My first try writing an AAR. If you have any ideas on how to make this better fire away. More pictures? Different style?.

This will be my first war patrol. I Oberleutnant Rhein have been assigned a type IIC U-boat, the U-112 in 1st flotilla, Kiel.



First Patrol
----------------
http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/2_gettingstarted.png

Patrol area AN12

Plotting course (http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/3_enroute.png)


Watch officer reports a contact.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/4_firstcontact.png

First contact: 0200 hours, grid AN3784 (56° 26'N 4° 40'E)
Small merchant ship heading towards england. Speed 2 knots.

This I will chase on surface. Very unlikely it can outrun us.

0530, Caught up with target. The ship is indeed a small 1000t merchant vessel. Firing a torpedo at it is almost a waste, but it's heading to east so i can't let it pass. They have noticed us and have increased speed and trying evasive manouvers. I'm closing in for a sure hit.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/6_fire.png
0600 Firing torpedo from 700m


http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/7_directhit1.png
http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/8_sinking.png
0603 Direct hit, target destroyed


Resuming course to AN12. Speed 7 knots.


11 OKT 0130, Convoy! Bearing 280.

Over 20 ships.
Their course is crossing ours. It's a dark night tonight. This is my chance to strike. Setting course to intercept convoy. There's three tankers in the front. They are my primary targets.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/plan9.jpg
(Red lines= Convoy ships, Orange dots= Escorts, White Arrow= U-112, White dash= planned approach)

Periscope depth, report sighting to BdU. Start approach.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/10_report.png

0240, Reached firing distance at 5000m, need to get closer. The closest Tanker is 11000t and would be my best bet of hitting. Trying to get to 4000m, launch all tubes at her, dive and turn back. The problem is however, that batteries are getting low so trying to get too close might cost us too much power, forcing us to surface. Luck is on my side though. All escorts are on the other sides of the convoy.

~0250, Firing all three tubes at the tanker. Diving to 100m and turning away from convoy and heading to south.

0255, Three explosions. All my torpedoes hit. Running silent 2knots. Batteries low.

Sinking sounds of the tanker can be heard.

Sound contact. High speed screws north of us. The escorts are passing us from the north apparently going to wrong place. They're going past us. If all goes well we're clear.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/11_torpedoes.png
My last two torpedoes are loaded, but I don't have enough battery power for a second attack. The convoy sounds are getting fainter in the northwest. I'm stopping still. to conserve power. Sound room reports high speed srews at 289°, but they're far away.

0453, ascending to periscope depth.

0503, at p-scope depth. Convoy at 15000m, but I don't want to risk surfacing in moonlight.

0527, moon has set. Surfacing in the cover of darkness. heading slowly south, away from the convoy attack site.

0617, Lone merchant ship spotted at 10000m heading west towards our position. Easy prey.

Periscope depth. I don't want to risk this spotting us.

0707, Fog rising hard to see the target at 5800m. Target course passing right front of us. Engines 1/3 speed forward to get as close as possible.

0730, Fog is lifting, target is merchant 3000t, almost at optimal firing angle. Engines halt.

0745, Target in firing position. Firing tube II.

0747, Direct side hit. Target destroyed. Surfacing. Only one torpedo left. I don't want to go to the patrol area with just this. Turning after convoy and trying to attack it again. Full speed ahead. 7 knots

0810, Oh ****, convoy escort heading straight towards us at full speed. The sinking merchant fired flares before going down. Crash dive! 150m. Evade to left, engines full speed. I don't want to get caught by sonar.

0830, Running silent 2 knots. Escort sound contact at northeast.

0837, Escort sound furthering away. Our leaky tub is taking water and we're sinking. Ascending to 50m.

0844, Can't maintain buoyancy. Sinking again. Periscope depth.

Escort at 25000m heading north, northeast full speed.

0853, Escort behind horizon, surfacing. Resuming convoy chase. Engines half-speed.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/13_report.png
Battle report sent to BdU

0930, This tub is leaking like no tomorrow. Sinking again. We have taken so much water it takes time to get it all out. Engines full speed to keep us afloat. I wouldn't want to be forced to dive right now.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/006_tiredbee.png
"Tired Bee"

1356, Plane at 350° Tired Bee. Heading towards us! Crash dive 100m!

