Bubblehead1980
08-26-11, 01:11 PM
I have been aching to get a patrol in all week but was unable to due to RL things, last night I found sometime.I was assigned to a dead area(hate when RSRD assigns to a area with little or no traffic) east of Celebes Sea off Halmahera.I decided to patrol an area in the South China Sea halfway between Manila and Cam Rahn Bay(I added some convoys to travel this natural sea lane that was used but is not used by convoys in RSRD) however the spawn rate I set up does not gurantee targets and the random composition of said convoys makes it hit or miss, well it was a hit this time.
After two days in the area, I encountered a large convoy moving at 14 knots.Turns out to be a convoy of four large tankers, one large merchants and four escorts, including one with radar since the APR-1 was going off like crazy.I had 12 Mark 23's and 12 Mark 18's aboard( 12 23's in bow room, four Mark 18's.8 Mark 18's in stern) so with radar a night surface attack was out so I set up for a dusk scope attack.
I fired 3 Mark 23's each at two tankers from 1200 yards but was forced to fire early due to the starboard flank escort's close proximity.The first three hit target 1, which ignited into a giant fireball and was finished, mustve been loaded with fuel.Seconds later, two fish hit target 2, another large tanker exploded into a fireball.I went deep and somehow was not detected, which shocked me.About two hours later, I came to scope depth and found a Matsu class DE sitting quietly, listening.
I have heard many stories of how tough these escorts can be but have never encountered one in game(well that I could see, I usually play without cams on so do not get to gawk the ships over with external cam often) I had wakeless fish in the stern tubes, so I showed my stern and fired two for good measure, one to hit under his stack set shallow, other at 6 feet under his stern where the charges at located, the first was enough, it hit and enveloped the DE in a giant fireball followed by a huge round of secondary explosions, the fireworks were set off already when number 2 hit and she broke in two.
I surfaced to survey the damage, pull an end around and with the radar equipped escort no more(guess the Matsu was the lead escort with the radar) I pulled off a night surface attack, missing one tanker but hitting the other, sinking it quickly and running away on surface with a Type D coastal defense vessell chasing me and firing her guns at me, but I slipped away.
I lost contact with this convoy and returned to patrol.Over the next week I ran into two more tanker convoys, attacked one submerged with Stern tubes and Mark 18's, taking out two large tankers. and forced to 500 feet afterwards in a Gato(!) due to the skill of the Akizuki DD along Type C and Type D escorts laying down accurate, impressive barrages of depth charges.I was finally able to get below the barrage and slip away.
I used remaining four Mark 18's in bow tubes and two in stern to pull off two night surface attacks another convoy on a perfect night (less than quarter moon, light fog) and put down more tankers.
Out of fish, I headed for Fremantle after just 10 days in area and roughly 21 days on patrol.I arrived home to be awarded yet another Navy Cross(gained one on previous patrol) and 71,000 tons sent to the bottom.The South West Pacific has been good to me indeed.
Unfortunately the only SS I snapped this time was that of the Matsu going boom after first attack but they are enjoyable:yeah:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/jstringr1685/SH4Img2011-08-26_024029_419.jpg
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/jstringr1685/SH4Img2011-08-25_050637_022.jpg
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/jstringr1685/SH4Img2011-08-25_050628_128.jpg
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/jstringr1685/SH4Img2011-08-25_050534_640.jpg
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/jstringr1685/SH4Img2011-08-25_050531_110.jpg
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/jstringr1685/SH4Img2011-08-25_050520_916.jpg
After two days in the area, I encountered a large convoy moving at 14 knots.Turns out to be a convoy of four large tankers, one large merchants and four escorts, including one with radar since the APR-1 was going off like crazy.I had 12 Mark 23's and 12 Mark 18's aboard( 12 23's in bow room, four Mark 18's.8 Mark 18's in stern) so with radar a night surface attack was out so I set up for a dusk scope attack.
I fired 3 Mark 23's each at two tankers from 1200 yards but was forced to fire early due to the starboard flank escort's close proximity.The first three hit target 1, which ignited into a giant fireball and was finished, mustve been loaded with fuel.Seconds later, two fish hit target 2, another large tanker exploded into a fireball.I went deep and somehow was not detected, which shocked me.About two hours later, I came to scope depth and found a Matsu class DE sitting quietly, listening.
I have heard many stories of how tough these escorts can be but have never encountered one in game(well that I could see, I usually play without cams on so do not get to gawk the ships over with external cam often) I had wakeless fish in the stern tubes, so I showed my stern and fired two for good measure, one to hit under his stack set shallow, other at 6 feet under his stern where the charges at located, the first was enough, it hit and enveloped the DE in a giant fireball followed by a huge round of secondary explosions, the fireworks were set off already when number 2 hit and she broke in two.
I surfaced to survey the damage, pull an end around and with the radar equipped escort no more(guess the Matsu was the lead escort with the radar) I pulled off a night surface attack, missing one tanker but hitting the other, sinking it quickly and running away on surface with a Type D coastal defense vessell chasing me and firing her guns at me, but I slipped away.
I lost contact with this convoy and returned to patrol.Over the next week I ran into two more tanker convoys, attacked one submerged with Stern tubes and Mark 18's, taking out two large tankers. and forced to 500 feet afterwards in a Gato(!) due to the skill of the Akizuki DD along Type C and Type D escorts laying down accurate, impressive barrages of depth charges.I was finally able to get below the barrage and slip away.
I used remaining four Mark 18's in bow tubes and two in stern to pull off two night surface attacks another convoy on a perfect night (less than quarter moon, light fog) and put down more tankers.
Out of fish, I headed for Fremantle after just 10 days in area and roughly 21 days on patrol.I arrived home to be awarded yet another Navy Cross(gained one on previous patrol) and 71,000 tons sent to the bottom.The South West Pacific has been good to me indeed.
Unfortunately the only SS I snapped this time was that of the Matsu going boom after first attack but they are enjoyable:yeah:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/jstringr1685/SH4Img2011-08-26_024029_419.jpg
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/jstringr1685/SH4Img2011-08-25_050637_022.jpg
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/jstringr1685/SH4Img2011-08-25_050628_128.jpg
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/jstringr1685/SH4Img2011-08-25_050534_640.jpg
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/jstringr1685/SH4Img2011-08-25_050531_110.jpg
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/jstringr1685/SH4Img2011-08-25_050520_916.jpg