21.51 when the plume of the torpedo rose from the British merchant.
Immediately a destroyer was sited a 110 degrees and closing. Crash
dive was ordered as the destroyer headed inbound to lay her first pattern.
70 meters, 90 degree turn, running silent as the first pattern exploded.
3 more passes, depth charges going off just out of range..
All the evasives, changing speeds, headings, depths came up empty..
We were cornered, a few more passes and it would be over..
22.29 Order came to blow ballest at 90 meters just after a new pattern was dropped.
We weren't going out with out a fight. Up we came, sited the Destroyer at 85 degrees
at 1300 yards going away. High angle shot but it's all we had. Fired two foreward
torpedos, all ahead flank, full right rudder to the the same direction of his turn.
One last shot out of our stern tube...
The first two had already missed as crash dive was sounded at 22.36..
We were passing 60 meters as word came that the third torpedo was overdue...
22.37 at 95 meters we were hit and damaged by 4 depth charges. With fire and flooding
emergency reverse was ordered followed by all stop. We settled on the bottom in
128 meters of water and lay still as the high speed screws continued with their
search patterns above..
On Feb 16, 1940 at 00.48 we came off the ocean floor and all ahead slow at 80 meters
was ordered...
Sonar was clear...
Silent Hunter II, all updates and patchs including Das Boot German sound tracks
It's amazing what you see in your minds eye as it is all played out looking at these gauges..