I'm goin' down
12-14-10, 11:30 PM
TMO2.0/RSRDC: (90 percent realism; map contacts on.)
October 25, 1944 at 0515 hrs, 10 nm's NE of the San Bernadino Sraights. At the historically accurate time, along comes a huge Japanese TF, in two long columns, traveling at 27 kts. and ringed by about a dozen dds. It is entering the open ocean and heading south looking for Nimitz' fleet which has gone in search of Rockin Robbins who is gunning for greyrider in the Funny Farm quadrant. My boat is a Tambor class. At a range 15,000 yds., we steam east towards the TF's course four miles distant. At 5,000 yds range, we submerge to a depth of 200 feet, put the engines on silent running and move into position to intercept the closest of two parallel columns of the TF to avoid being sighted by the dds. When radar indicates the TF is crossing the bow, I bring the tambor to periscope depth, and immediately observe a Fuso at 300 degrees port at a range of 700 yds. I set up an O'Kane shot with a firing point of 340 degrees. The first torpedo is fired prematurely, as I accidentally hit the fire button when dragging the clock. The second torpedo is a dud. The third and fourth impact. My boat dives to avoid the dds, and stays submerged for 30 minutes. Radar indicates the TF has sailed on, but one radar line indicates a slow moving target, probably the damaged Fuso, within 6,000 yds at a port bearing of 350 degrees. Periscope depth confirms the Fuso, accompanied by three escorts, is listing heavily to starboard, but is not sinking. Its course is plotted and speed calculated at 7.0 knots. Eventually, the escorts leave to catch up to the main body.
My boat follows the Fuso on its slow but constant course of 114 degrees. I decide to veer to the Fuso's port side to avoid it port guns which are pointing skyward due to its starboard list, surface behind it at distance of 5,000 yds., overtake it at a speed of 17 kts., and approach for a kill shot from in front of the target on its port side. My boat is on the surface during its chase to overtake the target. Since the Fuso is listng to starboard, its port guns firing at my boat are inaccurate, and all overshoot it by a wide margin.
After a 12 mile chase, I overtake the Fuso, move ahead of it over the next 4 - 5 nms, and then begin to close distance. Its speed has slowed to 6.75 kts. but its course remained constant throughout. I settle in for an attack at 700 yds. using manual targeting. I arrive at the firing point well ahead of the Fuso. I set range manually, as the using the stadimeter is impossible due to the Fuso's list (the list skews the stadimeter's range calculation.) I use the map tools to calculate target range, and finally lock in on the target on the Attack Map. Forward torpedoes are reloaded, and all four are fired when the Fuso closes to 1,300 yds at a bearing of 45 degrees starboard. All impact, but the first is a dud.
The Fuso has now been been struck by five explosions, two on its starboard side and three on its port side, at depths ranging between 13 to 25 feet below the waterline, and is still afloat. As a consequence of the last three explosions, it has somehow righted itself, denying my crew the opportunity to attack it with its deck gun as the Fuso can now bring its heavy guns to bear on my boat. However, its speed has slowed to a meager 3 kts., so I bring the tambor to a bearing of 90 degrees starboard to position the tambor's aft torpedoes for action when it is in position. As soon as it arrives in position, I cut the engines. This maneuver sets my boat for aft torpedo shots while the Fuso is moving away from it. However, the Fuso is moving away at a crawl and I site it in the periscope at a range of roughly 800 yds., so two more torpedoes set to run at 25 feet are fired. Both impact, and one does major damage. Finally, the mighty Fuso, all 34,000 tons of her, explodes and sinks. Seven torpedoes! That was a lot of work.
October 25, 1944 at 0515 hrs, 10 nm's NE of the San Bernadino Sraights. At the historically accurate time, along comes a huge Japanese TF, in two long columns, traveling at 27 kts. and ringed by about a dozen dds. It is entering the open ocean and heading south looking for Nimitz' fleet which has gone in search of Rockin Robbins who is gunning for greyrider in the Funny Farm quadrant. My boat is a Tambor class. At a range 15,000 yds., we steam east towards the TF's course four miles distant. At 5,000 yds range, we submerge to a depth of 200 feet, put the engines on silent running and move into position to intercept the closest of two parallel columns of the TF to avoid being sighted by the dds. When radar indicates the TF is crossing the bow, I bring the tambor to periscope depth, and immediately observe a Fuso at 300 degrees port at a range of 700 yds. I set up an O'Kane shot with a firing point of 340 degrees. The first torpedo is fired prematurely, as I accidentally hit the fire button when dragging the clock. The second torpedo is a dud. The third and fourth impact. My boat dives to avoid the dds, and stays submerged for 30 minutes. Radar indicates the TF has sailed on, but one radar line indicates a slow moving target, probably the damaged Fuso, within 6,000 yds at a port bearing of 350 degrees. Periscope depth confirms the Fuso, accompanied by three escorts, is listing heavily to starboard, but is not sinking. Its course is plotted and speed calculated at 7.0 knots. Eventually, the escorts leave to catch up to the main body.
My boat follows the Fuso on its slow but constant course of 114 degrees. I decide to veer to the Fuso's port side to avoid it port guns which are pointing skyward due to its starboard list, surface behind it at distance of 5,000 yds., overtake it at a speed of 17 kts., and approach for a kill shot from in front of the target on its port side. My boat is on the surface during its chase to overtake the target. Since the Fuso is listng to starboard, its port guns firing at my boat are inaccurate, and all overshoot it by a wide margin.
After a 12 mile chase, I overtake the Fuso, move ahead of it over the next 4 - 5 nms, and then begin to close distance. Its speed has slowed to 6.75 kts. but its course remained constant throughout. I settle in for an attack at 700 yds. using manual targeting. I arrive at the firing point well ahead of the Fuso. I set range manually, as the using the stadimeter is impossible due to the Fuso's list (the list skews the stadimeter's range calculation.) I use the map tools to calculate target range, and finally lock in on the target on the Attack Map. Forward torpedoes are reloaded, and all four are fired when the Fuso closes to 1,300 yds at a bearing of 45 degrees starboard. All impact, but the first is a dud.
The Fuso has now been been struck by five explosions, two on its starboard side and three on its port side, at depths ranging between 13 to 25 feet below the waterline, and is still afloat. As a consequence of the last three explosions, it has somehow righted itself, denying my crew the opportunity to attack it with its deck gun as the Fuso can now bring its heavy guns to bear on my boat. However, its speed has slowed to a meager 3 kts., so I bring the tambor to a bearing of 90 degrees starboard to position the tambor's aft torpedoes for action when it is in position. As soon as it arrives in position, I cut the engines. This maneuver sets my boat for aft torpedo shots while the Fuso is moving away from it. However, the Fuso is moving away at a crawl and I site it in the periscope at a range of roughly 800 yds., so two more torpedoes set to run at 25 feet are fired. Both impact, and one does major damage. Finally, the mighty Fuso, all 34,000 tons of her, explodes and sinks. Seven torpedoes! That was a lot of work.