My first patrol report

[Honkas]

Hello everyone!

I'm new to this forum aswell as SHIV, just got the game yesterday and it's safe to say I'm hooked already! I am currently in the middle of my first patrol, commanding a Gato (i think) in the Asiatic Fleet. I started out a bit nervous of the realism setting after performing rather badly in the "torpedo school" (playing quite realistic with manual TDC but external camera is on) but this little encounter last night changed that!

My first objective is to deliver 8tons of supplies to Formosa, about halfway there I got great use from my Air Radar, picking off some loner seaplanes with a smile on my face. But then came the radio report of a task force in the area! I was heading due north at the time but the TF was heading due east and they had already passed me so they were about 15 degrees east at a long enough distance for me not being able to get into position infront of them. I decided to take a chance and went to surface at flank speed to make them notice me on radar.

They did indeed and soon two sonar readings were headed my way, I dropped to PD and waited. Soon came a subchaser (or subhunter?) followed by a medium gunboat. I now expected to be utterly destroyed because of my useless targetting, but this time it went ridiculously well! I hit the subchaser right in the starbord bow and he literally made a crash dive down under with the help of his own engines and the newly formed hull opening! :D

The gunboat then went straight back and i started getting back on course, suddenly being fired upon! Looking back was again the gunboat and now a light cruiser headed my way! They were on me fast and I went around for about 30 minutes just dodging DC's and trying to hide, they eventually lost me and began moving in a circle with me in the center. I took a chance and fired my bow tubes dead ahead when the cruiser was approximately in the right position, and a moment later my stern tubes when the gunboat was behind me. 3 Bow fish hit and 1 stern, blowing both ships away almost simultaneously, and the cruiser breaking apart amidship!!!:arrgh!:

This is the start of a beutiful addiction!

[ReallyDedPoet]

Nice patrol, glad you are enjoying SH4. Here is a nice link regarding the Pacific Theatre:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=128185
As well, at some point in time when you get comfortable with the game be sure to try out some fo the great mods here: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=126875
The search function is a great one, be sure to give it a go, as many of your questions may be in older threads.

By the way, welcome to SUBSIM :up:

Good Hunting :yep:


RDP

[howler93]

Welcome aboard, Honkas!

Glad your first patrol got off to a good start!

Good hunting,
Howler :arrgh!:

[STEED]

Cool. :cool:

[jazman]

As well, at some point in time when you get comfortable with the game be sure to try out some fo the great mods here

Not just for when you get comfortable, but also for when you get weary of strange missions, like photo recon, agent insertion, etc. They seem to happen a bit too often in stock, once you've done one, you realize that on most days a sub ought to be sinking ships.

[bookworm_020]

Nice work!

It's best to lewave small warships alone and take down merchants and larger warships instead. But then again, it's always hard to so no to a target!:D

[Honkas]

thanks for the hints and replies! I finished the patrol last night, before making the delivery I intercepted a convoy - 3 or four destroyers and about 9 merchants/troop transports. I managed to evade the initial DD screen and came to PD in the middle of the merchants, initially sinking two troop transports and one destroyer who was standing still to find me on sonar :). Then came the depth charging but I think they only damaged my AA gun. I skulked around for a couple of hours, then sunk another slowly moving DD, surfaced and picked off a couple of small unarmed mechants with the deck gun before evading the last DD. Then I had only one aft torpedoe left and went very deep and rested until what remained of the convoy had passed my position. The whole thing was very exciting to say the least, took me 5 hours straight to play through this encounter :).

Mission complete, 5 warship and 5 merchants sunk (and 3 seaplanes). 20 something thousand in tonnage i believe. Now to find some carriers...