Close Encounter

[Bubblehead1980]

TMO 2.5 Update BH V 2.0 (soon to be released)
Donation Narwhal Mod
100 difficulty cams, contacts off

Testing out new patrol objectives I added to TMO campaign...

September 1943-

On Nautilus's eight war patrol, conducted photo recon of Gilbert Islands...Makin, Tarawa, and Abemama Atolls. While returning home
on October 1 about 125 NM south east of Mili Atoll, SD contact at 8 NM, forced Nautilus to submerged in heavy seas.

Hour and half later, surfaced and just before sound gear cut off and was secured, sound operator reported warship contact bearing 330 short range.

Took late to stop the boat from surfacing, hit flank speed and got topside to quickly assess situation. No vessel in sight, I assumed it was a submarine and following standard procedure, was about to turn away but in the heavy seas, I saw what appeared to be a conning tower broach briefly, they were close, most likely at the firing point ( to avoid AI subs slaughtering everything they come into contact with lol they have to get fairly close to firing, I did not try to change that) or had fired for all I knew, turning away in this situation would likely exposing me to a torpedo hit, so I ordered full port rudder to turn into the contact then crash dive once clear of him .

We came so close, that even in heavy seas, the clear water I could see his silhouette. I had the external cam disabled but decided to cheat to get a look and used the free cam to "walk" the deck down and then go below lol. I hoped to catch a glimpse of the torpedoes, but could not, I did hear them though both in the "deck cam" and on sound gear when checked. I snapped this quick shot as I went overhead. Looks like he turned as I tried to ram him lol

With enemy astern, I submerged (slow going on a Narwhal class!) and went to 200 ft, silent running. Sound check, could hear him and noises of torpedoes Lost sonar contact about 30 minutes later, remained submerged and silent until after dark, surfaced and continued home.


Given his ideal firing angle and range, believe a torpedo would have hit me. Close call for sure. AI sub encounters are pretty rare as sub vs sub encounters were in reality, but they do happen. "Only" have been sunk by one off Pearl Harbor in Dec 1941 , at night. Few close calls hear and there. I am working on getting some form of wake for AI torpedoes fired by subs.

Couple shots from brief, but hair raising episode.