I'm goin' down
09-17-09, 12:34 AM
I was in the midst of a decent career. I was even leading the captains' tonnage charts, won a few medals and was given a Balao for my efforts. I headed to Japan for a recon mission east of the Bungo Straights (TMO career) in March, 1943. My assignment was to sneak into a harbor east of the Bungo Straights and take pictures of any carriers. The harbor was well guarded. I took my boat in at dusk. The harbor's defenders were not patrolling, but were stationary, and I knocked out 3 destoryers, 1 subchaser and one other warship, all at very long distance compliments of Nicolas' Easy AoB mod.
One Taiho was at anchor, and I took photos per orders. Mission complete, and I still had plenty of fuel left with 3 forward and 1 aft torpedoes in reserve. Then I noticed my boat would not move, and when I tried to surface, it resulted in some damage to the boat. Not to worry, I thought. I will take out the Taiho, and figure out the problem once the Taiho goes under. I lined up the anchored Taiho at 2,000 yds and fired 2 shots. They ran deep even though I set them to run 10 feet above its keel. They missed. No big deal. I had a good mission and I can hit the Taiho on my way out with my remaining aft torpedo. Not so fast! It ain't over till its over!
I tried to surface and return to base. I was sunk by a destroyer immediately. I thoght I had got them all!
I replayed the mission from the point before I fired the torpedoes at the Taiho. I missed again, for no reason I could fathom, as I had a lock on the Taho per the Attack Map. This time I did not surface. I used the free camera to look around the boat while it was submerged, as I could not manuever it, as mentioned above. There it was. A submarine net. I ran smack dab into a submarine net! I tried going forward, backward, fast slow, etc. and could not get free. When I surfaced this time my boat was badly damaged and men were down on the deck. Of course I was sunk again.
Here is how you can tell you may in a submarine net. The pic on the computer screen on the Nav. Map screen starts vibrating (ever so slightly) when you are zoomed in, plus you cannot move the boat forward or backward.
One Taiho was at anchor, and I took photos per orders. Mission complete, and I still had plenty of fuel left with 3 forward and 1 aft torpedoes in reserve. Then I noticed my boat would not move, and when I tried to surface, it resulted in some damage to the boat. Not to worry, I thought. I will take out the Taiho, and figure out the problem once the Taiho goes under. I lined up the anchored Taiho at 2,000 yds and fired 2 shots. They ran deep even though I set them to run 10 feet above its keel. They missed. No big deal. I had a good mission and I can hit the Taiho on my way out with my remaining aft torpedo. Not so fast! It ain't over till its over!
I tried to surface and return to base. I was sunk by a destroyer immediately. I thoght I had got them all!
I replayed the mission from the point before I fired the torpedoes at the Taiho. I missed again, for no reason I could fathom, as I had a lock on the Taho per the Attack Map. This time I did not surface. I used the free camera to look around the boat while it was submerged, as I could not manuever it, as mentioned above. There it was. A submarine net. I ran smack dab into a submarine net! I tried going forward, backward, fast slow, etc. and could not get free. When I surfaced this time my boat was badly damaged and men were down on the deck. Of course I was sunk again.
Here is how you can tell you may in a submarine net. The pic on the computer screen on the Nav. Map screen starts vibrating (ever so slightly) when you are zoomed in, plus you cannot move the boat forward or backward.