(From (U-21-Control Room) The weather's not terrible in the channel. At least the crew of the U-21 has that going for them. Acting Captain Bethmann scans the horizon with a grumble, scratching at his newly grown beard before stopping. "Well boys … the game is afoot. English destroyer (OOC: #8912) - at heading 45 degrees." He rubs at his eyes for a moment before looking back through. "Bring us within 6500 yards and begin diving."
(From (U-21-Control Room) Riedel shouts and "Aye" up from the helm before calling back to engineering to get the engines roaring. He keeps the wheel and the ship from listing a bit to the right with a firm hand on it, and U21 heads straight as she goes.
"Torpedoes loaded and ready!" Lorenz says, pulling on his suspenders a little as he double checks the tube doors, making sure they're all closed and everything and looking over the various dudes assigned to the foreward torpedo room.
(From (U-21-Control Room) Riedel shouts some abuse at the engineer over his shoulder and sends a lackey back down the length of the boat to help get the dodgy diesel engines running, eventually they splutter into life. Now we're cooking on fumes.
(From (U-21-Control Room) Bethmann keeps his eyes pressed to the periscope as the Unterseeboot steams ahead.
(From (U-21-Control Room) Riedel tells Bethman in a quiet voice, "I'm keeping her steady due west, let me know when we get to diving range captain, or if enemy movement causes need for course changes." He wipes a bead of cold sweat from his brow.
(From (U-21-Control Room) "Keep your heading helmsman.", the Captain remarks, chewing on his lip as he watches the progress of the destroyer, waving his hand a little dismissively.
(From (U-21-Control Room) "7 and a half thousand yards and closing."
(From (U-21-Control Room) Bethmann says "Double check the fish in the tubes … Dive! Dive!"
(From (U-21-Control Room) Riedel counts the seconds on his battered pocket watch, laying a stubby finger on the wheel with each passing hundred feet.
«VSpace» U-21 prepares to dive!
«VSpace» U-21 goes to battle stations!
(From (U-21-Control Room) Riedel orders all hatches sealed and the deisel turned off.
Lorenz whistles a jaunty tune or something as he moves over to the firing controls and such, then the call for battle stations goes out and he barks a couple germany orders to the torpedo crew.
(From (U-21-Control Room) "Bring our heading to 315 … maintain flank speed.", the Captain orders, the periscope skimming just above the surface.
(From (U-21-Control Room) Riedel nudges the wheel to the right as the commotion of preparing to dive continues.
«VSpace» U-21 dives!
(From (U-21-Control Room) "Four thousand yards and closing … enemy destroyer at bearing 3 - 5 - 1.", the Captain relays. "May need to make minor adjustment to heading as we close."
(From (U-21-Control Room) Riedel holds his breath as the diesel splutters and dies down, keeping the boat straight his eyes focussed on Bethman's lips as reals off the orders. A quick check on the dails and engineering to make sure the very quiet eletric engines are actually running.
(From (U-21-Control Room) "Adjust heading to 0 degrees to intercept.", the Captain orders quickly.
(From (U-21-Control Room) Riedel quietly complies with the order, turning the wheel 90 degrees to the right.
(From (U-21-Control Room) "We'll have her in a bit boys … paitenence.", the Captain remarks, licking his lips as he rotates the periscope in place.
One of Lorenz's crew is busy oiling up the torpedoes with vaseline. And being a bit of a perv about it, stripped to the waist as he is in the heat, rubbing that torpedo like it's his wife or something. "Helps it… slip right in there.".
(From (U-21-Control Room) Riedel looks down at his pocket watch for a full half minute, one hand gripping the wheel with white knuckles. He looks back up at the periscope, and licks his own lips echoing Bentham.
"Ja, and the rubber mallet to help pound it in if it's too tight." Lorenz agrees with a nod of his head, thumbs looking into his suspenders a bit as he waits.
(From (U-21-Control Room) "Three point three thousand yards and closing … load and flood the tubes.", the Captain orders, his hands going white as he grips the periscope handles.
"Flooding tubes!" Lorenz calls, moving to hit a lever, or turn a valve, or whatever it is he does on these contraptions. "Tubes flooded!"
(From (U-21-Control Room) Riedel turns back so he is fully facing the wheel. He turns to take a quick peek in the direction of the torpedo tubes before returning to readyness.
