The Invisible Enemy

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

I want to take JC!!!!!

And you did post this in the wrong thread.

[Franconicus]

I want to take JC!!!!!

And you did post this in the wrong thread.

Well, if you are already here, why don't you jump into the game?

[Fisherking]

No one said anything about using single escorts!

There are two escorts in each sector. That would be front, back and sides.

And no, I want to use the planes just as much but don't want to risk the carrier maneuvering far outside of the convoy.

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

Well, if you are already here, why don't you jump into the game?

Naval stuff ain't my cup of tea! Let that old guy KK beat up on the Germans!

[King Kurt]

Naval stuff ain't my cup of tea! Let that old guy KK beat up on the Germans!

Some respect for your elders please!!!!!

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

KK!! Joke my friend,joke.

[Franconicus]

Chapter 11 – from dusk til noon, 20 of December

Walker’s convoy leaves the Adjutant behind and prepares itself for the night. Everybody expects that the Krauts will attack as soon night falls. However, nothing happens. Walker stares into the dark, but there does not seem to be anything out there. He went to the ASDIC-room, but there is only the noise of the convoy. Walker mistrusts the peace, he knows that several submarines are out there and he does not have the illusion that they are willing to give up.
At four o’clock Stork receives a radio message from England. WAC decided to send reinforcements, three ships from Gibraltar, two flower class corvettes and the already known HMS Stanley. Further more, a Black Swan Sloop which is already operating in the Bay of Biscay will be redirected to the convoy. Four ships, that will certainly change the balance of power to their favor. But until their arrival Walker has to defend the convoy with the ships he has. Walker goes on deck. Light fog is coming up. Walker wonders why the Germans hesitate to attack. Until know, they only attacked stragglers.
It is almost dawn, when Merigold reports a contact on the Northeastern side of the convoy. At once Walker gives her and Penstemon the order to chase the German submarine, if there is actually one out there. Both ships report of short contacts, but they are unable to detect the position of the submarine.
In the meanwhile, Walker receives a message from the Audacity. MacKendrick decided to start his planes with the first light of day and therefore he decided to place his ship a bit in front of the convoy. Walker curses. Right now, when the German begin to wake up, MacKendrick leads the only carrier to an exposed position. Yet, there is not a lot Walker can do. As he is at the rear of the convoy, he tells Lt. Connel of the Convulvulus to keep an eye on the carrier.
Moments later, Walker forgets about the carrier. Only some hundred yards in front of him, two torpedoes detonate. The target is the Switzerland a 9,000 tons freight ship. There is fire at the forward deck. Walker orders his sloop closer. The German must still be there. Snowflakes are fired, but Stork is not able to detect the submarine. Minutes later another torpedo hits the Switzerland, which begins to sink slowly. The crew tries to leave the ship in life boats. Still no signal from the German submarine.
On the southwestern edge of the convoy, Vetch and Rhodedendron detect a submarine. They begin to charge it immediately. The light of snowflakes and the sound of depth charges come from the left side of the convoy. The minutes pass slowly. Walker already gave the order for the columns to zigzag. Then Vetch reports that a submarine went up. The two corvettes open fire, but the submarine tries to escape. Rhodedendron tries to drive against it, but it fails the target. The submarine seems to be seriously damaged, but it is still swimming. German sailors jump into the sea. Then all over sudden, the submarine goes down and disappears. Vetch and Rodedendron leave the place of combat without caring for the Germans and return to their guarding positions.
There is not much time left to be happy about the success. Minutes later there are three detonations in the middle of the convoy. The captains of the freight ships begin to panic and order is lost. Finally Walker finds out, that three ships were hit, two sunk immediately, the third one is still running and will probably be able to continue the journey. The Switzerland is still swimming, too. The fire went out and the crew returns to the ship. Hopefully she will be able to keep our speed, Walker thinks. However, at this moment, two torpedoes hit the damaged ship, which begins to sink. An hour later, it is gone.
This is the last event. The sun comes up and the fog slowly disappears. Walker’s convoy is still heading northwest. During night, it lost three ships, but sunk one German boat. But the battle is not over. Walker knows that both sides are waiting for reinforcements and when night comes, the battle will continue.

[Franconicus]

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