1359, Plane laid eggs on us.

The depth charges were too shallow.

1414, Sound room reports contact 54°. Is this the same escort that pestred us earlier? That dang plane ratted us out.

Keeping silence running at 2 knots to west.

1422, Sound room reports high speed screws 70°. Heading behind us.

1426, Someone on surface would like to know where we are. Sonar.

1427, Sonar fell silent.

1430, Sound contact fading fast towards northeast.

1445, Sound contact lost, periscope depth. Only convoy sound can be heard from northeast.

1450, Escort at 25000m north, northeast.

1455, Surfacing. Heading after the convoy full speed.

1513, Escort, north 22000m. Periscope depth.

1520, Escort closing. Diving to 150m, evading to west half speed.

1545, Running silent.

1552, Sound contact to escort lost.

1555, Sinking again. Periscope depth.

1602, At periscope depth. Escort circling at 22000m. Maintaining periscope depth is increasingly difficult. Sinking.

1640, Lost sight of the escort vessel.

1700, Surfacing. This canoe has sucked half ocean inside. It's difficult to stay on surface. Half speed ahead.

1720, Sinking fast. Struggling to maintain depth.

1725, Approaching test depth. 150m.

1726, 160m. only 16m water below. Blow all tanks, Engines flank ahead, Bow up.

1732, Surfaced finally. Full speed ahead to stay afloat. No point in chasing the convoy like this. I must get all the water off before I can dive again.

Radio message from BdU. New patrol area AM9463. Plotting course to new patrol area.

12 OKT 1324 Message from U-48. Convoy outbound AM9216

13 OKT 2145 Five minute silence. :salute:
http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/14_rip.png

14 OKT 0944 Message from BdU. Grid EC9418 Inbound.

15 OKT 0205 Message from U-44. Grid EC6757 Inbound.

15 OKT 0810 at english channel. Contact! North, behind us. 15000m heading 130°, speed 20 knots. Possibly a troop transport. It's too fast for us to chase after but it's still dark and the sea is rough. We can intercept it if we get close enough to fire before it can see us. Turning back. Flank speed ahead. (this is where you play the theme of Das Boot.)

0830 They noticed us a tad too early and turned away with full speed. Troop transport 12000t. Too far for our remaining torpedo, and I doubt one torpedo would have sinked it. Resuming course.

16 OKT 0353 Message. Grid DM1925, course 74°, speed 7 knots.

16 OKT 0917 Message from BdU. U-45, report.

17 OKT 0612 Message. Grid BB7675, Course 336°, speed 10 knots.

17 OKT 0835 Message from BdU. U-boats are allowed to attack without warning all ships identified as hostile.

1158, Patrol area reached at AM94.

1735, Contact! Bearing 235° 22000m. speed 4 knots, course 100°. Moving to intercept on surface.

1805, Target at 15000m, periscope depth. full speed.

1925, Target merchant 4000t at 3500m, 1/3 speed. Waiting for optimal firing angle.
http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/15_lasttarget.png

1950, Target at 800m, engines halt. Preparing to fire. I can't miss form this position.

1951, There goes our last torpedo.

1953, Target destroyed.

Time to report that all torpedoes have been used and return to base. Reporting to BdU.

17 OKT 1957 Message from BdU. To U-112, Return to base.

Another troop transport spotted in english channel. Nothing I can do about that anymore.

19 OKT 2020 Message from BdU.
http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/16_BdU.png

21 OKT 0112 Message from BdU. Grid BB5763, Inbound.

21 OKT 1324 Message from U-23. Grid BB8311, Outbound.

Arriving to vicinity of home port.
22 OKT U-112 requesting escort to home port. This patrol is over for us.

Could have gone better. I made a few misjudgements when attacking the convoy. Should have approached closer on surface, but I was overly cautious. For a first patrol it wasn't that bad. Going to the second patrol area with just one torpedo was stupid. I would have been better off just to drop it overboard than going through all the trouble to go all the way to the west coast of britain to sink some silly trawler with it.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/003_arriving.png
Back home.


I will post the next patrol when I have time to play it.

Cool.