(From (U-21-Control Room) "Three thousand yards … british destroyer at bearing 308 slipping to port slightly. Torpedo run get me a solution for twenty-five hundred yards.", comes the command in slow meticulous German. Hamburg perhaps?
(From (U-21-Control Room) Bethmann says "Adjust heading three-four-five."
Lorenz turns knobs on the analog calculator, and maybe a few chicken scratches on a pad of paper as the request for a firing solution is requested. "Solution prepared."
(From (U-21-Control Room) Bethmann says "Two-seven hundred …"
(From (U-21-Control Room) Riedel " Aye Captain." turns to wheel ever so slightly left, waits a little for the sub to settle back to forward and repeats the order back. "HEading at three-four-five." He licks his lips again, wiping his brow and looking up at the steel cieling where he imagines the destroyer to be.
«VSpace» According to your analog computer, the target deflection angle for that target is
-1.018601 degrees from the observed bearing.
(From (U-21-Control Room) Bethmann says "Fire tubes one, two and three … five degree spread!"
«VSpace» Fire 1 on bearing 356 (heading 341)!
Torpedo Running!
«VSpace» Fire 2 on bearing 0 (heading 345)!
Torpedo Running!
«VSpace» Fire 3 on bearing 5 (heading 350)!
Torpedo Running!
Torpedo on heading 341 is now armed.
Torpedo on heading 345 is now armed.
Torpedo on heading 350 is now armed.
(From (U-21-Control Room) The Captain tenses, his hands going impossibly white as he tracks the path of the torpedos in the water and their target.
"TORPEDO's AWAY!" Lorenz calls, though the thump of them leaving might help indicate that too. He's like the german equivelent of southwest england, maybe even has webbed toes to help with swimming.
(From (U-21-Control Room) Riedel goes back to keeping an eye on his watch, listening intently for any sound apart from the soft hum of the eletric motor.
«VSpace» Lorenz gives the orders to ready tube 1 with a 533mm G7a torpedo! To begin loading, use +torpedo/load 1.
(From (U-21-Control Room) «OOC» Bethmann says "They shot head I think … across its bow."
«VSpace» Lorenz gives the order to begin reloading tube 1.
The sound of chain hoists can be heard, and the grunting and heaving of crew as they work one of the bigass torpedoes into line with tube one, lubing it up nice and good to slide it home!
(From (U-21-Control Room) "Damnit. They crossed its bow … prepare a firing solution for two thousand yards. Correctly this time if you will!", the Captain half-chastises.
(From (U-21-Control Room) Riedel lets out a breath as the clock ticks past the couple of minute mark and shakes his head. Still his job is to keep the boat straight while the torpedoes are calculated and launched.
«VSpace» According to your analog computer, the target deflection angle for that target is
-1.018601 degrees from the observed bearing.
(From (U-21-Control Room) Bethmann says "Destroyer bearing at three-two-one!"
«VSpace» Fire 4 on bearing 320 (heading 305)!
Torpedo Running!
(From (U-21-Control Room) Bethmann says "1700 yards! Fire when ready!"
"Torpedo running!" Lorenz calls back as he inputs the numbers and pulles the big shooty lever, sending the last readied torpedo out at the ship.
Torpedo on heading 305 is now armed.
Torpedo on heading 341 is now dead.
Torpedo on heading 345 is now dead.
Torpedo on heading 350 is now dead.
(From (U-21-Control Room) Riedel glances at the watch again, and counts down the seconds in a half hushed mumble.
«VSpace» Lorenz gives the orders to ready tube 2 with a 533mm G7a torpedo! To begin loading, use +torpedo/load 2.
«VSpace» No more ammunition of that particular type!
«VSpace» Lorenz gives the orders to ready tube 3 with a 533mm G7e T2 torpedo! To begin loading, use +torpedo/load 3.
«VSpace» Your crew can only be working on loading a single torpedo tube at a time.
«VSpace» Lorenz gives the orders to ready tube 4 with a 533mm G7e T2 torpedo! To begin loading, use +torpedo/load 4.
(From (U-21-Control Room) "Come on you bastard.", the Captain mutters as he tracks the course of the last torpedo.
«VSpace» Torpedo tubes you are currently responsible for :-
(From (U-21-Control Room) Bethmann says "English Destroyer! Bearing 321!"
(From (U-21-Control Room) «ADMIN» Death says "ok. Well. 20 minutes later, you come back, and…!"
(From (U-21-Control Room) Bethmann says "Twelve hundred and fifty yards!"
