Stories and Patrol Logs

[JALU3]

So I reload the game, and steam elsewhere, and my radar man picks up a Task Force with a good angle of attack . . . and the weather is miserable, you can barely see past the bow of the ship . . . middle of the night, rain that looks like chalk streaks, all to the nines . . . and all of a sudden from my aft a destroyer comes barrellings at me at flank speed, I go to battle stations, and go emergency reverse . . . bamb . . . we colide she goes to my starboard and passes me, fire a torp for good measure . . . boom she goes up in flames . . . second destoyer comes from my aft . . . not even two minutes after the first . . . bamb . . . we collide, and she goes to by port . . . she goes past me and dissapears in to the night . . . so far no damage, no casualties . . . another two minutes past . . . and out of the darkness with her search lights blaring comes another destoyer . . . my deck gun ablazing . . . bamb . . . we collide again . . . this time all the bells and wistles start going of damage here . . . injuries here . . . massive flooding . . . she passes me I fire a torp . . . he lights up like a dry christmas tree on New Years . . . two ships down . . . I am barely staying a float . . . damage everywhere, all but the front torpedo room damaged, and flooding . . . so several hours pass . . . damage control progressing slower then a slug on a treadmill . . . and I am keeping a float by periodically blowing the ballast tanks . . . dawn comes . . . and I am still socked in with fog . . . and out of no where a Yamato class comes past my bow . . . I fire two fish, both hit at 15ft . . . and she continues to steam along like nothing happened . . . then from my port side an Isa class BB comes barelling down at me . . . and the crunch sound begins in earnest . . . flooding, once level, but deadly . . . starts on all sections, save the front torpedo room, my nose sticking out like the Tower of Pisa . . . and I hear them say the thing when a ship sinks . . . I look at the map . . . and low and behold the Isa is destroyed . . . but her weight takes her down with me . . .

Time for another reload . . . that was bad @ss . . . but I'd rather sail to fight another day

[JALU3]

OK . . . third times the charm? Not quiet

So I reload the game . . . track the same task force . . . and instead steam further down its course so I can get it closer to dusk . . . and steam fast enough so I am right in her travel paths . . . so I set all six forward torpedoes to 27.5 degress (just in case the rough seas make them go deep) . . . dive to 200 feet, and wait for the DD screen to pass . . . they pass . . . without event . . . and I come to Periscope depth . . . and there the lead ship is . . . the Yamato . . . 1400yds infront of me . . . I reset the torps to fast setting . . . and target the Yamato and the Ise behind her . . . let four fish fly at the Y and 2 at the Ise . . . three hit the Y + 1 dud . . . and two hit the Ise . . . I dive deep and head below the remaining passing task force . . . the DDs loose me . . . and I wait two hours (time compressed) to unleash my remaining aft torpedoes (4 in total) . . . still silent running . . . And a Kuma has staid behind while the rest of the TF has sailed off. So I figure . .. why not . . . so I send 2 to the Kuma . . . 1 at 30 to the Y . . . and 1 at 30 at the Ise . . . The Y is dead in the water as in is the Ise (plus a 15 degree Starboard list) . . . all hit . . . and I turn it around and await an hour . . . but low and behold one more torp left . . . I had sunk 5 ships previously in that patrol . . . and apparently ran out without realizing . . . so I use that last one on the Y at 32 feet depth . . . hit . . . nothing, she remains afloat . . . I spend the rest of the dusk expending all my deck gun ammo at the Ise with no effect . . . leaving with no sinkings to go on my record.

I am steaming for the nearest tender (at Guadalcanal) and steaming back hoping that they remain . . . doubt it . . . but I will finish my story later, and will tell you al what happens. Pray for me that they remain there dead in the water, once I get new fish. It's a 3100 mile turn around, but here's hoping.

[SteamWake]

JALU....

While we apprecieate and enjoy your patrol reports. The use of the enter key (paragraphs) instead of ... would be greatly apprecieated.

@ Capt BC... Good job sailor.

[JALU3]

Originally Posted by SteamWake

JALU....

While we apprecieate and enjoy your patrol reports. The use of the enter key (paragraphs) instead of ... would be greatly apprecieated.

@ Capt BC... Good job sailor.

Yah, sorry about that.

