So, you're tasked to recon carriers...

[Anthony W.]

I was recently tasked to photograph the 2 carriers in Rabaul...

I slid past the escorts and got into the harbor. I took my photo's.

Then - deep within me - I felt something bucking...

I just had a feeling that all 10 of my fish were itching for a run.

I angled myself parallel to them at about 4500 yards, and, against orders, fired all tubes at 8 second intervals.

It was beautiful. The explosions lit the harbor up like daylight. Both went down.

I used their sounds to sprint into deep water, and remained under for the rest of the week.

I think I did Admiral Nimitz proud.

[Daniel Prates]

I think that if you were ordered to just photograph them, it is implied that you are not supposed to shoot at them, since your recon is part of some big-picture you are not supposed to understand. That in real life, anyways. The game sure as hell does not give a damn about that and you will be credited the apropriate points.

Good shooting, though. I too would never miss the chance of scratching a CV, specially being that vulnerable.

[TorpX]

I think the idea of being ordered to photograph the carriers is that snapping some photos and sneaking away would be safer than firing off all your torps and getting into a major battle with the local harbor defenses. (In the game, the defenses are most likely too weak, though.) Being given a mission to sink XX-CV's seems a bit too much like a banzai mission, IMO.

If a USN Captain had a chance to sink any CV, without commiting suicide, he would be expected to do it.

[Sailor Steve]

In real life US skippers did raid some "harbors", but they were mostly smallish merchant stops. Any base that would have any capital ship was going to be so protected you wouldn't get in, much less get out again. Hence the need for recon missions, which were done outside from a distance, and usually to report buildups to get an idea of where the next big push would be.

[Anthony W.]

In real life US skippers did raid some "harbors", but they were mostly smallish merchant stops. Any base that would have any capital ship was going to be so protected you wouldn't get in, much less get out again. Hence the need for recon missions, which were done outside from a distance, and usually to report buildups to get an idea of where the next big push would be.

It was guarded. Like I said, I went underneath a destroyer.

Decoys saved me from being sank. I launched like 20 sets in 1 area then turned around and went silent.

[Sailor Steve]

It was guarded. Like I said, I went underneath a destroyer.

Decoys saved me from being sank. I launched like 20 sets in 1 area then turned around and went silent.
No, it was not guarded. Not like they really were.

[Anthony W.]

No, it was not guarded. Not like they really were.

True.

Sneaking into Palau Koror was guarded.

[Daniel Prates]

yeah Steve is right, every stinkin jetty that may be harbouring capital ships would certainly be heavily guarded, in a manner that Sh4 duplicates nowhere.

[Dogfish40]

If there was a chance to sink the most lethal ships the IJN had, whatever the mission dictated, even in the biggest of pictures and operations, one or two less carriers ment having less of a threat to worry about in the big plan. In the game, (if you use any outside cameras) the best thing to watch is a carrier go down with three or four of your fish in it!! Anthony,
Way to go!! Being in the harbor and all took nerve. You should be commended back at base!
:salute: D40

[WernherVonTrapp]

Good job on the recon and sinkings Anthony.:yeah:

I raid Rabaul all the time, though there's usually 2 to 3 patrol craft of varying types in the preceding bay, not to mention the scope mounted shore batteries along the coast. I usually sink any patrol craft before entering Rabaul so as to facilitate a faster exit. It's actually starting to get boring for me.:D Realistic? No, but it kills some time and ups my tonnage when things are slow.

[Anthony W.]

If there was a chance to sink the most lethal ships the IJN had, whatever the mission dictated, even in the biggest of pictures and operations, one or two less carriers ment having less of a threat to worry about in the big plan. In the game, (if you use any outside cameras) the best thing to watch is a carrier go down with three or four of your fish in it!! Anthony,
Way to go!! Being in the harbor and all took nerve. You should be commended back at base!
:salute: D40

My third Navy Commendation medal.

One of them - was insane. I took heavy damage, and, while flooding fast, ordered a dive and pressed a long range (8000 yard) attack with Mk.14s. I launch a 6 fish spread. 2 of them hit the big cruise liner, and 2 hit another ship. One hit one of the 6 destroyers. All of them went down. I had ran across a heavily escorted convoy. It had a passenger vessel so my immediate thought was "VIP". A pair of 6 inch shells got lucky as I was diving.

