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SteamWake · 10-30-08, 09:29 AM

This darn thread almost got me sunk last night :p

I was crusing to my final patrol area with a total of two torpedoes left on the boat. One in the fore tubes, another aft both Mk 28's. It had been a busy patrol and that 'last' convoy used up alot of fish.

Radar picks up a lone merchant cruising north so we plot and intercept it as we close and prepare the shot we dive to periscope depth set up the shot make the calcs and fire ! About 40 seconds of run, when ... contact, heading for us, another, then two others, then more !... Kaboom the torpedo struck the lone merchant which set ablaze, started to list and sail in circles.

I decided to surface and set for the convoy we had picked up on sonar. "Ahead full surface the boat". We wanted to phone this one in. As soon as we broke surface "Ship spotted... two of them... Both destoyers, well within 'sighting' distance! Dammit I guess the fireworks caught their attention. Well of course they both altered their course and headed straight for us.

Take her down, fast, steer course 270, make depth 180, ahead flank. We had a little distance on the destroyers, with any luck...

On crossing 80 feet we reduced speed and went into silent running posture the DD's within 1,500 yards now. Deeper we went yet the dd's close. We leveled off at 180 just as one of the DD's went into their run. "Ahead flank, Left full rudder" a few moments later dull thuds ... phew that was close. "Ahead slow rudder amidships".

Another DD makes her run, we evade as before but turned the wrong way, two DC's detonated close, popped a bulkhead, flooding, electric engines, diesel engines, all damaged. Not to mention flooding.

We come out of silent running and call GQ and assign the usual suspects to the damage control. Ahead standard... get that damn flooding fixed !

For whatever reason the DD's layed off for a bit and gave us time to patch things up, and start pumping out water. They returned though for several passes but never found their mark. Finally the bulkhead was repaired, flooding stopped.

We need to shake these guys before they get lucky again.

Take her down to 220, ... finally on passing 200 I hear passing thermal layer. We slowed, turned south, rigged for silent, and slowly left the DD's searching for us behind. The bulk of the convoy continued more or less SxSW right at us.

After a few hours sonar confirmed no real close contacts, we surfaced, again well within 'sight' range of 'coastal' escorts. This time though within sight range of the bulk of the convoy. We quickly called it in and dived again.

Sonar confirmed the DD's were still well north of us 'searching' in the same spot we were hours ago, the coastals stood dutifully with the convoy, on passing about 80feet we got the message "Good find". Thank goodness they dident want us to prosecute with one torpedo left :p

All was good, we stayed down at ahead slow turned west to seperate us from the convoy and counted our blessings.

10-30-08, 09:29 AM	#22
SteamWake Rear Admiral Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 13,224 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	This darn thread almost got me sunk last night :p I was crusing to my final patrol area with a total of two torpedoes left on the boat. One in the fore tubes, another aft both Mk 28's. It had been a busy patrol and that 'last' convoy used up alot of fish. Radar picks up a lone merchant cruising north so we plot and intercept it as we close and prepare the shot we dive to periscope depth set up the shot make the calcs and fire ! About 40 seconds of run, when ... contact, heading for us, another, then two others, then more !... Kaboom the torpedo struck the lone merchant which set ablaze, started to list and sail in circles. I decided to surface and set for the convoy we had picked up on sonar. "Ahead full surface the boat". We wanted to phone this one in. As soon as we broke surface "Ship spotted... two of them... Both destoyers, well within 'sighting' distance! Dammit I guess the fireworks caught their attention. Well of course they both altered their course and headed straight for us. Take her down, fast, steer course 270, make depth 180, ahead flank. We had a little distance on the destroyers, with any luck... On crossing 80 feet we reduced speed and went into silent running posture the DD's within 1,500 yards now. Deeper we went yet the dd's close. We leveled off at 180 just as one of the DD's went into their run. "Ahead flank, Left full rudder" a few moments later dull thuds ... phew that was close. "Ahead slow rudder amidships". Another DD makes her run, we evade as before but turned the wrong way, two DC's detonated close, popped a bulkhead, flooding, electric engines, diesel engines, all damaged. Not to mention flooding. We come out of silent running and call GQ and assign the usual suspects to the damage control. Ahead standard... get that damn flooding fixed ! For whatever reason the DD's layed off for a bit and gave us time to patch things up, and start pumping out water. They returned though for several passes but never found their mark. Finally the bulkhead was repaired, flooding stopped. We need to shake these guys before they get lucky again. Take her down to 220, ... finally on passing 200 I hear passing thermal layer. We slowed, turned south, rigged for silent, and slowly left the DD's searching for us behind. The bulk of the convoy continued more or less SxSW right at us. After a few hours sonar confirmed no real close contacts, we surfaced, again well within 'sight' range of 'coastal' escorts. This time though within sight range of the bulk of the convoy. We quickly called it in and dived again. Sonar confirmed the DD's were still well north of us 'searching' in the same spot we were hours ago, the coastals stood dutifully with the convoy, on passing about 80feet we got the message "Good find". Thank goodness they dident want us to prosecute with one torpedo left :p All was good, we stayed down at ahead slow turned west to seperate us from the convoy and counted our blessings.