I do not know what is wrong with me maybe I'm insane but I just do not use math.
I captain the SS-200 Thresher, a Tambor class, without a deck gun YUCK!!. I had been defying my patrol orders for the past few days and instead of Patrolling south of Davao Gulf I have been patrolling around Truk.
I made a few successful kills on merchants entering the lagoon
and had gone down to Tulagi to reload and resupply my boat with fuel. On the 22nd of December 1943 I received an OP message that there would be an IJN group of ships 180 miles NNW of Truk on the 24 of December 1943. It read there destination was believed to be Truk.
I sailed to an area 180 miles NNW of Truk. Since there was no other information I plotted my best guess and sat all stop with the radar running. At 1229 on the afternoon of the 24th radar picked up a group of three ships moving fast towards the SSE.
By watching their radar position I estimated their course at 165 degrees. Speed estimated at 20. I was sitting SE of their location.
The weather was not my friend ... Overcast with heavy fog, wind speed 11 coming out of 056 degrees with 4 foot swells. I headed south west in order to get closer and could tell already my best speed was going to be to slow to match and shadow until the weather cooperated.
Knowing the main targets will mostly sit between escorts or supporting ships I decided to attack on radar bearings alone. They could not see me even at 500 yards but I, at least, knew their locations by radar. Visibility was no more than the length of my boat ahead of me.
I angled in within around 500 yards of the lead ship at flank speed and slowed just a bit so the second ship could catch up faster with me. I am not as fluent in the game as some are so my thought was to turn the TBT on the bridge to 140. I set 3 stern fish to run fast depth 20. I under estimated my time between radar contact and fired when the ship was at 130 degrees. They all missed but as they were running I fired 4 more from the bow tubes and got four solid hits.
The fourth fish in the stern and the other two in the bow were homing fish and in the hopes that my four hits slowed them down I fired them as well. Two of the cuties hit my main target and one hit the trailing ship. I could tell by radar the trailing ship had been disabled, dead in the water.
What I could not believe was the fact that the center ship which had now been hit 6 times was sailing to starboard circling around and had not seemed to have lost much of her steam. I had no way of knowing what it was but I turned to port as I reloaded and at flank speed kept her within 1000 yards of me until I was reloaded. My next volley I increased my lead angle by 10 degrees and after a few misses I scored two more hits. I could see the explosions in the distance but still could not identify the ship in question.
Watching the radar for course and speed changes I noticed that the ship was slowing down greatly. The lead ship circled around looking for me but was always to far away to see anything especially with my course changes to keep up with my main target.
The target was now dead in the water. From the bridge I looked to try to see it. I was close enough to see the white flashing light from her bridge but I could not see the body through the fog. I set the bridge TBT right on the flashing light. I fired .... waiting .... wainting .... waiting ....
It had to miss. How could it?? ... I turned the TBT ten degrees to the port and fire again. Again another miss ... I sat and thought ... I had to be almost bow to bow with her or bow to her stern and the fish traveled on either side of her.
I went ahead slow and positioned myself 45 degrees from her and my previous position. ALL STOP!! I have two fish left and she has already taken 8 hits. This better work or I'll ram the damn thing. Fire 3 ... waiting ... wait- BOOM YES!! I was right FIRE 4 ... another hit and she began to explode like the 4th of July in December.
I could not resist cruising up to her as she now quickly sank and discovered one less YAMATO class Battleship!!
Sometimes sheer guts and a bit of Father Christmas luck is all that is needed. I also decided to thank Father Christmas for the fog ... I could not have done this if I had to submerge ... I was wrong ... the weather was my friend in deed this day.
Mark