How did I know it was ok to fire?
Situational awareness. Luck. Friendly fire has happened and will happen in every war that is fought. It is a regrettable outcome of trying to kill another human being.
Reason one. In this case the Philippines are being held by the Japanese. A huge task force is heading up a narrow straight within their control. Logic dictates the probability of this being an allied task force is very, very low.
Reason two. I got so close to a heavy cruiser that it opened fire on me and left me with 25% hull damage. Earlier I wrote, "A few hours later the weather cleared and they spotted me and put a few shells in me but I dove to periscope depth and continued the assault and sank the heavy cruiser."
I have hit my own ships before ... I might have even sank a US destroyer but I was looking through the scope and no one else so I think it was hit by a mobile Japanese mine. Must be some kind of new weapon.