[AVGWarhawk]

Decoys saved me from being sank. I launched like 20 sets in 1 area then turned around and went silent.


Decoys? You must have that secret defense not available until very late war. :hmmm:

[Torplexed]

Near as I can tell by studying their tabular records of movement at the Combined Fleet site the Japanese never based any of their big fleet carriers at Rabaul during the entire war, although air groups from the carriers sometimes operated from the airfield. They seemed to have preferred Truk 800 miles to the north as a carrier anchorage instead. The small escort carrier Taiyo visited briefly once in April 1942 but was probably only being used to ferry planes to the base.

[Armistead]

Near as I can tell by studying their tabular records of movement at the Combined Fleet site the Japanese never based any of their big fleet carriers at Rabaul during the entire war, although air groups from the carriers sometimes operated from the airfield. They seemed to have preferred Truk 800 miles to the north as a carrier anchorage instead. The small escort carrier Taiyo visited briefly once in April 1942 but was probably only being used to ferry planes to the base.

The Akagi, Kaga and Shokaku attacked Rabaul, but don't know they were ever docked there. Simpson Harbor there certainly could handle carriers, known as the Pearl Harbor of Rabaul. Many CA's docked there. One of the few Jap Carriers that survived the war, named something like the Katsuraga docked in Rabaul to bring back jap pows to Japan in 46.

McAuthor pushed hard to invade and take Rabaul because of it's harbor, but they higher ups decided to neutralize rather than capture. If you use RSRD you can see the large air raids on Rabaul, many bombers and P38s..Nice plane action in the game.

It was also used a a small sub base for some sub resupply runs to Gaudal. Some years ago I use to correspond with a fellow named Steve that ran the Rabaul Historical Society.

Also, Japs kept about 1000 prostitutes there for the use of over 100,000 men, mostly women from Korea, China and Japan. Few women lived, one that did wrote it was common for her to be raped over 50 times a day.

[andy_311]

Manilla yes Rabulle na with all the minefields around manilla it's bad enough.I mostly "die if i do a recon in there in 43-44 even if i torp the escorct carriers there I'D be lucky to leave the bay

[Torplexed]

Simpson Harbor there certainly could handle carriers, known as the Pearl Harbor of Rabaul. Many CA's docked there. One of the few Jap Carriers that survived the war, named something like the Katsuraga docked in Rabaul to bring back jap pows to Japan in 46.

I'm pretty sure Rabaul could have hosted Japanese carriers. My suspicion is that the presence of American 4-engined bombers based at Port Moresby may have dissuaded the Japanese from ever basing their precious remaining carriers there. While the B-17s and B-24s were pretty lousy at bombing moving carriers they could probably be expected to be lucky enough to occasionally pummel anchored ones.
Also, Japs kept about 1000 prostitutes there for the use of over 100,000 men, mostly women from Korea, China and Japan. Few women lived, one that did wrote it was common for her to be raped over 50 times a day.

In a bizarre postscript to this behavior after the war, the Japanese government also recruited 55,000 Japanese women for the "Recreation and Amusement Association" following the surrender. These women were expected to form a "sexual dam" to protect the majority of Japanese womanhood from the appetites of their occupiers. There is evidence many of these women were recruited by coercion. It is unclear how much the U.S. occupation authorities knew about the program, but in March 1946 the RAA brothels were declared off-limits to U.S. personnel.

[Armistead]

I agree, no doubt had the Japanese took Moresby and held GC, they would've used it as a base for carriers. Most I read on it was easier to supply and protect the large assets at Truk. Rabaul didn't see air attacks until 43.

It was certainly smart to leave it rotting on the vine, wisdom they failed to use in other areas during the Island hopping, but hindsight is 20/20

[Daniel Prates]

Also, Japs kept about 1000 prostitutes there for the use of over 100,000 men, mostly women from Korea, China and Japan. Few women lived, one that did wrote it was common for her to be raped over 50 times a day.

Charming.

[Anthony W.]

Why do I never find these mine fields...