USS Batfish

[Onkel Neal]

From our friends at SimHQ (http://simhq.com/)

This Day in US Naval History - February 12, 1945 - USS Batfish (SS 310) sinks its second Japanese submarine within three days.

;)

[Magua]

:p I look forward to visiting the Batfish this summer.

I consider myself lucky as the moment in that I live only 45 Mins from the USS Cavalla in Galveston, Tx. The work they have done to restore that sub over the years is quite amazing.

Now if I could only set up my PC and SHIV in the Cavalla's Conning Tower..Now that would be immersion!

[Donner]

From our friends at SimHQ (http://simhq.com/)

This Day in US Naval History - February 12, 1945 - USS Batfish (SS 310) sinks its second Japanese submarine within three days.

;)

...three sub sinkings in four days in the Luzon Strait!

9 Feb 1945..........I-41 2212 tons
11 Feb 1945........RO-112 525 tons
12 Feb 1945........RO-113 525 tons

Well Done Batfish! :ping: :ping: :ping:

[DaMaGe007]

Pity we cant do this in Sh4, are you sure it really happened ?:(

[CCIP]

The real patrol log for the USS Batfish, including those incidents:

http://www.ussbatfish.com/patrol-6.html

Just forward it to the right dates :yep:

[NEON DEON]

From our friends at SimHQ (http://simhq.com/)

This Day in US Naval History - February 12, 1945 - USS Batfish (SS 310) sinks its second Japanese submarine within three days.

;)

Kewl.:up:

But top this for sinking IJN subs!;)

DE 635 USS England

"On 18 May 1944, with two other destroyers, England cleared Port Purvis on a hunt for Japanese submarines during a passage to Bougainville. During the next 8 days, she was to set an impressive record in antisubmarine warfare, never matched in World War II by any other American ship, as she hunted down and sank I-16 on 19 May, RO-106 on 22 May, RO-104 on 23 May, RO-116 on 24 May, and RO-108 on 26 May."

Five IJN subs in 8 days!

England's history from DANFS:

http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/e4/england.htm

[geetrue]

The USS Batfish did her hat trick in just 72 hours and had to use torpedo's. :up:

The USS England sank her four boats in (8) days and they used depth charges. :up:

Both are remarkable feats, but surely they got some help from the good Lord above ... :yep:

[Morts]

or just better ASW tech ?

[Finback]

Actually--if I recall correctly--the England sank 6 subs in 12 days. The primary weapon they used was Hedgehog. They were part of a Hunter-Killer group that just happened to be vectored up a Japanese submarine scouting line (not unusual for the Japanese to use subs this ways). At one point the England had to get more ammo.

when the last sub was encoutered England was ordered to stand off so the other DE's could have a chance. After a while the group received orders to move on (I think there was a weather front moving in which threatened the small ships). The order was given "Oh hell. Go ahead England!" 1 or 2 hedgehog salvos later it was over.

USS England: Buckley Class--Hedgehog, 8 KGun DC Launchers, Hedgehog (10 full salvos typical), 300ib teardrop depth charges (120 typical), Type 147 Sword Sonar, SJ Radar.

www.de220.com (http://www.de220.com) for more info on weapons/electronics

[WilhelmSchulz.]

3 subs in 3 days(1 a day). Now thats good. :yep:

[geetrue]

3 subs in 3 days(1 a day). Now thats good. :yep:


You know those code breakers may have had something to do with it, because the skipper of the Batfish said they thought the IJN subs may have been carrying war booty and generals home from the war.

[Hartmann]

The real patrol log for the USS Batfish, including those incidents:

http://www.ussbatfish.com/patrol-6.html

Just forward it to the right dates :yep:

One example more about the intensive use of radar in u.s boats. :hmm:

[Morts]

wow, they wasted alot of torpedos on submarines that only needed 1 or 2 max:hmm:

[Subnuts]

wow, they wasted alot of torpedos on submarines that only needed 1 or 2 max:hmm:

Later in the war, US subs always fired spreads of torpedoes at warships. It's not like they could get a perfect firing solution by clicking on the enemy and pointing the periscope at the "sweet spot." :rotfl:

[CCIP]

Later in the war, US subs always fired spreads of torpedoes at warships. It's not like they could get a perfect firing solution by clicking on the enemy and pointing the periscope at the "sweet spot." :rotfl:

Yea right, they WISH they had a red triangle :/\\k:

:rotfl:

Sure, even the little Fido (much smaller than a normal torpedo) was 100% fatal if it hit a sub, but the question is hitting it. And at night against a small moving target... of course they'd go for a spread!

Also, I recall a story of an investigation about the sinking of a Spanish sub during their civil war which suggested that it was sunk by a dud torpedo from a U-boat :huh:
Subs ain't build to witstand torpedo hits!

And yea, American radar... I look forward to it in SHIV :up:

[JSF]

wow, they wasted alot of torpedos on submarines that only needed 1 or 2 max:hmm:

Buy the book "Submarine." Ned Beach chronicels the exploits of Batfish during this time frame with great detail in one of the chapters of the book. It 's really an amazing feat when you discover the true dynamics of each shooting.

[Subnuts]

And yea, American radar... I look forward to it in SHIV :up:
I can think of at least one instance in the war where a US sub sank another ship by radar alone: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Extractor

There is no word in the annals of submarine warfare more dreaded than..."oops!" :dead:

[Finback]

The radar approach was used fairly often later in the war (typically on dark nights/poor visibility conditions). In fact, there should be 2 standard depth settings (other than surface), periscope depth (62-65 feet) and radar depth which I believe was ~45 feet. The periscope shears were exposed because that's where the radar is located. Still safer than having the whole boat on the surface though.

[LukeFF]

I like this line from the Major Defects and Damage section:

"5. We started out with a quiet boat after the last refit. Now any speed over 3 1/2 knots submerged and we sound like a freight train."

:D