Battle of Leyte Gulf

[Sandman_28054]

Ok, here is the situation.

After being given a Photo recon mission, I'm on my back towards Luzon. (Map ref. A2) Turning south, I reduce speed to 2/3 hoping to find targets of opportunity.

Two days later I'm near the mouth of Manilla. Suddenly it occurs to me that the Battle of Leyte Gulf is due to commence in 15 days.

Situation 1: I went to the wikipedia and found a good spot to sit and wait for Kurita's Central Force.

Oct. 23, 1500pm, radar reveals a large task force to the SW heading SW.

This is a huge task force. I can't see any ships but count'em, 15, yes 15 escorts surrounding a central force of an estimated 15 ships.

Thinking ahead, I save the game.

I begin to manuver to a good ambush spot.

The task force closes to within 3000 yards. Raise periscope.

Damn! Rain, heavy seas, and think fog.

Since I'm really not that good at underwater sonar attacks, should I still advance and attack the task force?

Situation 2: Same as before except I sail further south and position myself between the Island of Negros and Mindinao. While waiting, a "jap submarine" is spotted. After a short chase and drawing to within 5900 yards, I open tube 3 and fire a cutie. 4 minutes later it is sunk. Back to my original position.

Oct. 23, 1200pm, radar picks up a task force moving SE from the NW.

This just happens to be Shima's task force. I immediately take a position straight in front where the task force is coming at me.

After an hour of playing cat and mouse, the result is Shima's Task force of:

2 Mogami Class Heavy Cruisers

1 Nana Light Cruiser

4 Escort Class DD's

Were sitting at the bottom of the sea.

Surface and save game.

Navigate back to my original spot.

One hour later, radar officer yells out another task force heading due east. (Obviously this is Admiral Nishimura's Task Force)

I head south attempting to intercept at a 90 degree angle.

No such luck.

At 6500 yards, I am picked up by a destroyer.

I order ahead flank (what the hell, they already know I'm here) and head for the first Fuso BB in my sights.

In this task force are

2 Fuso class Battleships

1 Mogami Class Heavy Cruiser

6 Destroyers of different classes.

Long story short, all that is left are two Mutsuki class DD's dropping DC's all over the place in a vain attempt to find and sink me.

Amazing how deep a Balao class sub will go if you have the guts to try. (500 ft. was where I hid)

After 3 hours of moving west at 1 knt, the two remaining DD's are moving away.

I surface and "save game".

Once I am convinced they are far enough away that they won't bother me, I send a status report.

Total of 18 shps sunk for 119028 tons.

One of the best days I've had in a long, long while.

Question, Kurita's task force is bigger, but due to weather, I did not attack and chose to strike at the southern forces. Should I load a previous save and attack Kurita's task force, or just let sleeping dog's lie?

What would you do?

I am interested in hearing your opinions.

[Hylander_1314]

I would leave things as they are. When one gets greedy, it usually winds up costing more than that which one gains.

Don't worry about how deep the Balao will go. I had one down to almost 700ft once evading DDs. There were 9 of them trying to end my carreer. It was the worst DC attack I had to endure, they just didn't want to let us go. I guess since I fired 3 fish at 2 different BBs and sank one with a single torp. I must have hit the magazine just right by the turrets A and B in front of the bridge. The other two fish just helped her to heel over and go down by the bow. The second BB was left dead in the water. 3 hits in the area of the engine room. The stern was slightly submerged, but not enough to take her down, so I had to wait until the DDs were satisfied that they had either sunk or lost me, 9 hours later, and 5 NM from the last BB. We waited as they left the area, and manoeuvered the boat under the dreadnaught until they were beyond 25 NM distance. Had the bow tubes reloaded, but decided to use the stern fish to finish the big boy off.

But at that depth, the boat creaked and groaned so bad, that I thought we would never see the sky and the sun and moon again. It was nail biting as we were constantly pinged no matter what we did. They tried to constantly box us in with DCs and only through sheer luck were we able to out run their ash-cans before they got close by going ahead flank, and then cutting to all stop and coasting down to 2 knots since at those depths the boat was hard to maintain depth with. She kept needing more speed to keep from sinking deeper. But I did notice the deeper the more speed needed to maintain constant depth, but slowing and letting her go deeper, and then increasing speed would bring her back up to depth, and then slowly let her go down and repeat the process.

[Capt. Morgan]

...Total of 18 shps sunk for 119028 tons. ...


Wow!

[Armistead]

Are you playing stock or RSRD with a supermod. I know RSRD scripts the battle perfectly. Kurita will come through the San Bern Straits, exit and go SSE. If you time it right you will also see the large US jeep carrier TF and they will do some battle. If you go through the straits the day before he comes through the straits, you can watch him get attacked by mass US aircraft.

The other JP TF come through the Surigao Straits. With RSRD per history it will be attacked by US TF. I prefer this battle, since it happens the night before and you can watch the large surface battle. If you have torps left you can hurry to the San Bern Straits and usally catch the center force coming back.

[Sandman_28054]

Are you playing stock or RSRD with a supermod. I know RSRD scripts the battle perfectly. Kurita will come through the San Bern Straits, exit and go SSE. If you time it right you will also see the large US jeep carrier TF and they will do some battle. If you go through the straits the day before he comes through the straits, you can watch him get attacked by mass US aircraft.

The other JP TF come through the Surigao Straits. With RSRD per history it will be attacked by US TF. I prefer this battle, since it happens the night before and you can watch the large surface battle. If you have torps left you can hurry to the San Bern Straits and usally catch the center force coming back.

TMO 1.9 is what I am using.

Where in NC are you?

I am in the Piedmont, near Charlotte.

