Task Force of Task Forces

[doug.d]

I chased a radio contact West of Scapa and found a C2 cargo, which I decided to let go when I got multiple fast warship sound contacts coming straight at me.

The C2 had led me to a mother of a Task Force and positioned me perfectly with the dawn sun at my back and 2 Nelsons, a Revenge and a gaggle of DD's in line astern, heading to cross my T at < 1000m.

Nearly wet my pants when I upped scope and saw this: http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_eek.gif http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/88.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Doug_Dread/TF2.jpg

They get closer, blissfully unaware: http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/784.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Doug_Dread/TF1.jpg

Any second now!! Gimme another fish, move your ***e$!!!!!!! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/59.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Doug_Dread/TF3.jpg

The Revenge blows bubbles on the left. Nelson 1 is stopped top centre, bow down, the fish that will finish the job is already on its way. Nelson 2 has been hit 3 times and is stopping right. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/34.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Doug_Dread/TF4.jpg

The crew finally gives me another fish which I pass on to Nelson 2 and she rolls over and sinks: http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/25.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Doug_Dread/TF5.jpg

The DD's are NOT pleased and would dearly like to take my scalp with them when they try to explain to the admiralty how they managed to lose 3 battleships:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Doug_Dread/TF6.jpg

I'm running away like a little girl and only 2 of the DD's are tracking me, may have a chance of escape......... savegame until tonight. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/blink.gif

[doug.d]

I chased a radio contact West of Scapa and found a C2 cargo, which I decided to let go when I got multiple fast warship sound contacts coming straight at me.

The C2 had led me to a mother of a Task Force and positioned me perfectly with the dawn sun at my back and 2 Nelsons, a Revenge and a gaggle of DD's in line astern, heading to cross my T at &lt; 1000m.

Nearly wet my pants when I upped scope and saw this: http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_eek.gif http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/88.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Doug_Dread/TF2.jpg

They get closer, blissfully unaware: http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/784.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Doug_Dread/TF1.jpg

Any second now!! Gimme another fish, move your ***e$!!!!!!! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/59.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Doug_Dread/TF3.jpg

The Revenge blows bubbles on the left. Nelson 1 is stopped top centre, bow down, the fish that will finish the job is already on its way. Nelson 2 has been hit 3 times and is stopping right. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/34.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Doug_Dread/TF4.jpg

The crew finally gives me another fish which I pass on to Nelson 2 and she rolls over and sinks: http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/25.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Doug_Dread/TF5.jpg

The DD's are NOT pleased and would dearly like to take my scalp with them when they try to explain to the admiralty how they managed to lose 3 battleships:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Doug_Dread/TF6.jpg

I'm running away like a little girl and only 2 of the DD's are tracking me, may have a chance of escape......... savegame until tonight. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/blink.gif

[TASKFORCE1x1]

Alls the reason why I picked this handle http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif Good shots!

[Kaleun1961]

3 BB's! Wow! Three Sieg Heils to you. Oops, may not be politically correct. Make that three acceptable Urrahs!

[Chrystine]

*

..Awesome…

Really superb shots, too… Especially the last â€" gorgeous shot!
(Is that a V&W or a Tribal? ..I can never really tell when seeing only the silhouette http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-indifferent.gif ).

Best, & good-fortune in your evading …
~ C.

*

[zuluDROOG]

Oh man, I gotta get me one of them thar' task force thingies happening. Every time I get a report of one I estimate their position and try to intercept... only to find myself stuck out in the middle of NowheresVille when the next report informs me that they're in SomewhereElseVille. http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_mad.gif

[The_Silent_O]

This is uber-impressive.

Winston's not going to be happy...so far in the last twenty four hours here, he's lost a Revenge Class, the 3 above and I took a Bogue last night (see my other posts)...

...We're getting better!

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">(Is that a V&W or a Tribal? ..I can never really tell when seeing only the silhouette ).
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

It's a V&W...Two stacks, first one thin...And that is a cool shot...

"The Sunrise of Destruction" http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/784.gif

Were you using a Mod?

