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Would damaged ships drop out of convoys like that when no destroyer could have potentially damaged the U-boat? It seems a bit suicidal compared to scuttling the ship and moving the crew to another vessel.
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Feb 22, 2014 21:56
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It was difficult and dangerous to transfer crew from one ship to another, especially with u-boats prowling around the convoy. The time you have to remain still in order to receive boats/transfer over is time when a torpedo can easily hit the side of your motionless hull.
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Feb 22, 2014 21:59
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Also you can hope that the U-boat is out of torpedoes.
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Feb 22, 2014 22:01
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Lowering boats off the Orkneys in November? I'll take my chances with the torpedoes, thanks. And, let's be honest, the crew isn't the most important part of a merchie.
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Feb 23, 2014 01:34
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The further adventures of U-50 should be up tonight at the latest! I'm really enjoying running this LP!
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Feb 24, 2014 10:05
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Yay, I'm the first person to perform the Das Boot chorus! EDIT: Okay, first person on this U-Boat. I still get to yell it down the hatchway. Loxbourne fucked around with this message at 11:42 on Feb 24, 2014 |
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Feb 24, 2014 11:31
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Hopefully you'll get to shout it a lot, lot more 
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Feb 24, 2014 13:58
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So far so good! Though my ears are ringing... could be the engines, could be Herr TheMcD...
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Feb 24, 2014 15:25
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Aesclepia posted:So far so good! Though my ears are ringing... could be the engines, could be Herr TheMcD... Count your blessings. At least you haven't pissed me off yet. There was this one guy that pissed me off, but I couldn't get him off my ship, so when it came to do repairs, I feigned a problem with the periscope. Then, we took it apart to the point where it was just a pipe, and we were communicating through that pipe to find the "problem". Eventually, I'd start whispering, and he'd ask me to speak up, after which I took the megaphone I had prepared and screamed down the pipe as hard as I could. Blew his eardrums clear out, and he had to be retired from service. As he was kind of an rear end in a top hat, the whole thing was written off as an accident. You'll get used to it, anyway. By 1941 you'll be half deaf, but will have no problems taking my commands. Either that, or I'll lose my voice at some point.
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Feb 24, 2014 15:42
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 TheMcD had nearly lost his voice screaming at Ordnance. What they had assured him was less than stellar: apparently a fix for the G7e was in the works, but no progress on making the G7a more reliable. Further screaming had ensued. Strangely, a large part of the crew had been wearing ear-plugs when the Kaleun had arrived at the ship. Bizarre.  The orders were once again to patrol near the British Isles: this time, starting from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and working downwards on the eastern English coast. After having screamed at a few people that were wearing ear-plugs, the ship was soon underway, heading for the Kiel Canal and into the North Sea. The trip across the North Sea: the Kaleun decided to run an alarm drill in order to keep the crew sharp but apart from that, little of note happened. Soon the English coast was on sight and the patrol was underway. The first few days, TheMcD decided to patrol relatively nearby to Newcastle, but since neither Loxbourne nor GruntyThrst seemed to spot anything after a couple of boring days, this was abandoned in favour of heading south along the coast (but not too near, however, for fear of airplanes).  Finally, LtzS GruntyThrst reported a sighting on the horizon, a 6.3k ton freighter called the Sagadahoc. Approaching at close range in the middle of the day, TheMcD ordered the 8.8 to fire at the freighter. The rounds only lightly damaged the freighter, so TheMcD immediately used the UZO to calculate a firing solution, firing a single G7a from tube 1 at the freighter. This proved to be enough to finish the freighter off and soon it was sinking into the water. As night approached, LtzS Loxbourne suddenly reported another sighting: the 4.8k ton freighter Royal Sceptre. Strangely, a destroyer was escorting the freighter, but TheMcD still decided to attack on the surface at medium range in order to make sure his shots would hit.  Firing two torpedoes at the freighter, TheMcD quickly submerged and awaited to hear if the torpedoes exploded. Only one explosion occurred and no one could hear the groaning sound that advertised the ship as sinking: at least, however, the ship had been damaged. Fortunately, U-50 had submerged quickly enough to escape the escort's notice, although the u-boat was still forced to move far enough away before it could surface. By the time that U-50 had surfaced and set up to attack, it was clear that the escorts was not leaving her charge, but since the sun had not risen yet, TheMcD elected to do another surface attack. To ensure that at least one torpedo hit, he fired two at medium range: hopefully one of them at least would impact.  Although one torpedo was a dud, the other impacted against the hull of the freighter: the small freighter was doomed and quickly sank into the water. Unfortunately, this time the escort was not as complacent as the first time and it didn't take it long to find the position of U-50. Steaming up close, depth charges were soon in the water and the crew braced for impact. The depth charges were accurate and the ship rocked as several explosions occurred near the submarine. Flooding was reported in the fore torpedo room: the tubes appeared to be jammed. OfzS Aesclepia was soon on the case in order to stop the flooding, and thankfully it was stopped quickly.  The destroyer was still on the case, ASDIC pinging like mad as TheMcD ordered the submarine deeper. Soon, another clutch of depth charges was in the water, yet again finding their mark. The control room shook as nearby explosions buckled the hull of the ship, while at the same time the hydrophone operator reported that his instruments had been damaged.  TheMcD finally ordered to exceed test depth: the strain could be heard against the hull of the ship but fortunately the ship held. This, fortunately, was enough to make the next batch of depth charges miss and soon it became increasingly clear that U-50 had avoided detection. A few hours passed before TheMcD ordered the ship to surface. Unfortunately, Chief Engineer Aesclepia reported that both the hydrophones and forward torpedo room were completely out of operation and could only be repaired once back home.  Even with those setbacks, TheMcD decided to continue the patrol: hopefully they would meet something that they could handle with only the aft torpedo room and deck gun. A few day later, almost at the end of their patrol, LtzS Loxbourne finally found the target in question: the 5k ton freighter Empire Barracuda. Deciding to close in and destroy the freighter with his deck gun, TheMcD ordered the 8.8 manned and soon it was firing away. The deck gun was enough to heavily damage the freighter and soon it began sinking into the water. With little fuel left, it was time to return home. The trip back was once again uneventful and soon the U-50 arrived back at the entrance to the Kiel Canal in order to make her way back home.  Final Status Patrol Summary Ships Sunk: 3 Total Tonnage: 16.1k tons Campaign Summary Ships Sunk: 8 Total Tonnage: 51.9k tons
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Feb 24, 2014 19:49
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For comparison purposes, after 3 patrols we are about 20k ton behind Lichtenstein and about 20k ton ahead of gradenko_2000 (but then again one of the later patrols by gradenko_2000 was ridiculously good). Also, something I omitted, Loxbourne got promoted (which means that we stand a 1/6th chance to lose him at the end of each patrol).
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Feb 25, 2014 21:43
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Tekopo posted:For comparison purposes, after 3 patrols we are about 20k ton behind Lichtenstein and about 20k ton ahead of gradenko_2000 (but then again one of the later patrols by gradenko_2000 was ridiculously good). Also, something I omitted, Loxbourne got promoted (which means that we stand a 1/6th chance to lose him at the end of each patrol). Considering I'm rolling more cautiously than they were, that's pretty drat good. I have enough time to catch up in later years when they're already dead. And if Loxbourne leaves, I'll make sure to give him something to remember me by. If it means his entire new crew will have to scream at all times just so he can hear them, then so be it.
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Feb 25, 2014 21:48
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To be fair, Lichtenstein did specify he wanted to be 'average' by the start of '41. I just didn't expect to boxcar the damage roll, it was a pretty freak occurrence.
