Mike 'Red Ocktober' Hense
09-12-05, 09:34 AM
well... we've passed the equator by now... choosing to head further south, past the islands of the Carribean... to South America... i hear that Brazil is nice this time of year...
those damned allied planes seem to be everywhere... and now, it only seems safe to surface and recharge our batteries and oxygen in a raging storm... that's safer than putting up the snorkel, seeing as we get radar warnings on the surface, and have a bit more time as opposed to getting the first signs of danger from overhead when the depth bombs explode around us...
8 DAYS LATER...
we've sailed around the eastern most tip of South American, and are now heading south... looking for an inviting anchorage... no signs of Allied air cover, and we are finding it more and more safe to operate on the surface...
the winter breezes bring with them the smells of the tropics to our immediate west, and the crew is showing signs of being markedly upbeat...
we have found a nice li inlet in which to drop anchor for a while... lets hope that the natives there are sympathetic to the plight of a worn and torn crew that just wants to escape from the rigors of war for a while... sit on a nice sandy beach... enjoy a lil rum and some local companionship...
we turn west and enter the inlet... palm trees visible in the distance send an inviting signal to the men on deck, who have now become totally relaxed and...
RADAR SIGNALS DETECTED!!!!
SOUND BATTLESTATIONS... PREPARE TO DIVE...
Captain, 10 LESS THAN METERS UNDER THE KEEL!!! WE CAN'T DIVE SIR!!!
very well, SOUND BATTLE SURFACE.. MAN THE FLAK GUNS!!!!
no sooner than the first gun crew is in position than we hear... AIRCRAFT SPOTTED!!! and i hear the sounds of their engines overhead...
our aft gun goes into action, sending up a hail of lead at the first attacker, who is diving at us from behind on our starboard side... i scurry to the forward flak gun position and level the sights just in time to catch a glipse of a smoking P38 pass in front of me... i swing the gun to the lft and open fire... missing him entirely... his payloads miss us, but the concussion of the detonations are enough to shake the entire boat from stem to stern...
i run back to the bridge position just in time to see the aft gunner swing his mount around and start firing at another attacking plane... rat tat tat tat tat tat... his bullets find their mark, and the attacker is engulfed in flames as he continues his diving attack... heading straight for us...
i duck as the flaming enemy plane roars overhead and hits the water not more than a few meters away... his plane exploding and immediately going under...
YEAH!!!!
i scan the skies, only to se a smoking trail off in the distance... that one decided to limp back home... he's no longer a threat...
planes this far south!!!??? where did they come from... how did they know we were here... well, however, whatever... we can't stay here...
HARD A STARBOARD... come around and lets head out of here... i ordered... not wanting to get caught in these shallows again... even a cat only has 9 lives, and i'm sure i've killed at least 3 cats by now on this voyage... we start our hard right turn to head us back out into the deep Atlantic...
suddenly the shoreline seems a lot closer than i anticpated... ALL BACK FULL... RUDDER AMIDSHIPS!!!! i yell... but it is not quick enough...
our bow scrapes the sandy bottom... then starts to rise as the bottom shoals rapidly up and meets us... WE'RE TAKING DAMAGE!!!!
ALL BACK EMERGENCY!!!! i order... MEN DOWN ON THE DECK!!!! MEDIC!!!! what have i done...
gotten this far... escaped depth charging and air attacks... only to wind up destroying my ship on some nameless South American shoreline... my God, how ironic...
but the boat starts sliding back... and soon we are ungrounded and afloat... but our hull integrity is down to 25%... and we've lost a few brave men that were in the torpedo room... petty officers that have been with me since day one...
those damned allied planes seem to be everywhere... and now, it only seems safe to surface and recharge our batteries and oxygen in a raging storm... that's safer than putting up the snorkel, seeing as we get radar warnings on the surface, and have a bit more time as opposed to getting the first signs of danger from overhead when the depth bombs explode around us...
8 DAYS LATER...
we've sailed around the eastern most tip of South American, and are now heading south... looking for an inviting anchorage... no signs of Allied air cover, and we are finding it more and more safe to operate on the surface...
the winter breezes bring with them the smells of the tropics to our immediate west, and the crew is showing signs of being markedly upbeat...
we have found a nice li inlet in which to drop anchor for a while... lets hope that the natives there are sympathetic to the plight of a worn and torn crew that just wants to escape from the rigors of war for a while... sit on a nice sandy beach... enjoy a lil rum and some local companionship...
we turn west and enter the inlet... palm trees visible in the distance send an inviting signal to the men on deck, who have now become totally relaxed and...
RADAR SIGNALS DETECTED!!!!
SOUND BATTLESTATIONS... PREPARE TO DIVE...
Captain, 10 LESS THAN METERS UNDER THE KEEL!!! WE CAN'T DIVE SIR!!!
very well, SOUND BATTLE SURFACE.. MAN THE FLAK GUNS!!!!
no sooner than the first gun crew is in position than we hear... AIRCRAFT SPOTTED!!! and i hear the sounds of their engines overhead...
our aft gun goes into action, sending up a hail of lead at the first attacker, who is diving at us from behind on our starboard side... i scurry to the forward flak gun position and level the sights just in time to catch a glipse of a smoking P38 pass in front of me... i swing the gun to the lft and open fire... missing him entirely... his payloads miss us, but the concussion of the detonations are enough to shake the entire boat from stem to stern...
i run back to the bridge position just in time to see the aft gunner swing his mount around and start firing at another attacking plane... rat tat tat tat tat tat... his bullets find their mark, and the attacker is engulfed in flames as he continues his diving attack... heading straight for us...
i duck as the flaming enemy plane roars overhead and hits the water not more than a few meters away... his plane exploding and immediately going under...
YEAH!!!!
i scan the skies, only to se a smoking trail off in the distance... that one decided to limp back home... he's no longer a threat...
planes this far south!!!??? where did they come from... how did they know we were here... well, however, whatever... we can't stay here...
HARD A STARBOARD... come around and lets head out of here... i ordered... not wanting to get caught in these shallows again... even a cat only has 9 lives, and i'm sure i've killed at least 3 cats by now on this voyage... we start our hard right turn to head us back out into the deep Atlantic...
suddenly the shoreline seems a lot closer than i anticpated... ALL BACK FULL... RUDDER AMIDSHIPS!!!! i yell... but it is not quick enough...
our bow scrapes the sandy bottom... then starts to rise as the bottom shoals rapidly up and meets us... WE'RE TAKING DAMAGE!!!!
ALL BACK EMERGENCY!!!! i order... MEN DOWN ON THE DECK!!!! MEDIC!!!! what have i done...
gotten this far... escaped depth charging and air attacks... only to wind up destroying my ship on some nameless South American shoreline... my God, how ironic...
but the boat starts sliding back... and soon we are ungrounded and afloat... but our hull integrity is down to 25%... and we've lost a few brave men that were in the torpedo room... petty officers that have been with me since day one...