gAiNiAc
04-01-08, 04:53 PM
My first patrol with the USS Gudgeon couldn't have been more lucky.
I was assigned to patrol the shipping lanes 85nm south of Tokyo Bay.
About 2/3 of the way over in transit after refeuling at Midway my watchman spotted a warship.
I look at the charts and it's literally in the middle of nowhere.
Anyhow I proceed to skirt around the contact to the front BVR and I see smoke from not one, not two but 7 more funnels.
Task Force.
I start running decks awash and get a little closer and am able to ID the bogeys.
2 Maya class Heavy Cruisers, 3 destroyers, and 2 Hiryu class fleet carriers. All in column formation except for the destroyers. I reported the contact to HQ. I was ordered to break contact because other assets would be assigned to prosecute the task force.
NO WAY!!!!
Talk about divine opportunity.
Needless to say I proceeded to perform an ideal intercept and attack. The weather was beautiful, clear and sunny but just enough chop to hide the periscope.
I let the lead Maya pass by because I wanted the carriers.
Anyhow at about 1100 yards I let loose 6 fish in quick succession at the lead carrier. One miss, two duds, three impacts. She gained a bad list quickly. While my fish were in the water I had ordered hard to port and dove to 240 feet to bring around the stern tubes for the second carrier.
The destroyers didn't get it together until it was to late.
I proceeded to periscope depth as my stern came around.........
Roughly the same firing solution, I fired all four fish 2 missed two impacted, then I look through the scope at the first carrier and she had just started to sink by the bow and turned turtle.
I was lucky with the 2nd carrier I must of hit fuel tanks or a magazine. Massive fireworks.
The destroyers made a few runs but I didn't give them much return to work with and I slipped from their clutches. I aggressively kept myself rheading along the track of the TF, their zig-zag made it easy for me to keep up.
By this time I had three tubes re-loaded. I proceeded to periscope depth again and took a quick peek, low and behold the last Maya in the column was turning to port right in front of me at about 1500 yards.
Fired all three fish, two impacts and one dud. Maya on the way to the bottom.
I proceeded to break contact at this point. I didn't want to push my luck.
Once I was clear of the destroyer screen I surfaced and sent a status report. I was then ordered to prosecute the remains of the task force.
Over the course of the next 12-14 hours I pulled an end around on the remaining Maya and bagged her.
50,000 tons.
What a chance encounter!
I was assigned to patrol the shipping lanes 85nm south of Tokyo Bay.
About 2/3 of the way over in transit after refeuling at Midway my watchman spotted a warship.
I look at the charts and it's literally in the middle of nowhere.
Anyhow I proceed to skirt around the contact to the front BVR and I see smoke from not one, not two but 7 more funnels.
Task Force.
I start running decks awash and get a little closer and am able to ID the bogeys.
2 Maya class Heavy Cruisers, 3 destroyers, and 2 Hiryu class fleet carriers. All in column formation except for the destroyers. I reported the contact to HQ. I was ordered to break contact because other assets would be assigned to prosecute the task force.
NO WAY!!!!
Talk about divine opportunity.
Needless to say I proceeded to perform an ideal intercept and attack. The weather was beautiful, clear and sunny but just enough chop to hide the periscope.
I let the lead Maya pass by because I wanted the carriers.
Anyhow at about 1100 yards I let loose 6 fish in quick succession at the lead carrier. One miss, two duds, three impacts. She gained a bad list quickly. While my fish were in the water I had ordered hard to port and dove to 240 feet to bring around the stern tubes for the second carrier.
The destroyers didn't get it together until it was to late.
I proceeded to periscope depth as my stern came around.........
Roughly the same firing solution, I fired all four fish 2 missed two impacted, then I look through the scope at the first carrier and she had just started to sink by the bow and turned turtle.
I was lucky with the 2nd carrier I must of hit fuel tanks or a magazine. Massive fireworks.
The destroyers made a few runs but I didn't give them much return to work with and I slipped from their clutches. I aggressively kept myself rheading along the track of the TF, their zig-zag made it easy for me to keep up.
By this time I had three tubes re-loaded. I proceeded to periscope depth again and took a quick peek, low and behold the last Maya in the column was turning to port right in front of me at about 1500 yards.
Fired all three fish, two impacts and one dud. Maya on the way to the bottom.
I proceeded to break contact at this point. I didn't want to push my luck.
Once I was clear of the destroyer screen I surfaced and sent a status report. I was then ordered to prosecute the remains of the task force.
Over the course of the next 12-14 hours I pulled an end around on the remaining Maya and bagged her.
50,000 tons.
What a chance encounter!