Stories and Patrol Logs + Screenshots and Videos (merged)

[piersyf]

Summary of Patrol Log, War Patrol 2, USS Nautilus SS168
April 18 to June 9 1942

Patrol Area: Bashi Channel, Luzon Strait. 2130N 12130E x 100nm. Time on station 72hrs.

Duration: 51 days. 44 days in transit, 7 days on station and in operations.

Torpedoes: 20 Mk14 torpedoes carried. 20 shot. 19 hits (95%), 6 hits were duds (30%). Of principal concern was a defensive shoot against a destroyer at a range of 800yds with 2 dud torpedoes.

Tonnage: Estimated 59,400t. 13 merchant vessels and 1 warship.

Boat: Performed excellently. Good cruise. Some light damage from Jap 25mm.

Crew: Excellent. Recommend XO for Patrol Star. Also recommend he get his own boat at next opportunity.

Log Summary:

April 18
20.03 Depart Pearl. Set course for Midway.

April 24
01.45 Arrive Midway. Top off tanks. Set transit speed to patrol area at 10kts.

May 9
02.51 Merchant spotted. Crew to action stations and dive to periscope depth.
03.23 2 torpedoes fired. One deep runner, one hit at stern.
03.25 Target dead in the water. Surface and engage with guns.
03.27 Target sinks. Old composite freighter, approx 4000t.
13.27 Aircraft picked up on radar. Dive to avoid.
23.57 Ship spotted, merchant at 9000yds. Increase speed to full, change course to parallel. Crew called to action stations.

May 10
00.59 Target course calculated at 155 degrees, speed 11 kts. Long chase to gain firing position.
02.10 2 torpedoes fired, range 900yds. 2 hits, both good detonations. Large explosion tears ship apart, sinking her in under a minute. Approx 3000t.
16.31 3rd air contact today. Japs have stepped up air cover since our last patrol.
22.36 Enter patrol area. Fuel remaining 81%. Sky clear, sea dead calm.

May 13
05.06 Ship spotted, 9000yds. Turning to intercept. Japs are moving at higher speeds now. This one calculated at 10kts.
06.29 Firing position reached. 2 fish shot at 800yds. Both hit, ship explodes and sinks immediately. Approx 5,000t.
13.58 Ship spotted. Move to firing position.
14.19 1 torpedo fired. Hit on the bows.
14.26 Surfaced and called battle stations. Engaged crippled merchant with guns from 2,500yds.
14.28 Ship sinks, 6 rounds HE fired in total. Approx. 4,000t
20.01 Air contact on radar. Dive to avoid.
20.23 While still avoiding aircraft, sound man picks up merchant at long range. Move to intercept.
20.59 Second sound contact, parallel track approx 4,000yds astern first merchant.
21.19 2 torpedoes fired from bow tubes at lead merchant. One hit, one dud. Move to other side of the track, swap targets to trailing merchant.
21.27 1 torpedo fired stern tube. Hits, resulting in large explosion. Ship sinks quickly (7,000t)
22.29 First target sinks (5,000t) Sonar picks up another sound contact. Move to chase on surface. Target speed calculated at 10kts. Visual contact on and off as weather deteriorates. Eventually close to a reasonable distance but visibility now almost zero. As track and speed are well established fire on sonar only. 3 fish shot, 1 miss, 2 hits. One is a dud. Surface the boat and cruise around with gun crews at the ready to finish her off, however when vessel located she is already sinking.

May 16
07.00 Sound contact, merchant. 2 attempts to locate fail due to heavy rain and inability to predict track.

May 17
03.25 Sound contact, warship. Harbour guard for Isia Iun. Boat positioned NNW of harbour entrance. Sonar recon of DD track shows racetrack location. Heavy rain continues which should mask our movements. Set boat to creep into the harbour.
13.29 Finally inside harbour. 10 hours to cover 9,000yds. Depth 48’ to keel and occasionally brushing the bottom.
14.09 2 merchants spotted, tied up. 2 torpedoes fired. Both hit. One good, one dud. 5 fish left. DD has located us but is unable to attack as we are positioned such that he would risk collision with wharf or breakwater.
14.29 2 more torpedoes shot, one at a third merchant, one at the first which was hit but refusing to sink. Both hit and detonate. DD getting angry. Each pass we get pinged but he cannot line up. His approaches are slightly different each time, so he may figure it out soon.
14.42 DD approaches from a different angle, but still won’t pass over us. He will, however, hit the breakwater unless he slows significantly. This will put him almost dead in the water at a predictable spot only 800yds off our beam. Prepare our last 3 fish and sight on the sound bearing.
14.47 DD comes out of the rain at a range of 900yds and will pass down our starboard side. Firing solution calculated on estimated position he must stop or run aground.
14.49 Torpedo fired at DD. Hit, but a dud. DD stationary.
14.51 2nd torpedo fired. Dud. DD manoeuvring to turn towards rather than backing away. He seems to have lost his reason, but we are still in trouble. Prepare boat for high speed exit.
14.55 DD has managed to turn broadside as we shoot our last fish. It hits under the bridge but doesn’t seem to do much damage. We run, but DD doesn’t follow and seems to be stationary. Move to deeper water and wait.
15.31 Destroyer sinks! Surface and move to northern end of harbour to engage remaining merchants with gunfire.
18.14 Ammunition expended. No active defence and masking heavy rain allowed piecemeal destruction of merchants. 3 merchants and a large junk sunk for almost 14,000t to guns alone. Depart area and set course for Pearl.

June 9
19.00 arrive Pearl Harbour, fuel remaining 18%.

[Red Devil]

Originally Posted by Syxx_Killer

If it is taking a long time to load, it is more likely your internet connection. The properties for that picture say it is only 175kb. 175kb is nothing regardless what size it is.

negative - 20GB broadband

Bold approaches there Piersyf STOP

Good luck to you and the Nautilus on your comming patrols STOP

Best wishes from the crew and commander of USS Sturgeon STOP

[piersyf]

Thanks Mav87. Third patrol was to Tokyo bay. Moved north and attacked a harbour there, but 40% of torps were duds. I got shot up a bit this time, had 12 crew wounded and 11% hull damage. When we got back (still with 37,000t even if only 12 torps worked) instead of my XO getting a boat, I got one. My XO got the Nautilus and half the old crew. My new boat (Drum) has a somewhat inexperienced crew, AND they gave me a boat with only a 3 inch deck gun... I think they're trying to tell me something!

[LukeFF]

Originally Posted by ChanceBS

So flattered to see you're using my name. Using the RFB mod?

[Torps]

[Biggles]

[Red Devil]

On the subject of opening images, ok the thread is heavily inclined in that direction, but I think it may have been a momentary "glitch" as I have just opened this thread again and all images hit the screen virtually simultaneously.

[Swat]

[kriller2]

[Nisgeis]

That's riding very high in the water, Kriller.

[kriller2]

Originally Posted by Nisgeis

That's riding very high in the water, Kriller.

Yes it's the ROW roll pitch mod doing it, Dave raised the submarine in order to get the sub to roll more on the waves.

BTW release of PE3 will be tonight

[Doolittle81]

Originally Posted by kriller2

Yes it's the ROW roll pitch mod doing it, Dave raised the submarine in order to get the sub to roll more on the waves....

I thought that the SWDW 'diverate' MOD corrected the high-riding subs....this diverate MOD was incorporated into PE2 (as an option for installation). I therefore thought the high-riding subs were fixed in PE2. Is/was that true....and will such a MOD be incorporated into PE3?

[kriller2]

Originally Posted by Doolittle81

I thought that the SWDW 'diverate' MOD corrected the high-riding subs....this diverate MOD was incorporated into PE2 (as an option for installation). I therefore thought the high-riding subs were fixed in PE2. Is/was that true....and will such a MOD be incorporated into PE3?

Yes the diverate mod is included, but Dave's work makes the sub react better to the oceans movements.

[fireship4]