PATROL 12
Time 0400
Course AN22
Radio: new mind field AN 26/41… also small boat activity betw Orkneys and Scotland
Time 0700
CAPTAIN ACTIVATES PA-SYSTEM: “announcement to whole crew…”
As you start to approach operation zone, Captain makes an announcement to whole crew, reveals the true nature and target of this mission. Younger crew members get careless when they start to worry what dangers lie ahead.
/- RADIO MALFUNCTION
Sparks fly in radio room, electric short circuit and radio goes silent. RADIOMAN REPORTS: must be faulty wiring somewhere, would need at least 4 hours to go through cables all the way to electric batteries to locate it.
REPAIR ORDER - 4 hours…
Captain gives motivational speech to raise morale, and offers some special tasty chokolade
Time 0800 sunrise
Time 1000 sighting 2 merchants, portuguese and ?
Time 1200 radio is still under repairs...
Time 1300
POLITICAL EVENT
To offer quick aid to Germans, Spain marches land troops in to secure Gibraltar.
Mussolini becomes jealous of control rights over Gibraltar and Mediterranean. Mussolini announces intention to invade Gibraltar.
CAPTAIN TAKE 1 STRESS DICE
Time 1500 UBOOT ran into storm
Time 1700
UBOOT EVENT
Captain orders diving tanks to be partially filled with water.
This will minimize time needed for emergency dive.
Time 1900 radio is fixed, storm is out, raining
Time 2000 sun goes down
Time 2200 raining, overcast
Time 2300 torpedo tube 1 needs repairs, 2 hours
Time 2400 sighting of lighthouse on Orkney Islands, quarter speed ahead - CAPTAIN ORDER: Look for mines
Time 0100
OFFICER EVENT
Watch Officer comes to bridge with steaming pot of Mittelwächter - mix of very strong coffee laced with rum.
Bigger wave splashes the bridge and rocks the boat.
Watch Officer loses hold on ladder and falls down the hatch to control room.
Rum is lost. Donnerwätter.
Watch Officer takes damage from head trauma, and is unconscious for rest of current watch.
Time 0300 weather clears, sighting
Time 0500 sighting small boat,
CAPTAIN ORDER: start depth measuring
Time 0600 torpedo tube is fixed
Slow ahead… scanning the coastal waters and water depth.
Time 0700
UBOOT tries slow speed to sneak into the narrow strait ahead…
NO CAN DO… water depth becomes only 10 meters and UBOOT is in potential danger of running aground. Time is New Moon which means LOW TIDE for next 2 weeks. Captain prefers NOT to get stuck sitting at the bottom for 2 weeks, UBOOT backs off to deeper water.
Sun is rising in 1 hour. CAPTAIN orders UBOOT to move further out to 150 meters depth and stay submerged in place without moving, using periscope depth and hydrophone to observe enemy traffic during the day.
Long and quiet waiting time begins….
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