Zosimus
09-10-14, 06:29 PM
I hit my first zigzagging ship today. In heavy rain with poor visibility I followed the target by hydrophone for 4 hours. I stopped completely and began the four-bearing method... except my hydrophone guy lost the contact. He finally picked it up when it had passed us by. Cursing his ineptness, I went scope up and spotted the bastard. I lay in pursuit at 5 knots submerged and established his course as 256º give or take.
Surfacing I planned to jet out to 1 km distance and reacquire the target along its track, but it seems that 1 km was too close and we spotted each other before the required time. I didn't realize that I'd been spotted, of course, I just went hard starboard and then resumed course once I'd lost visual contact.
Waiting for him downstream and guessing 9 knots as his speed, I submerged and waited for him, but while watching his track it became clear that he was zigzagging. Swearing to myself I lowered the speed to 7 knots, set torpedo speed to fast, and went to 5 knots underwater. Closing distance to about 600 m I figured at 000 gyroangle and scored a hit on the ship's stern at 9:32 A.M. I went scope down after the hit and turned port to 256º at ahead slow to follow him. He lost power 80 minutes later and sat dead in the water. I watched him for another 20 minutes on the scope until he sank.
Tramp steamer around 1300 tons.
Surfacing I planned to jet out to 1 km distance and reacquire the target along its track, but it seems that 1 km was too close and we spotted each other before the required time. I didn't realize that I'd been spotted, of course, I just went hard starboard and then resumed course once I'd lost visual contact.
Waiting for him downstream and guessing 9 knots as his speed, I submerged and waited for him, but while watching his track it became clear that he was zigzagging. Swearing to myself I lowered the speed to 7 knots, set torpedo speed to fast, and went to 5 knots underwater. Closing distance to about 600 m I figured at 000 gyroangle and scored a hit on the ship's stern at 9:32 A.M. I went scope down after the hit and turned port to 256º at ahead slow to follow him. He lost power 80 minutes later and sat dead in the water. I watched him for another 20 minutes on the scope until he sank.
Tramp steamer around 1300 tons.