[FredMSloniker]

• 1941, December 10, 1031: S-38 sights large convoy off the coast of Luzon. Lieutenant Commander Fred Sloniker orders immediate dive to periscope depth and course change to location of convoy.
  
• 1034: one ship verified through periscope: minesweeper, headed toward S-38. LtCdr Sloniker orders course change to avoid minesweeper.
  
• 1038: two additional minesweepers spotted, also headed toward S-38, as well as a freighter closer to shore. LtCdr Sloniker believes minesweepers are headed toward S-38's pre-dive location. S-38 continues on course.
  
• 1040: minesweeper course corrections suggest they have spotted S-38's periscope. LtCdr Sloniker orders dive to 150 feet, use of sonar to track warships, and course change to place S-38 ahead of convoy based on freighter movements.
  
• 1050: S-38 rigged for silent running.
  
• 1105: based on passive and active sonar signals, LtCdr Sloniker decides convoy is not moving along shore as earlier believed but is making for open sea. S-38 changes course to cut them off.
  
• 1120: S-38 is now believed to be between minesweepers and convoy. LtCdr Sloniker orders direct convoy intercept course.
  
• 1130: Multiple freighter sonar contacts are confirmed. Convoy contains at least four freighters.
  
• 1136: range to nearest freighter is 2640; range to nearest warship is 4310. LtCrd Sloniker orders ship to periscope depth, ahead flank.
  
• 1140: S-38 at periscope depth. 20 ships in convoy in all, including at least three minesweepers, at least two large modern composite freighters, at least one small modern composite freighter, at least one medium modern composite freighter, and at least one subchaser. Nearest ship, large freighter, selected as target.

Pictured: the good kind of 'target rich environment'.

• 1146: Escort ships have spotted S-38. Ordered to surface to improve speed.
  
• 1148: S-38 fires four torpedoes at target large freighter, then performs immediate crash dive.
  
• 1150: Two confirmed hits on target, two duds. The event cam indicates both hits were in the stern of the freighter. S-38 turns bearing 090, rigs for silent running.
  
• 1155: S-38 maneuvers away from convoy. Depth charges are heard, but only one is anywhere near boat, and no damage is done.
  
• 1217: Confirmed kill of Japanese large freighter, 7,170 tons. This happened the moment I reloaded the save. The Real Fleet Boat mod attempts to delay the message that a boat is doomed until it's actually sinking, in order to encourage uncertainty about whether to put another eel in it or not, but I suspect saving and loading broke this. S-38 continues to move away from convoy. Escorts use active sonar without success.
  
• 1324: no sound contacts on sonar.

Shall we surface the boat and have another look around for targets, or will we sit in the deep for a few more hours just to make sure? [s]Find out on Hitbox Wednesday, February 25, at 5 PM PST![/s] Stream over.