'Allo!
I first posted this down below as an independent thread, before I saw this story post thread. Yep - I'm blind.
Anyway; I've moved it here to the proper place for stories, so here it goes:
Ohhhh Skimmers are such boneheads!
...Not that my own tactics portrayed a particularly scintillating genius.
MAN I wish I'd grabbed a screenshot but I just got attacked by two of the dumbest destroyers I've ever seen.
Ever since dawn I've been stalking a juicy convoy E of Java: a couple of tankers and a mix of light and medium freighters; about 8 targets total. They are escorted by a trio of destroyers; each commanded by a Captain who is clearly not the brightest Rising Sun in the Imperial Navy.
Hey - I survived; I get to laugh at them.
Shortly before dawn I'd picked up the sound trace of a convoy heading East; I aimed in that direction, went to flank and pursued in moderate early morning haze and calm seas.
Searaven performed with her usual superb response, leaping after the enemy like a bloodhound. By 8 we'd spotted the convoy - or more accurately the trailing escort. As is my habit I try to draw these schmoes off by staying on the surface then diving at the first shot - sometimes they forget their duty and try to kill me leaving the convoy alone.
Well, they didn't do that; they hung around for a bit then returned to the convoy - by that time I was end-running around the target at breakneck pace; getting well in front by about 1500. This is where I made my mistake: the reef was just to the East and I'd paused to take readings in exactly the wrong spot. The escorts came into view before I could get out of range; I wound up trapped on the reef (117.2 7.8) with the whole shebang chugging right over my head.
I was soon spotted, and over came the destroyers to wreak massive destruction on my poor frail little boat.
Destroyer #1 (Curly) came in with a bone in his teeth; I watched the sound contact sweating. I threw the rudder hard over at the last second; Curly roared overhead, dropping depth charges.
He missed.
His charges
did however detonate on the reef; blowing his bloody stern off.
He stayed floating for a couple of minutes then sank in a gloriously ignominious fashion; bow pointed rather fetchingly at the sky.
Larry came by a few minutes later - this time right up my rudder. I twisted
Searaven to port, sending SS-196 around the bow of one of the tankers. Larry had to take a wide line, came around and hammered me - I took some mild damage; my deck gun is wrecked - and HE gave himself a lethal colostomy as well; sinking about halfway beneath the waves while 8 ships' worth of Japanese merchant sailors watched and shook their heads sadly.
Moe's still back there trying to catch up with NO idea what the heck just happened. I imagine he'll be saying "Whoops" when he sees the burning remains of his two colleagues ahead - and the burning wreckage of the convoy shortly after.
Just an hour to nightfall - I'm down to 50% battery but come nightfall my boys are going to have a happy sinkfest; this poor widdle convoy is all by its wonesome.
Cheers!