Another Patrol Warning.

[Sandman_28054]

I was given the task of patroling an area just SouthSouth-East of the Caroline Islands.

Co-ordinates: 150.80 E; 7.5 N.

Actually I was about 150 nm SSE of the island with orders to patrol this area for 48 hours and destroy an enemy shipping I encountered.

Well, in 48 hours all I ran across was 2 Ashido Destroyers.

During this time, using my surface search radar, I kept picking up signals of a small convoy at the center of the island.

And sure enough, there was one. Also, this area spawns convoys at regular intervals. Usually once every 48-72 hours. They consist of 4 merchants and one destroyer.

So I decided what the heck, I'll give it a venture.

Watch out fellow Captians.

The Island is littered with small subchasers. I personally counted 8.

I tried to penetrate the heart of the atoll. There is a small channel which enters the atoll, gets shallow, then deepens then the rest of the atoll is in shallow water.

The outter limits of the atoll is surrounded with anti-sub nets.

I was able to follow the channel in and encountered a convoy heading out. I managed to sink 2 merchants and then the sub-chaser picked me up. (BTW: I entered the atoll at night) I wrestled with the sub-chaser until about 6am then was finally able to put a fish into him from my stern tube.

Fine, I sank him, problem solved.

Wrong!

Once your in the atoll, convoys will not spawn.

No problem.

I head to the SW edge of the atoll and encountered a Mitsu(something) destroyer. Sitting still with no active sonar, no nothing. Great! Perfect set up! I turn towards him and line up for another shot. Fired a fish at 1384 yards. Boom! Down to Davy's Locker he went. Turning North, there was a sub-chaser. Same set up. Great I'm thinking. Put a fish into him.

I surface because I wanted to. And turned on the surface search radar again.

I ran "discovered" another small convoy heading due west. 1 destroyer and 2 Old Split medium Freighters. Sank them.

Great i'm thinking. I've sank close to 10,000 tons in about 24 hours.

Turning due south to skirt the edge of the island, I'm running on the surface at full to re-charge the batteries.

Suddenly I'm hit with 3 quick shots.

Where did they come from?

I surveyed the surronding area and did not see or pick anything up.

Bam! I'm hit 2 more times.

I go to flank speed and order periscope depth.

I have massive flooding across all compartments except the conning tower.

Hull integrity down to 38%.

Stern tubes damaged.
Diesel engines damaged.
Main pump damaged.
Electrical engines damaged.
bulkheads damaged.
periscope damaged.
Fore tubes damaged.
propeller shafts damaged.
Dive planes damaged.
Dive plane transmitter damaged.
Batteries damaged,

I could go on, but you get the drift.

Next thing I know I'm being hunted by four Auxliary Sub-Chasers.

I could not dive any lower than 60'. And I could not go any faster than 5 knts.

Do you know how hard it is to evade 4 sub-chasers with that much damage?

I work 3rd shift and was playing the game when I came home from work. Needless to say, i got involved in the game. I might normally play the game for about an hour, hour and a half max because i try to go to bed by 8 am.

I ended up playing the game for 5 hours.

The sub-chasers would run at me, and when they were 200-300 yards I would release a decoy and turn 90 degrees.

After 4 hours of this, i was finally able to get the bulkheads repaired and the electric engines repaired.

i was finally able to shake them. Turned due east and took a course back to Pearl.

Goodness, I was hoping I wouldn't run into anything else.

Anywho, if you ever get orders to patrol the Caroline islands, just be very careful of this area.

I wish you better luck than me.

[Diopos]

...

Turning due south to skirt the edge of the island, I'm running on the surface at full to re-charge the batteries.

Suddenly I'm hit with 3 quick shots.

Where did they come from?

...

Coastal defences probably.

[Sandman_28054]

I don't think it was Coastal Batteries because they would show up when surfaced on the map. And I did not see one.

The only good news learned from this experience is that i now know the amount of DC's carried by Auxillary Sub-Chasers are limited. Perhaps fewer than 30.

And they never release more than 4 at a time.

[Sandman_28054]

OK captians, I'm bumping this back up because something happened today while playing the game.

AS you can read from above, the atoll in the Caroline Islands is very tricky.

I managed to limp back to base.

After repairs, refits, refueling, and rearming, I'm ready to put to sea again.

My orders are: proceed to point x-ray in the Marshall Islands and await further orders.

No problem.

Reaching station, I receive orders to patrol within a radis of 108 nm for 48 hours engaging any enemy shipping found.

For 48 hours I saw nothing. Not even a sea gull. I send in a status report.

I received orders to proceed to an area in the Caroline Islands and patrol with 108 nm for 48 hrs. engaging any enemy shipping found therein.

Fine, the first 24 hours saw 4 over flies by Japaneese aircraft.

The next 24 hours saw nothing.

I surface, turn on the surface search radar and guess what?

That same previous area that was spawning merchant convoys, is now spawning Task Forces.

Location: Longituge: 150.48E; Latitude: 7.8N

Its too early to tell what they are, but it is massive.

Radar has picked up at least 15-20 enemy ships!

At last save, I had sank 1 destroyer, and 1 small old tanker of a small convoy leading the Task Force. The convoy also had 1 Large Composite European Freighter which sad to say, escaped. I'm about 8000 yards ahead of the convoy, submerged, with the SD radar raised, and observing with the periscope.

6000 yards and 89 degrees east of my position is an Akisuzi Destroyer doing 12 knts heading straight for me. This is the first of many convoy escorts.

I will keep you advised of what happens.