Translated to English by Doc 'Bleichrodt' Snyder

This Preview covers the first mission when starting a new career. The screenshots shown may have been taken at different occasions, but I guess they're fitting the mood. The incident at the end of my review has been deliberatetly precipitated by me and didn't occur accidentally in the game.

I'd like to thank Ubisoft and Marc_Ubi for providing me with a preview copy of SHIII.

I hope, you'll like this preview and will enjoy reading it.

Yours,
Koricus and the 9th Flotilla



March 9th, 1940 - 06:00

Received new orders from BdU. I have been detached to the 1st flotilla located in Brest in order to take over command of U-99. This will be my first command, I'm quite nervous about that.... said goodbye to Emma and the kids at the station... 2 hours to go..

March 9th, 1940 - 22:00

I've reported to my flotilla commander and received my orders.... we'll be on patrol duty at grid square AM19. Seems like my performance at U-boat-school wasn't that bad. BdU authorized me to install a new sonar system. Crew's quite new to the job, but I've got some experienced guys, too. Read reports on the boat's status, fully fueled up, provitions and torpedos on board... heading for the harbor...

March 10th, 1940 - 02:00

It's pitch dark, I can't see anything out there except for the city's lights and the lighthouse.... with 1/3 ahead, we're floating slowly out of dock... I can't see nothing at all... going under deck for a glance at the charts.... no barriers ahead... going to 1/2 ..... **BBOOOOOOOOOMMMM**...... what the hell!.... "We took damage, Sir" takes me away from the shock.... what happened? "We bumped into the quay walls, Herr Kaleun!"... how could this have happenend?.... excuses coming in: "We were not able to make it out in that darkness".... so back to dock for a closer look... damage control reports no damage except for some dents at the bow... my decision: let's wait for sunrise to get the boat out of dock without taking further damage...

March 10th, 1940 - 10:30

A beautiful day.... even though I've heard quite some things about the farewell procedures, I hadn't expected what was going on now. Actually, there's a band at the quay... crowds of people waving hands, an exalted feeling. And there it is, U-99, a type VIIb, ready to put to sea, at the docks.... I'm wondering what Emma and the kids would say.... But now it's no the right time for daydreaming... ordering 1/3 ahead... U-99 slowly slides out of dock... heading 270, 1/2 ahead... lookouts entering the conning tower.. I'm taking a view starboards over Brest and the harbor... The bunkers look quite impressive... I can't hear the music anymore, some sea gulls screaming... slowly, Brests slips away..

March 10th, 1940 - 16:00

We reached open waters... My order: set course to square AM19... The boat is shaking in the waves.... Again, it's a nice view watching the sea.... Weather is good, easy winds from the East, almost no clouds in the sky.... will inspect the boat now.... Everything's fine at the control room... all hands on stations.... provitions stored in control room swinging to the boat's rhythm.... communication with crew is still a little new to me, but this surely will improve..

March 11th, 1940

we're heading towards our target area at half speed, bearing NW... our target area lies to the west of Ireland - we better watch out carefully, enemy airplanes might appear... Radio broadcast reports the Wehrmacht's victories in France... commanding to put on a grammophone record.... Think, music's good for the crew's morale while taking a seat in the commander's cabin.... where did I leave my ship's log.... a yelling scream keeps me from searching on "AAAAALLLLAAAAAARRRRRRRRMMMMMMM". I can here the crew running through the boat... tower hatch being shut.... the diesel engines, that had faithfully accompanied us with their pounding since leaving port suddenly stop.... I can hear electrical engines starting up... the boat bends and disappears in steep angle from the surface.... at 75 meters, Chief skillfully catches the boat... 1/3 ahead... all stations reporting in..... I can see sorrow in the crew's faces, except for the 1WO - who can barely surpress a grin.... drill alarm! I'm content with the crew's performance..... the maneuver went well... less then 1 minute for getting under the surface.... an hour later, I command periscope depths... Air scope's coming up... a short look around - all free... sonar reports no contacts, too. Surfacing... lookouts coming up... I'm taking a view around. The more north we go, the worse the weather will get.

March 12, 1940

We're close to target area.... propaganda on the radio... weather calmed down a little bit... it's been quite dark out there last night.... no convoy sighting reports... nothing happens, so my decision to do some practice with the cannon.... ordering to man the guns. I'm at the bow gun to ensure that everything runs well.... the sea is getting a little rough.. breakers running over the bow what causes a lot of spattering.... I don't feel like getting wet and head back for the Wintergarten where seaman Falke manned the AA gun... ordering end of drill and commence looking at the sea.... I simply love the calmness out here... missing Emma and the kids.

March 14, 1940

We reach target area, orders tell us to do a 24h patrol... Report from radio station "Large convoy sighted! Square AM19, heading East, speed 7 knots." That's somewhere in the near... informing crew and command course to the square's center... Full speed ahead... night's falling in... can't allow getting tired, keep eyes open! We're running on the convoy... already 2 hours passed by and still nothing in sight... It's dark like inside of a bear's ass... okay, let's see what hydrophones say.... ordering periscope depths.

Radio reports "Large convoy sighted, square AM28, heading east, speed 7 knots"... we missed him... setting course to east at full speed.... the boat does not react... "What's the matter?"... Chief fallen asleep? Oh well, 5 days on duty without rest, noone can take that.... ordering Chief to rest and changin crew at the engines.... the boat takes course to east.... 4 hours east at full speed, still nothing in sight... Where the hell did that bloody convoy go.... no notifications, simply nothing...

2 days already... and still no sign of that convoy... The weather doesn't help to enhance the mood, too.... it's slightly foggy, visibility bad... Crew recovered a bit during the last two days, but I'm worring about the officers... new radio message.. "Large convoy sighted, square AM29, heading ESE, speed 7 knots." Ordering to alter course...

March 16th, 1940 - 15:00

Decided to check the hydrophones... ordered to periscope depths... crew going under deck... The boat reaches 13 meters and I raise the scope for a look around. Waiting for sonar to report contacts.... Suddenly, Chief screaming. Depths rudders turned out... maybe our little collision with the quay walls did cause some damage after all, and we hadn't noticed it.... ordering a repair team to fix it but they can't find any damage... Boat is still sinking. At 120 meters, I command full speed back... nothing... blowing tanks - the boat's sinking rate decreases but it keeps on sinking... At 160 meters, the Chief reports maximum safe depths passed... but what shall I do?.. Fear's coming up. Total depths here is more than 1000 meters.... Chief reports that the boat is not to stop... Water pressure makes the hull scrunch.... 170 meters. First bolts jumping out of their places, hull sounds increasing.... 180 meters. Lamps crackle. Light is flickering.... Water leakage in control room, broad stream of water coming in.... 190 meters. Lights go out, it's dark... can't see anything... pressure sounds very loud but I can only recognize it subconsciously.... Thinking of Emma and the children... 200 meters is near to crush depths... water climbing in control room... it's over.