Foehammer-1
09-11-2006, 02:01 PM
U-803€s reincarnation.
U-803€s last patrol into Halifax almost ended in disaster. After running into the ocean floor and being bombed by planes, the boat had to head home, with only just over 20,000 tons of Allied shipping sent on a one-way trip to the bottom. After the boat made it home, all of us were greeted by friends and relatives, and the boat was inspected by a dock crew. It was found that after such damages, it would be twice as hard to fix the boat than build two new ones. Our beloved U-803 was taken away and scrapped. Its advanced instruments were used on other boats, and the hull would probably someday be made into a new boat. That did not make any of us any happier. The boat, although stinky as it is, has been our home for more than a year now. It was hard to leave it behind. Four weeks later, I stood in Base Commander€s office. He exclaimed that for my success as captain and the crew€s hard work, we are all being transferred to Bergen. A new Type XXI boat is waiting for us in the dock. A week later, we were transported to Bergen. Myself and the officers were the first ones to inspect a new boat. After four hours of meticulous inspection, I came to realize that this boat just might be better than our old trusty U-803, and not just because it was more spacious. We were given two free Zaukoenig homers, as well as lots of free FaT- I€s and III€s. As we se off on our patrol, the crew was getting used to the new instruments. Our new radar could detect land a lot further away than on the old boat, the hydrophone was supreme, and the new Nibelung sonar was extremely accurate.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/30-3.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/29-2.jpg
As we sailed North, the crew was practicing with the new torpedo reloading mechanism, which allowed us to reload a torpedo within two minutes, instead of around ten on the old boat. This boat is not very agile on the surface, but as we sailed out of docks, I thought that there are worse things out there.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/28-2.jpg
As soon as we got into deeper water, I decided to see what this boat was capable of. I issued a crash dive drill and observed the crew. This new boat has made an impression on me- we crash dived at 16 knots!! Our old boat was only capable of achieving half of that. I remembered what happened last time we crash dived and slammed into the bottom. But then, the bottom was soft and we moved at around 6 knots. This time around, the bottom was rocky and if we hit that at 16 knots€¦ you do the math. Therefore, we stopped the dive fifty meters short of the sea floor.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/1-2.jpg
At about 180 meters, the whole side of the conning tower caved in with a BOOM. I thought that would be a good enough test for now, and ordered to surface. The next day, we crossed the Arctic Circle and entered the land, or sea, of perpetual day this time of year. Local time is just past midnight.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/2-2.jpg
We started patrolling north of Narvik, cruising in a diamond-like pattern, in hopes of finding a Murmansk-bound convoy. After three days of seeing nothing but chilly water, we received a radio report from one of Condor scout planes. Just what we looked for- a large convoy!
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/3-2.jpg
The only problem was that it was quite a ways off and moving at 12 knots. Our maximum surface speed was only about 15 knots. To make things even worse, the weather became horrible again, with freezing waves completely covering the watch crew. After the rain coats were covered in a layer of ice and the watch could not stop trembling, I ordered a dive to 50 meters. We would not be able to find anything on the surface anyway.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/4-2.jpg
About seven hours later, we surfaced and saw that only semi-large waves remained from the night€s storm. The watch crew was happily absorbing what little heat the €œrising€ sun provided.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/5-2.jpg
The convoy was long-gone by then, so we plotted another search. Before long, we received a report of another convoy, this time heading away from Murmansk. We closed in and made contact later that night. In hopes of air support, we sent out a radio transmission, while running a high risk of being detected.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/7-2.jpg
A short while after, we closed in underwater and observed the convoy from close range. I was trying to decide which targets to attack first and assessed the risk. There were only four escorts, two in front and behind, and two on the sides. The convoy was made up of one T2 tanker; two small tankers, two C3 cargoes and the rest were C2 cargos. Since the ships were surely empty, they would probably prove to be a challenge to sink.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/8-2.jpg
I decided that our first targets would be the two C3€s in the closest column. Two torpedoes were assigned for each of them. The leading C3 was hit and sank shortly after, while the second was only hit by one torpedo, and the second missed. The missed torpedo sailed on and impacted the stern of a T2 tanker! The tanker just sat there after.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/9-2.jpg
The second C3 caught fire and its smoke served as a very distinct beacon. I was sure that we would not lose the convoy with a mark like that. In the meantime, I decided to play with the curious destroyers what were pinging every which way.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/10-2.jpg
I fired off two Zaukoenigs, one for each destroyer. Both torpedoes hit, but not before the destroyers did a little dancing with death, €œleft right left right, forward, all stop€.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/11-2.jpg
We then turned around and hit the T2 with a second torpedo, to make sure it stays down for good. Very slowly, the tanker took on water and sank on even keel.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/12-2.jpg
We then used our underwater speed to catch up to the wounded C3. It took two more torpedoes to finally send it to the bottom, what a waste!!
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/14-2.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/13-2.jpg
After that amount of explosives pumped into it, it was not surprising that the ship let out a huge fireball and then sank down quite violently.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/15-2.jpg
The convoy was moving at only 11 knots, so going ahead full at 15kts underwater we were able to catch up to them and not lose too much battery capacity. From now on, I decided to not do the usual €œahead of the convoy, 90 degrees€ approach. We just trailed a ship, slightly behind, and fired off torpedoes slightly in front of it. The first victim of such approach was a small tanker, shortly followed by the second one. One torpedo was enough for each of them.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/16-2.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/17-2.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/22-2.jpg
The next target was a C2. This was the only ship that exploded from one hit in this patrol. It was a good thing that I thought of holding off the second torpedo, just in case.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/18-2.jpg
Six torpedoes later, three more C2 cargos bit the dust, err, the mud on the sea floor. By now, we ran out of torpedoes. The two remaining escorts were somewhere around, but failed to pick up our boat.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/19-2.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/20-2.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/21-1.jpg
I decided to play cat and mouse with a destroyer, and run the boat through an ultimate test. We went on at ahead flank until we caught the escort€s attention. As it closed in, I ordered a dive to 50 meters. Going deeper would certainly ensure our safety, but it would also take away the fun. The destroyer closed in, engines at full power.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/23-2.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/24-2.jpg
Since I could not see anything (obviously), I ordered the crew to do the old peek-out-of-the-boat trick. They climbed out of the hatch, put on the gas masks and held their breath. They then used Morse code to tap on the voice pipe and tell me where the destroyer was.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/26-2.jpg
As the depth charges started falling, we dived at 17 knots and left the explosions far behind. Soon after, the DD lost us and went on, probably to guard the last three C2€s that were left of the convoy.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/25-2.jpg
The final tonnage was not too great due to ships being hard to sink. However, one must take into account that this was the patrol during which the crew got accustomed to the boat. The base commander was happy with such result anyway, and I hope that we will score a higher tonnage during the next patrol.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/27-2.jpg
All of the crew believed that U-2503 is the reincarnation of the spirit of the old IX/D2 boat and as long as we keep the Green Sawfish emblem, luck would always be on our side.
Thanks you all for reading, I enjoyed writing this report. Now, if you read this, PLEASE leave a comment. I want to know if a lot of people like these reports and whether I should continue writing them. There is no point writing if only five or so people enjoy them€¦.
Check out the Next Patrol (http://forums.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/857101043/m/9621015235) this one in a different campaign, in a new boat proudly cresoned U-51
P.S. this is my 666th post http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif
U-803€s last patrol into Halifax almost ended in disaster. After running into the ocean floor and being bombed by planes, the boat had to head home, with only just over 20,000 tons of Allied shipping sent on a one-way trip to the bottom. After the boat made it home, all of us were greeted by friends and relatives, and the boat was inspected by a dock crew. It was found that after such damages, it would be twice as hard to fix the boat than build two new ones. Our beloved U-803 was taken away and scrapped. Its advanced instruments were used on other boats, and the hull would probably someday be made into a new boat. That did not make any of us any happier. The boat, although stinky as it is, has been our home for more than a year now. It was hard to leave it behind. Four weeks later, I stood in Base Commander€s office. He exclaimed that for my success as captain and the crew€s hard work, we are all being transferred to Bergen. A new Type XXI boat is waiting for us in the dock. A week later, we were transported to Bergen. Myself and the officers were the first ones to inspect a new boat. After four hours of meticulous inspection, I came to realize that this boat just might be better than our old trusty U-803, and not just because it was more spacious. We were given two free Zaukoenig homers, as well as lots of free FaT- I€s and III€s. As we se off on our patrol, the crew was getting used to the new instruments. Our new radar could detect land a lot further away than on the old boat, the hydrophone was supreme, and the new Nibelung sonar was extremely accurate.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/30-3.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/29-2.jpg
As we sailed North, the crew was practicing with the new torpedo reloading mechanism, which allowed us to reload a torpedo within two minutes, instead of around ten on the old boat. This boat is not very agile on the surface, but as we sailed out of docks, I thought that there are worse things out there.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/28-2.jpg
As soon as we got into deeper water, I decided to see what this boat was capable of. I issued a crash dive drill and observed the crew. This new boat has made an impression on me- we crash dived at 16 knots!! Our old boat was only capable of achieving half of that. I remembered what happened last time we crash dived and slammed into the bottom. But then, the bottom was soft and we moved at around 6 knots. This time around, the bottom was rocky and if we hit that at 16 knots€¦ you do the math. Therefore, we stopped the dive fifty meters short of the sea floor.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/1-2.jpg
At about 180 meters, the whole side of the conning tower caved in with a BOOM. I thought that would be a good enough test for now, and ordered to surface. The next day, we crossed the Arctic Circle and entered the land, or sea, of perpetual day this time of year. Local time is just past midnight.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/2-2.jpg
We started patrolling north of Narvik, cruising in a diamond-like pattern, in hopes of finding a Murmansk-bound convoy. After three days of seeing nothing but chilly water, we received a radio report from one of Condor scout planes. Just what we looked for- a large convoy!
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/3-2.jpg
The only problem was that it was quite a ways off and moving at 12 knots. Our maximum surface speed was only about 15 knots. To make things even worse, the weather became horrible again, with freezing waves completely covering the watch crew. After the rain coats were covered in a layer of ice and the watch could not stop trembling, I ordered a dive to 50 meters. We would not be able to find anything on the surface anyway.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/4-2.jpg
About seven hours later, we surfaced and saw that only semi-large waves remained from the night€s storm. The watch crew was happily absorbing what little heat the €œrising€ sun provided.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/5-2.jpg
The convoy was long-gone by then, so we plotted another search. Before long, we received a report of another convoy, this time heading away from Murmansk. We closed in and made contact later that night. In hopes of air support, we sent out a radio transmission, while running a high risk of being detected.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/7-2.jpg
A short while after, we closed in underwater and observed the convoy from close range. I was trying to decide which targets to attack first and assessed the risk. There were only four escorts, two in front and behind, and two on the sides. The convoy was made up of one T2 tanker; two small tankers, two C3 cargoes and the rest were C2 cargos. Since the ships were surely empty, they would probably prove to be a challenge to sink.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/8-2.jpg
I decided that our first targets would be the two C3€s in the closest column. Two torpedoes were assigned for each of them. The leading C3 was hit and sank shortly after, while the second was only hit by one torpedo, and the second missed. The missed torpedo sailed on and impacted the stern of a T2 tanker! The tanker just sat there after.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/9-2.jpg
The second C3 caught fire and its smoke served as a very distinct beacon. I was sure that we would not lose the convoy with a mark like that. In the meantime, I decided to play with the curious destroyers what were pinging every which way.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/10-2.jpg
I fired off two Zaukoenigs, one for each destroyer. Both torpedoes hit, but not before the destroyers did a little dancing with death, €œleft right left right, forward, all stop€.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/11-2.jpg
We then turned around and hit the T2 with a second torpedo, to make sure it stays down for good. Very slowly, the tanker took on water and sank on even keel.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/12-2.jpg
We then used our underwater speed to catch up to the wounded C3. It took two more torpedoes to finally send it to the bottom, what a waste!!
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/14-2.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/13-2.jpg
After that amount of explosives pumped into it, it was not surprising that the ship let out a huge fireball and then sank down quite violently.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/15-2.jpg
The convoy was moving at only 11 knots, so going ahead full at 15kts underwater we were able to catch up to them and not lose too much battery capacity. From now on, I decided to not do the usual €œahead of the convoy, 90 degrees€ approach. We just trailed a ship, slightly behind, and fired off torpedoes slightly in front of it. The first victim of such approach was a small tanker, shortly followed by the second one. One torpedo was enough for each of them.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/16-2.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/17-2.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/22-2.jpg
The next target was a C2. This was the only ship that exploded from one hit in this patrol. It was a good thing that I thought of holding off the second torpedo, just in case.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/18-2.jpg
Six torpedoes later, three more C2 cargos bit the dust, err, the mud on the sea floor. By now, we ran out of torpedoes. The two remaining escorts were somewhere around, but failed to pick up our boat.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/19-2.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/20-2.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/21-1.jpg
I decided to play cat and mouse with a destroyer, and run the boat through an ultimate test. We went on at ahead flank until we caught the escort€s attention. As it closed in, I ordered a dive to 50 meters. Going deeper would certainly ensure our safety, but it would also take away the fun. The destroyer closed in, engines at full power.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/23-2.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/24-2.jpg
Since I could not see anything (obviously), I ordered the crew to do the old peek-out-of-the-boat trick. They climbed out of the hatch, put on the gas masks and held their breath. They then used Morse code to tap on the voice pipe and tell me where the destroyer was.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/26-2.jpg
As the depth charges started falling, we dived at 17 knots and left the explosions far behind. Soon after, the DD lost us and went on, probably to guard the last three C2€s that were left of the convoy.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/25-2.jpg
The final tonnage was not too great due to ships being hard to sink. However, one must take into account that this was the patrol during which the crew got accustomed to the boat. The base commander was happy with such result anyway, and I hope that we will score a higher tonnage during the next patrol.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/Foehammer88/27-2.jpg
All of the crew believed that U-2503 is the reincarnation of the spirit of the old IX/D2 boat and as long as we keep the Green Sawfish emblem, luck would always be on our side.
Thanks you all for reading, I enjoyed writing this report. Now, if you read this, PLEASE leave a comment. I want to know if a lot of people like these reports and whether I should continue writing them. There is no point writing if only five or so people enjoy them€¦.
Check out the Next Patrol (http://forums.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/857101043/m/9621015235) this one in a different campaign, in a new boat proudly cresoned U-51
P.S. this is my 666th post http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif