#4543552 - 11/05/20 04:23 PM
U-100 - fourth patrol
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Joined: Sep 2010
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33lima
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Senior Member
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Belfast, NI
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Before setting off, I decide to spend a few moments admiring my decorations and awards. I've still got plenty of room for more. Right, so now where are they sending us? Out to grid square BF17, as it happens. This is well out into the Western Approaches, almost due west of our base at Brest. It's a night-time send off again and we're soon rattling our way out of our usual berth. I'd feel safer in one of those concrete pens, but never mind; perhaps later. I come around onto a westerly heading and increase speed as we pass between the pens to starboard and the breakwater to port. A low half-moon hangs in a clear, inky sky as the French coast slips away dimly to starboard. The weather is fine as night turns to short December day, to night again then back to day, as U-100 runs out to her patrol area. Whatever awaits us out there, it won't be long now! ...to be continued!
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#4543595 - 11/05/20 09:02 PM
Re: U-100 - fourth patrol
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
Senior Member
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Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
Belfast, NI
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For many hours, we criss-cross grid square BF17 fruitlessly. Then, in the early morning, we receive a sighting report. The target, possibly a single steamer, is well to the north west. There's nothing doing in BF17 so I quickly plot my usual dog-leg intercweption course. This works out quite nicely. Some hours later, we run nearly head on into what the view through the UZO tells me is a small steamer. This is going to be a gun action, I decide. At this early stage in proceedings, few merchantmen are armed and this one seems unlikely to be an exception. Our deck gun is soon manned... ...and as the range comes down to about 1,200 metres, goes into action upon my command. Rounds are pumped into the steamer's waterline and the effects are soon visible. I circle around my victim's stern and continue firing. Soon, it's all over. Soon, there's little above the waves to mark the ship's grave, apart from some quickly-dissipating smoke. Time to let BdU know what we've been up to, I decide. The radio operator quickly cranks out the appropriate report. It's hardly a major contribution to the tonnage war, but every little helps. So far, so good! ...to be continued!
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#4543769 - 11/06/20 08:54 PM
Re: U-100 - fourth patrol
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
Senior Member
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Senior Member
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Posts: 2,712
Belfast, NI
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But I'm not done yet. There's another contact to the north-west. It's quite an old one, so I plot a dog-leg interception course which will first take me well to the east of her track. Daytime arrives and it looks like we've passed like ships in the night. Fortunately, it looks like she's not got far. I alter course accordingly and increase speed in pursuit. We thunder through heavy seas and eventually, the watch officer turns and announces a sighting! I grab the binos to get a closer look and come onto a course towards the target, which is another small steamer. The sea state is too heavy to man the deck gun, I reckon, so this is going to be a surface torpedo attack. The merchantman is rolling heavily in the swell as I study her through the U-Boat Ziel Optik. There's no sign of any deck guns, which will help. It's about this time that we realise that there's a second steamer ahead of the one we spotted first. It's not a convoy, just these two fellows, proceeding in company. Well, let's see what we can do about that! ...to be continued!
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#4543856 - 11/07/20 02:42 PM
Re: U-100 - fourth patrol
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
Senior Member
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Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
Belfast, NI
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Increasing speed again, I'm soon closing on the second freighter, which is zig-zagging along a mean course parallel to starboard. There she goes, off on the leg to starboard. My plan is to wait till she's in the middle of her leg back to port, which like last time will put her in a decent position for a shot from a bow tube. At close range and well before she's due to change direction, so as to reduce the chance of a miss. She's back at an angle of 40 degrees of my starboard bow and within 500 meters when I order Tube 2 fired. Hit! I'm slow to realise it, but what's different this time is that the steamer is coming in at a much less acute angle. On a collision course, in fact! Oh no! I've left it way to late! Alaaaarm! I order a crash dive in a last desperate effort to stave off an ignominious and avoidable disaster. The thing that saves me is that the doomed freighter is still turning towards my stern and has lost nearly all her way. I fancy there's a glancing blow, an almost imperceptible bump, and then I'm down and away. A frantic check confirms U-100 is undamaged! Nevertheless, I waste no time in getting topside again. The bridge watch is quickly i position and scanning their arcs, but of my victim, who was also so very nearly my undoing, there is now no sign to be seen. The main sensation is one of relief. I can't quite believe we're really escaped unscathed but another check re-confirms it. I take the opportunity to switch the watches back to surface cruise mode, though after giving the boys a rest I will later get some of them back into the forward torpedo room, to reload Tubes 1 and 2. Three small steamers isn't a bad tally, but we have plenty of fuel and eels left and I hope to make good use of both! ...to be continued!
Last edited by 33lima; 11/07/20 07:41 PM.
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#4543910 - 11/07/20 07:03 PM
Re: U-100 - fourth patrol
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,732
Rick_Rawlings
Senior Member
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Posts: 3,732
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Your reports are always amazing, regardless the sim. Is this SH 3 or 5? I'm waiting for UBOAT to cure a bit longer before I dive back into it.
The older I get, the more I realize I don't need to be Han, Luke or Leia. I'm just happy to be rebel scum...
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#4543988 - 11/08/20 05:46 AM
Re: U-100 - fourth patrol
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,732
Rick_Rawlings
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Senior Member
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Posts: 3,732
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I enjoyed SH5 modded up quite a bit when I was playing it a couple of years ago. I also liked SH4, even though being rooted in place and unable to move is kind of frustrating! I am waiting on that one until the WW I mod comes out: https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=156161 I haven't been in this sub-forum in quite a bit so it was a real treat to see both you and carrick going at it!
The older I get, the more I realize I don't need to be Han, Luke or Leia. I'm just happy to be rebel scum...
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#4544928 - 11/14/20 04:47 PM
Re: U-100 - fourth patrol
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
Senior Member
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Senior Member
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Posts: 2,712
Belfast, NI
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I plot another zig-zag search course, first out into the Atlantic then back eastwards, for a run in back towards Brest. A contact is reported heading north-west near the Isles of Scilly, but it's too near land to risk it, I decide. Later the next day a more promising contact is reported. In fact I'm practically running straight into him, in the middle of no-where! And there it is, another steamer proceeding independently, off to port. Answering her helm smartly, U-100 quickly comes around and the chase is on again! He's seen us, it's fairly clear, but his game will soon be up. At least, that's the plan. Tracking begins via the UZO. It's a coastal steamer, apparently, but a long way from any coast. By now the drill is well established. Wait till the freighter zig-zags back towards us, and then, torpedo los! Won't be long, now! ...to be continued!
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#4544940 - 11/14/20 06:09 PM
Re: U-100 - fourth patrol
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,732
Rick_Rawlings
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Great stuff! Out of curiosity, any reason why you don't run out in front of them and drop to periscope depth for a sneak attack?
The older I get, the more I realize I don't need to be Han, Luke or Leia. I'm just happy to be rebel scum...
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#4544944 - 11/14/20 06:46 PM
Re: U-100 - fourth patrol
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
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Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
Belfast, NI
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The steamer reaches the end of her leg to starboard... ..and comes back to port. Time to shoot! The range is close and the eel strikes home, starting a fire in or above the forward hold. I turn away sharply to port. No more near misses with dying steamers, for me. My victim goes down rapidly. Flotsam and fading smoke is soon all that's left. I'll be quite happy with this tally, even if we have no further successes. ...to be continued!
Last edited by 33lima; 11/14/20 06:47 PM.
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#4545049 - 11/15/20 06:42 PM
Re: U-100 - fourth patrol
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
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Senior Member
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Posts: 2,712
Belfast, NI
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Thanks to the tip, Blitzkrieg! I'll check that out. Back in the Western Approaches, there is no let-up in the stormy weather. This bridge watch seems to be dressed in anticipation of conditions improving. Oilskins all round would really be in order. Down in the control room, the motion of the boat is still apparent but things are at least drier. Time to plot another zig-zag search pattern, first westwards then back to the east. I'll stick to the same general area, as it's been fruitful, so far. I haven't gone too far when, to the south-west, a trio of dispersed contacts is reported! I make a quick check of the crew. In particular, I don't want to be caught out with not enough people in the bow torpedo room to reload the tubes I've fired. Or with tired people in key positions. Satisfied with the arrangements, I set up an interception course which will take me onto the track of the nearest contact, then straight back towards her on a reciprocal course. The contact astern of her is on almost the same course, so I hope to pop them off, one after the other. But first, I have to find them, in the dark and with conditions still poor. We're soon heading right at the oncoming contact - I hope. I reduce the revolutions and let the bridge watch do their job as we rattle and roll on into the night. Now, where is that ship? ...to be continued!
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#4545057 - 11/15/20 07:34 PM
Re: U-100 - fourth patrol
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
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Senior Member
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Belfast, NI
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Well, if the contact is still up ahead, we should be running into her any minute now... There she is! Fine off the port bow! I'm well positioned for a submerged attack, so I waste no time 'dropping into the cellar' before we're spotted. Up periscope! Tube 1, stand by! The range is rather long, so I track her for a while. In these conditions and in darkness, I'm not too worried about my periscope or its wake being spotted. The bigger risk is probably my conning tower breaking surface in the heavy swell. Little does the crew in the hapless steamer realise what's creeping up on them, just below the surface. I drop the periscope briefly, just in case. A turn to port about the time I should be drawing level with the steamer works out nicely. Scope up, I track her again till the range is down to under 600 meters. Tube 1, fire! ...to be continued!
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#4545063 - 11/15/20 08:45 PM
Re: U-100 - fourth patrol
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
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Senior Member
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Posts: 2,712
Belfast, NI
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Hit! The steamer drifts away, on fire astern... ...but isn't sinking. I watch her for a while, but she obstinately refuses to give up and go down. So not all small steamers will sink with a single torpedo hit. Fair enough then, if that's how it goes... ...to be continued!
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#4545066 - 11/15/20 08:53 PM
Re: U-100 - fourth patrol
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
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Senior Member
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Posts: 2,712
Belfast, NI
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A few minutes manoeuvring sets me up for another attack. Fire Tube 2! A hit, level with the forward hold, this time! There's a fiery secondary explosion. The stricken ship breaks in two... ...and goes down quickly. By the time I'm back on the surface, there's nothing to be seen of her. Well, it took two torpedoes, but that's another two thousand tons to add to U-100's tally - and we're not finished yet! There's still that second steamer, last reported coming my way, astern of the one I just sunk. ...to be continued!
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Exodus
by RedOneAlpha. 04/18/24 05:46 PM
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