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SteamWake · 10-17-07, 06:10 PM

Chapter 3 "Sometimes its the simple things"

Time passed quickly for the XO as he checked and re-checked the solutions that had been worked out. He called up to the torpedo room in order to get the required presets satisfied. Basically torpedo 1 would be set for the closest ship and two would be destined for the trailing cargo ship.

The sonar crew was doing a good job of keeping track of the contacts. They were right were they expected them to be and had not changed course or speed. "Perfect" xo muttered. "UP SCOPE" the xo barked. This time he really dident notice the crews amusement over the xo's imitation of the skipper.

The scope rose from the floor and stopped. The xo smugly pulled a kerchief from his back pocked and wiped the moisture from the eye pieces. Another emulation of the skippers behaviour. This time no one chuckled. Chip hunched foward to view through the attack scope. He briefly rocked the scope port and starbord muttering something under his breath. "Okay boys here we go ! OPEN TUBE 1 OUTER DOORS". The captain let out an audiable "Guff" but quickly rased his hand to his mouth to stiffle himself. Glances were exchanged about the crew was that a laugh or a cough. Chip pulled away briefly from the scope. "Something sir ?" "No Chip your doin fine". Chip returned to the eye cups.

"On my mark...." Chip paused to glance briefly at his watch.... "Fire ONE !". There was a muffled "fwoosh" hell you couldent even feel it. The crew looked at one another with that "is that it" in an anticlimatic mood.

Chip checked his watch once again and returned to line up the second ship... "On my mark ..... Fire TWO". This time nothing. Chip jerked upright and called out.. "What the hell ! Fire TWO NOW !" oh he was fuming. Finally the muffled fwoosh". "Son of a ... " the xo trailed off. He turned to the navigator whom was intently watching a pair of stop watches. "Time ?" xo asked gruffly. "97 seconds first impact sir.

The XO spun on his heels and headed for the torpedo room. "Uth oh..." the front planseman chuckled. "There in for it now". The sound of Chips irate stamping down the tube quickly subsided when scaring everyone half to death the skipper let out a big laugh. "Oh gawd" still laughing using his hankie to wipe the tears from his eyes.

"What sir ... What ?" to a man the crew begging. "Oh youll see" said the skipper in that omnipotent voice and posture. Still chuckling.

"What in the name of sam hill is going on down here" the xo had built up a good head of steam now. "When I say fire the torpedo you fire the God Damn torpedo. Do you have that sailor !" he sputtered. "Sir yes sir" the seaman was as stiff as a board terrified. Chip drew a deep breath and asked pointedly "So sailor would you be so kind as to explain to me as to WHY you did not fire the torpedo when ordered !". His voice rose to a great crecindo. You could almost hear him in the engine room. "Sir" the poor seaman nearly soiling his breeches now. "Uh it, er, it, we,". "Spit it out salor" Chip almost seemed to be enjoying it now. "Well sir you see" the sailor shifted his feet and began to reach for his collar. He remembered and re-assumed his stance at attention. "Well sir you see, well no one ordered us to open the outer doors". The XO's face went blank.

The immediate witneses to this event all did there best to stiffle there laughter. It dident help much. Givens jumped up and ran into the con. The rumor mill was now offically in full gear. It would be a matter of 30 seconds before the word had spread aft to stern.

The men in the con began to laugh too when the Skipper with a loud "MEN !, we have a job to do ! Id suggest you do it. We are not done here by a long shot. Try to keep it in mind. Im sure the enemy up there wont share our sense of humor ! NAV Time on target ?"

The laughter died sharply suddenly the atmosphere was much more intense. "10, 9, 8" The sailor at the map began to count down. The captain grabbed the attack scope and swung it on target. "3, 2, 1" everyone held there breath.

There was a some what muttered "Kawump" followed quickly by a "thunk" against the hull. The sub kind of bounced. A cheer erupted throughout the crew. "Direct hit, hella shot, I think she may go down."

"Someone get the xo on the bridge please, time on second torpedo ?" skipper asked the seaman. "20 seconds sir". "Unh huh" skipper shook his head. Just then the XO entered the conn. "Hey chip, come here" skipper gestured the xo to the scope. "Have a look".

The xo got to the attack scope and smiled as he looked at the burning merchant. "10, 9, 8" the seman began to count out. XO focused in on the second merchant. It had picked up speed obvious by its bow wake and was turning hard to port. "3, 2, 1," again everone held their breath. Skipper glanced at his watch everyone else did instincitvly. The seconds ticked by. "Cmon... come on !" Chip urged on while he watched the second merchant continue its manuveres.

"Shes turning aint she" skipper stated. Chip replyed "yes sir" without taking his eyes off the scope. "DOWN SCOPE" the captain barked. The scope lurched downward. Chip nearly lost his balance let alone his hat. The xo and the skippers locked. XO was still pretty warm. "Let it go chip we still have work to do. We will discuss this later" Skipper spoke calmly but firmly. "Sir... yes sir" chip replied.

"Take her up cheif" skip asked politely. "Surface the boat ! Dive planes normal surface all ahead....." chips stammared and glanced at the skipper. The skipper nodded and spoke quietly "full if you please". The seaman at the helm dident even wait on the xo and rang up all ahead full. The boat lurched foward and the bow began to rise. "Get Gordon and Smitty up here for deck gun duty" the captian spoke directly to the seaman at the plot station.

--- end chapter 3 ---

Next chapter "Of deck guns and egos where size matters"

10-17-07, 06:10 PM	#11
SteamWake Rear Admiral Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 13,224 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Chapter 3 "Sometimes its the simple things" Time passed quickly for the XO as he checked and re-checked the solutions that had been worked out. He called up to the torpedo room in order to get the required presets satisfied. Basically torpedo 1 would be set for the closest ship and two would be destined for the trailing cargo ship. The sonar crew was doing a good job of keeping track of the contacts. They were right were they expected them to be and had not changed course or speed. "Perfect" xo muttered. "UP SCOPE" the xo barked. This time he really dident notice the crews amusement over the xo's imitation of the skipper. The scope rose from the floor and stopped. The xo smugly pulled a kerchief from his back pocked and wiped the moisture from the eye pieces. Another emulation of the skippers behaviour. This time no one chuckled. Chip hunched foward to view through the attack scope. He briefly rocked the scope port and starbord muttering something under his breath. "Okay boys here we go ! OPEN TUBE 1 OUTER DOORS". The captain let out an audiable "Guff" but quickly rased his hand to his mouth to stiffle himself. Glances were exchanged about the crew was that a laugh or a cough. Chip pulled away briefly from the scope. "Something sir ?" "No Chip your doin fine". Chip returned to the eye cups. "On my mark...." Chip paused to glance briefly at his watch.... "Fire ONE !". There was a muffled "fwoosh" hell you couldent even feel it. The crew looked at one another with that "is that it" in an anticlimatic mood. Chip checked his watch once again and returned to line up the second ship... "On my mark ..... Fire TWO". This time nothing. Chip jerked upright and called out.. "What the hell ! Fire TWO NOW !" oh he was fuming. Finally the muffled fwoosh". "Son of a ... " the xo trailed off. He turned to the navigator whom was intently watching a pair of stop watches. "Time ?" xo asked gruffly. "97 seconds first impact sir. The XO spun on his heels and headed for the torpedo room. "Uth oh..." the front planseman chuckled. "There in for it now". The sound of Chips irate stamping down the tube quickly subsided when scaring everyone half to death the skipper let out a big laugh. "Oh gawd" still laughing using his hankie to wipe the tears from his eyes. "What sir ... What ?" to a man the crew begging. "Oh youll see" said the skipper in that omnipotent voice and posture. Still chuckling. "What in the name of sam hill is going on down here" the xo had built up a good head of steam now. "When I say fire the torpedo you fire the God Damn torpedo. Do you have that sailor !" he sputtered. "Sir yes sir" the seaman was as stiff as a board terrified. Chip drew a deep breath and asked pointedly "So sailor would you be so kind as to explain to me as to WHY you did not fire the torpedo when ordered !". His voice rose to a great crecindo. You could almost hear him in the engine room. "Sir" the poor seaman nearly soiling his breeches now. "Uh it, er, it, we,". "Spit it out salor" Chip almost seemed to be enjoying it now. "Well sir you see" the sailor shifted his feet and began to reach for his collar. He remembered and re-assumed his stance at attention. "Well sir you see, well no one ordered us to open the outer doors". The XO's face went blank. The immediate witneses to this event all did there best to stiffle there laughter. It dident help much. Givens jumped up and ran into the con. The rumor mill was now offically in full gear. It would be a matter of 30 seconds before the word had spread aft to stern. The men in the con began to laugh too when the Skipper with a loud "MEN !, we have a job to do ! Id suggest you do it. We are not done here by a long shot. Try to keep it in mind. Im sure the enemy up there wont share our sense of humor ! NAV Time on target ?" The laughter died sharply suddenly the atmosphere was much more intense. "10, 9, 8" The sailor at the map began to count down. The captain grabbed the attack scope and swung it on target. "3, 2, 1" everyone held there breath. There was a some what muttered "Kawump" followed quickly by a "thunk" against the hull. The sub kind of bounced. A cheer erupted throughout the crew. "Direct hit, hella shot, I think she may go down." "Someone get the xo on the bridge please, time on second torpedo ?" skipper asked the seaman. "20 seconds sir". "Unh huh" skipper shook his head. Just then the XO entered the conn. "Hey chip, come here" skipper gestured the xo to the scope. "Have a look". The xo got to the attack scope and smiled as he looked at the burning merchant. "10, 9, 8" the seman began to count out. XO focused in on the second merchant. It had picked up speed obvious by its bow wake and was turning hard to port. "3, 2, 1," again everone held their breath. Skipper glanced at his watch everyone else did instincitvly. The seconds ticked by. "Cmon... come on !" Chip urged on while he watched the second merchant continue its manuveres. "Shes turning aint she" skipper stated. Chip replyed "yes sir" without taking his eyes off the scope. "DOWN SCOPE" the captain barked. The scope lurched downward. Chip nearly lost his balance let alone his hat. The xo and the skippers locked. XO was still pretty warm. "Let it go chip we still have work to do. We will discuss this later" Skipper spoke calmly but firmly. "Sir... yes sir" chip replied. "Take her up cheif" skip asked politely. "Surface the boat ! Dive planes normal surface all ahead....." chips stammared and glanced at the skipper. The skipper nodded and spoke quietly "full if you please". The seaman at the helm dident even wait on the xo and rang up all ahead full. The boat lurched foward and the bow began to rise. "Get Gordon and Smitty up here for deck gun duty" the captian spoke directly to the seaman at the plot station. --- end chapter 3 --- Next chapter "Of deck guns and egos where size matters"