The dangers of shallow water and target fixation

[Vaux]

A few nights ago, I re-learned the importance of not becoming fixated on the juicy target in front of you.

May of '42. Per orders, I took my S boat to patrol the Java sea and engage enemy shipping. I completed the patrol part and started wandering around the area sinking 3 small freighters in 3 separate encounters. I'm left with 4 loaded tubes and 3 in reserve.

My fuel is getting to the point where I'll have to return soon, and I hate to go back with so many torpedoes, so I decide to go hang out at the entrance to Suribaya and maybe catch something entering or leaving.

I find a couple of sampans and sink them with my deck gun. A few minutes later I hear "Ship spotted!" and see a large composite freighter heading my way. Nice!

I figure out a good intercept point and go to periscope depth. I'm in 75 feet of water (mistake number 1) with clear, sunny weather and calm seas (mistake number 2). As I'm waiting on the freighter to get to the best firing point, I hear "ship spotted!". Holy, crap! It's a DD doing 20+ knots making a bee-line for me at about 4,000 yards and pinging like a bastard! He must of heard me shelling the sampans and/or saw the smoke and came to investigate... Damn damn damn!!!!!

If I go any deeper I'll hit bottom, no way in Hell I'm going to sneak away at periscope depth, but I have 4 loaded tubes and only one option: Take out the DD!

I go to Flank speed and swing around to line up a shot on the DD. By this time, he's at about 800 yards and more-or-less perpendicular to me. Fire one! As the torp leave the tube, he turns towards me... MISS!!! Fuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!! 600 yards! Fire two! As that torp leaves the tube, he turns back away from me and I catch him right below the stack... down she goes!!!!!

OK, back to the freighter. I have 2 tubes loaded and 1 being reloaded. The freighter is starting to take evasive action. He's about 700 yards away... I aim at his stern, hoping to damage his props/shafts/rudder... Fire 3! Hit! I'm lining up on his midships and just getting ready to fire 4, when...

PING! PING! PING! PING!

What the Hell? Sub chaser! 600 yards off the port bow and closing! I was so focused on getting the freighter, I didn't notice the DD had a little buddy with him. DAMNDAMNDAMN!!!! Flank speed! Hard a port! I only have one shot... make it count..... 500 yards... Fire four!! MISS!!!!

No more options... Might as well go out in the proverbial blaze of glory... Emergency blow! Hard a starboard! I set a course to take me away from him at an angle so I can use my deck gun (Just wanted to add: Situations like this are the very reason why I prefer stern-mounted deck guns) and start double-clicking the deck gun icon. Finally, as I surface, I get to the gun and start swinging it around.

Boom! "We're taking damage, sir!" No, sh..! By this time, he's 300 yards away and I line him up in the red cross hairs... FIRE! Hit! And I must have taken out his gun because he didn't fire anymore shots. 5 more rounds from me and no more sub chaser... but wait... where are those spouts of water next to my boat coming from? The freighter! I set a course to take me away from him and start blazing away.

After I get about 1500 yards away from him, he stops firing. By this time my tube 1 is loaded and I take him out with it. I then disable battery charging and proceed to un-ass the area at all possible speed, heading for deep water and home. The one hit from the sub chaser caused 2% hull damage, and some other minor damage that was quickly repaired. No casualties.

Lessons learned:

1) 75 feet of water with calm conditions and bright sunshine probably isn't the smartest hunting ground.

2) Pay attention when your crew says something important like "Ship spotted". I looked at the text readout and my crew did tell me about the sub chaser, I was just so engrossed in getting the freighter, I didn't hear it.

3) Keep scanning for other contacts! Do not fixate on the ship you're after!

4) Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes.... well, you know the rest.

[WernherVonTrapp]

That's a good story.:haha: Glad to see I'm not the only one who yells that at my crew when they tell me, "We're taking damage sir!":har:
Good advice. Thanks for the reminder.:up:

[Stealhead]

It sounds like the DD and the patrol boat you ran into where part of a anti-sub patrol seeing that you where in the Java Sea.

