Post by MarshalLaw on May 2, 2005 22:14:26 GMT
8/20/1940
On the way to patrol grid AM-68 U-45 comes upon a large convey around 3 AM. The boat is manuvered into position and the attack begins. After 30-40 mins. 1 T3 Tanker and 4 large merchants are sunk. All torpedos are used except for the 2 external ones. I withdraw and at a safe distance reload the 2 external fish. Once loaded I start back for the convey. 10 mins into my return trip I come across 2 merchants sailing right for me. One is a coastal the other a C3 . I decide to go for the easier prey. I use my other 2 fish on the C3 and send her to the bottom. With no more fish I was ordered back to base. All I had left to fight with was the deck gun.
As I headed for home I came across several ships but the weather was too rough to man the deck gun so I had to let them pass.
South west of Scapa Flow The weather cleared and I had calm seas. It was daylight so I was submergered so I would not be spotted by aircraft. Going slow I came across a few contacts but the position was bad to give chase. Then the sonarman rang out.."Merchant moving slow bearing 005 closing!" I adjusted coarse to intercept. About 10 mins. later the contact was about 5000 M out. I went to perascope depth to take a look. There she was a nice C3. I continued to close once I was within 1500m I took a last look. No other contacts and no aircraft spotted. I surfaced 600M away manned the deck deck and pumped 15 plus HE shells into her . It was all over in 5 Mins. and the C3 was heading to the bottom. I hit Flank speed to get out of the general area and went under again and assumed coarse and slow speed once again.
The time was 14:30. 1 Hour later I got another contact , this time Bearing was 357 and moving medium speed. Once again I adjusted coarse to intercept. Once I was 5K-6k out I took a look to see what I had this time. and through the perascope I saw a small tanker. However it was going 12 knots. As best as I tried to close and stay in front I could not do it. At about 4000m I was even with him and the closest I would get submergered. So I had a decision to make.... let him go or surface and give chase. I took one last look around again no other contacts. I choose to give chase.
As soon as I surfaced I was spotted .I hit flank speed and made a beeline for the tanker. At about 1500m I opened fire. I had pumped 5-6 HE shells into the tanker when the watch officer yells out " Warship engaging Bearing 270 Long range" Where did he come from!!! I figured I had about 30 second or so before I had to break off and crash dive , My greed said sink that SHIP!! I Pumped another 4-5 rounds into her when The boat shuttered, and the watchman called out "we are taking damage" Well time to go But before I could call crash dive we were struck again in the stern . Crash dive I yelled and everyone was down the hatch , One deck hand was injured. As we were heading down we got hit again this time in the conning tower. Hull integery was down to 35% I dove to 65M leveled off Knuckled port and went slow. Damage control team started on the damage. The DD was still 3K M off yet so I had a little time to do some repairs before going silent running.
Just then the sonarman calls out "warship closing bearing 035 fast speed. I turned again to give myself a good escape angle and continued with repairs . 5 mins later repairs were complete and we went silent running. The DD's converged on my last postion and pinged and threw down some depth charges but they were a good 1800m behind me. After another 20 mins or so the contacts faded and I was in the clear.
I contined heading home hurt but still alive. We did sink the tanker, but we almost got sunk ourselves. Never again will I let greed get the best of me.
On the way to patrol grid AM-68 U-45 comes upon a large convey around 3 AM. The boat is manuvered into position and the attack begins. After 30-40 mins. 1 T3 Tanker and 4 large merchants are sunk. All torpedos are used except for the 2 external ones. I withdraw and at a safe distance reload the 2 external fish. Once loaded I start back for the convey. 10 mins into my return trip I come across 2 merchants sailing right for me. One is a coastal the other a C3 . I decide to go for the easier prey. I use my other 2 fish on the C3 and send her to the bottom. With no more fish I was ordered back to base. All I had left to fight with was the deck gun.
As I headed for home I came across several ships but the weather was too rough to man the deck gun so I had to let them pass.
South west of Scapa Flow The weather cleared and I had calm seas. It was daylight so I was submergered so I would not be spotted by aircraft. Going slow I came across a few contacts but the position was bad to give chase. Then the sonarman rang out.."Merchant moving slow bearing 005 closing!" I adjusted coarse to intercept. About 10 mins. later the contact was about 5000 M out. I went to perascope depth to take a look. There she was a nice C3. I continued to close once I was within 1500m I took a last look. No other contacts and no aircraft spotted. I surfaced 600M away manned the deck deck and pumped 15 plus HE shells into her . It was all over in 5 Mins. and the C3 was heading to the bottom. I hit Flank speed to get out of the general area and went under again and assumed coarse and slow speed once again.The time was 14:30. 1 Hour later I got another contact , this time Bearing was 357 and moving medium speed. Once again I adjusted coarse to intercept. Once I was 5K-6k out I took a look to see what I had this time. and through the perascope I saw a small tanker. However it was going 12 knots. As best as I tried to close and stay in front I could not do it. At about 4000m I was even with him and the closest I would get submergered. So I had a decision to make.... let him go or surface and give chase. I took one last look around again no other contacts. I choose to give chase.
As soon as I surfaced I was spotted .I hit flank speed and made a beeline for the tanker. At about 1500m I opened fire. I had pumped 5-6 HE shells into the tanker when the watch officer yells out " Warship engaging Bearing 270 Long range" Where did he come from!!! I figured I had about 30 second or so before I had to break off and crash dive , My greed said sink that SHIP!! I Pumped another 4-5 rounds into her when The boat shuttered, and the watchman called out "we are taking damage" Well time to go But before I could call crash dive we were struck again in the stern . Crash dive I yelled and everyone was down the hatch , One deck hand was injured. As we were heading down we got hit again this time in the conning tower. Hull integery was down to 35% I dove to 65M leveled off Knuckled port and went slow. Damage control team started on the damage. The DD was still 3K M off yet so I had a little time to do some repairs before going silent running.
Just then the sonarman calls out "warship closing bearing 035 fast speed. I turned again to give myself a good escape angle and continued with repairs . 5 mins later repairs were complete and we went silent running. The DD's converged on my last postion and pinged and threw down some depth charges but they were a good 1800m behind me. After another 20 mins or so the contacts faded and I was in the clear.
I contined heading home hurt but still alive. We did sink the tanker, but we almost got sunk ourselves. Never again will I let greed get the best of me.