Well I steamed to Guadalcanal at Standard . . . and steamed back the same . . . and when I returned . . . no one was left. Where the Yamato was was a grey symbol for a sunken ship, but not the usual read symbol. Furthermore, neither the Yamato or the Ise were added to my sunken ship log. I have never ran into that symbol before, but it was a good try. To bad my fish didn't sink either of those ships. They must have sent out an oceangoing tug from Truk.
Atleast I will be satisfied to know that both ships will take several months in the docks before their guns can lend support down in Guadalcanal again.

In my game it's only mid September '42 so every out of action BB, the better.

[sober]

Very very devious . To paint the picture , it was at night and a rain squall had started . I was on the surface and couldnt even see the watch officer on deck because the visibility was so bad . My radar operator had previously picked up 2 merchants (frequency set to 8000) and i got into position when the rain squall started . All of a sudden i get a report from the radar operator of another ship.

[JALU3]

Is the heading of this new ship different? If so . . . in the rain squall . . . will you be able to engage the ship? For as posted in my original thread in this posting . . . during really dark rain squalls . . . there's a possibility that visual range maybe reduce to one or tow boat lengths.

[JALU3]

Although I have sunk more important vessels in one day, namely a Hiryu class CV south of Davao . . . this has to be one of the highest single day ship totals that I have sank ever.

1. 0511 09NOV42 - Long 146 34' E Lat 7 04' N - Small Old Split Freighter - 2428 Tons
2. 0517 09NOV42 - Long "" Lat "" - Medium Old Composite Freighter - 4040 Tons
3. 0951 09NOV42 - Long 146 33' E Lat 6 14' N - Medium Old Tanker - 4862 Tons
4. 0951 09NOV42 - Long "" Lat "" - Small Old Tanker - 1618 Tons
5. 0953 09NOV42 - Long "" Lat "" - Large Modern Composite Freighter - 7202 Tons
6. 1205 09NOV42 - Long 146 39' E Lat 6 12' N - Small Modern Composite Freighter - 1852 Tons
7. 1213 09NOV42 - Long 146 40' E Lat 6 22' N - Large Modern Composite Freighter - 7164 Tons
8. 1216 09NOV42 - Long "" Lat "" - Medium Modern Composite Freighter - 4480 Tons

Thats 33646 Tons after an early breakfast . . . and a late lunch. I am nearly out of forward fish . . . and my crew is exhausted . . . I am going to fine a desserted tropic island and give them a days rest, if Truk doesn't send a couple planes at me first.

----

OK It's 0300 the next day at the shoal located near Long 147 E Lat 7 20' N . . . time for some R&R

[CaptBC]

Originally Posted by SteamWake

JALU....

While we apprecieate and enjoy your patrol reports. The use of the enter key (paragraphs) instead of ... would be greatly apprecieated.

@ Capt BC... Good job sailor.

Thanks SteamWake! More to come as "Polly" makes her second war patrol to Luzon Strait!

[GTHammer]

CaptBC

Hell of a report. Very professional and interesting to read. Hope to see another soon.

[sober]

Just left Surabaya after 2 succesful patrols . The men are fresh and ready for action . Once we got out of port we dived and the men relaxed and played cards and did some maintenance . My sonar operator got a radar report of a task force close by heading for Surabaya .

It is a good morale boost for our men to see our fellow boys in arms so i decided that after i spotted the task force i would surface and take some photos with my new F11 camers . Well it wasnt long before we spotted them .

ALARM !!!!!!!! THERE JAPS

[crapgame]

Here is account of my first battle using 100% realism settings.


S-38 was one day out of Surabaya on its second patrol. We came in from the first patrol with an empty net. There were a couple sightings. The first on the Luzon Strait. We were pretty close, a destroyer and unother ship of unknown type. The sea was pretty heavy and could only catch glances between the waves. I could never really get a fix on either ship and as quickly as they appeared they were gone. While heading back to Manila we got order to change home base to Surabaya. It was on the way there, in the South China Sea, when a watch yells "Ship spotted, Sir!". There was what must have been an escorted convoy off on the horizon. We chased that convoy long into the night but it stayed on the horizon the time til it to disapeared.