[Armistead]

I use TMO1.9 with RSRD. I know Ducimas reworked some traffic in 1.9, but not sure if he touched the battles or not. You're probably seeing the stock battle. Was the date 10/25?

Your close. I live near Winston Salem, bout an hour from Charlotte.

[Sandman_28054]

I use TMO1.9 with RSRD. I know Ducimas reworked some traffic in 1.9, but not sure if he touched the battles or not. You're probably seeing the stock battle. Was the date 10/25?

No, if I remember correctly it was 10-24

Your close. I live near Winston Salem, bout an hour from Charlotte.

I'm about 20 miles west in Gastonia.

[Gibus]

I use TMO1.9 with RSRD. I know Ducimas reworked some traffic in 1.9, but not sure if he touched the battles or not.
Unfortunately not.
For example, at the Palawan passage, the combat formation of Kurita's fleet is entirely fanciful. She is escorted by Asashio class only. In reality : 9 Yugumo class, 5 Kagero class and Shimakaze.
In SH4 stock, the fleet carries over 3 columns to 14 knots with all destroyers before. In reality, she had the night training, to 16 kts on 2 columns spaced 4,000 meters when Harder and Dace attacked. The destroyers where protecting the flanks with a few others at the center of the training.

Kurita has committed tactical mistakes, it is unfortunate that the MOD can not make the player benefit.
However, it is possible to modding the MOD.:cool:

[Sandman_28054]

Well, update...

I had attacked both southern task forces and sank those, and made a hasty retreat back to base for rearming.

I posted this thread and gave the details. (See post #1)

Against all advice given, I went back to an earlier save point and decided to try again.

This time, I decided a frontal attack would be unnesessary.

I catch sight of Kurita's Task Force as they exited the San Bernadino Strait and shadowed them as they moved around and ran SouthEast staying just far enough out of range of the main Force, but about 10,000 yards from the tailing DD. Just far enough away not to attract attention, but close enough to maintain radar contact.

After 9 hours of trailing, Kurita was being attacked by American planes, and was manuvering all over the place. Finally, he made his mistake.

I went to the wikipedia and printed off a map of the battle of Leyte Gulf, and I knew that at one point, Kurita makes a big circle.

I found his intersect point and took a position there.

16 Type 18 "fish" and 8 "Cuties" were waiting on him.

My initial attack took place heading south.

Sank:

4: Asashio Class DD's

1: Maya Heavy Cruiser

1: Kongo Class BB

1: Yamato Class BB.

Then the fun started.

DD's all over the place. I dive to 450 feet and order silent running.

With all the dive bombers and torpedo planes attacking the fleet, I guess the DD's were too occupied with them and I slipped away fairly unmolested.

I crept along at 1 knt. for about the better part of an hour.

I ordered periscope depth because I could hear the fleet still firing away at the planes.

When I reached the surface, I raised my periscope and found out, I was in the heart of Kurita's task force!

The Task force evading the bombers and tropedo planes had done nothing but ran a big circle.

Fully loaded tubes, I took aim and fired another round.

Sank:

1: Asashio Class DD

1: Akizoki Class DD

1: Yamato Class BB

2: Takeo Class Heavy Cruisers

1: Fuso Class BB

1: Mogami Class Heavy Cruiser

Guys, if you ever get a chance to met this task force, there are tons of choice targets. Talk about a target rich enviroment!

From 1500pm until 1900 pm, the fleet I encountered just circled. If I had more fish I know I could have taken more ships out.

Remember, this fleet circles in one place for more than 6 hours on 24-10-44. So you can attack, dive, attack, dive, attack, dive, quite a few times if your careful.

I managed to escape.

Sinking the two southern forces combined, I got: 119028 tons.

Attacking Kurita's task force my way, I sank a total of 258,341 tons!

That is the way to hit 'em!

[tomoose]

.....you knew exactly where they'd be:hmmm:

258,341 tons in one patrol....very impressive. Have a look at this link;

http://www.valoratsea.com/subton1.htm

[Excelsior82]

:arrgh!: Yah, but we all know these guys were lame !! :arrgh!:

:woot:

[I'm goin' down]

Mr. Sandman,
Bring me a dream,
Admiral Kurita's Task Force
Off my port beam!

----------------

Great report. Excellent mission. Pass Go. Collect $200. Return to base and count your blessings. Also, if you stay on patrol, there won't be any targets for the rest of us!:salute:

[Armistead]

Unfortunately not.
For example, at the Palawan passage, the combat formation of Kurita's fleet is entirely fanciful. She is escorted by Asashio class only. In reality : 9 Yugumo class, 5 Kagero class and Shimakaze.
In SH4 stock, the fleet carries over 3 columns to 14 knots with all destroyers before. In reality, she had the night training, to 16 kts on 2 columns spaced 4,000 meters when Harder and Dace attacked. The destroyers where protecting the flanks with a few others at the center of the training.

Kurita has committed tactical mistakes, it is unfortunate that the MOD can not make the player benefit.
However, it is possible to modding the MOD.:cool:


The cool thing, RSRD almost gets Kurita's mistake. The day before the battle Kurita is attacked by mass US planes. If you go through the strait more west into the open you can watch hundreds of planes attack his group. They retreat,,where I saved 20 pilots, but they come back later through the straits, but the Mus is still with them, it was sunk by planes.
When it gets through the straits it runs into the US jeep force and they do small battle and both retreat. RSRD does get the proper ships in order.

[Gibus]

Yes, you are right. This battle is the most complex to reproduce faithfully as I could observe in the Pacific. There are so many different movements ...

[Armistead]

not to mention the forces coming through Surigao...there you can see some nice surface action between the fleets

[Gibus]

Although, I had included in my remarks as those of Engano Cape.
A veritable goldmine for multiplayer games.