Peto
11-03-07, 10:01 PM
When the yeoman told me to report directly to Nimitz' office, I knew my next patrol was going to be as fun as stepping on a rusty nail. Knowing the Admiral wasn't one to keep waiting, I grabbed the sink and pulled myself off the bathroom floor. A pint and half of gili the night before wasn't doing much to improve my days outlook. A shave might improve my appearance but it would take a deep cut with a straight razor to get rid of this headache.
My last patrol to the Mariana's had gone ok and we'd bagged a couple freighters. Even though the crew was green they'd performed well enough when threatened with lost liberty. I couldn't blame them for shipping being scarce though I'd wished they'd seen that Destroyer before it showed up 3,400 yards off our port beam. We were all a bit disappointed about that pounding and limped back to Pearl like window shopping octogenrians. I wasn't surprised though. My luck's been bad every since my wife Rose sailed off on a tramp steamer to Tokyo with a feather merchant from Detroit. That was in '38.
Weaving into Nimitz' HQ, I reported to the 2nd class petty officer, a guy that wouldn't qualify for sub duty cause the hatch was too small. He showed me right in to see the Admiral. After a couple short anecdotes about my last patrol, he got right down to business. The Pollock had just come back from South of Honshu and apparently all her torpedos had worked fine. Nimitz told me I'd be taking on load-out modified by Misfit138. He assured me of more duds, deep-runners, prematures and maybe a circle-runner or two, though that was a lot to ask for. He also told me that hunting would likely be tougher since Adm Isoroku Tater was now handling Japanese ship routing. And planes were sure to be a bigger problem now since they'd had a visual sensor upgrade by Ducimus. It'd supposedly give them a chance of spotting me while I was at periscope depth. He then gave me a complimentary tooth brush, told me he hoped my wife was doing ok and sent me packing to Bungo Suido.
27 DAYS LATER: BUNGO SUIDO
On the way in to our patrol area we'd crossed paths with a big tanker and a couple minesweepers. Sonar conditions were against us but we still managed well enough and got in to 1,500 yards. Knowing that the torps were going to be dicy at best and not wanting this 8,000 ton Kwik Trip to get away, we fired a spread of 6. To our consternation, they all ran straight and true. By the time the 6th torpedo arrived at the target, there was nothing left but a lifeboat containing 2 bewildered pump jockies with a case of corn nuts. Getting away from the minesweepers wasn't like Waltzing the Matilda although the moves were the same. We slipped away by a dosie-do and their discovery of the corn nuts in the life boat.
Now on station, patrolling at 90 feet, sound picked up a merchant closing on our starboard beam. A lone sausage-hauler would be the perfect test for our new dud torpedos. After closing the target for 30 minutes, we planed up 62 feet. The sea was flat as a politician's @ss. The merchant was medium sized, making about 7 knots and coming straight for us. I ordered hard right rudder, intending to use our aft tubes this time. This set-up would be easier than a 2 bit hooker at a Hollywood Star convention. A quick scan around the horizon with the scope and ARGHHH! Down Scope!!! The Reflection of the sun off the Water (ROW) had blinded me and it would be 5 minutes before I could see more than spots.
One more look and shoot. Up Scope! Blast!!! Dirty trick! We'd been tater'd and now the slippery eel was turning away and picking up speed. New range-1,200, AOB 120 port! Quick calculations, the exec played the banjo like a guest on the Beverly Hillbillys. We fired our aft tubes with a 6 second interval. All hot, straight and normal. 7 and 8 missed ahead, 9 hit with the resounding thud of a dud. 10 hit directly under the funnel. The sausage hauler slewed to the left and within 3 minutes was dead in the water. We rubbed our hands gleefully and turned to starboard, bringing our forward tubes to bear. The target was helpless as a goldfish at a college fraternity party.
(Some time later)
We had fired all 6 fish forward now and been rewarded with 2 duds, one torpedo that had skewwed about 30 degrees off course and missed (!) and 3 solid hits. A reload was under way in both rooms as we circled our obstinant adversary. We only had 8 left now and it was looking like we might need them all. With 2 tubes loaded fore and aft we manuveuered to bring the stern tubes to bear and fired them both. They hit with resounding explosions and at last the Krakon rose to claim it's unwilling victim. We surfaced and checked the floating debris finding thousands of life preservers and syrofoam cups, but nothing of use to us. Diving to periscope depth we continued our patrol at 1024X. And then...
BLAM!
Serious flooding aft!!! Diesels out! Electrics damaged! Battery cracked! Soup is spilled! What in hades happened!?!? And then, just as quickly as the bomb had, it struck me! That Devious Dulcimus! One of his modified flyboys must have spotted me at periscope depth (even though the scope was down) and planted his little bundle of joy over the engine rooms!
So once again we'll slink back to Pearl and a nice comfy dry dock. It only leaves me to question...
What will the modders do next?
Lt Commander Ben Gaye
(Hats off to ALL the Modders who have improved Silent Hunter 4 SO MUCH!!! If I didn't mention your name, please don't take it personally! There's only so much room for names in this type of report ;) . I appreciate All of you and All you do!)
Salute!!!
Peto
My last patrol to the Mariana's had gone ok and we'd bagged a couple freighters. Even though the crew was green they'd performed well enough when threatened with lost liberty. I couldn't blame them for shipping being scarce though I'd wished they'd seen that Destroyer before it showed up 3,400 yards off our port beam. We were all a bit disappointed about that pounding and limped back to Pearl like window shopping octogenrians. I wasn't surprised though. My luck's been bad every since my wife Rose sailed off on a tramp steamer to Tokyo with a feather merchant from Detroit. That was in '38.
Weaving into Nimitz' HQ, I reported to the 2nd class petty officer, a guy that wouldn't qualify for sub duty cause the hatch was too small. He showed me right in to see the Admiral. After a couple short anecdotes about my last patrol, he got right down to business. The Pollock had just come back from South of Honshu and apparently all her torpedos had worked fine. Nimitz told me I'd be taking on load-out modified by Misfit138. He assured me of more duds, deep-runners, prematures and maybe a circle-runner or two, though that was a lot to ask for. He also told me that hunting would likely be tougher since Adm Isoroku Tater was now handling Japanese ship routing. And planes were sure to be a bigger problem now since they'd had a visual sensor upgrade by Ducimus. It'd supposedly give them a chance of spotting me while I was at periscope depth. He then gave me a complimentary tooth brush, told me he hoped my wife was doing ok and sent me packing to Bungo Suido.
27 DAYS LATER: BUNGO SUIDO
On the way in to our patrol area we'd crossed paths with a big tanker and a couple minesweepers. Sonar conditions were against us but we still managed well enough and got in to 1,500 yards. Knowing that the torps were going to be dicy at best and not wanting this 8,000 ton Kwik Trip to get away, we fired a spread of 6. To our consternation, they all ran straight and true. By the time the 6th torpedo arrived at the target, there was nothing left but a lifeboat containing 2 bewildered pump jockies with a case of corn nuts. Getting away from the minesweepers wasn't like Waltzing the Matilda although the moves were the same. We slipped away by a dosie-do and their discovery of the corn nuts in the life boat.
Now on station, patrolling at 90 feet, sound picked up a merchant closing on our starboard beam. A lone sausage-hauler would be the perfect test for our new dud torpedos. After closing the target for 30 minutes, we planed up 62 feet. The sea was flat as a politician's @ss. The merchant was medium sized, making about 7 knots and coming straight for us. I ordered hard right rudder, intending to use our aft tubes this time. This set-up would be easier than a 2 bit hooker at a Hollywood Star convention. A quick scan around the horizon with the scope and ARGHHH! Down Scope!!! The Reflection of the sun off the Water (ROW) had blinded me and it would be 5 minutes before I could see more than spots.
One more look and shoot. Up Scope! Blast!!! Dirty trick! We'd been tater'd and now the slippery eel was turning away and picking up speed. New range-1,200, AOB 120 port! Quick calculations, the exec played the banjo like a guest on the Beverly Hillbillys. We fired our aft tubes with a 6 second interval. All hot, straight and normal. 7 and 8 missed ahead, 9 hit with the resounding thud of a dud. 10 hit directly under the funnel. The sausage hauler slewed to the left and within 3 minutes was dead in the water. We rubbed our hands gleefully and turned to starboard, bringing our forward tubes to bear. The target was helpless as a goldfish at a college fraternity party.
(Some time later)
We had fired all 6 fish forward now and been rewarded with 2 duds, one torpedo that had skewwed about 30 degrees off course and missed (!) and 3 solid hits. A reload was under way in both rooms as we circled our obstinant adversary. We only had 8 left now and it was looking like we might need them all. With 2 tubes loaded fore and aft we manuveuered to bring the stern tubes to bear and fired them both. They hit with resounding explosions and at last the Krakon rose to claim it's unwilling victim. We surfaced and checked the floating debris finding thousands of life preservers and syrofoam cups, but nothing of use to us. Diving to periscope depth we continued our patrol at 1024X. And then...
BLAM!
Serious flooding aft!!! Diesels out! Electrics damaged! Battery cracked! Soup is spilled! What in hades happened!?!? And then, just as quickly as the bomb had, it struck me! That Devious Dulcimus! One of his modified flyboys must have spotted me at periscope depth (even though the scope was down) and planted his little bundle of joy over the engine rooms!
So once again we'll slink back to Pearl and a nice comfy dry dock. It only leaves me to question...
What will the modders do next?
Lt Commander Ben Gaye
(Hats off to ALL the Modders who have improved Silent Hunter 4 SO MUCH!!! If I didn't mention your name, please don't take it personally! There's only so much room for names in this type of report ;) . I appreciate All of you and All you do!)
Salute!!!
Peto