So on this second patrol I was beginning to think this war was going to consist of nothing but chasing ghosts. That until we heard orders for all boats to converge on java, an invasion force was reported headed that way. Like I said we were only one day out and headed to patrol the Celebes Sea. We immediately reversed course and returned the way we came. Halfway back we got a radio report of enemy task force. A quick look at the chart showed the task force only 20nm away on a coarse that would lead it right to us. For two days we hunted for those ships, but again, ghosts. We had wasted to much time here, the sea was again heavy, so I gave orders to set a course back to the Celebes Sea. It was only an hour latter, the boat bouncing on the surface, the sea so rough that even I was getting seasick for the first time, that a watchmen again yells, "Ship spotted, Sir!".
This time it was not ghosts on a dark horizon. It was two warships in day light bearing straight for us. I then wished they were ghosts because it was obvious that they had spotted us before we spotted them. "periscope depth!" I ordered.

Now through the periscope only glances could be seen. Ok, they must be destroyers, but what type. The glances though the waves are to brief. I decide to guess. I chose Fubuki. Now I got to get a distance, but I'm only getting brief glimpses, and the ships are looming larger, looking like they know exactly where we are. I try to steady myself. Patience. Now as they get closer the mastheads show above the waves for a longer time. I lock on the closer ship. Now, if I can only get a distance. Then a miracle happens, an opening in the waves, and looking out my periscope at what seems a valley of water, I get a clear view. At the same time I see that the trailing warship has turned to port as if to cut off my escape to the rear. The waves close around me, but now I have an ID. My guess was wrong . The Warships are not Fubuki class, they are Akizuki. I await another opening. Time is slowing down. Another opening. I have a distance on the leader! 600 yds. I quickly estimate AOB. 500 yds! I punch in 16 knots. I set a torpedo 5 left. launch! Set to 0. Launch! Set to 5 right. Launch! Set to 10 right. Launch! I hear spashes. I spin the periscope. The other ship is right behind me. Dive! Hard to port! Then I hear, "Torpedo impact, Sir!". "Enemy Unit destroyed, Sir!".

Ten minutes later I am at periscope depth. I raise the periscope and see the stern of a kuma class light cruiser. By the time I get a fix she is 3500 yds moving away. Another ghost.

[the_belgian]

Just getting bored of those cheap merchants so...

[tedhealy]

(Using RFB, tater's campaign layers, my own reduced merchant tonnage mod, and at 100% + no map contacts.)

1942
Jan 25, Pearl Harbor
USS Trout (SS-202) Completed shakedown, ready for patrol orders. XO Robert Morton reports crew is nervous but as ready as they'll ever be for their first war patrol.

Jan 26
16:00 Leaving Pearl Harbor behind.

We have orders to patrol the East China Sea. Will top off the tanks at Midway, ETA 4 days.

Jan 29
21:36 Arrived Midway ahead of schedule. Refueling overnight, departing for patrol ASAP, no time to waste.

Feb 8
Assumed standard operating procedure - submerged during daylight hours to avoid air patrols, recharge the batteries at night.

Feb 11
Picked up radio Washington late tonight. Heard on the radio that the Japs are closing in on Singapore and MacArthur is holding out on the Philippines. Hopefully our patrol in the East China Sea can intercept men and material bound for the Philippines and further points southwest.

Feb 13
22:31 Arrived at the designated patrol area, weather calm.

Feb 15
00:37 XO Bob Morton woke me to tell me we received an encrypted 'for the captain's eyes only' message. Decoded ULTRA message reported convoy 20nm north of our present position, course SSW, 8kts. What luck! Who knew they'd come to us? Ordered 20kts and a N intercept course.

1:15 Warship spotted. We reduced speed to 9 knots to limit the phosphorecent bow spray as much as possible, also turned to WNW to close on apparent WSW convoy course. Intend to close distance on the surface and make periscope attack. Partly cloudy night with minimum acceptable light for night time scope attack, but too bright for surface attack.


1:34 DD turns towards us and has bone in her teeth, signal light is rapidly challenging us. Crash dive to 200 feet, found a thermal layer at approx. 190 feet. New course SW.


1:42 Back at periscope depth, Thunder Below! 4 depth charges heard well aft. Resuming intercept course on convoy.

1:47 Convoy is spotted either zig zagging or changing course. They are alerted to our presence. Approx. 5 small/medium cargo freighters. Probably shouldn't have tried to close directly on the surface. There was plenty of night left to withdraw some and end around at high speed.

