The Guns of Java
 

Has anyone noticed the Japanese gun batteries waiting for you in the various straits around Java? You can't see them,, but they are there and waiting to punch holes in your boat.

I was talking to a sub vet today and he said when he was on the USS Loggerhead a Japanese shore battery got off three shots on them in Lombok Strait before they submerged. Some admiral orderd them to pass through the strait on the surface in the middle of the day - 16 July, 1945. He said one of the shots was close enough that it rang the hull like a bell when it hit the water. Later on they found out that they were 6" guns firing at the boat.

catched me by surprise more than a few times,
just when you thought you where outsmarting the enemy and sneking through their back door.
they seem to be very precise, much more than the guns on ships.

I also finally ran into the dreaded float planes that Ducimus eluded to. All were direct hits and destroyed the boat.

So, I started a new career and after putting 6 duds into a freighter, I ended up sinking it with the 3" deck gun. Several explosions went off on the ship while I was shelling it. Must have been ammo crates. The finally explosion blew her in two. So, technically, her own cargo sent her to the bottom.

Yeah I took a shortcut to Fremantle and got a big hole in my S-boat. I had time acceleration on, too. Never me again. This time it's submerge for the boat in narrow straits in enemy areas.

Night deck awash should work fine. I get by all the shore batteries that way.
-Pv-

The Japanese had some rather fine coastal artillery units and fortifications in Japan proper. They must have sent a few of them overseas. ;)

Your odds of survival are alot higher with shore batteries, then with fighting it out with planes. :88)

I only tried that once against two float planes. I got one to catch fire, but the gunner had to reload at a bad time. If I had two twin 20mm mounts with fully loaded ammo, I may have been able to shoot one of them down, but the other would have still hit us.

I found out about them the hard way. Just sailing along, enjoying the view and all of a sudden "KA-BOOM!"...scared the bajeezus out of me. :huh: