SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - View Single Post - My first 'I know how to use the TDC' patrol

Captain Vlad · 03-20-08, 03:20 PM

Part Five

The Seadragon secures from battlestations and continues to prowl, submerged and slow, up the Indochina coast. I'm figuring on switching hunting grounds. I've satisfied HQ's last order, and am hesistant to radio in for new ones, as I've been itching to try the approaches to Singapore itself. Surely that'll make a good hunting ground. There's also the matter of fuel; I've got over sixty percent in the tanks, but Fremantle is a long way off. Hunting closer to home sounds like a good idea.

I've barely worked out this tenative plan when my hydrophone officer calls out another contact. It's been less than two in-game hours since my last sinking. My crew is still munching on the steaks I had the cook make for them.

Rains but it pours, I suppose.

I change course to the contact, but some carefull listening with the hydrophones reveals that my new target is moving fast. She's to the east of me, moving north, and there's no way I can catch her submerged, so I surface, man the AA guns just in case (surely planes are out looking after the last attack), and ring up 21 knots.

It takes a surpisingly long time for visual contact to be made, but finally the lookouts spot her. She's a big one, around the same size as the freighter I sank only a few hours before, but newer. She's going fast, too...she's too far out for accurate stadiameter readings, but from her bow wake, the rate she's progressing, I guesstimate her speed at 12 knots. Fast enough I'll have to risk spooking her...I don't want her to sail by out of range after I submerge.

When I've worked in close enough that I feel sure I can catch her underwater, I sound the diving alarm, and the Seadragon slinks beneath the waves. The sea is still pretty calm; solution should be fairly easy.

Minutes pass. The 'Dragon makes 7 or 8 knots. I fret a little, worrying I might not end up close enough. A periscope observation or two reassure me, and soon I'm within 3000 yards. I work out a solution fairly quickly. It seems accurate, and I'm proud of my newfound speed while doing this. When she gets to about 1800 yards, I fire tubes 1 and 2. Their wakes look like a couple of sure hits.

At 46 knots, they don't have to run long, and I hear the sonar guy cry out: We've got a hit! I raise the scope and take a look. The target is clearly slowing, taking on a list. Then the hydrophone guy speaks up again, with less enthusiasm.

"Torpedo is a dud, sir!"

After the duds on the last attack, this one inspires a fit of cursing. Breaking the immersion a little, my gf asks what went wrong. I tell her the Navy needs to stop offering contracts to the lowest bidder. She cackles and goes back to her horror movie.

I'm about to try for a repeat of the last attack, but this ship's captain is faster. My target is already turning away. The torpedo slowed her a bit, but she's still making more speed than I am.

I blow ballast. The Seadragon has seawater still draining off her decks when the gun crew opens fire. My quarry is already out past 2500 yards, and worse, she begins to return fire. I zig one way, then the other, scoring a hit or two. I notice that my target is listing to port. I also notice that when I'm directly behind her, her front-mounted gun can't shoot at me. I do my best to stay in her blind spot...she manuevers, trying to get her gun to bear.

The 'Dragon is far more manueverable, though, and the enemy finds her an elusive target. I, on the other hand, am finding that the Japanese build resilient ships, and 3-inch guns just don't hit very hard. I set her deck cargo afire. Her funnel collapses after about three consecutive hits, but she doesn't slow. I've gotta get close enough to place my shots better.

I secure firing until I'm within 1000 yards, still twisting this way and that as the freighter continues to try and bring her gun around. When I open fire again, I'm putting rounds into her waterline. My High-Explosive rounds are gone. I'm firing AP. A few of the shots hit her, pass through, splash water on the other side.

There's no dramatic explosion this time, so sudden dismemberment of the target. She gradually slows under my continued pounding. Considering her resilience, I consider waiting for her to stop then finishing her off with a torpedo. This proves unneccesary. With 60 or so AP rounds left, she begins to sink. Again, lifeboats appear in the water, rowing away as the freighter slooooowly goes under.

Perhaps they scuttled her.

I turn away from the survivors. They'll probably make it given the proxmity to shore and the fact that now there have to be patrol planes out. I reduce to 9 knots, and spend another hour on the surface, letting my batteries get some juice.

Finally, the expected SD radar contact is reported. I submerge, and turn the Seadragon south.