Will try to make the best of the situation. Intend to split forward bow tubes between a medium freighter and nearest small freighter. Will reserve stern tubes for any coup de grace shots or defense against the DD.

1:49 3 more depth charges heard to starboard and well aft.

2:07 3 bow shots from a mediocre TDC solution due to target's constant course changes. 2nd and 3rd shot spread 1 and 2 degrees to the right. Dove to 90 feet and changed course to due W immediately after 3rd fish left the tube.


2:09 2 torpedo impacts heard!

2:14 Returned to periscope depth slowly, DD still searching aft. 2 Bow torpedoes fired at small freighter, 600 yards away. Mediocre TDC solution again due to target constant course changes. 2nd shot spread to the right.

2:14.xx
1st torpedo was thought to be a hit, but it's run was at least 5 seconds too short for a hit and it looked to be well forward of the target. It must have exploded early. 2nd shot is a hit! Dive back to 90 feet.


2:17 Returned to periscope depth, DD is still confused and searching the wrong area. A quick sweep of the area reveals our first 2 hits crippled the medium freighter. It appears to be dead in the water with a small fire. Our 2nd attack started a large fire on the small freighter, but it is still steaming on.


2:23 DD has looped around aft of us to rejoin small freighter that is blazing. Will deliver coup de grace to crippled medium freighter with remaining bow tube and immediately dive to 150 feet.

2:27 Crippled medium freighter still not heard breaking up. She's a tough old thing. Intend to secure from silent running and reload at least 1 forward tube, then swing around for another coup de grace shot, this time from the stern tubes.

2:36 2 stern shots at the crippled ship. 2 impact, the freighter breaks up. Estimated 4000 tons, Biyo Maru.



2:38 Crash dive to 220 feet, under thermal layer, and rigged for silent running. Pinging is heard. Was anyone expecting the Japs to have active sonar?

2:52 No depth charges dropped, but plenty of pinging heard as the DD closed to something under 500 yards of us. Currently the DD is moving away as we head E away from the convoy. Secured from silent running.


Red X marks our first sinking!

2:56 Turned in. Left night orders for Bob Morton - Proceed east until morning, reload all tubes. Surface at XO's discretion. If anything comes up or you have any questions, wake me. Excellent performance by the crew tonight. We'll have to go over our procedures for closing on convoys at night. We should have been able to avoid being spotted.

[reallydedpoet]

Hella' of story tedhealy Very nice

RDP

[stu762]

Ok I suspect this mission is an anomally but it's december 42 and I am doing my patrol off the Marianas .. sink a few merchants with the deck gun ... ho hum nothing too exciting there.Then I look at my zoomed out map ... lo and behold, a task force, heading roughly my way ... hmmm I think to myself .. gotta have a piece of that!

So I plot my intercept to run parallel to what I estimate their continued course to be (I'm often wrong about this though and patrol empty seas forever), I hit time acceleration and wait for a while running at flank (easy settings cos I am a crap seaman - so no fuel running out issues) Anyways, my radarman reports contacts off the port bow - long range, so I check my ext camera - and I see an ocean of big bad Japanese warships, 2 Yamatos 2 Kongos and an Ise with accompanying cruisers and DDs plus tankers ... Imagine my grin

I slink into a decent firing point - loose off 4 bow tubes at the Yamato - hoping to slow it down if not sink it outright, and 2 bow tubes at 1 of the Kongo's. I then dive to 100 metersand hit all stop hoping to reload and be lucky! Well lucky wasnt the word after a bit of DD attention and some creeping away at 1 knot I come to periscope depth to see a load of lifeboats where roughly the Yamato was - exxxxxcellent!

The Kongo's are moving away but slower than the rest of the convoy - now I only launched at one of them so I am a bit confused at this, but here come the DD's again so time to leg it - next thing I know on my attack map there are little blue crosses flying around the place. "OK this make a nice change for me to get air cover" i think then I check my scope again - and they are diving bombing the Kongos ... leading to the 2 of them being dead in the water waiting for my stern fish to say hello!!

Anyway, you get the gist of where this is going, I ended up with 2 kongos and a Yamato plus assorted merchants to my name!! Ah happy days.