«VSpace» According to your analog computer, the target deflection angle for that target is
-1.018601 degrees from the observed bearing.
«VSpace» Fire 1 on bearing 316 (heading 301)!
Torpedo Running!
«VSpace» Fire 2 on bearing 320 (heading 305)!
Torpedo Running!
(From (U-21-Control Room) Bethmann says "Fire when you have a solution!"
«VSpace» Fire 3 on bearing 324 (heading 309)!
Torpedo Running!
«VSpace» Fire 4 on bearing 326 (heading 311)!
Torpedo Running!
Torpedo on heading 301 is now armed.
Torpedo on heading 305 is now armed.
Torpedo on heading 309 is now armed.
Torpedo on heading 311 is now armed.
"Torpedoes swimming!" Lorenz shouts as the next volley of torpedoes launch from the tubes at the british ship.
You hear a very loud explosion from outside the boat.
(From (U-21-Control Room) Riedel ducks as he hears a boom, then keeps one hand on the wheel, ready to get them out of there again.
(From (U-21-Control Room)
«VSpace» Torpedo hit on HMS Pathfinder!
Aft magazine is hit!
Engine room is hit!
Diesel Engine 1 is hit!
Diesel Engine 2 is hit!
Steering Gear is hit!
Generator 1 is hit!
Generator 2 is hit!
Aft Pumps is hit!
You hear a very loud explosion from outside the boat. (Bearing 45)
(From (U-21-Control Room) "Ahaha boys! That's a hit … I think we hit her magazine.", the Captain shouts with a triumphant laugh. He pulls nearby officers closer for a glance.
Lorenz does a fist pump and a little hop as one of his torpedos hits, "Ja! Good one lads! Send those limeys to the sea floor!"
(From (U-21-Control Room) "Set a heading for 0 degrees. Half-ahead and prepare to surface.", the Captain orders, spinning to get a better look at their handy work.
Torpedo on heading 301 is now dead.
Torpedo on heading 305 is now dead.
«VSpace» U-21 surfaces!
«VSpace» U-21 rigs for surface running.
(From (U-21-Control Room) Riedel nods, gets up from slumping over the helm and adjusts the heading and brings her up slowly, giving orders for the hatches to be open as soon as.
(From (U-21-Control Room) "All stop and all hands topside who want to take a look at their handywork! I've got some schnapps stashed away just for such an ocassion!", the Captain remarks, sliding the periscope back up into position and heading for the conning tower.
(From (U-21-Control Room) Riedel get the engines turns off from the back and pushes his way to the conning tower with the rest of the crew.
«VSpace» U-21 stands down from battle stations.
The bridge of the U-boat is right at the top of the conning tower, essentially just a platform with a metal ring around it exposed to the elements. With the U-boat sitting quite low in the water compared to most ships even being balanced up top in here is often a very wet experience.
The tower top is festooned with equipment - antiaircraft guns, the periscope and a rangefinder affixed to the metal decking to be used when making surface attacks. Railings lead down to the surface of the hull itself but navigating them would be very dangerous in heavy seas.
It is currently daytime.
Heading : 0 degrees
Speed : 0 knots
Depth : 0 feet
Hatches : open
The sea around you has a light swell.
Type Name Brg. Hdg. Altitude Spd. Rng.
DD (#8912) HMS Pathfinder 222 45 0' -12 2443 yds
SS (#3692)U-21 90 0 0' 0 0 yds
Systems:
1. C30 20mm gun
2. Periscope
Sub-Rooms :
1. Captain
2. AA gunner
Contents
Lorenz
Bethmann
Riedel
Control Room <CR> Aft deck <AD>
Forward deck <FD>
Lorenz arrives from the Control Room.
Lorenz scures his little cap on his head as he climbs up from the front of the U-boat, covered in a bit of grease and vaseline and other stuff no doubt as he takes a spot on the conning tower to peer at the explosion out there.
"Keep a weather eye, boys.", the Captain warns as he shrugs on his jacket, bringing out field glasses to observe before handing them over to one of his men. "They'll radio for rescue. Its a shame we have to return for more torpedoes or we might get two."
Riedel looks at the happilly burning ship with a grim smile, "So much for the greatest navy in the world." He remarks as glibbly as his prussian accent will allow.
«VSpace» HMS Pathfinder is destroyed by a massive explosion!
«VSpace» HMS Pathfinder is destroyed by a massive explosion!