If I get the time tonight, and if my PC doesn't catch fire :lol: , I'll post up some screenies from SH3 in the other thread so you can see what it looks like.

Funny how that last picture of the crew on the top looks EXACTLY like the sailors in Das Boot :D .

What does AOTD stand for? Great AAR! Enjoyed it!

EDIT: I think I found the Das Boot music, I don't know as I've never heard of that movie before.

http://www.elite.net/~gurpal/movie1.htm

I demand SH 3 AAR!!!

Nice. Never seen this game before, so it should be an interesting read :D

What does AOTD stand for? Great AAR! Enjoyed it!

EDIT: I think I found the Das Boot music, I don't know as I've never heard of that movie before.

http://www.elite.net/~gurpal/movie1.htm

Aces of the Deep.

SH3 AARs exists here (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=93737)

Broken images fixed. I'll play another patrol this weekend.

Nice patrol ;). Well written.

Makes me want to watch Das Boot again. Good stuff!

Made me buy Das Boot yesterday (admittedly I was looking for something else), which in turn is making me want to play Silent Hunter.

Curse you Rhein! :p

Bad news. My second patrol ended as the game crashed. Not a big surprise considering I run it on dosbox.

Another wolf lost to the cruel Nord Atlantik.

Goodnight, sweet prince :salute:

Strangely my game suddenly started crashing, too. The same patrol crashed twice, each time at about the same time and area. And each time after I sunk a friggin' 32.000 ton battleship inside a convoy north of Ireland! Grrr!

2nd patrol of Oberleutnant Rhein.

Second patrol starts. 13 NOV 0614

Patrol area AN34

Plotting course to patrol area. looks like good hunting grounds.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/01_course.png

Speed 7 knots, course 336°

14 NOV 1517 Patrol area reached. Engines halt. Waiting for prey.

14 NOV 2322 Message from BdU. Grid AM9888, outbound.

15 NOV 1518 Message from U-15. Grid AM9777, inbound.

15 NOV 2254 Contact! Ship sighted. 13000m, 9°, speed 2 knots, course 200°

Periscope depth. Course to intercept, full speed ahead 4 knots, course 272°

2337 Target at 5000m

2352 Target at 3000m Merchant 1000t, Not much but it's a start. Preparing to fire.

0003 Target at 850m, engines halt, fire tube 1.

0004 Where's the kaboom? There was supposed to be an earth shattering kaboom. The first torpedo was a dud. Correcting heading for another shot. Tube 2 fired.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/02_1st.png
0005 Target destroyed!

Surfacing and heading away from the vicinity, course to north, northwest, full speed 7 knots.

0303 Engines halt. waiting.

17 NOV 0002 Contact! Target at 8800m, speed 6 knots, course 20°

Their course is passing us close, Periscope depth. Turning the boat around and closing in. Engines 2/3 ahead 3knots.

0020 Target at 5000m, sound contact.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/02_tanker1.png

0028 Target at 3000m, it's a tanker. We're close enough, engines halt. waiting for target to reach firing angle.

0035 Target at 1250m Tanker 12000t, preparing to fire. Sea is plenty rough.
I can't believe my good fortune. An unescorted 12000t tanker.

0038 Target straight ahead. Firing tubes 1&2 five second interval.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/03_tankerdestroyed.png

0042 Target destroyed. Cut in half by the first torpedo. second one was a dud.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/04_whatsleft.png
There's enough for one ship.

Surfacing and heading north, full speed 7 knots, course 330°.

0055 Metal creaking under water. depth 187m, did the tanker hit bottom already?

0115 Engines halt, waiting.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/05_spotted.png
17 NOV 1640 Contact! Ship sighted at 27°, 17000m, speed 16 knots, course 210°.

That's a fast one, troop transport probably. It's passing us from the west so if we move in quickly we can intercept this easily. Periscope depth, Flank speed ahead 7 knots.

1659 Target at 7000m, engines 2/3. Dusk setting, good for us.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/07_troop1.png
1704 Target at 4000m, Troop ship 11000t. We're too far ahead, engines full back.

1706 Waiting, engines halt.

1707 Target at 2000m

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/08_pleasehit.png
Target at 930m 30°. Fire tubes 1&3.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/09_kaboom.png
HIT!

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/10_hit2.png
HIT!

1712 Target destroyed.


http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/11_report.png
http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/12_moonlight.png
Reporting to BdU, heading home. Full speed ahead.

17 NOV 1713 Message from BdU. To U-112, Return to base.

17 NOV 1830 Message from BdU. To U-112, Good job.


The way home was short and uneventful.

19 NOV 0105 The patrol is over. U-112 requesting escort to home.

19 NOV 0107 Message from BdU. Escort on it's way.


http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/001_summary.png

Nice short patrol run. Three ships sunk. Nothing did go wrong except dud torpedoes. Two of them in a batch of six, 33%. Something must be done to the quality. This is totally unacceptable.

Were you using impact or magnetic pistols?

It might be the differnet magnetic field to the north causing your woes.

Yay! Darn duds. Can't wait for the next update.

It might be a vain hope, but is this game freeware?

Yay! Darn duds. Can't wait for the next update.

It might be a vain hope, but is this game freeware?

Tis' abandonware. I however am lucky enough to have the original. The kriegsmarine gridmap that comes with it is great because it makes it faster to find coordinates from the map with it. And the manual is worth reading. The old game manuals are great. Not the same as todays flimsy booklets.


It runs stable under dosbox. The crash was caused by my bad vision and clumsy fingers in the dark room. I had accidentally activated the sound recorder of dosdox and it crashed when the drive it was saving the sound to filled up.

I played the third patrol, but I don't have time to edit and post it until tomorrow.

Third patrol.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/P3_01start.png

14 DEZ 0651 It would be a nice change to encounter convoys for a while but I don't think my next patrol area hold much promise. Plotting course to AE97. Full speed ahead.

15 DEZ 2320 Radio message. Grid BB8442, Course 111°, speed 10 knots.


16 DEZ 1627 Approaching the northern tip of british isles.

18 DEZ 0935 Patrol area reached.

18 DEZ 1305 Destination reached. Engines halt. Waiting for contacts or radio reports of nearby convoys.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/P3_02visibility.png
19 DEZ 0116 Ahh, the power of biritish weather. I can't see my own toes in this peasoup.

0600 The fog is finally lifting, but not entirely.

20 DEZ 0642 Message from BdU. Grid DM2741, inbound.

20 DEZ 2009 Message from U-19. Grid DM2862, inbound.

22 DEZ 0110 The fog is like a clock. Rising every night around quarter past one, lifting a little at 6'o clock but not clearing entirely until 15:00-16:00. There could be a horde of pink elephants flying all around us but we wouldn't be able to see them.

24 DEZ 0555 I've had it with this dang fog. The english can keep their weather for all I care. The entire royal navy could have passed us during these few nights without us even noticing. Requesting new orders.

24 DEZ 0705 Message from BdU. New patrol area AN2885. Plotting course, full speed ahead.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/P3_03toofast.png
25 DEZ 1055 Contact! Fast ship at 4400m, bearing 286°, speed 20 knots, course 40°.

Course to intercept, flank speed ahead, periscope depth.

Torpedo fired from 4000m. If this hits, it'll be of because someone was praying and his

prayers were answered. This bugger is so fast.

1101 Miracle has happened, The torpedo hit. Target speed dropped to 14 knots. It's

still too fast for us to catch. Firing another tube.

1108 Bah! the torpedo ran out of juice before reaching the target. Our torpedoes cannot reach from this distance since the target is already heading away from us. If I had one steam runner loaded it would have been a different story. Surfacing and continuing chase.

1110 Giving up the chase. It's too fast for us and this cursed fog ain't helping.

Target slowly disappearing into the fog. Wasted two torpedoes for what! (Add lots of curse words here).

Resuming course, full speed ahead.

28 DEZ 1353 Patrol area reached, engines halt. waiting.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/P3_04close1.png
31 DEZ 2301 Contact! This one almost sailed on us in the fog. Have to act fast now.

Target at 1700m, speed 4 knots, course 170°. Looks like a tanker.

Periscope depth, 2/3 ahead 3 knots, course 77°.

2304 Target at 1000m and closing. Adjusting my course slightly to 81°

2305 Target at 700m preparing to fire. 1/3 ahead.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/P3_05close2.png
Firing tube 1. Target indentified as merchant 8000t. Engines halt.

