I am on a cruise you could never dream of it has been so incredible. First, I encountered a convoy of 2 tankers, a medium split freighter and another merchie accompanied by 5 escorts. Approaching from the north with intent to engage escorts with a sternful of cuties, I was detected long range, driven under and swarmed. Whilst twisting and evading, I came up to 99 ft and swam out a couple of cuties to see what happened. What happened was I wasted 2 cuties and was driven off. Not a good beginning.
This evolved into an all-night battle with 4 separate approaches during which I sank the two tankers, the medium split and two escorts with cuties. My first approach was before sunset and my last shot, sinking a DD was at 10:30 am, the whole battle fought in real time over three days of my time! Leaving the scene of the crime I couldn't dream it would get better!
Proceeding to the Formosa Straits, I found RSRD just swarming me with convoys. I had to avoid targets to get to the ones I wanted! With no cuties and only 4 torps left, 2 Mark 18's and 2 Mark 23's I started off sinking a tanker, which attracted three escorts! Now I had 2 Mark 18's and 1 Mark 23. I resolved to make trouble for the escorts, since I had 30k tons of merchies under my belt. The following testimony of the external camera will justify the above bullschnitzel:
Two of the suckers after me, an Akizuki and a friendly Shiratsuyu.
First, I disabled one with a down the throat shot: not my normal tactic vs Akizukis. Then I had a choice with 1 torp left. Finish off Akizuki or shoot Shiratsuyu. Shiratsuyu attacked with great vigor, leaving me no choice. I got lucky and he went down.
So now the Akizuki is hanging out with no power and I'm hanging out with no torpedoes. Mexican standoff? Let's find out. I came up to 30' directly astern so I could dive quickly if he fired. Nothing. What now? What do you mean, what now?
The crippled DD began firing starshells! They're the first I've seen in the game! The sound of a gun firing momentarily freaked me out. And then the whole world lit up! I guess they know I'm here....
Surface! Battle stations surface! Man the deck gun! We pounded the Akizuki for 20 minutes listening to the screams of dying men as HE tore up the weaponry, searchlights and deck. I took the external camera aboard my victim to record the carnage.
Finally he went down by the bow, finalizing my cruise at a record for me of 5 escorts of DE or above. Out of torpedoes and out of ammunition for the guns I prepared to return to base.
But what did TM and RSRD serve up for me? The most beautiful sight possible in the game, one everyone thought was impossible until Leovampire pulled the ultimate buffalo out of the hat. This one's for Dave:
There were five beautiful plumes of smoke on the horizon from yet another approaching convoy. I set course to avoid. Enough for one cruise.
Lastly, my finest screenshot to date, as a DD takes one on the chin and charges to his death. This one has drama.
Finally I got all the elements together to make a perfect shot: the water, the fire, the motion of the dying DD, the stars, the smoke, the clouds. One shot justifies the external camera. This one has jigsaw puzzle written all over it!
It's movie time!