Bubblehead1980
09-11-13, 03:05 AM
TMO RSRD Feb 1945. USS Quillback-Tench class
Eager to test out the new Mark 28 homing torpedo in combat, I departed Pearl Harbor on Feb 12, 1945 and headed for Saipan to refuel, then proceeded to patrol a 150 mile area in the Yellow Sea per the operation order.
While en route to area on Feb 24, 1945, SW of Quelpart Island where East China and Yellow Seas meet, SJ made a contact on 4 ships, a convoy, 3 freighters and one escort it appeared, in a single line.Unfortunately, full moon was out and only 2 hours until dawn, no chance of night surface attack and only 120 feet below keel, too dangerous for submerged attack in calm seas.Decided to rush ahead of convoy and attack after dawn in the deeper areas(250 feet below keel, reasonable for evasion) we attacked after dawn, we have a Zinbu Maru and Ryunn Maru with two type C escorts, one forward, one after.Plan was to launch six Mark 18's, 3 each at the freighters, then turn and spit out two of the four homing torpedoes at escorts if needed.
Attack went according to plan, except having to go to 100 feet when a G4M Betty came out of no where flying low, but didnt spot us fortunately, just routine morning patrol plane. Back at scope depth, fired at both freighters from 2100 yards, then went "deep" and silent since escorts didnt seem to know where I was.As I passed 210 feet, pinging began, the rear escort seemed to find us, then stopped, then an explosion, the plane dropped some bombs, apparently spotting us (MAD perhaps, running rockn robbins restore TMO planes mod) , bombs fell short but they told escorts where to find us, we went to the bottom at 250 feet as escorts roared in pinging.I let decoys go and ahead flank, first pattern missed, the second escort began dropping charges on decoys, then more plane bombs, this sucker had to have MAD.
Then the escort closed in and dropped an accurate pattern , two exploded very close, causing flooding in control room and after torpedo, destroyed some equipment and blew us, literally blew us 10 feet down into the bottom, all stopped with flooded, we sat on bottom(love the trick figured out to do it without sustaining hull damage) and survived for an hour until both DD's rushed in and layed out one hell out of pattern which wrecked the boat, the end,
I was impressed by the first team effort from the plane and escorts, 1945 is no joke.
Eager to test out the new Mark 28 homing torpedo in combat, I departed Pearl Harbor on Feb 12, 1945 and headed for Saipan to refuel, then proceeded to patrol a 150 mile area in the Yellow Sea per the operation order.
While en route to area on Feb 24, 1945, SW of Quelpart Island where East China and Yellow Seas meet, SJ made a contact on 4 ships, a convoy, 3 freighters and one escort it appeared, in a single line.Unfortunately, full moon was out and only 2 hours until dawn, no chance of night surface attack and only 120 feet below keel, too dangerous for submerged attack in calm seas.Decided to rush ahead of convoy and attack after dawn in the deeper areas(250 feet below keel, reasonable for evasion) we attacked after dawn, we have a Zinbu Maru and Ryunn Maru with two type C escorts, one forward, one after.Plan was to launch six Mark 18's, 3 each at the freighters, then turn and spit out two of the four homing torpedoes at escorts if needed.
Attack went according to plan, except having to go to 100 feet when a G4M Betty came out of no where flying low, but didnt spot us fortunately, just routine morning patrol plane. Back at scope depth, fired at both freighters from 2100 yards, then went "deep" and silent since escorts didnt seem to know where I was.As I passed 210 feet, pinging began, the rear escort seemed to find us, then stopped, then an explosion, the plane dropped some bombs, apparently spotting us (MAD perhaps, running rockn robbins restore TMO planes mod) , bombs fell short but they told escorts where to find us, we went to the bottom at 250 feet as escorts roared in pinging.I let decoys go and ahead flank, first pattern missed, the second escort began dropping charges on decoys, then more plane bombs, this sucker had to have MAD.
Then the escort closed in and dropped an accurate pattern , two exploded very close, causing flooding in control room and after torpedo, destroyed some equipment and blew us, literally blew us 10 feet down into the bottom, all stopped with flooded, we sat on bottom(love the trick figured out to do it without sustaining hull damage) and survived for an hour until both DD's rushed in and layed out one hell out of pattern which wrecked the boat, the end,
I was impressed by the first team effort from the plane and escorts, 1945 is no joke.