2307 Target hit and destroyed. Sinking fast.
Surface, heading away to north, 1/3 ahead 4 knots.

0218 Engines halt. Visibility nonexistant.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/P3_08far1.png
1 JAN 1436 Contact. Target at 20000m north. Speed 4 knots, course 310°.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/P3_plan1.png
It's ahead of us and too far. I will run by it's side maintaining distance until dark.

Heading beside target on surface, full ahead.

1534 Dusk. Starting approach on surface. Target at 20000m.

1622 Target at 18000m

1630 Target at 17000m, periscope depth. We are now ahead of target, should be able to catch it just fine now. Turning to intercept, course 36°

1659 Target at 10000m, flank ahead.

1718 Merchant 7000t at 4000m. 15° to firing angle.

1725 Target at 2500m 4° to firing angle.

1726 Target at firing angle 2200m. 2/3 ahead. Prepare to fire.

Tube 1 fired.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/P3_09composite.png
1728 Target destroyed. The torpedo was lagging, hitting the target several seconds after calculated impact. I was afraid that I had missed. Surfacing and heading south 2/3 ahead.

2016 Engines halt.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/P3_13m2000t.png
2 JAN 1120 Contact! Target at 21000m, speed 2, course 250°, coming towards us.

1149 Target at 18000m, periscope depth. Waiting.

1256 Merchant 2000t at 10000m. Waiting.

1333 Target at 5000m, 2/3 ahead.

1338 Target at 4200m. Waiting.

1354 Target at 2600m, 1/3 ahead.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/P3_15m2000t.png
1402 Engines halt. Target at 1500m, preparing to fire.

1405 Target at 1100m, ready to fire.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/P3_16m2000tfired.png
Tube 2 fired.
Target hit and destroyed. Surfacing and heading south, full speed ahead.

1840 Engines halt. waiting.

4 JAN 1328 Tired bee! 10000m. Crash dive 100m, flank ahead!

1329 at 100m and feeling safe.

1423 ascending to periscope depth.

1428 at periscope depth. Contact! Tanker at 20000m, bearing 142°, speed 2 knots, course 150° approaching from north. Waiting.

1450 Course 265° 2/3 ahead 3 knots.

1605 Target at 7000m, engines 1/3 ahead.

1628 Engines halt. Target at 4000m. waiting.

1632 1/3 ahead.

1645 Target at 2000m

1655 Target at 1200m. Optimal firing angle, ready to fire.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/P3_18last1.png
1658 Tube 3 fired. Waiting for hit.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/P3_19last3.png
1659 Target destroyed. Sending combat and status reports to BdU. Surfacing and heading home.

4 JAN 1705 Message from BdU. To U-112 Return to base.

4 JAN 1758 Message from BdU. To U-112 Good job.

6 JAN 0336 Message from BdU. Grid BF1324, outbound.

6 JAN 0603 Message from U-41. Grid BF1319, outbound.

6 JAN 1255 U-112 requesting escort to home. Returning to port.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/jatt/AOTD/P3_21newboat.png
I've been assigned a new Type VIIB boat. The U-49! The next patrol will be in a new bigger boat. That should be interesting, and the patrol could take a lot longer.

Wahoo! Go Rhein!

Cannot see a new patrol happening any time soon. First time I played was thursday evening, but I had to leave it because it took too long. I played for two hours today and it crashed again.

The first time I got in squabble with a well escorted convoy near the east coast of england. Couldn't get to a firing position and got chased away by the escorts.

The second time I got assigned to north atlantic. Managed to sink four ships. One merchant 7000t with a torpedo (one dud). Tanker 8000t with a torpedo. small 1000t tanker with the onboard 88. And barely caught a troop ship doing 18kt. Fired two torpedoes. The first missed and the second hit late, when I thought it had missed. I had already surfaced and started firing with the 88, when the torpedo hit almost simultaneously with a 88 shell, destroying the target. A few days after that is crashed... :(. I received four radio messages from other subs in trouble. One got trashed midst sending the message. All I received from the radio was: U-54, AN. *Explosion*. Two others got in trouble in the norwegian coast and one got in fight with an enemy sub.

interesting AAR