[NefariousKoel]

I started with USS Pompano P-class in the Asiatic fleet out of the Phillipines '41.

After a very uneventful patrol in the Celebes Sea, I decided to head into the South China Sea after seeing regular convoy reports from there. I will find something there, I think, oh yes.

Not long after I am travelling through the South China Sea towards the port of Saigon, the weather becomes extremely bad. God is p!ssing all over me and the waves are getting nasty.

I get numerous reports over a two day period (aunt flow was NOT visiting, no) and they indicate a big shipping lane right down the middle of the South China Sea (SCS).. all heading southwest for the most part.

I turned around in this nasty weather. How the hell will I find anything in this mess? I have no radar installed.

I get a contact report behind me, only 17nm or so. Once again, I turn around and set my best estimate on intercept. On contact reports, I try to guess their general heading, use the speed report, and I aim ahead of the convoy making sure I arrive at the intercept point well before they do. Then I turn back into the direction they're coming from and set a very slight zig-zag on their line of approach. Rarely does it fail. This time it might have due to the weather but I started regularly diving to 60ft and checked sonar. After a few of those, I picked up a Warship sonar contact. This had to be one of the escorts for that convoy.

I didn't have a good bearing of advance on it but I alternated diving to check sonar, going to periscope depth to spot something, and running on the surface to get ahead of their estimated path.

Bad weather is a definite curse, but also a boon. I was able to get inside the escort screen easily. The problems began when I realized I couldn't see a d@mn thing due to such horrid weather. My tension level rose when I realized I had sonar contacts within 1nm that I couldn't see. Knife fightin' time!

Well, not so bloody just yet. I found myself alternating between diving to check sonar and surfacing to get ahead based on the sonar contact's estimated heading. Those b@stards sure do zig and zag!

It's during one of the Surfaces when the sh!t hit the fan. I know an enemy destroyer is close astern. With the visibility so horrible, I'm thinking he won't even see me get back in the middle of the convoy. When I pop up out of the water, I hear a watchman report a sighted contact off my starboard quarter. I quickly jumped on the TBT and spun it towards aft. I found him in no time as he filled up my TBT view. He was so close I could smell Sake. Being as I had it on easy mode at the moment ( I have reasons, I'm sure you understand in the current state) I lined it up and fired an aft tube. The destroyer was moving so slow in this bad weather and at such short range (indeed, I wondered if it was under the minimum arming distance), it took the fish right up the gut. I didn't break her back but she blew all to hell and I got a "ship sunk" message almost instantly. I believe she was at around 350yds or less when I fired.

cont..