It is pretty common If I recall even in the stock game(not sure the version you are playing) to find 2 or 3 vessel anti-sub patrols in areas that are choke points such as narrow bodies of water between two land masses and pretty much every part of the Java Sea is a possible choke point so it is a good idea to be extra weary of anti-sub patrols in these areas or they might surprise you.

[Captain_AJ]

There are some nippon destroyers that are plainly stupid .. whenever I get a des tracking me .. I will plot his histroy of and try to engage on my terms .. you might take some hits ,, but the best method of killing a des . is contatc influnence especailly whe he comming towards u .. make sure his range is about 1500 yards ,, or less than fire that savior torped0 , and the angle on the bow could be never the less a 90 or a 0, or a 180 .. ,you will need to cripple him on a one shot .. last nite on my patrol a escort was heading right for me , I waited till 1500 yards and shot my torp , bingo sunk ,, practise with bungo pete ,, it does get eaiser '

[cptroyce]

Vaux-
>> Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes.... well, you know the rest <<

Seems like I "know the rest" too well..terrific patrol story! :salute:


Royce

[Armistead]

Count your blessings and load TMO and you'll see realistic action that will really make you think about entering shallow water.

[Platapus]

Great story and I like the way you told it. :yeah:

These are the patrols that make this game great. I actually felt my heart beating faster just reading your report.

The important lesson is that you did not give up. :salute:

[Vaux]

That's a good story.:haha: Glad to see I'm not the only one who yells that at my crew when they tell me, "We're taking damage sir!":har:
Good advice. Thanks for the reminder.:up:

I've only been playing SH4 about a month, but I was a HUGE SH1 fan. I played it for years. This was my first really hairy encounter in SH4 and is also when I realized that I was beginning to like this version as much as SH1 (I tried SH2 years ago, didn't like it) You know you're "fully immersed" when your heart starts racing and you start cussing at the crew! Glad you liked the story.

[Vaux]

It sounds like the DD and the patrol boat you ran into where part of a anti-sub patrol seeing that you where in the Java Sea.

It is pretty common If I recall even in the stock game(not sure the version you are playing) to find 2 or 3 vessel anti-sub patrols in areas that are choke points such as narrow bodies of water between two land masses and pretty much every part of the Java Sea is a possible choke point so it is a good idea to be extra weary of anti-sub patrols in these areas or they might surprise you.

The thing is, after 3 separate encounters/sinkings, I'd seen nary a DD... not even a gun boat. I got complacent and started thinking that maybe the Japs thought no one would be stupid enough to operate in the area and didn't have any ASW assets around. Obviously they did allow for some idiot to try it... and that idiot was me! :88)

[sergei]

We live and learn Vaux.
If we're lucky. :DL

[Vaux]

Great story and I like the way you told it. :yeah:

These are the patrols that make this game great. I actually felt my heart beating faster just reading your report.

The important lesson is that you did not give up. :salute:

Thanks, Platapus, glad you liked it. When I was out of danger, had a couple hundre feet of water under me and could secure from battle stations, I had to take a deep breath and go get a beer! The adrenaline was flowing there for a few minutes. Damn, I love this game!

[Vaux]

We live and learn Vaux.
If we're lucky. :DL

Lady luck was not only smiling at me that night, she was sitting on my lap... the little hottie.

[Armistead]

I've only been playing SH4 about a month, but I was a HUGE SH1 fan. I played it for years. This was my first really hairy encounter in SH4 and is also when I realized that I was beginning to like this version as much as SH1 (I tried SH2 years ago, didn't like it) You know you're "fully immersed" when your heart starts racing and you start cussing at the crew! Glad you liked the story.

Just think how much you enjoyed that patrol, you ain't seen nothing yet. That's what's great about the game, endless situations.

Nothing is more fun than being in Formosa in 44, fighting a 30 ship convoy with a escort carrier, lot's of planes, about 12 Type A escorts in the middle of a mine field in 150ft of water.

Great story.