[NEON DEON]

Originally Posted by tater

A few things.

One, the TFs disappear at their last waypoints, so once they get anywhere near a port, you won't see them. (so patrol at sea, perhpas NEAR a suitable major IJN port)

Two, US submarines didn't go into ports in RL. Sticking the boat's nose in a little, shooting some fish, they getting the hell out was considered amazingly aggressive. It just wasn't done. When I get around to fixing up the ports, it'll be suicide to try and get inside one.

Three, the seas in the stock game are overly abundant with such task force targets, you can't spit without hitting one, and they make loads of contact reports. Go to sea, young man!

tater

Well that is not entirely true.

In January of 1945, Eugene Fluckey raided Namkwan Harbor in the USS Barb. He sank 4 ships damaged three more and did it at night on the surface against IJN escorts equiped with radar! It earned him the CMOH.

After unloading on the docked convoy, he had to escape. Here is a small bit of the details of the escape from the book Thunder Below.

"Time 0420. "Dave escort range?"

"Thirty-six hundred yards, closing."

"Get Williams on the phone. Chief, I need more speed!

"Sir the engines are at their top speed now. Any more and the governors will cut the engines out."

"Well tie down the govenors and put 150 percent overload on all engines"

Time 0430. "Dave, escort range?"

Thirty two hundred yards. Still closing, but not as fast. We are making 23.5 knots, a new world record for submarines."

"Captain, Engine Room. The bearings are getting hot!"

Let them melt. Jim, how close will we pass the rocks, the rocks awash, and the Strawstack rocks?"

"Three thousand yards, tubes 7 and 8 are reloaded."

"Thats a record. Cut into 1,500 yards from the rocks. Jim, I can see she is a frigate. I doubt she will start shooting untill she has closed to 2,000 yards. Then she will have only her bow gun. She must illuminate like they did to us in the South China Sea. The minute she does we will shoot two torpedoes aft and turn towards the rocks, hoping shell take a shortcut or give us abroadside and pile up."

Time 0436. "junks ahead 900 yards!"

"OMG! We cant stop now! Get me a last range on the escort then shift the radar to sweep back and forth 30 degrees on the either bow. I will try to avod the junks. God help them."

"Range 2,700 yards (escort)!"

The Barb highballed toward the 20 fathom curve, maneuvering wildly. Within minutes the escorts stopped chasing and opened fire on the junks. Their inferior radar evidently could not distingquish between a junk and a subamrine. No searchlights were turned on to attract a possible torpedo.

At 0438, as the frigates commenced firing, the Tae Islan lighthouse keeper illuminated. A fleeting thought---I must write a letter thanking him for his courteous navigational assistance in these crucial moments.

Time 0446. We untied the governors on the main engines, slowed to flank speed to cool down the bearings, and secured from battle stations. We sent a message to the Picuda on the results of our coastal foray. Separately, I sent another "eyes only" to the skipper. I offered to make a joint foray along the coast that coming evening or the next day, though we had only had four fish. His response again:
"DROP DEAD!"

Time 0511. The galloping ghost of the China coast crossed the 20-fathom curve with a sigh. I had never before aprreciated how much water this is. But this would be the first place they'd search for us, so I decided to stay on the surface after dawn, half an hour away. The cannonade astern continued; poor junks, absobing punishment meant for the Barb."