Tactics when Sinking??

[l02turner]

I was recently on a single mission near the Philippines and had sunk a BB and was then attacked and damaged by 2 DD's. I lost the main Pump and suffered bulkhead damage and was taking on water. I had gone deep to escape and they kept making runs across me. I was at 350 and gaining depth too quickly for comfort!!

I was at 550' last I looked, and had hit emergency blow with the engines at 1/2 speed. I was hoping I could level off and try to sink the BB that was stationary not far away. But I lost steerage and could do nothing to stop going deeper.

Any ideas?? Are there anything than can be done to stop continuing to dive? Yes, I know it's a dumb question but I was hopl;

[KaleunMarco]

I was recently on a single mission near the Philippines and had sunk a BB and was then attacked and damaged by 2 DD's. I lost the main Pump and suffered bulkhead damage and was taking on water. I had gone deep to escape and they kept making runs across me. I was at 350 and gaining depth too quickly for comfort!!

I was at 550' last I looked, and had hit emergency blow with the engines at 1/2 speed. I was hoping I could level off and try to sink the BB that was stationary not far away. But I lost steerage and could do nothing to stop going deeper.

Any ideas?? Are there anything than can be done to stop continuing to dive? Yes, I know it's a dumb question but I was hoping;

yes, you were in a bad situation.
desperate times call for desperate measures.
the following procedure was performed by experts under extreme conditions. do not attempt to do this at home.

when faced with the conditions you describe above, in addition to performing and emergency blow, try backing your engines, flank speed, or whatever your highest backing speed is, on your engine order telegraph.
this may bring you out of your dive and allow you to save your boat and its valiant crew.


good luck, Herr Kaleun.
:Kaleun_Salute:

[propbeanie]

You might also have to change the order of repairs for your damage control team. I have seen a diesel repair listed above the pump repair, and you want your pump before the diesels... also, make certain you have filled all slots in the damage control team, and that they are in fact activated and on the job, else they all stand around, using oxygen in the conn, and watch everybody else panic... :o "anybody got a light?"...

[1Patriotofmany]

A lot depends on what compartments are flooded too, if your rear compartments are flooding all ahead full. Front compartments, all ahead reverse all comparments all ahead and see you in davy joneses locker most likely.

[l02turner]

Thanks for all the excellent suggestions!

:Kaleun_Applaud:

[Armistead]

The main thing as mentioned is to go in the opposite direction you're going down by and try to use as much speed to control the dive. If you're going down by the bow, go reverse, if going down aft, forward speed. It also helps to hit P, periscope depth, for some reason other than changing depth. A lot also depends on if you're under attack. The game is usually to yoyo up and down between about a 100 ft and a safe deepest depth. You want to be headed up when the escort makes its run. Often you have to blow tanks, so once you head up cut back the speed if you have it high, you want to go slow. You'll need to hit dive about a 100 ft if you blow or you'll usually breach the surface.

[dashyr]

Reading that story, that is usually when me and my men start pulling straws to see who is going to try and survive being blown out one of the torpedo tubes out of sheer desperation.

Yeah, I'm usually the one who gets the short one. At least it was quick...