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Feb 25, 2014 21:49
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 The invasion of Norway was underway: many boats had already been ordered to patrol near there both in preparation and to assist the invasion: the role of the U-boats on this matter was critical in order to prevent the British from bringing supplies and reinforcements to their forces. During the downtime, LtzS Loxbourne had been promoted to Oberleutnant zur See: it was possible that he soon would find his own command.  U-50 had been ordered to the Norwegian fjords this time, patrolling a zone near the outlets to Trondheim. Although the pickings wouldn't be as easy as near the British Isles, there was always the chance that the u-boat could find one of the large British warships that were patrolling the area. After an uneventful trip down the Kiel Canal and into the North Sea, U-50 proceeded directly Northward. Just after leaving the Jutland peninsula behind, a shout called be heard from the bridge: 'ALARM!'. An airplane had been spotted coming out of the sky.  Fortunately, LtzS GruntyThrst had shouted the alarm soon enough, and U-50 was able to slip underneath the waves before the airplane had a chance to drop its payload. The rest of the trip, fortunately, did not have as much excitement and soon U-50 was within its patrol zone, scanning the horizon for any enemy shipping. A target was soon forthcoming: the 5.2k ton Cedarbank: the freighter appeared to be under escort, a wise choice in the warzone that the sea around Norway had become. It was still day when U-50 reached its target and not wanting to risk being detected for such a small prize, TheMcD elected to wait until night. Night soon came and the freighter, not having shaken off U-50 yet, was still a viable target. TheMcD elected to do a surface attack at medium range and let loose two torpedoes at the freighter. One proved to be a dud, but the other hit below the waterline: the Cedarbank soon began taking in water, slowly making the ship sink. By then, U-50 had already submerged. The destroyer was already heading for U-50 by then and although the depth charges were close, they weren't close enough. Soon, U-50 was able to slip out and away, having taken its kill without taking any damage back.  A few days passed with no further targets spotted, when suddenly OltzS Loxbourne suddenly shouted 'ALARM!' from the bridge. Another airplane had been spotted! This time, U-50 was barely able to slip underneath the waves before the enemy airplane could attack. Another close call. The rest of the patrol was uneventful, with no more targets being spotted by either watch officers. With the fuel situation critical, U-50 was soon forced to turn back. Barely a few hours into the journey back home, yet again the cry of 'ALARM!' was heard. Another airplane attack! U-50 was forced to slip underneath the waves, as a bomb exploded right where it had disappeared, fortunately not managing to find its target.  The rest of the journey was uneventful, although the crew had been shaken by its multiple encounters with aircraft in the patrol, and the relative lack of targets. One thing was clear, however: no-one in the crew relished getting back to a Norway patrol anytime soon.  Final Status Patrol Summary Ships Sunk: 1 Total Tonnage: 5.2k tons Campaign Summary Ships Sunk: 9 Total Tonnage: 57.1k tons
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Feb 26, 2014 00:23
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It's pretty unusual to have 3 aircraft so early (they would only pop up on 2 and 3s). Fortunately, early war it is easy to evade them. Later on they are more numerous and better equipped...
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Feb 26, 2014 22:14
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Tekopo posted:It's pretty unusual to have 3 aircraft so early (they would only pop up on 2 and 3s). Fortunately, early war it is easy to evade them. Later on they are more numerous and better equipped... We'll be fine, we have the best drat watchmen in the fleet.
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Feb 27, 2014 04:03
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GruntyThrst posted:We'll be fine, we have the best drat watchmen in the fleet. They're certainly the most alert, I've made sure of that. I wonder if there's a spot in training open for me after I retire from active captaining after the war ends in our favor?
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Feb 27, 2014 04:23
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TheMcD posted:They're certainly the most alert, I've made sure of that. I wonder if there's a spot in training open for me after I retire from active captaining after the war ends in our favor?
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Feb 27, 2014 14:35
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Found this thread today and read through the whole thing. Loving it so far. SA definitely needs even more sub-related LPs, they tend to be really fun to follow. Can people still join up for future boats? If so I'd like to sign up as someone's 1WO, so I can be a total twat to the crew without actually having the responsibility for them.
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Feb 27, 2014 15:39
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Keksen posted:Found this thread today and read through the whole thing. Loving it so far. SA definitely needs even more sub-related LPs, they tend to be really fun to follow. We have seven KMDTs that are pretty much still without a crew beyond two LIs, so yeah.
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Feb 27, 2014 15:41
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 There were still celebrations within the boat as it set as news came in of the evacuation of Dunkirk. The blitzkrieg in France had been a roaring success and during the May downtime most of the crew had spent the month partying to their heart's content. It was clear that there were some worn out sailors with incredible hangovers when the ship set sail, but hopefully these would be cured by the time U-50 had passed the Kiel Canal.  The first part of the trip was pretty uninteresting: U-50's patrol zone was to be near the Firth of Forth again and then proceeding eastwards, south of the Orkneys and then north. The crew had managed to recuperate by the time that that the german coast was out of sight and soon the submarine was in the middle of the North Sea. Suddenly, GruntyThrst shouted 'ALARM!'. A plane dived out from the sky. It had come out of the sun and there was no time to dive. GruntyThrst quickly manned the AA gun, hoping to force the enemy Mosquito to abort.  The airplane fired its guns, strafing the open bridge of U-50, dropping its payload quickly afterwards to deadly effect. The Chief Engineer, Aesclepia, who had come on the bridge for a breath of fresh air, was clipped by one of the bullets, being dragged below deck to safety by GenericRX. The bomb hit the u-boat near the batteries, creating extensive damage to the hull as well as flooding: with the chief engineer injured, it was a struggle to get the flooding under control.  GruntyThrst was unable to hit the Mosquito and soon the bridge was cleared in order to allow the submarine to submerge. A few hours later, U-50 was finally able to surface. Chief Engineer Aesclepia, now patched up, was now able to repair the batteries, while the water that had flooded in was soon pumped out. The damage to the hull, however, was severe, but TheMcD still wanted to continue on the patrol. They just would need to be a bit more careful. As soon as U-50 reached the Firth of Forth, UlzS Loxbourne reported a sighting on the horizon: the 7.5k ton Ville de Mons. Getting close while the sun went down, TheMcD ordered the 8.8 cm cannon to be manned and ordered 50 rounds on target. The gunfire was accurate, but wasn't enough to finish off the freighter. TheMcD ordered a single G7a to be fired in order to finish the freighter off. Unfortunately, due to the zig-zagging of the freighter, the torpedo was completely off-target. Coming around again, TheMcD ordered the aft torpedo to fire, not wanting to waste time so close to the British coast. Fortunately the rear torpedo was on target and soon the freighter was sinking.  As the U-50 headed east, the next couple of days were relatively peaceful, with no contacts spotted and no information received from BdU. As U-50 reached the eastern tip of the Orkneys, it swung north in order to edge their eastern coast, but still no contacts would show themselves. Finally, as fuel was about to run out, a single ship, under escort, was spotted coming from the East: the 5.2k ton freighter Neptunian. Not wanting to risk attack in the middle of the day, TheMcD decided to stalk the freighter and wait until night, when he would perform a medium range surface attack. With the freighter still in sight as night descended, TheMcD went on the offensive, firing 3 torpedoes at the freighter. All three torpedoes hit in rapid succession, all exploding and soon the Neptunian was sinking. Fortunately, the escort was far away from U-50 when the u-boat slipped underneath the waves and thus TheMcD was able to evade it without issue. Surfacing a few hours later, TheMcD decided to head for home. The transit back was uneventful and soon the german coast was in sight. U-50 had made it back, but it was clear that it would require more than one month of repairs to fix the damage caused by the airplane.  Final Status Patrol Summary Ships Sunk: 2 Total Tonnage: 12.7k tons Campaign Summary Ships Sunk: 11 Total Tonnage: 69.8k tons Tekopo fucked around with this message at 00:56 on Feb 28, 2014 |
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Feb 27, 2014 22:28
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Boom! U-50 is a plane magnet.
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Feb 28, 2014 00:54
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Just saved your life bruh! 
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Feb 28, 2014 01:56
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With our doctor and Herr TheMcD, we were able to continue on and sink another ship!  For the Fatherland, men, and the best crew in the U-boat fleet!
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Feb 28, 2014 03:33
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Slow and steady wins the race. I'm sure we're going to get lots more opportunities as the war goes on, although I'm not liking the damages taken here. I guess that'll happen when your Chief Engineer comes up for some air and gets some shrapnel instead. Memo to self, don't come up for fresh air. The fact that I'd have to raise my voice more than usual to bark commands downstairs while I'm working on my tan would probably attract the entire RAF.
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Feb 28, 2014 03:40
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I guess my spirit became a double agent and gave the RAF your patrol 
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Feb 28, 2014 04:53
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... The sight on the AAA was misaligned!
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Feb 28, 2014 05:32
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 It had taken three months to refit U-50: the damage from the airplane strike had been extensive. Meanwhile, France had surrendered and the Vichy government had been formed: Britain had been attacked by endless waves of Luftwaffe attacks but so far they hadn't managed to crack the island open for invasion. TheMcD was glad to get back to the water though: as much as it was terrifying to go back, under the attack of depth charges and planes, sailing in an u-boat did have its charm. During the downtime, TheMcD had been promoted to a KorvettenKapitan due to his successful patrols in U-50.  The mission this time for U-50 was twofold: TheMcD had been ordered to proceed to the Orkneys, round them to go north, then west to the hebrides and then south along the western irish coast, after which U-50 would dock at its new home at Brest. This would mean leaving Kiel permanently, but at least that meant never seeing the Kiel Canal again.  A band had been prepared to bid goodbye to U-50: most of the other VIIBs from the 7th Fleet had already transferred long ago and U-50 was one of the last few to leave. The trip out of Kiel Canal and across the North Sea was peaceful, although most of the crew was excited at the prospect of going to Brest (and meet French girls there). It wasn't long before U-50 arrived at the eastern tip of the Orkneys: the temperature was already pretty cold as the days shortened. Edging the Orkneys, the only sightings by Loxbourne and GruntyThrst were small fishing ships, which TheMcD avoided lest he be spotted. Fortunately, as U-50 passed the Orkneys, a sighting was finally made: Loxbourne reported a plume of smoke on the horizon. It turned out to be the 5.1k ton Royston Grange: in the dead of night, TheMcD ordered a surface attack at close range, ordering the 8.8 cannon to fire first.  The firing was spotty, although one round cause a huge explosion. This, however, was not enough to sink the freighter. To finish the freighter off, TheMcD ordered a single torpedo to be fired, but this proved to miss wildly. As U-50 came around for another pass, suddenly GruntyThrst reported a destroyer on the horizon. TheMcD immediately ordered the ship to submerge, but shells were already splashing near the submarine as the u-boat submerged. Fortunately, the ship was able to slip away, and TheMcD, not wanting to let the freighter escape, and thus ordered two torpedoes to be fired in order to finish it off. Unfortunately, both torpedoes proved to be dud: the Royston Grange had managed to survive yet again.  Fortunately, the destroyer was still unable to find U-50 and TheMcD was able to evade contact and surface out of visual sight. Reloading his tubes, TheMcD ordered another attack, this time at medium range and yet again firing two torpedoes: there was no way he was going to let the freighter get away. This time, both torpedoes hit and soon the freighter was sinking. A lot of torpedoes had been wasted but at least the prize had been sunk. This time, however, the escort was ready and waiting: immediately steaming towards the position of U-50, ASDIC soon revealed the position of the u-boat and a clutch of depth charges crashed around the submarine as it attempted to escape into the depths. Although close, the depth charges did only minimal damage, however. Going lower, U-50 was soon able to evade the destroyer altogether and a few hours later, the hydrophone reported no more contact. TheMcD, after checking that the coast was clear, soon ordered the u-boat to surface.  Torpedo reserves were running low, but they would suffice for the rest of the patrol. As U-50 reached the northern tip of Ireland, GruntyThrst reported another enemy ship on the horizon: the 6.4k ton Triglav. In another night attack, TheMcD ordered the 8.8 to fire at the freighter at close range. Unfortunately the sea was slightly rough and only minimal damage was done on the freighter. Not wanting to risk another escort coming to spoil the party, TheMcD ordered tubes 1 and 2 to fire at the freighter. Both torpedoes were beautifully aimed and caused extensive secondary explosions, soon sinking the freighter. Only one G7e remained in reserve and tube 2 had to be refilled with one of the few G7e's left: thankfully, a full spread of torpedoes was still possible and the crewmen living in the front torpedo room enjoyed the extra space. As U-50 travelled down the western coast of Ireland, no more contacts were spotted and soon the U-boat was forced to return home, travelling down to the Bay of Biscay. The trip down was uneventful and soon the french port was in sight: the facilities within the base were already quite extensive and the crew was happy to finally touch French soil.  Final Status Patrol Summary Ships Sunk: 2 Total Tonnage: 11.5k tons Campaign Summary Ships Sunk: 13 Total Tonnage: 81.3k tons
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Feb 28, 2014 23:58
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Unfortunately Loxbourne is gonna be leaving us for his own boat after this patrol, so I need a new 1WO! Let me know if anyone is interested!
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Feb 28, 2014 23:59
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So I got promoted just as fast as Lichtenstein and faster than gradenko_2000. Now I need a Knight's Cross ASAP... and Lichtenstein got his after bringing home a half-dead crew in a half-destroyed boat... hm.
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Mar 1, 2014 00:05
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Tekopo posted:Unfortunately Loxbourne is gonna be leaving us for his own boat after this patrol, so I need a new 1WO! Let me know if anyone is interested! Obviously I should be promoted and we get a new 2WO.  Also where the hell are all the juicy convoys? All we get are single freighters. 
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Mar 1, 2014 01:24
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Or we can do that! Searching for a new 2WO! We'll get to the convoys soon enough. It's unlikely that we hit them on British Isles patrols, but once we go out to the Atlantic it'll be convoys as far as the eye can see.
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Mar 1, 2014 01:29
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As both will be serving under me, I'd like to have the final call on who gets to be 1WO and who gets to be 2WO. I might be looking for somebody with better aim to be 1WO, just in case.
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Mar 1, 2014 01:32
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I volunteer for any ship position in general and 2WO in specific.
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Mar 1, 2014 02:27
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Rogue Norwegian posted:I volunteer for any ship position in general and 2WO in specific. I like the cut of this guy's jib, and being a rogue Norwegian tells me that this guy knows when to hold them and when to fold them (read: got the gently caress out of Norway before the Weserübung set in, knowing where the wind was blowing). Make him a 1WO.
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Mar 1, 2014 02:32
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TheMcD posted:I like the cut of this guy's jib, and being a rogue Norwegian tells me that this guy knows when to hold them and when to fold them (read: got the gently caress out of Norway before the Weserübung set in, knowing where the wind was blowing). Make him a 1WO. Yes... Got out *Pushes the explosives and Norwegian flag under the matress*. I will put in 110% effort to make sure the ships of the enemy blow up! Whatever their type, displacement or current depth.
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Mar 1, 2014 02:41
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Promotion! Now I get the shiny cap! And I can take these earplugs out... Good luck, lads. Hopefully my boat's torpedoes will actually work.
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Mar 1, 2014 08:23
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 There had been a small celebration at one of the many bars in Brest when the announcement of Loxbourne's promotion had been received. The OlzS would be commanding his own VIIC ship. TheMcD needed a replacement for the 1WO position, and, unwilling to promote LtzS GruntyThrst to the position, a new officer, hailing from a nordic background, was selected. LtzS Rogue Norwegian would be the new 1WO. He seemed to have an unusually large amount of personal items when he arrived at U-50, however...  The patrol zone for U-50 was this time on the western coast of Ireland, to intercept any enemy shipping there. The Battle of Britain had ended badly for the Luftwaffe and a decreased level of protection was present within the Bay of Biscay, although enemy aircrafts were not frequent enough to be a constant danger. The trip out of the Bay of Biscay and towards the patrol zone was quiet for once and the crew managed to relax somewhat after the constant airplane attacks of the last few patrols.  The first part of the patrol was relatively quiet: neither the new 1WO LtzS Rogue Norwegian nor LtzS GruntyThrst reported any contacts. Finally, after many days of zig-zagging, Rogue Norwegian finally spotted a ship on the horizon, the 2.2k ton freighter Caribou. Ordering Rogue Norwegian to the 8.8 cm cannon, 50 rounds were placed on target. These were enough to sink the small freighter and soon U-50 was once again on its way. After a couple more days, another contact was finally spotted by GruntyThrst, the 4.8k ton freighter Vigrid.  Once again, the 8.8 cm cannon was manned and ordered to fire at close range. Once again, the freighter did not last long and soon was sinking underneath the waves. The patrol continued, but no more contacts were made and soon U-50 was forced to turn back. The trip back to Brest was uneventful, but it was clear that the crew was slightly restless at the lack of targets. Hopefully, the next patrol would mean facing convoys, and thus more targets.  Final Status Patrol Summary Ships Sunk: 2 Total Tonnage: 7k tons Campaign Summary Ships Sunk: 15 Total Tonnage: 88.3k tons
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Mar 1, 2014 21:50
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Slow and steady will win the race, mein Herr!
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Mar 2, 2014 02:57
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| # ? Apr 19, 2024 09:42 |
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 The New Year, and its associated parties, had come and gone. It was clear by now that the planned invasion of England was never going to happen. The war on the ground had slowed down: Italian forces were losing ground both in Greece and in North Africa, but the Wehrmacht had been quiet in the meanwhile. There were reports of many more boats being lost during night surface attacks, almost like the British could now spot u-boats in the dark.  The U-50 was destined for another patrol of the British Isles, this time north of the Hebrides. The trip out of the Bay of Biscay and up the western Irish coast was uneventful and after about half a week, the ship was in place at its allotted patrol zone.  The first half of the patrol was completely bereft of targets, with the other watch officers only feeling the biting cold of the February skins, even through their heavy winter clothes. Both LtzS GruntyThrst and Rogue Norwegian kept a close watch, but all targets eluded them both.  About a week into the patrol, Rogue Norwegian finally spotted his first target: the 4k ton Rio Azul. Closing in at close range, TheMcD ordered the 8.8 to be manned and soon 50 rounds were placed on target. These were enough to sink the small freighter and TheMcD ordered the u-boat to steam away as soon as the kill was confirmed in order not to attract the attention of any nearby aircraft. For the rest of the patrol, no more targets presented themselves and TheMcD cursed his luck. While other ships were heaping glory by finding juicy convoys, while TheMcD seemed to be destined to pick up small fry during its patrols. The rest of the patrol was uneventful and U-50 was able to return to Brest without any surprises. It was clear, however, that the crew was becoming disgruntled at the lack of success.  FInal Status Patrol Summary Ships Sunk: 1 Total Tonnage: 5k tons Campaign Summary Ships Sunk: 16 Total Tonnage: 93.3k tons
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Mar 2, 2014 23:38
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