Post by Urlybird on Apr 19, 2005 22:16:54 GMT
Hi all
I thought i'd break the news to you , after 29 patrols , 3 different flotillas , and a tonnage totalling close on 1/2 millions tons of shipping sent to the bottom , on my 30th patrol, which started badly (patrol area DU 11) where the hunting was no good , i decided to head up the coast of N Africa, then cross the Straits of Gibraltar ,( where i managed to bag a C3 cargo ,just off Casablanca,) enroute to the South Western approaches , where from experience the hunting is good ,(i sunk a T3 tanker , after 6 fish fired at him , N.E of Brest) , dived to P.D and raised the snorkel , with both diesels pushing me towards the SW approaches i got a report that there was a small convoy heading N.E ,( i surfaced and worked the course and figured that they were heading for Bristol, so instructing the NavO to plot me a course for the Bristol Channel , that's where we headed for , I almost ran into a couple of coastal merchants ,(despite the radar operator warning me of their presence, visibility was down to 300 metres) they were stationary , but still armed and dangerous, they opened fire , and regrettably my Watch Officer paid for my error of judgement,(I sunk them both in retribution)
In hindsight , maybe i should have returned to base , but the good of the Fatherland , (and my own greed maybe) I pushed on , suddenly , the R.O warned me of a radar in our area,
Crash dive was ordered and then begun the game of cat and mouse between U 109 , and a brace of Black Swan Frigates, they were very persistant , one would sit back and listen , whilst the other ran in on a D.C run , i felt like a rat caught between to terriers , i ran when at flank when they came in for a run and had charge's in the water , stopped when they were listening, decoys were released , i changed depth , altered course, changed depth and released more decoys, the net got smaller and smaller , i dived to 150 metres , the nearest contact was bearing directly astern , i heard him increase rev's for the run in , the charges hit the water , S.O yelled "depth charges in the water" the light's went out in the control room , ,,,,that was it , all over , i'd lost the game , and all hands perished ,
My career spanned from 1 September 1939 to 27 October 1943 , all officers had been awarded Iron crosse's 1st and 2nd classe's , 7 senior rates had been awarded both crosse's and the most junior rating on board was a senior seaman , also awarded with both crosse's ,
So tomorrow , I'll begin it all again
Regards
Urly
I thought i'd break the news to you , after 29 patrols , 3 different flotillas , and a tonnage totalling close on 1/2 millions tons of shipping sent to the bottom , on my 30th patrol, which started badly (patrol area DU 11) where the hunting was no good , i decided to head up the coast of N Africa, then cross the Straits of Gibraltar ,( where i managed to bag a C3 cargo ,just off Casablanca,) enroute to the South Western approaches , where from experience the hunting is good ,(i sunk a T3 tanker , after 6 fish fired at him , N.E of Brest) , dived to P.D and raised the snorkel , with both diesels pushing me towards the SW approaches i got a report that there was a small convoy heading N.E ,( i surfaced and worked the course and figured that they were heading for Bristol, so instructing the NavO to plot me a course for the Bristol Channel , that's where we headed for , I almost ran into a couple of coastal merchants ,(despite the radar operator warning me of their presence, visibility was down to 300 metres) they were stationary , but still armed and dangerous, they opened fire , and regrettably my Watch Officer paid for my error of judgement,(I sunk them both in retribution)
In hindsight , maybe i should have returned to base , but the good of the Fatherland , (and my own greed maybe) I pushed on , suddenly , the R.O warned me of a radar in our area,
Crash dive was ordered and then begun the game of cat and mouse between U 109 , and a brace of Black Swan Frigates, they were very persistant , one would sit back and listen , whilst the other ran in on a D.C run , i felt like a rat caught between to terriers , i ran when at flank when they came in for a run and had charge's in the water , stopped when they were listening, decoys were released , i changed depth , altered course, changed depth and released more decoys, the net got smaller and smaller , i dived to 150 metres , the nearest contact was bearing directly astern , i heard him increase rev's for the run in , the charges hit the water , S.O yelled "depth charges in the water" the light's went out in the control room , ,,,,that was it , all over , i'd lost the game , and all hands perished ,
My career spanned from 1 September 1939 to 27 October 1943 , all officers had been awarded Iron crosse's 1st and 2nd classe's , 7 senior rates had been awarded both crosse's and the most junior rating on board was a senior seaman , also awarded with both crosse's ,
So tomorrow , I'll begin it all again
Regards
Urly
I am ready for patrol 7
