Just had one of those patrols you go over in your mind as you are trying to go to sleep (I can't be the only one
). Late July '42, out in the USS Gato to the Marshalls. I decided to try and stay on the surface during the day more to 'be more aggressive.' Only thing I found was planes. Tons of crash dives, no damage, but a few close calls.
I get a new assignment to patrol the Carolines. I head there and run into more planes, not a single sniff of a ship anywhere. Everyone must be in the Solomons. At least Jack Benny on the radio is keeping me company
. It's getting late into August and the fuel situation is putting my back against the wall. I start for home with zero fish fired and start thinking up excuses as to why my be more aggressive patrol produced zero results. About 250 miles south of Guam I run into a lone freighter a little after noon in perfect weather. I give it a fist pump in the air when I ID the flag as Japanese.
I absolutely nail the TDC solution. The PK and his acutal position are exact matches. Now it's time to fire some fish and try and restrain myself from cursing at the results. I launch 5 bow tubes from roughly 800 yards. First one veers off (I know it veered off because it also exploded prematurely way off target), 2nd one I'm told is a dud, 3rd hits under the funnel
, 4th also is a dud, and the 5th is never heard from again.
Target slows to 1 knot or less. I swing around and launch 2 stern tubes. 1st one I set for 28 feet hoping for a magnetic detonation (yeah, fat chance), 2nd one is set for contact at 10 foot depth.
Torpedo number one actually works
It doesn't break the ship's back, but I get the ship sinking notification right away. The 2nd torpedo never hits. The merchant goes under in 30 seconds, it's one of those that goes down stern first as the bow heads skyward. 3 life boats are launched as I surface and clear the area and head for home.
After another couple of visits from the jap air force and a damaged deck and AA gun, I decide riding at 150 feet during the day on the trip back won't hurt my pride. I make it back to Pearl on fumes.
I had a blast even though I only saw one enemy ship the whole patrol.