#4548259 - 12/12/20 06:40 PM
Re: U-100 - sixth patrol
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
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Belfast, NI
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There she is! Or rather, there they are! Not for the first time, it's a tanker with a large freighter astern...and no escort. I am pretty certain we haven't been spotted so U-100 drops into the cellar for a submerged attack. This goes near perfectly. I time my shots so both targets are hit almost simultaneously...though waiting till we were very close definitely helped. I had fired two eels at the bigger shop and the second one hits, too. A combination of close range to begin with, a delayed turn away on my part, and the stricken tanker zigging towards me results in a near miss for us...but a miss is as good as a sea mile. Neither of the ships looks to be armed so as neither is sinking yet, I come to the surface to finish them off with the deck gun. The tanker gets it first... ...and is soon going down, her foremasts collapsing outboard as she breaks up. Ordered again to aim for the waterline, the gun crew switches targets to the freighter. Her end is no less dramatic - she seems to fold in upon herself and collapse into the sea. Well, that was easy, and a great start to our sixth patrol. I have a report sent to BdU, feeling rather pleased with myself. Now if we can just keep this up... ...to be continued!
Last edited by 33lima; 12/12/20 06:41 PM.
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#4548261 - 12/12/20 06:47 PM
Re: U-100 - sixth patrol
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,728
Rick_Rawlings
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Jeez, Lima! That's what they made an "All Stop" for!
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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#4548268 - 12/12/20 07:45 PM
Re: U-100 - sixth patrol
[Re: Rick_Rawlings]
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 173
WolverineFW
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Jeez, Lima! That's what they made an "All Stop" for! LMAO....or Full Astern
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#4548274 - 12/12/20 08:17 PM
Re: U-100 - sixth patrol
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
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Posts: 2,712
Belfast, NI
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I did actually go full astern at one point, but belayed that as I needed speed to turn and dive away. All's well that ends well! Meanwhile, back in the Western Approaches...it's suddenly more like Piccadilly Circus, with fresh contacts in various directions. I decide to go for the one to the north, as it's on the way to my patrol area. It's dark by the time we run into the contact, fine off the port bow. Through the UZO. I can see that it's a large freighter. This looks like another good situation for a submerged attack. Which turns out to be a wise move, as I will later notice that this merchantman is armed. At any rate, the Tommy steams towards us, without zig-zagging. This shouldn't be too difficult, I tell myself smugly. Torpedo...los! It explodes - but short of the target! So much for making a surprise attack! ...to be continued!
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#4548275 - 12/12/20 08:30 PM
Re: U-100 - sixth patrol
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
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Belfast, NI
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By now we're closing rapidly. This is where stern tunes come in handy. I turn hard away from the freighter, and let fly again. Oh dear...this one looks like it's going to miss, astern! Which is exactly what happens. #%&*$# and blast! With the e-maschinen running at full pelt, I come around onto his starboard side and finally get into position to fire another bow tube. It's coming in at a rather shallow angle...will the fuse work? There's my answer! The freighter's luck has run out. She's wracked by internal explosions as her back breaks. Blazing oil on the surface is soon all that's left. Sensibly, the sou'wester-and-oilskin-clad look-outs are back to watching their arcs, not the fire. Three sinkings already! For a while, it'll take our minds off the rough conditions, as we resume our course back to the north. ...to be continued!
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#4548634 - 12/15/20 07:17 PM
Re: U-100 - sixth patrol
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
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Belfast, NI
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Time to resume our course up to Grid Square AF14. For now, the weather remains rather rough... ...but U-100 ploughs on... ...the bridge watch not yet feeling the need to don oilskins. Shortly after last light, a contact is reported almost on our track. But I decide it's too far away to be worth the diversion. During the next day, we reach AF14 and begin a north-south zig zag search pattern, mean course to the west. The sea state up here is actually quite placid. It stays that way until we've nearly completed the pattern... ...at which point, darkness having again fallen, we're in business at last! There's a contact just to the west, well within reach. Here we go again! ...to be continued!
Last edited by 33lima; 12/15/20 07:18 PM.
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#4548637 - 12/15/20 07:30 PM
Re: U-100 - sixth patrol
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
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Belfast, NI
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After some hard running on the diesels, the contact is sighted coming our way, off the starboard bow, and we dive for a submerged attack. Observed through the periscope, I can see that she's a small steamer, with a lot of deck cargo. The red duster' at her masthead confirms she's an enemy and fair game. A little manoeuvring in between observations with the periscope put us in a good position for the first shot, after allowing enough time tracking her to get a decent firing solution. At this range, can I miss? Apparently not! The blast throws deck cargo skyward. The stricken steamer loses way and rolls over to starboard. No doubt about that one - number four so far, on this trip! ...to be continued!
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#4549722 - 12/25/20 02:20 PM
Re: U-100 - sixth patrol
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
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Posts: 2,712
Belfast, NI
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Finally I reach an attacking position and let go the first eel as the range comes down to 500 metres. A hit astern! The steamer doesn't sink, however. The element of surprise has been lost so I decide to resume the attack from the surface. The conditions are not quite calm enough for the deck gun, so another torpedo will have to be used. For some reason, this misses! So I decide to cut across behind the still-moving and now zig-zagging target... ...and use the stern tube. Again, I fire from so close a range that the target's evasive manoeuvring should make little difference...and at a point where's she's just settled onto one of the legs of her regular zig-zag, to boot. Nevertheless, there's the usual agonising wait for the torpedo to reach the target... ...which is doubtless even more anxious for the steamer's crew, with our boat in clear view of anyone topside. Got her! The stricken steamer is rent by a noisy and spectacular explosion in her forward cargo hold... ...and soon sinks beneath the waves upright, without capsizing. She caused me to use up a disproportionate number of my remaining torpedoes, but it's my fifth success from this patrol, so I'm not complaining! ...to be continued!
Last edited by 33lima; 12/25/20 02:21 PM.
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#4549740 - 12/25/20 05:28 PM
Re: U-100 - sixth patrol
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
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Belfast, NI
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Low on torpedoes, I decide to set a course for home, hoping to encounter more enemy traffic before we leave the Western Approaches. I'm not disappointed - just after midnight, a contact is reported just south of my homeward track! A few hours later, through my binoculars, I get my first glimpse of the target - another small steamer, sailing alone. He's converging from off my starboard bow and I've plenty of time for a submerged surprise attack... ...which goes entirely to plan. On this occasion, one eel does the trick. And by the time I'm back on the surface, there's little left to see of my victim. Six sinkings, coming to over thirty thousand tons! I report my latest success to BdU and resume my course for Brest. ...to be continued!
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#4549744 - 12/25/20 06:08 PM
Re: U-100 - sixth patrol
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
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Belfast, NI
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The good news that the calmer conditions mean that we should be able to use the deck gun on this fellow...assuming he isn't armed too. But no! We're attacked from the air again, and this time it's two Hurricanes! We're lucky to be able to get down into the cellar before the bombs start dropping, all thoughts of nabbing another victim quickly forgotten. I throw in a quick change of course as we go... ...and the bombs when the come drop astern and to port. Enough is enough! With two air attacks in this suddenly-unhealthy sector in a matter of hours, I decide it's high time we went home! ...to be continued!
Last edited by 33lima; 12/25/20 06:09 PM.
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Exodus
by RedOneAlpha. 04/18/24 05:46 PM
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