[Chrystine]

*

“It's a V&W...Two stacks, first one thin...And that is a cool shot...â€Â�

Thanks Silent Otto … http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif (Yes, I did see your reply in the other, too â€" thanks for that also: it’s now duly noted).
Every single time I see either of those two, I have to run over and grab the ID manual and check again â€" despite the fact I do know about the thin stack, and I know that’s the V&W. For whatever reason, my brain doesn’t want to completely digest the distinction. Every time without fail…
If it wasn’t so stupid, it’d be funny …

http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/blink.gif * http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/351.gif

..Yeah you guys are putting a hurt on the RN…
Bet they love you!

Cheers!
~ C.

*

[Maj_Solo]

Now wait just a minute! http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

Why are they in a line????? They should have the DDs in a cirle around the prime assets shouldn't they? This looks like a line of ships that don't understand they are a task force nor a convoy ... how could that happen ? http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

[doug.d]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by The_Silent_O:
This is uber-impressive.
"The Sunrise of Destruction" http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/784.gif
Were you using a Mod? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
No mods other than 'enhanced smoke' and 'guns-in-bad-weather'.

Thanks Chrystine, your good wishes helped, I made it to safety with only light damage but I had a scare when the 5 DD's decided to stop hunting me, formed up and headed straight in my direction. Seems I'd run away along their intended course! http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_eek.gif I stopped engines and lay on the bottom, gritting my teeth Das Boot style, but they passed overhead without pausing. Phew! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-surprised.gif

I'd come close before but never quite reached a 100k ton patrol in a type VII before, didn't dream I would be making it in a single attack! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/88.gif I went on to use my stern and external torpedoes and deck gun to push it to 144880 tons and the crew were buried in promotions and medals. I even got the leafy diamonds medal thingy. http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_razz.gif

This must be a lucky sub, I never even saw a battleship in my 1st 3 careers now I've just finished patrol 7 in my 4th and have already sunk 5 of them. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-happy.gif (Revenge - Scapa, patrol 2; Nelson - Loch Ewe, patrol 3.)

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Why are they in a line????? This looks like a line of ships that don't understand they are a task force nor a convoy ... how could that happen ? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
There was a young Capt Jellicoe in charge of the task force who was forced to listen to daddy Sir John Jellicoe's stories of Jutland his whole life long. He formed a WWI battle line without thinking. http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

[Skarphol]

One thing I don't understand... I've only encountered a battleship once, even though I'm in my 5th carreer, and that was when I tried the Narvik single mission. In that mission I hit the battleship with 4 torpedoes, impact pistol, and spread them out from bow to stern of the ship. It just made the bow sink, and the speed of the battleship fell to 8 kts. No way I could keep up with it while submerged. It didn't seem to be anywhere near sinking, zig-zaging away in the narrow fjord. I guess magnetic pistol a meter below the keel would have helped, but...

How did you manage to reload in time to sink all three of them?

[doug.d]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Skarphol:
One thing I don't understand... How did you manage to reload in time to sink all three of them? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
To say conditions were ideal is an understatement. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/blink.gif Brilliant weather, calm sea, rising sun in their eyes, ships in line astern and fairly far apart, the C2 leading me into the perfect position needing only a quick dash to close the range, a full load of torpedoes (forward external loaded after sinking a C3 earlier). When I saw the TF, I crammed all my best men into the forward torpedo room, including 4 torpedo-qualified men and a torpedo-qualified officer (a must-have, also for convoy attacks), greatly minimising the reload time.

I fired 3 fish (tubes 1-3) at the lead Nelson at 340 degrees i.e. well before it crossed my T. That was enough to stop it and it turned out of line and waited patiently to be finished off. Tube 4 went to the Revenge when it reached 340 degrees and hit the forward magazine. It burned nicely, turned out of line and stopped with a heavy list. Tube 1 (reloaded) went to finish off the Revenge, tube 2 (reloaded) went to finish off Nelson 1.

Nelson 2 stupidly stayed on course (range &lt; 500 metres and obstructing the DD's) and the crew gave me tube 3 @ 0 degrees, tube 4 @ 10 degrees and tube 1 @ 20 degrees. I held on to tube 2 when reloaded to see where this last fish would be most needed and had to use it on Nelson 2. I then went to flank speed and passed Nelson 2, in case a stern shot was needed, but it wasn't, so I crash dived, went silent and headed for the empty horison. The rest as they say, is history. http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[Chrystine]

*

“(I)…went silent and headed for the empty horison. The rest as they say, is history.â€Â�

Brilliant, Doug …
Sounds like textbook execution start to finish, too …

Glad U-53’s best-wishes ‘helped’ some too … & a 2nd congratulations for making a clean egress.

Lot’s of happy fish with new condo’s tonight… http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

Salute!
~ C.

*

[Messervy]

There is no such thing as Nelson 1 and Nelson 2.
There is Nelson and Rodney however http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

Anyway congratulations. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/25.gif

[doug.d]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Messervy:
There is no such thing as Nelson 1 and Nelson 2.
There is Nelson and Rodney however http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

Anyway congratulations. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/25.gif </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Thanks http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
The crafty British have me confused, I assumed the one I sank in Loch Ewe was probably the Rodney, so these had to be Nelson 1 & 2. Don't ask me where the mystery one came from, our intelligence told us they had only built 2 of this class. Oh well, if they wan't to keep sending Nelson class battleships from their secret cache, we'll just keep on sinking them, won't we? http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

[Messervy]

Jawohl!!!
They must have salvaged it.

[capt_frank]

most excellent!!!

[Stuntcow]

Very nice. Talk about happy dreams.......

[doug.d]

Another DD pic for your recognition exercises Chrystine, a Class C I believe:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Doug_Dread/TF9.jpg

Just a pretty pic of DD's sniffing in the wrong place, which is the way we like it:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Doug_Dread/TF8.jpg

I was determined to round off my patrol tonnage at a neat 150k tons, but it was getting late and I unwisely tackled the 1st ship that appeared, a C2 cargo. My last torpedo failed to to do the job, as so often happens with C2's. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-mad.gif
I used up my last few rounds of HE.... still afloat. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/51.gif
I used up my entire arsenal of starshells.... still afloat. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/51.gif
I emptied my flak gun into it.... still afloat. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/51.gif

I tried everything before sailing off muttering and cursing, and I mean EVERYTHING!!!!!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Doug_Dread/TF7.jpg

[The_Silent_O]

So, did you take the C2 back to port as a war trophy or did it take you back to its port?

[gdogg1979]

I have never seen a BB in campaign(you were in campaign, right?

[doug.d]

Yes. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-indifferent.gif

[Chrystine]

*

Hi Doug,

Two more Very-lovely shots! &nd a classic ‘rare-moment’ shot!
http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-very-happy.gif ..Thanks for the additional ‘DD ID Flash-card’ too…

It dawned on me later, also â€" that when I’d posted the above ^, I was so tired, I even managed to ‘screw that up.’ http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif
What I’d meant, of course, was the trouble I seem to have in perpetuity of distinguishing the River Destroyer Escort from the V&W â€" when seeing either only in silhouette.
My own fault, for the way I ‘started’ distinguishing them in SH III â€" which is just ******ed: by looking at the camo-paint and noting the gun emplacements.
I’ll get better! http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

I still think that â€" to me â€" the C Class is the meanest looking DD in SH III. My heart skips a beat every time I run into and see one of those bad boys…
( Don’t they just look so utilitarian & task-dedicated ..? )

http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-very-happy.gif @ the 3rd pic..!
I did something similar once â€" but only onto the stern of a little Trawler…

I also just suffered 6% hull damage trying to finish off a T2 in a convoy, having no more torps.
Submerged to 40 meters, ran in from ahead under the lead DD (V&W), surfaced about 350 meters from the burning but-otherwise un-slowed T2, got two rounds from the .88 in her before I started taking fire myself â€" pitch black, early morning & I don’t even have a clue who hit us… The V&W turned as soon as we surfaced, at a range of about 1.5 kms, and there were 4 Troops Transports on the far side of the T2 (are those things even armed in ’39?)
It’s darn-hard to fight that overwhelming desire to ‘finish’ a target off regardless of the risks, isn’t it?
Dove to 140 meters and slipped away without problem â€" but the damage is already done now.

I’m going to try to make a point to be more ‘sane’ in the future. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/51.gif

Best,
~ C.

*

[HeibgesU999]

I've seen 1 BB in 30+ campaign patrols. It couldn't get more perfect.

[doug.d]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Chrystine:
I still think that â€" to me â€" the C Class is the meanest looking DD in SH III. My heart skips a beat every time I run into and see one of those bad boys… ( Don’t they just look so utilitarian & task-dedicated ..? ) </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif Yes I guess so, although I tend to feel a flutter of panic when I see a Fletcher, got jumped by 4 of them escorting a convoy in the Med, lets just say living was not an option. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/51.gif

Also, when I see a Flower corvette, the red mist comes down and I just wanna KILLLLL!! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/53.gif

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I’m going to try to make a point to be more ‘sane’ in the future. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
No don't! Sane sounds like 'boring'. http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I've seen 1 BB in 30+ campaign patrols. It couldn't get more perfect. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
You're right, but there's a downside, the last 2 nights cruising in atrocious weather and sinking the occasional small merchant, has been agony! I'm worried now that SH3 has given me it's best shot and that it will become mundane from here. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/cry.gif

[JU88]

Best way to catch a task force....
Get you crew to rob an aircaft factory, smuggle out 3 or 4 messerchmidt 262 jet engines, weld them to your boats deck, now that should get you up to about 40 knots on on the surface, might have some bad side effects when you dive though, BDu would be too stunned for words- *even better add some wings to your boat and you got A VIIB-52 http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif
http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/35.gif

[Dominicrigg]

Nice one http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif Thats a record i think.

If you are managing to sink 3 battleships in one meeting with 4 front torps i think its time you switched to realistic TDC though to make the game a challenge again as that is just slightly insane. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/35.gif http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/35.gif

Grats though!

[doug.d]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JU88:
Best way to catch a task force....
Get you crew to rob an aircaft factory, smuggle out 3 or 4 messerchmidt 262 jet engines, weld them to your boats deck, now that should get you up to about 40 knots on on the surface, might have some bad side effects when you dive though, BDu would be too stunned for words- *even better add some wings to your boat and you got A VIIB-52 http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/35.gif </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
You skipped your medication again, didn't you? http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/34.gif http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

[doug.d]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dominicrigg:
Nice one http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif Thats a record i think.
If you are managing to sink 3 battleships in one meeting with 4 front torps i think its time you switched to realistic TDC though to make the game a challenge again as that is just slightly insane. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/35.gif http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/35.gif
Grats though! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks Dom. Insane? Maybe, maybe not. http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif If any of a dozen perfect parameters were absent, I think the outcome would have been different:
If.. the weather was bad..
If.. the sea was rough and I had to stick my scope further up and been spotted..
If.. the DD's had formed a normal defensive screen..
If.. the BB's were closer together and not given me time to reload..
If.. I hadn't been fully loaded after cruising all the way from Kiel and sinking 40k+ tons with the deck gun and only 1 torpedo..
If.. I had forgotten to load the external..
If.. I hadn't turned back to chase the C2 radio contact.. (I usually don't go after contacts that are reported far behind me.)
If.. Nelson 2 had taken evasive action instead of blundering through the kill zone..
If..if..if..if...

I think, any of the galant Kaleuns here could have done the same, given the same set of incredibly lucky situational parameters. http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

It's almost as if the devs put this TF in as a sort of 'easter egg', for the Kaleun who wandered off the beaten track. http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[vonPletz]

Well done D.D. http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

Finding a TF is great fun, even more so if you survive the encounter.

vP

[Dominicrigg]

http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

The task force i ran into had 2 battleships in line formation. As far as i knew this is how they travelled to and from zones so not unrealistic. I think the sinkings are deserved for the fact you stayed at the surface. Very brave!

I normally fire and dive evade immediately and listen for hits. If you try your way later war you may not be so lucky! But maybe, it will be interesting to see. Keep us posted http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif