Oh yes, DD's can run out of depth charges...

[Outeniqua]

1 September 1943: We put to sea in the USS Seahorse, Balao Class submarine. Our assignment: A recce off the Gilbert Islands.

9 September 1943: Except for being driven under by the occasional Jap aircraft, the recce and a 72 hour patrol of the Gilbert Isles goes off without a hitch. Not a single contact.

After checking in with ComSubPac, we are tasked with patrolling the convoy routes from home waters to Rabaul. I decide to head South West, to the mouth of the Bismarck Sea, then work my way up to Guam and begin my patrol there.

13 September 1943 0840: Calm sea conditions, cloudy with a bit of fog we reach the entrance to the Bismarck Sea.

0850: RADAR CONTACT! Bearing 300, 9800yds. The tracking party starts a track. GQ is called.

0852: RADAR CONTACT! Bearing 299, 9000yds. I order a westerly course change. This is quickly followed by 2 more contacts on radar. This places the contacts at 200 off USS Seahorse. The tracking party is having a bit of trouble with the contacts. A rough course estimate has been made, but they are unable to get regular enough returns for a speed estimate. Course: 005, Speed: 18-24kts. I order a reverse in course, to the east and order ahead full.

0905: RADAR SIGNALS DETECTED! Bearing 089! Radars! Can only mean warships. The USS Seahorse's radar is snoozed and the order for dive to periscope depth is given. The contacts are now being tracked by sonar. We finally have a solid course and speed estimate of the contacts. Course - 005, speed - 22kts. USS Seahorse is at 60ft, 4kts, heading 090.

0908: A course is plotted perpindicular to the contacts'. New heading 095, speed 1kts, depth 60ft. The order for silent running is given. Analysis of the contacts strongly indicates the first 2 contacts being of Cruiser size at least, followed by a pair of destroyers. The fog makes it nearly impossible to get a confirmed ID on the types. The silhouettes does seem to be 2 large war ships, followed by a pair of destroyers. They are in quite a hurry, no destroyer screening ahead of the column.

0910: Tubes 1-6 are readied. Running depth of the fish is set to 10ft. Tubes 1-3 are set slow speed, Tubes 4-6 high speed. All fish set for contact as per BuOrd instructions. I hope that new Chief in the forward torpedo room's tinkering with the fish has paid off. It certainly won't be the first time that we would hear 6 "clangs" against a ships hull...

0915: Contacts are drawing near to the shooting envelope now. I order up scope and the silhouettes are clearer now. 2 Maya Class Heavy cruisers. Separated by about 20 degrees. I plan for a 90 degree impact. AOB on the lead ship is set to 70 degrees. The order to fire will be given for tubes 1-3 will when he crosses the 20 degree wire. Tubes 4-6 are set to fast. After the 3rd fish is in the water, the AOB will be set to 60 and the remaining fish will be fired as the 2nd target crosses the 30 degree wire. Lets hope the difference in speed of the fish will allow enough time for the faster set to arrive at the 2nd target with little to no warning. Torpedo tube doors are ordered open.

0918: Sonar reports the first ship is approaching 30 degrees. UP SCOPE! The lead ship comes into view, at a range of about 700yds. The bow crosses the 20 degree wire... FIRE ONE! The fore main gun crosses the wire. FIRE TWO! The smoke stack next... FIRE THREE!

I quickly order the change in AOB and turn the scope to 30 degrees. As the 2nd ship passes the wire, tubes 4-6 are emptied. I order the OOD to take us deep... 500ft.

An eternity passes... then suddenly...

0919: TORPEDO IMPACT! TORPEDO IMPACT! TORPEDO IMPACT! A massive secodary explosion is heard. One of the torps must have struck the lead ships magazine. Muffled by the secondaries another 3 torpedoes found their mark. Both Mayas have just took 3 fish a piece, port side. Let's hope the mess in the water will give us enough of a window to escape the impending wrath, that is sure to come from the 2 destroyers.

Sonar reports fast screws to our starboard side. His words wasn't even cold when the pinging started. My-o-my... they sound pissed.

0922: Sonar reports the first Maya is going down. That secondary must really ripped her apart for her to go down so fast. Destroyers are pinging, but not pursuing yet. Probably trying to keep us under while the survivors are picked up.

0925: Being hit by regular pings now. One destroyer is moving slowly, listening while the 2nd is driving us.

0930: One of the DD's starts a run. Splashes are quicly followed... depth charges. Suddenly the USS Seahorse is rocked by the concussive force of depth charges detonating much too close for comfort. The next DD starts a run...

0945: Sonar reports the 2nd Maya is going down. Seems we did enough for her. The DD's are relentless. Constant course and depth changes are being ordered. It seems they are thrown off for a bit, then quickly pick up the sent again.

1245: The DD's are still on top of us. Tag teaming, they are not giving us the slightest of chance. Most of the crew by now has some bruise or laceration from being thrown around by the depth charges going off close to us.

1330: The DD's are still prosecuting us, however, we have not heard a splash in nearly an hour. They are still performing depth charge runs, but no splashes... Could it be they are out?

1400: Still not a single splash. They are keeping us under probably awaiting reinforcements.

1415: It's clear we are as good as dead if we maintain the current status quo. I order a change in depth to 80ft, enough is enough. The aft tubes are readied. I want all 4 fish set to fast to shoot straight at 180 bearing. Will have to time the firing by eye only.

1430: A DD starts another run again. As per the norm, he turns to starboard at about 5kts. I order periscope depth and open the tubes. All ahead flank, left full rudder.

The 2nd DD comes into view. Rudder amid ships... and wait.

1432: FIRE SEVEN! The torp screams toward the DD. It seems the tin can drivers have become complacent. By the looks of it, the fish should hit him at about midships, ata 30 degree angle... CLANG! A DUD! DOWN SCOPE! SET DEPTH 100ft!

1433: The DD screams over us unphased. Well we have 3 left. Let's hope the next 3 will do what it says on the packaging.

1435: Periscope depth, up scope. The first DD is still circling at a range of about 1000yds. 150 degrees... 160... 170... FIRE EIGHT!

From my scope view the fish runs straight as an arrow. It seems I have timed the shot perfectly, unless he makes his turn... TORPEDO IMPACT!

1436: The fish struck him just aft the bow. The DD slows to a stop and lists heavily. I don't think he's going down, but at least he isn't going anywhere.

I order left full rudder again. The 2nd DD is starting its run again, trying to ram me while shallow. I order tube nine to be fired. The fish runs straight down his throat and blows him straight to his ancestors.

Fully deserved you bastards. Depth Charging my boat for over 3 hours.

1444: I turn the USS Seahorse so that her stern points to the remaining, wounded DD. Tube ten is fired and the last of the destroyers is sent to the bottom.

1447: After checking radar and the scope thorougly, I order the boat to be surfaced. The crew certainly deserves a breather and we need to get our of here fast.

Not a bad score. 8 out of 9 fish hit. 2 Heavy cruisers and 2 destroyers less for the IJN.

==============================

This had me quite frustrated as you can imagine. Nothing I tried was successful in shaking the DD's. I think the main issue was the conditions. It was overcast, misty and a mirror flat ocean. Sonar conditions was probably as good as it could get. I was under the layer at 400-520ft most of the time. Kept my RPM under 50 and was running in silent. Alas, it made no difference. The DD's simply bombed me until they were out of ammo. The gamble to try and take them out luckily paid off. :-?

After 3 hours worth of bombing, my boat had 001 hull damage.

It ended up being a quite good patrol. I ended the patrol on 27 October 1943. After the debacle with the cruisers and DD's, I sunk 3 merchants and managed to bag a Hyuriyo Carrier in zero visibility by only using sonar and hydrophones to track him. He had 2 DD's escourting, but they never came close to me due to the appaling conditions I think. 60 000 odd tons of shipping sunk.

For some wierd reason I am running into more war ships than merchants...

Mods used are TMO 2, RSRD.

[rein1705]

i was beginning to seriously wonder if they'd ever run out of those infernal things !!!

I have the game saved as i was too tired to continue but here's my setrep:
USS S-39 (SS-144) Set out of port 9 Dec 1941 with orders to deploy to Luzon and conduct unrestricted warfare against anything flying The rising sun.
After crippling our fleet at Pearl just days ago we are eager to return the favor. We pushed 9 knots for four days to reach the area known as "Convoy Collage" in-between crash dive and GQ drills. On station 12 Dec 1941.

Ben sending regular status reports every 12 hours after learning of the impending invasion of Luzon and Borneo. Not a single sighting to report, no radar of any kind on board. S-39 was scheduled for a refit but that changed on the 7th.

14 Dec 0900 on a trim dive while backtracking between Tako and Luzon sonar picked up a possible contact at 090. we turned toward and listened as a possible merchant drew near.

0940 making 3 knots toward contact sonar determined it was a warship closing between 10 and 15 knots. Ordered Battleststions, parascope depth.

1000 3 contacts all warships, ether a small task force or an asw patrol.
1030 sea conditions very mild, no fog, clear sky. Have identified two DD's and a heavy minelayer in a loose column formation chugging right for us at 9,000 yds. had tubes 1-4 set to run at 15 feet and opened outer doors. Silent running. Watch crew is now standby Damage Control and deck gun crew is in the torpedo room. We've never fired a real fish at a real target before. Here's hoping they don't blow up in the tubes.
One of the MBT valves is leaking pretty steady... gotta remember to have Jackson work it over again. Damn everyone's so quiet in here.

Up and down goes my parascope, timing, waiting, checking, 5 to port, ten to port, midships, how close? 3,500 yards.... Thats it i cant take it any longer it looks like there right on top of us. I have a great setup on the minelayer im going for it!

Fire one.... fire two... new depth one six five feet set revolutions for two knots. wait.... .... ...
loud pinging. crap the lead DD must have spotted the torps and now they're after me.
Of course my two shots missed by a mile and the Destroyers have me on active sonar. for four hours im hunted and depth charged. 025% hull damage thanks to at least a little luck so far. Have been riding right at the thermal layer, seems to throw them off but it comes and goes. Right now only one seems to be searching for me the other is moving away. I feel like an idiot firing at 3,500 yards but i cant seem to get much closer than that without being detected anyway... But if i live through this at least i'll try again. I hate messing with warships.:nope::arrgh!:

[Outeniqua]

Indeed. I was just surprised to find that none of my tactics to shake the DD's worked.

After about 30 mins from the first depth charge I realised these 2 tin cans had skills. However, ala Stellan Skarsgard in The Hunt For Red October, I still confidently thought: "I'll shake the man loose."

About a 90 minutes after the first depth charge I was cursing myself for attacking in the first place. I was getting tired. Should have fired from 2000yds to give me more of a head start, etc etc etc. Can't wait for 1944 so I can get decoys.

As sweet as it was knocking the 2 Mayas in column with 6/6 hits, The carrier kill was far sweeter. The carrier was flying at around 22kts. It's escourts were sprinting and drifting ahead and aft of him. The weather and sea conditions was appaling.

The challenge was tracking the carrier. Since you can only set the sonar man to follow the nearest target, I had to manually find the carrier on the hydrophone. I learned how to Identify targets with sonar only thanks to that engagement. There's a definite difference in engine and screw sounds between carriers and destroyers. Constant speed, no change in SNR, with pings every few seconds to fine tune the plot. Solution set, pk on, fingers crossed. Successfully hit.

Werner Sober's video about a sonar only engagement is a gem for this. If not for that video I wouldn't have hit anything. I couldn't use a fast 90, because the sonar man can't be ordered to follow it, so the bearing updates for other ships in that TF would be quite delayed. Thus, I had to use the PK - it worked like a charm. :rock:

His destroyers were clueless to where I was. I am now going to wish for 15 meter waves for ever and ever. :O:

I am yet to see a convoy though. I roam the convoy routes and choke points, but nada. Haven't seen a convoy in 6 patrols. Dunno why, maybe just bad luck.

[Spike88]

I just encountered a massive convoy during my first patrol. I was ordered to patrol in front of Cam Ran Bay. Decided to get close to the mouth of the bay to see if I could find any shipping.

The crew calls out that they've spotted a ship. I look and in the far distance is a minelayer. I decide to go to periscope depth and pick up a several merchants.

Then I make my first mistake. I turn on TC :dead: to 8. When I think the ships are in a good position I drop down to one.

I fail to notice that there are at least 15 contacts. And I'm being pinged by Destroyers. They don't seem to know where I am though.

I raise the periscope and see a Merchant in perfect alignment for a torpedo attack. I lock on(yes I still use Auto TDC).

And this is where I make my second mistake. I open the torpedo doors and hit space for each bay(thinking of GWX where Space fires) and then crash dive.

Realizing what mistake I go back to periscope depth from 80ft. By the time I get back up the ship is too far ahead, and the destroyers are closing in.

I lock onto a cruiser in the distance, and fire all four torpedoes. Crash dive and make a 180 to head out to deeper seas. Spend the next hour hiding from three destroyers. The torpedoes I had launched end up missing

Luckily their attacks were always off.

Feeling like a nub for botching that up and wasting 4 torpedoes, only have 8 left, I'm still in the area hoping something else will come through.


As a good portion of the crew is fatigued I'm going to chill out for the next two days and hopefully will catch a task force coming out of Cam Ran on December 14th.



Edit: scratch that I was heading out and ran into another task force also heading into Cam Ran. One of the destroyers saw me before I could go to periscope depth. slunk along and got into a good position, came up and launched 4 torpedoes at at a Heavy Crusier. Two missed, one hit and the back of the ship is almost underwater but I don't think it's going to sink. The final torpedo malfunctioned and ended up running in circles. Currently sneaking away from destroyers.

[Armistead]

Yep, sometimes I've had em run out and still chase me making one dry run after the other.You can find out how many most of the escorts carry in the mod's readme, some carry over 100.

[Outeniqua]

Yep, sometimes I've had em run out and still chase me making one dry run after the other.You can find out how many most of the escorts carry in the mod's readme, some carry over 100.

Hehe, It felt more like they had a million of them. :P I can't decide whether it sucks or not that they continued with the engagement when out of ammo.

They had no reason to leave since I took care of the ships they were supposed to be protecting, so I guess IRL terms it makes sense that they will stay and keep the sub down until it has no choice but to surface. In the end both the DD's ended up being sunk as well, although at a major gamble that I took that luckily paid off.

I can't see that happening with GWX 3 though... I probably would have been dead within 15 mins of them hunting me. :hmmm:

[Dignan]

1 September 1943: We put to sea in the USS Seahorse, Balao Class submarine. Our assignment: A recce off the Gilbert Islands.

9 September 1943: Except for being driven under by the occasional Jap aircraft, the recce and a 72 hour patrol of the Gilbert Isles goes off without a hitch. Not a single contact.

After checking in with ComSubPac, we are tasked with patrolling the convoy routes from home waters to Rabaul. I decide to head South West, to the mouth of the Bismarck Sea, then work my way up to Guam and begin my patrol there.

13 September 1943 0840: Calm sea conditions, cloudy with a bit of fog we reach the entrance to the Bismarck Sea.

0850: RADAR CONTACT! Bearing 300, 9800yds. The tracking party starts a track. GQ is called.

0852: RADAR CONTACT! Bearing 299, 9000yds. I order a westerly course change. This is quickly followed by 2 more contacts on radar. This places the contacts at 200 off USS Seahorse. The tracking party is having a bit of trouble with the contacts. A rough course estimate has been made, but they are unable to get regular enough returns for a speed estimate. Course: 005, Speed: 18-24kts. I order a reverse in course, to the east and order ahead full.

0905: RADAR SIGNALS DETECTED! Bearing 089! Radars! Can only mean warships. The USS Seahorse's radar is snoozed and the order for dive to periscope depth is given. The contacts are now being tracked by sonar. We finally have a solid course and speed estimate of the contacts. Course - 005, speed - 22kts. USS Seahorse is at 60ft, 4kts, heading 090.

0908: A course is plotted perpindicular to the contacts'. New heading 095, speed 1kts, depth 60ft. The order for silent running is given. Analysis of the contacts strongly indicates the first 2 contacts being of Cruiser size at least, followed by a pair of destroyers. The fog makes it nearly impossible to get a confirmed ID on the types. The silloutes does seem to be 2 large war ships, followed by a pair of destroyers. They are in quite a hurry, no destroyer screening ahead of the column.

0910: Tubes 1-6 are readied. Running depth of the fish is set to 10ft. Tubes 1-3 are set slow speed, Tubes 4-6 high speed. All fish set for contact as per BuOrd instructions. I hope that new Chief in the forward toperdo room's tinkering with the fish has paid off. It certainly won't be the first time that we would hear 6 "clangs" against a ships hull...

0915: Contacts are drawing near to the shooting envelope now. I order up scope and the silloutes are clearer now. 2 Maya Class Heavy cruisers. Separated by about 20 degrees. I plan for a 90 degree impact. AOB on the lead ship is set to 70 degrees. The order to fire will be given for tubes 1-3 will when he crosses the 20 degree wire. Tubes 4-6 are set to fast. After the 3rd fish is in the water, the AOB will be set to 60 and the remaining fish will be fired as the 2nd target crosses the 30 degree wire. Lets hope the difference in speed of the fish will allow enough time for the faster set to arrive at the 2nd target with little to no warning. Torpedo tube doors are ordered open.

0918: Sonar reports the first ship is approaching 30 degrees. UP SCOPE! The lead ship comes into view, at a range of about 700yds. The bow crosses the 20 degree wire... FIRE ONE! The fore main gun crosses the wire. FIRE TWO! The smoke stack next... FIRE THREE!

I quickly order the change in AOB and turn the scope to 30 degrees. As the 2nd ship passes the wire, tubes 4-6 are emptied. I order the OOD to take us deep... 500ft.

An eternity passes... then suddenly...

0919: TORPEDO IMPACT! TORPEDO IMPACT! TORPEDO IMPACT! A massive secodary explosion is heard. One of the torps must have struck the lead ships magazine. Muffled by the secondaries another 3 torpedoes found their mark. Both Mayas have just took 3 fish a piece, starboard side. Let's hope the mess in the water will give us enough of a window to escape the impending wrath, that is sure to come from the 2 destroyers.

Sonar reports fast screws to our port side. His words wasn't even cold when the pinging started. My-o-my... they sound pissed.

0922: Sonar reports the first Maya is going down. That secondary must really ripped her apart for her to go down so fast. Destroyers are pinging, but not pursuing yet. Probably trying to keep us under while the survivors are picked up.

0925: Being hit by regular pings now. One destroyer is moving slowly, listening while the 2nd is driving us.

0930: One of the DD's starts a run. Splashes are quicly followed... depth charges. Suddenly the USS Seahorse is rocked by the concussive force of depth charges detonating much too close for comfort. The next DD starts a run...

0945: Sonar reports the 2nd Maya is going down. Seems we did enough for her. The DD's are relentless. Constant course and depth changes are being ordered. It seems they are thrown off for a bit, then quickly pick up the sent again.

1245: The DD's are still on top of us. Tag teaming, they are not giving us the slightest of chance. Most of the crew by now has some bruise or laceration from being thrown around by the depth charges going off close to us.

1330: The DD's are still prosecuting us, however, we have not heard a splash in nearly an hour. They are still performing depth charge runs, but no splashes... Could it be they are out?

1400: Still not a single splash. They are keeping us under probably awaiting reinforcements.

1415: It's clear we are as good as dead if we maintain the current status quo. I order a change in depth to 80ft, enough is enough. The aft tubes are readied. I want all 4 fish set to fast to shoot straight at 180 bearing. Will have to time the firing by eye only.

1430: A DD starts another run again. As per the norm, he turns to port at about 5kts. I order periscope depth and open the tubes. All ahead flank, left full rudder.

The 2nd DD comes into view. Rudder amid ships... and wait.

1432: FIRE SEVEN! The torp screams toward the DD. It seems the tin can drivers have become complacent. By the looks of it, the fish should hit him at about midships, ata 30 degree angle... CLANG! A DUD! DOWN SCOPE! SET DEPTH 100ft!

1433: The DD screams over us unphased. Well we have 3 left. Let's hope the next 3 will do what it says on the packaging.

1435: Periscope depth, up scope. The first DD is still circling at a range of about 1000yds. 150 degrees... 160... 170... FIRE EIGHT!

From my scope view the fish runs straight as an arrow. It seems I have timed the shot perfectly, unless he makes his turn... TORPEDO IMPACT!

1436: The fish struck him just aft the bow. The DD slows to a stop and lists heavily. I don't think he's going down, but at least he isn't going anywhere.

I order left full rudder again. The 2nd DD is starting its run again, trying to ram me while shallow. I order tube nine to be fired. The fish runs straight down his throwt and blows him straight to his ancestors.

Fully deserved you bastards. Depth Charging my boat for over 3 hours.

1444: I turn the USS Seahorse so that her stern points to the remaining, wounded DD. Tube ten is fired and the last of the destroyers is sent to the bottom.

1447: After checking radar and the scope thorougly, I order the boat to be surfaced. The crew certainly deserves a breather and we need to get our of here fast.

Not a bad score. 8 out of 9 fish hit. 2 Heavy cruisers and 2 destroyers less for the IJN.

==============================

This had me quite frustrated as you can imagine. Nothing I tried was successful in shaking the DD's. I think the main issue was the conditions. It was overcast, misty and a mirror flat ocean. Sonar conditions was probably as good as it could get. I was under the layer at 400-520ft most of the time. Kept my RPM under 50 and was running in silent. Alas, it made no difference. The DD's simply bombed me until they were out of ammo. The gamble to try and take them out luckily paid off. :-?

After 3 hours worth of bombing, my boat had 001 hull damage.

It ended up being a quite good patrol. I ended the patrol on 27 October 1943. After the debacle with the cruisers and DD's, I sunk 3 merchants and managed to bag a Hyuriyo Carrier in zero visibility by only using sonar and hydrophones to track him. He had 2 DD's escourting, but they never came close to me due to the appaling conditions I think. 60 000 odd tons of shipping sunk.

For some wierd reason I am running into more war ships than merchants...

Mods used are TMO 2, RSRD.

Great AAR. Really well written. I thoroughly enjoyed this. :up:

[Outeniqua]

Great AAR. Really well written. I thoroughly enjoyed this. :up:

Cool Thanks! :DL

The purpose of the AAR was to see if our fellow bubble heads might have had the same experience, being DC'd for a few hours and escaping or if they've ever encountered a DD running out of DC's.

I played stock for a while coming from GWX and found the stock DD's a joke. TMO, however does seem to take of that problem though. They are much more aggressive and if in pairs in perfect acoustic conditions, I find it very difficult to shake them.

Thank heavens they don't have hedgehog! :rotfl2: