ships sunk to learn more of them and their fates.

One of those featured today is a T-3 tanker, which I've made mention of in the AAR. The link includes a fuzzy photo. Are those B-25s on the deck?

https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/3236.html

Here's the link to the daily summary

https://uboat.net/today.html


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#4516829 - 04/17/20 09:59 AM Re: The War Patrols of U-46 [Re: DBond]  
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THX for the link, had forgotten about this site!


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#4517061 - 04/18/20 01:35 PM Re: The War Patrols of U-46 [Re: DBond]  
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Yes, it's a fantastic resource. I've learned a lot from that site, specific encounters, fates of ships, details about certain patrols or skippers.

Along with Blair's books, it's one of my most used and useful resources.


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4521154 - 05/17/20 12:06 AM Re: The War Patrols of U-46 [Re: DBond]  
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,921
kilosierra Offline
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kilosierra  Offline
Member

Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,921
The very north of Germany
So I just started an new career in April 1940, VII. Flotilla, my boat is U-48. Great burden.

I found a convoy on 8. April 1940 and attacked two ships. I scored a hit one one of them and I heard a nearby explosion on the second one, at least I thought so. Could have been a premature though. After avoiding the attacks of the escorts, I surfaced and finished the freighter dead in the water with the gun, scored 7,400 tons.

A few days later, I`m in the Norway Campaign in full scale. My patrolling grids are North of the Shetlands. First I found a fast moving TF, moving east., a few destroyers escorting troop transports. I got into range and fired a salvo of two at more than 3 km, both missed. A few days later, I found a TF of at least 4 cruisers, but they were too fast to engage.

I was assigned a new patrolling grid south of the Shetlands later. I found anotherTF fast moving East. Main target was a Renown class BC.I got into a nice firing position and fired a salvo of three G7A torps and scored two hits. The escorts gave me some hard time afterwards, damage was light though. After surfacing, no sign of the Renown class BC, so it seems, she simply sailed on.

I later encountered another TF of 4 Cruisers, but with them moving at 22 knots, there was no chance of intercepting them.

My last engament was a single british merchant of 3,500 tons. The torpedo from the stern was a dud, so I surfaced and sunk her with the gun.


I`m down to 4 torps, so my Patrol is almost over.


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#4521193 - 05/17/20 01:18 PM Re: The War Patrols of U-46 [Re: DBond]  
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 13,197
DBond Online content
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DBond  Online Content
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 13,197
NooJoyzee
Awesome! Renown will be tied up in drydock for a year smile


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
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