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merc4ulfate · 04-04-12, 09:00 AM

I did this northwest of Bali last night.

I had about 225 feet of water under me at 2300. It was a convoy of two troop transports and two other merchant ships escorted by a destroyer, a ship that looked like a converted minesweeper turned sub chaser and two sub chasers. It is about mid 1942 or so.

I angled into the convoy heading 180. Their course was 250. The merchants were cruising two abreast two deep. I had homing torpedoes in tubes 1,2 and 7. I targeted the lead row farthest ship first. I sent two fast fish. I targeted the second row farthest ship with two fast fish. I targeted the lead row nearest ship with two homing fish. I turned 45 degrees to port to get my stern tubes ready.

I fired tube 7 at a closing sub chaser and went to 200 feet. The first merchant was hit twice and sank. The second was hit within 20 seconds of the first ship once and disabled the other being a dud. The two homing fish out of 1 and 2 hit the stern of one of the troop carriers and disabled it.

Stern 7 hit the sub chaser but only slowed it down and she left the area and went to the rear of the merchants. I closed within 100 yards of a disabled merchant and sat near her at the bottom waiting for reloads.

The destroyer dropped depth charges where they thought I was for a while. The converted mine sweeper one kept circling me and the disabled merchant dropping depth charges here and there. After a while the destroyer and sub chasers just slow or stopped all together and sat listening I assumed.

I came to the surface to see the merchant that had not been hit had circled back and was passing by. I fired as the converted sub chaser and merchant I was near fired at my periscope. I missed the ship and it took off again.

So at this point I had sunk one, disabled two and the fourth merchant, a troop transport, was coming in and out of the area. I thought this tactic was odd. They normally leave the area and do not circle back around. The only escort trouble was the converted one constantly but slowly circling me and the merchant and the other three sat north of my position listening.

The unhit merchant made a mistake and began sailing to close to my position and south east of me. I came to the surface set two fast fish at her and sank her near the original sinking of the first ship. I had my bow pointed north and decided to go back slow until I was far enough away from the disabled merchant that I could sent a fish to it and the one past it.

The converted escort found me a few times as I was backing out and although I did receive some damage I found it extremely interesting that my back slow pulled me away from their attacks. I almost felt that once they pinged me and got an idea of where I was that they ran their course and attack off where they though I would travel forward off the bow. Since I was back slow their attacks were not as successful. If I had been ahead slow they would have caused more damage.

I was nearing the two sunken ships. One had its bow up out of the water the other its stern. I was coming back to the surface to strike the disabled ships when I got a call from the sonar of a new contact 093 long range. A single merchant ship was now coming in the area. I estimated its course was going to bring it in close to the nearest disabled ship.

If I fire now and strike the disabled ships ... will it begin to zig zag causing me to waste fish if I miss? I decided not to fire and wait but this left me also in an avoidance mode while the converted escort kept looking for me. I came to the surface some time later after going ahead slow as to not be to far away. The new merchant was still traveling straight. I fired two fast fish at her at 3200 yards one fish at the nearest disabled ship and one at the farthest.

The neatest ship was hit first then came two hits on the new kid and finally one at the farthest cripple which sank quickly. I fired one more at the nearest ship to sink her and was about to fire another at new kid but she went down.

The next time the escort came around me and headed away I headed south and managed to get away from all of them with only minor damage while sinking 5 merchants.

I kissed the picture of Jane Russell squarely on the lips and headed to my room while the XO took us to the surface to head back to Exmouth Australia for reloads and more fuel.

04-04-12, 09:00 AM	#4129
merc4ulfate DILLIGAF Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: florida Posts: 2,058 Downloads: 210 Uploads: 0	Different Tactic I did this northwest of Bali last night. I had about 225 feet of water under me at 2300. It was a convoy of two troop transports and two other merchant ships escorted by a destroyer, a ship that looked like a converted minesweeper turned sub chaser and two sub chasers. It is about mid 1942 or so. I angled into the convoy heading 180. Their course was 250. The merchants were cruising two abreast two deep. I had homing torpedoes in tubes 1,2 and 7. I targeted the lead row farthest ship first. I sent two fast fish. I targeted the second row farthest ship with two fast fish. I targeted the lead row nearest ship with two homing fish. I turned 45 degrees to port to get my stern tubes ready. I fired tube 7 at a closing sub chaser and went to 200 feet. The first merchant was hit twice and sank. The second was hit within 20 seconds of the first ship once and disabled the other being a dud. The two homing fish out of 1 and 2 hit the stern of one of the troop carriers and disabled it. Stern 7 hit the sub chaser but only slowed it down and she left the area and went to the rear of the merchants. I closed within 100 yards of a disabled merchant and sat near her at the bottom waiting for reloads. The destroyer dropped depth charges where they thought I was for a while. The converted mine sweeper one kept circling me and the disabled merchant dropping depth charges here and there. After a while the destroyer and sub chasers just slow or stopped all together and sat listening I assumed. I came to the surface to see the merchant that had not been hit had circled back and was passing by. I fired as the converted sub chaser and merchant I was near fired at my periscope. I missed the ship and it took off again. So at this point I had sunk one, disabled two and the fourth merchant, a troop transport, was coming in and out of the area. I thought this tactic was odd. They normally leave the area and do not circle back around. The only escort trouble was the converted one constantly but slowly circling me and the merchant and the other three sat north of my position listening. The unhit merchant made a mistake and began sailing to close to my position and south east of me. I came to the surface set two fast fish at her and sank her near the original sinking of the first ship. I had my bow pointed north and decided to go back slow until I was far enough away from the disabled merchant that I could sent a fish to it and the one past it. The converted escort found me a few times as I was backing out and although I did receive some damage I found it extremely interesting that my back slow pulled me away from their attacks. I almost felt that once they pinged me and got an idea of where I was that they ran their course and attack off where they though I would travel forward off the bow. Since I was back slow their attacks were not as successful. If I had been ahead slow they would have caused more damage. I was nearing the two sunken ships. One had its bow up out of the water the other its stern. I was coming back to the surface to strike the disabled ships when I got a call from the sonar of a new contact 093 long range. A single merchant ship was now coming in the area. I estimated its course was going to bring it in close to the nearest disabled ship. If I fire now and strike the disabled ships ... will it begin to zig zag causing me to waste fish if I miss? I decided not to fire and wait but this left me also in an avoidance mode while the converted escort kept looking for me. I came to the surface some time later after going ahead slow as to not be to far away. The new merchant was still traveling straight. I fired two fast fish at her at 3200 yards one fish at the nearest disabled ship and one at the farthest. The neatest ship was hit first then came two hits on the new kid and finally one at the farthest cripple which sank quickly. I fired one more at the nearest ship to sink her and was about to fire another at new kid but she went down. The next time the escort came around me and headed away I headed south and managed to get away from all of them with only minor damage while sinking 5 merchants. I kissed the picture of Jane Russell squarely on the lips and headed to my room while the XO took us to the surface to head back to Exmouth Australia for reloads and more fuel.