Horst Mikaelis
07-09-07, 12:33 PM
I started a new career in a Sargo-class boat (sans radar) and left Cavite on 9 December 1941. (Using RFB 1.28 and a few assorted smaller mods.) I was steaming north when I ran across a heavily escorted invasion convoy headed for Lingayen Gulf. I had a good line although the range was longer than I like. I set up on a Mogami-class CA and fired the four bow torpedoes--two duds, one premature, and one miss. They didn't even bother to counterattack; just sped up and steamed on.
I hauled away and reloaded. The Gulf was empty so I headed north and rediscovered the force steaming north along the western Luzon coast. The sun was rising so I tried to do an end run to the west. Either they changed course and speed or I grossly miscalculated, but I lost them.
As I headed north I ran into another heavy convoy, this one with Takao CAs. I managed to get into the middle of the high-speed (15 knots) invasion force and set up on one of the heavy cruisers. Four fish at 1300 yards! Dud! Dud! Preemie! Dud! I switched to the stern tubes and went to work, setting up on a pair of overlapping transport liners. After loosing two Type XIVs at each of the ships, I went deep and waited for the explosions. "Torpedo missed, Sir!" times four!
Well, wasn't this historic and realistic. I hauled off again and reloaded.
This time I cruised along the north shore of Luzon. Shortly before sunset lookouts spotted another task force along the coast. I turned south and shortly thereafter realized they were at anchor, almost perfectly arranged across my bow. I went to periscope depth and rigged for silent running.
Initially, given the performance record of my fish, I decided to fire all four bow tubes against one of the passenger-transports. But as I closed I could not resist the desire to go after an Agano-class light cruiser. I set all eight bow and stern tubes to a depth of 10 feet, fast, with contact exploders. At 900 yards I fired the four bow tubes at the Agano, then immediately began a 180 degree turn to bring the stern tubes to bear. To my surprise, three worked! One was a dud. The light cruiser turned turtle.
When my stern tubes bore, I picked out a passenger transport at 1300 yards. I fired three fish. I saved the fourth for another Agano that was at about 2100 yards. I fired tube 8. The first three fish missed the liner, were duds, or whatever. I put the scope down and went to 300 feet, disgusted.
After a few moments, I realized that the fourth fish was about 30 seconds from its target. I paused the game, went to the camera view, and located the wake, figuring I'd follow it in for fun. As I did, I noticed a destroyer moving between the transport and the light cruiser, which was headed right in the path of my torpedo. Well, I though, maybe I'll get lucky and sink the DD. Suddenly, the DD begins to slow and veer to starboard, right toward the Agano. Sure enough, it managed to avoid the Mk XIV, which struck and detonated amidships. I doubted that one torpedo, set on contact and running at 10 feet would sink the light cruiser. And perhaps it wouldn't have, had not the DD smashed into the Agano just forward of the spot where the fish hit. The DD threw it hard astern and backed out. But then, to my delight, it drove forward again and rammed the CL a second time. After this collision, the cruiser rolled over and began to sink.
I'm sure the DD-commander committed ritual suicide.
Horst
I hauled away and reloaded. The Gulf was empty so I headed north and rediscovered the force steaming north along the western Luzon coast. The sun was rising so I tried to do an end run to the west. Either they changed course and speed or I grossly miscalculated, but I lost them.
As I headed north I ran into another heavy convoy, this one with Takao CAs. I managed to get into the middle of the high-speed (15 knots) invasion force and set up on one of the heavy cruisers. Four fish at 1300 yards! Dud! Dud! Preemie! Dud! I switched to the stern tubes and went to work, setting up on a pair of overlapping transport liners. After loosing two Type XIVs at each of the ships, I went deep and waited for the explosions. "Torpedo missed, Sir!" times four!
Well, wasn't this historic and realistic. I hauled off again and reloaded.
This time I cruised along the north shore of Luzon. Shortly before sunset lookouts spotted another task force along the coast. I turned south and shortly thereafter realized they were at anchor, almost perfectly arranged across my bow. I went to periscope depth and rigged for silent running.
Initially, given the performance record of my fish, I decided to fire all four bow tubes against one of the passenger-transports. But as I closed I could not resist the desire to go after an Agano-class light cruiser. I set all eight bow and stern tubes to a depth of 10 feet, fast, with contact exploders. At 900 yards I fired the four bow tubes at the Agano, then immediately began a 180 degree turn to bring the stern tubes to bear. To my surprise, three worked! One was a dud. The light cruiser turned turtle.
When my stern tubes bore, I picked out a passenger transport at 1300 yards. I fired three fish. I saved the fourth for another Agano that was at about 2100 yards. I fired tube 8. The first three fish missed the liner, were duds, or whatever. I put the scope down and went to 300 feet, disgusted.
After a few moments, I realized that the fourth fish was about 30 seconds from its target. I paused the game, went to the camera view, and located the wake, figuring I'd follow it in for fun. As I did, I noticed a destroyer moving between the transport and the light cruiser, which was headed right in the path of my torpedo. Well, I though, maybe I'll get lucky and sink the DD. Suddenly, the DD begins to slow and veer to starboard, right toward the Agano. Sure enough, it managed to avoid the Mk XIV, which struck and detonated amidships. I doubted that one torpedo, set on contact and running at 10 feet would sink the light cruiser. And perhaps it wouldn't have, had not the DD smashed into the Agano just forward of the spot where the fish hit. The DD threw it hard astern and backed out. But then, to my delight, it drove forward again and rammed the CL a second time. After this collision, the cruiser rolled over and began to sink.
I'm sure the DD-commander committed ritual suicide.
Horst