03-20-08, 03:20 PM	#12
Captain Vlad Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Pollard, Oklahoma Posts: 679 Downloads: 6 Uploads: 0	Part Five The Seadragon secures from battlestations and continues to prowl, submerged and slow, up the Indochina coast. I'm figuring on switching hunting grounds. I've satisfied HQ's last order, and am hesistant to radio in for new ones, as I've been itching to try the approaches to Singapore itself. Surely that'll make a good hunting ground. There's also the matter of fuel; I've got over sixty percent in the tanks, but Fremantle is a long way off. Hunting closer to home sounds like a good idea. I've barely worked out this tenative plan when my hydrophone officer calls out another contact. It's been less than two in-game hours since my last sinking. My crew is still munching on the steaks I had the cook make for them. Rains but it pours, I suppose. I change course to the contact, but some carefull listening with the hydrophones reveals that my new target is moving fast. She's to the east of me, moving north, and there's no way I can catch her submerged, so I surface, man the AA guns just in case (surely planes are out looking after the last attack), and ring up 21 knots. It takes a surpisingly long time for visual contact to be made, but finally the lookouts spot her. She's a big one, around the same size as the freighter I sank only a few hours before, but newer. She's going fast, too...she's too far out for accurate stadiameter readings, but from her bow wake, the rate she's progressing, I guesstimate her speed at 12 knots. Fast enough I'll have to risk spooking her...I don't want her to sail by out of range after I submerge. When I've worked in close enough that I feel sure I can catch her underwater, I sound the diving alarm, and the Seadragon slinks beneath the waves. The sea is still pretty calm; solution should be fairly easy. Minutes pass. The 'Dragon makes 7 or 8 knots. I fret a little, worrying I might not end up close enough. A periscope observation or two reassure me, and soon I'm within 3000 yards. I work out a solution fairly quickly. It seems accurate, and I'm proud of my newfound speed while doing this. When she gets to about 1800 yards, I fire tubes 1 and 2. Their wakes look like a couple of sure hits. At 46 knots, they don't have to run long, and I hear the sonar guy cry out: We've got a hit! I raise the scope and take a look. The target is clearly slowing, taking on a list. Then the hydrophone guy speaks up again, with less enthusiasm. "Torpedo is a dud, sir!" After the duds on the last attack, this one inspires a fit of cursing. Breaking the immersion a little, my gf asks what went wrong. I tell her the Navy needs to stop offering contracts to the lowest bidder. She cackles and goes back to her horror movie. I'm about to try for a repeat of the last attack, but this ship's captain is faster. My target is already turning away. The torpedo slowed her a bit, but she's still making more speed than I am. I blow ballast. The Seadragon has seawater still draining off her decks when the gun crew opens fire. My quarry is already out past 2500 yards, and worse, she begins to return fire. I zig one way, then the other, scoring a hit or two. I notice that my target is listing to port. I also notice that when I'm directly behind her, her front-mounted gun can't shoot at me. I do my best to stay in her blind spot...she manuevers, trying to get her gun to bear. The 'Dragon is far more manueverable, though, and the enemy finds her an elusive target. I, on the other hand, am finding that the Japanese build resilient ships, and 3-inch guns just don't hit very hard. I set her deck cargo afire. Her funnel collapses after about three consecutive hits, but she doesn't slow. I've gotta get close enough to place my shots better. I secure firing until I'm within 1000 yards, still twisting this way and that as the freighter continues to try and bring her gun around. When I open fire again, I'm putting rounds into her waterline. My High-Explosive rounds are gone. I'm firing AP. A few of the shots hit her, pass through, splash water on the other side. There's no dramatic explosion this time, so sudden dismemberment of the target. She gradually slows under my continued pounding. Considering her resilience, I consider waiting for her to stop then finishing her off with a torpedo. This proves unneccesary. With 60 or so AP rounds left, she begins to sink. Again, lifeboats appear in the water, rowing away as the freighter slooooowly goes under. Perhaps they scuttled her. I turn away from the survivors. They'll probably make it given the proxmity to shore and the fact that now there have to be patrol planes out. I reduce to 9 knots, and spend another hour on the surface, letting my batteries get some juice. Finally, the expected SD radar contact is reported. I submerge, and turn the Seadragon south. __________________ "Stop sounding battlestations just to hear the alarm."