Post by Dominico Baggio on Apr 14, 2005 21:06:21 GMT
Moments from the last patrol of U-47.
It was rare calm weather just off the western coast of Scotland so i ordered full stop and set most of the men to work moving the front outboard torpedo inside the boat, and took the chance myself to get a nap while the men toiled.
The calm at midnight in grid AM 37
An hour or so later i was woken, my men had at last finished and we were underway patrolling the grid. Not long after the radioman shouted out with a contact report. A wolfpack was forming on a large convoy! The good news, it was only 150km south of us and moving at roughly 7 knots.
I immediatly had the navigator plot an intercept and we set off, an 8 hour journey and we would be in position.
Navigator does his job.
It wasnt long then, as we moved nearer position a darkness began to decend and the ominous sound of thunder could be heard on the horizon. Not long after the first specks of rain. Then a downpour.
I smiled to the watch who stoicly set about their jobs, it wasnt often you got perfect U-boat weather!!
Visibility is next to zero
Hurrying down below i ordered a new intercept, into the side of the convoy. There was no need to get infront for a submerged attack, the light and visibility gave me the perfect chance to attack on the surface!
Within 3 hours we were there, in position. The seas heaved and the men above shouted down the pointlessness of the search. We were there... The convoy was not... Was it past us? Not here yet, i trusted the calculations of the Nav and ordered a dive.
As the boat soon was covered by the silent waters I went nearer the Hydrophone room and waited...
Perfect!!
There they were, a bit ahead of where i expected but i couldnt ask for more. Within seconds his sweep picked up 6 or more merchants, and the fast screws of a destroyer.
"Blow ballast!" i shouted, "ahead full, new course 120 degrees."
The boat rushed to the surface and i ran into the tower with the watch, eyes now peeled. I began to think maybe the weather was too bad even for U-boats. We couldnt see further then about 300 metres...
Then in a second a cry went up, there it was looming out of the darkness
A massive cargo ship. As it rushed headlong towards us i ordered one torpedo in a snapshot by eye. It sped away and the timer ticked... Seconds passed by and nothing... Verdamt!!
The visibility and speed of the encounter had made the shot a bad one. A distant cry went up, but was carried away on the wind. We had been spotted by the frieghter, i prayed he didnt have a radio.
Spinning on our heels we turned away ready for a rear shot, but within seconds the ship vanished. The conditions were impossible. Minutes passed and we zigged trying to pick him back up again but nothing. Then another order "periscope depth!" it was time for the hydrophones again.
While he did a sweep i kept watch through the observation scope and was horrified but relieved to see a destroyer pass metres behind where we had just submerged.
the pad is from my previous tdc calcs lol
Wiping my brow i watched him disappear into the mist and ordered a surface immediatly. In this weather he was most likely to hear us then see us, and i had the bearings again of more freighters, they surrounded us.
Within seconds we were back on the surface heading for two soundings and soon they loomed out of the darkness. A C2 on our left and a coastal frieghter on the right. Making calculations i set for the coastal and fired, then swung the scope to the C2 knowing the tdc would calculate the new Angle of bow from the scope. Both fish sped off and within seconds both hit.
The friegher runs on collision course with a torp
From the deck we saw the plume of water rise up
then turned to watch the second torp. Another hit!! this one at the front
The small freighter fought against the waves but rolled over within seconds. The C2 spouted flames from the front and through the smoke we could make out aircraft onboard. Then within seconds massive beams of light lit up the darkness behind us. The bright flames were now visible to everyone and company was on its way to find out what was going on.
As the men below rushed to load another torp into the bucking ship i ordered full speed and charged out infront of the stricken cargo ship. A beaming grin as bright as the lights behind split my face as i realised how futile their search was going to be.
The black shape of the U-boat sped onwards.
Within minutes the next torpedo was loaded and as i was about to order a turn back a tanker loomed out of the darkness, a snap shot and it blew in flames and went to the bottom instantly. Turning right to avoid the wreck another ship appeared infront. Shock on my face i readied the penultimate torpedo for this ship, calculated and fired. Speed was already set in, it was a case of getting distance and angle of bow now, easy!!
as this was happening the royal navy searched fruitlessly, finding only each other
It was rare calm weather just off the western coast of Scotland so i ordered full stop and set most of the men to work moving the front outboard torpedo inside the boat, and took the chance myself to get a nap while the men toiled.
The calm at midnight in grid AM 37
An hour or so later i was woken, my men had at last finished and we were underway patrolling the grid. Not long after the radioman shouted out with a contact report. A wolfpack was forming on a large convoy! The good news, it was only 150km south of us and moving at roughly 7 knots.
I immediatly had the navigator plot an intercept and we set off, an 8 hour journey and we would be in position.
Navigator does his job.
It wasnt long then, as we moved nearer position a darkness began to decend and the ominous sound of thunder could be heard on the horizon. Not long after the first specks of rain. Then a downpour.
I smiled to the watch who stoicly set about their jobs, it wasnt often you got perfect U-boat weather!!
Visibility is next to zero
Hurrying down below i ordered a new intercept, into the side of the convoy. There was no need to get infront for a submerged attack, the light and visibility gave me the perfect chance to attack on the surface!
Within 3 hours we were there, in position. The seas heaved and the men above shouted down the pointlessness of the search. We were there... The convoy was not... Was it past us? Not here yet, i trusted the calculations of the Nav and ordered a dive.
As the boat soon was covered by the silent waters I went nearer the Hydrophone room and waited...
Perfect!!
There they were, a bit ahead of where i expected but i couldnt ask for more. Within seconds his sweep picked up 6 or more merchants, and the fast screws of a destroyer.
"Blow ballast!" i shouted, "ahead full, new course 120 degrees."
The boat rushed to the surface and i ran into the tower with the watch, eyes now peeled. I began to think maybe the weather was too bad even for U-boats. We couldnt see further then about 300 metres...
Then in a second a cry went up, there it was looming out of the darkness
A massive cargo ship. As it rushed headlong towards us i ordered one torpedo in a snapshot by eye. It sped away and the timer ticked... Seconds passed by and nothing... Verdamt!!
The visibility and speed of the encounter had made the shot a bad one. A distant cry went up, but was carried away on the wind. We had been spotted by the frieghter, i prayed he didnt have a radio.
Spinning on our heels we turned away ready for a rear shot, but within seconds the ship vanished. The conditions were impossible. Minutes passed and we zigged trying to pick him back up again but nothing. Then another order "periscope depth!" it was time for the hydrophones again.
While he did a sweep i kept watch through the observation scope and was horrified but relieved to see a destroyer pass metres behind where we had just submerged.
the pad is from my previous tdc calcs lol
Wiping my brow i watched him disappear into the mist and ordered a surface immediatly. In this weather he was most likely to hear us then see us, and i had the bearings again of more freighters, they surrounded us.
Within seconds we were back on the surface heading for two soundings and soon they loomed out of the darkness. A C2 on our left and a coastal frieghter on the right. Making calculations i set for the coastal and fired, then swung the scope to the C2 knowing the tdc would calculate the new Angle of bow from the scope. Both fish sped off and within seconds both hit.
The friegher runs on collision course with a torp
From the deck we saw the plume of water rise up
then turned to watch the second torp. Another hit!! this one at the front
The small freighter fought against the waves but rolled over within seconds. The C2 spouted flames from the front and through the smoke we could make out aircraft onboard. Then within seconds massive beams of light lit up the darkness behind us. The bright flames were now visible to everyone and company was on its way to find out what was going on.
As the men below rushed to load another torp into the bucking ship i ordered full speed and charged out infront of the stricken cargo ship. A beaming grin as bright as the lights behind split my face as i realised how futile their search was going to be.
The black shape of the U-boat sped onwards.
Within minutes the next torpedo was loaded and as i was about to order a turn back a tanker loomed out of the darkness, a snap shot and it blew in flames and went to the bottom instantly. Turning right to avoid the wreck another ship appeared infront. Shock on my face i readied the penultimate torpedo for this ship, calculated and fired. Speed was already set in, it was a case of getting distance and angle of bow now, easy!!
as this was happening the royal navy searched fruitlessly, finding only each other
damn it!! lol i was doing so well lolz.
