Jester's evasion tips pay off for Drdoyo (November 18, 2001)
I had a type VIIC41 boat and my target was a surface group of 3 light cruisers escorted by 2 destroyers. I found myself in perfect position at the beginning, so I remained at all stop. The 3 cruisers were tracking in front of me, and the starboard beam destroyer was passing behind me. I let the lead cruiser get right in front of me and began by using tube 5 on the starboard beam escort. As soon as that fish was away, I used tubes 1 and 2 on the lead cruiser, 3 on the middle cruiser and 4 on the aft cruiser. I missed the destroyer as they spotted my periscope, The port beam escort was already turning towards me as I was fireing on the cruisers. I thought "hahahah let him, I want to evade his charges :) ". All 4 forward torpedos made solid hits on the 3 cruisers.
Time to evade! I ordered flank speed and turned directly at the port escort, and ordered crash dive. The starboard destroyer continued on straight ahead past my position well astern. As I reached 65 meters I reset depth to 150 meters and slowed to 1/3 as I passed 100 meters. from there, I did everything like you said , evading 4 attacks with only 15% hull damage until tubes 1,2 and 5 were reloaded. I noticed another interesting development to the AI attacks in the last 2 attacks. One destroyer would ping me, and the other would drift over my position with engines stopped. I wouldn't know he was there until he dropped charges. I took 10% of that damage in the 3rd attack where they first used this tactic.
As soon as tube 2 was relaoded, I returned to periscope depth following the 4th depth charge attack. I found only 1 destroyer in sight, and he was steady on course and speed passing my position off my stern. I fired tube 5 for a 90 second run to 1500 meters range. Hit that destroyer 1/2 way between the aft funnel and the stern. His screws immediatly went silent, and a fire raged amidships. I watched him for about 15 minutes, when I noticed the other destroyer returning from the area of the cruisers at 8000 meters range. I just sat silent at periscope depth running the periscope up from 12 feet to a just visible height and back to 12 feet until the desrtoyer was at 1000 meters range. I then fired tubes 1, 2, and 3 spread just starboard, dead on, and just port of the destroyer. All missed (note to myself, try this with target unlocked), and I again went flank speed , crash dive , right full rudder (into the sinking destroyer). As he passed I reversed rudder, and returned to periscope depth as soon as charges were in the water. Tube 5 reloaded.....Wohooo. At periscope depth, I found the target destroyer parallel to my course, bearing 210 degrees relitive, steady speed and course. Tube 5 Torpedo Louce <in my best German accent>, down periscope. Wait. It's a 70 second run........10 seconds, up periscope. It should be there any second.....Don't telll me I.....BOOOM. Direct hit midships! Screws silent. He's dead in the water. Surface the boat, man deck gun, man AA guns. I commensed to put 100 roudes into the destroyer from the deck gun to hasten it's departure to be sure it wouldn't rear it's ugly head after I use the last 2 torpedos on the wounded cruisers.
As the destroyer sinks, I secure the deck gun and order full speed to work an end-around on the cruisers. I can hear them, but can't see them. Half way through the end around the starboard diesel is damaged, followed by the port diesel a bit later. with 5 hours to repair the starboard diesel because I didn't disengage earlier, and 4 hours to repair the port, I decided it was in my best interest to order all stop at 12:30 on Dec. 12 1939 for repairs. After repairs were completed, I resumed course back to the port at Tromso Norway. Upon arriving, I learned that my attack on the first light cruiser was a complete success, causing him to go dead in the water, and sink while I was playing with his escorts. Total bag for the mission, 1 Arethusa class light cruiser, and 2 "O" class destroyers sunk.
- Drdoyo