Newest Orders Suicide

[Thrair]

I went out on a patrol in early war. I found and reported a massive convoy (couple carriers, cruisers, etc). I got orders to attack the convoy at all costs.

Here's the trouble:

1) I'm running TMO
2) It's broad daylight
3) Dead Calm Waters
4) There's at least 6 destroyers
5) The depth in this part of the sea is less than 80 feet.



Yah, I think I'll attack!

*eyeroll*


Yah, think the people in charge have it out for me, eh? Just gonna pretend I didn't get that order and proceed to the place I'm supposed to patrol. :P

[NorthBeach]

Yeah, you might want to go below and pick up a good book while the XO shadows the convoy. And pray for Mother Nature to serve up a storm.

[Armistead]

Hope you got lucky. As stated, best advice is to shadow it from a distance and track it unless it's going faster than you. I've tracked TF for days up to 1000nms before. It is slow going, but may be a better choice if you see some deep water along the track.

If you have M14, you could try a long range attack and run and maybe pull the escorts away why you work a better position.

[Jan Kyster]

Originally Posted by Thrair

1) I'm running TMO
2) It's broad daylight
3) Dead Calm Waters
4) There's at least 6 destroyers
5) The depth in this part of the sea is less than 80 feet.

6) absolutely no fog at all



Not so long ago we too enthusiastically - and a bit proud - radioed in a convoy contact.
And got a response like: "Take out destroyers and attack remaining ships"


Since then we've decided to let 'em flyboys do the reportings...


But we shall always remember you and your brave crew for your last heroic fight!

[NorthBeach]

I'm with Jan. I NEVER, no how, no way, EVER report a contact. I'm a Silent Hunter. Thus, my radio is off all the time. After completion of a mission I'll pick up another one only if I'm well away from the threat of intercept. I don't want planes to come snooping around, or, ships in my path to become aware of my presence. I know my boat and my men. I can read the flash reports re IJN movement. I'll call the shots. SUBCOMPAC just needs to keep supplies near my slip.

Loose lips sink ships

[WernherVonTrapp]

Originally Posted by Thrair

I went out on a patrol in early war. I found and reported a massive convoy (couple carriers, cruisers, etc). I got orders to attack the convoy at all costs.

Here's the trouble:

1) I'm running TMO
2) It's broad daylight
3) Dead Calm Waters
4) There's at least 6 destroyers
5) The depth in this part of the sea is less than 80 feet.



Yah, I think I'll attack!

*eyeroll*


Yah, think the people in charge have it out for me, eh? Just gonna pretend I didn't get that order and proceed to the place I'm supposed to patrol. :P

Well, if he's heading for a nearby port, you're SOL. However, if he's out in the open sea (though I doubt it with shallow water under you) or heading away from port, you can shadow him like Armistead says. That's what I would do. Maybe you'll run into rough seas or weather. Either way, you'll have an opportunity to wait for the ambush under your terms. If you give up without even trying, well, your crew will certainly spill the beans about you at the PX back at base, especially once they get talking to other sub crews (at the base pub) who are bragging about their exploits.
Come on now, do you really want your crew to be comparing you to "Foxhole Norman"?

[Diopos]

The "hunt" does not always produce a "kill". As all carnivores know!


.

[JoeCorrado]

Just what exactly is your boat doing anyway? Avoiding the enemy? Skulking off to patrol an area where you may not site another ship at all? What will the grand kids think?

Choose the time and place to better enhance your odds of success if you can, but don't avoid the encounter altogether. You mustn't allow the enemy to pass unmolested to later attempt his own mischief elsewhere.

"Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" - Admiral Farragut

<<== This guy knew not the meaning of fear!

All the highest ranks in the Navy -- rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral of the Navy -- were created for just one man, the inimitable David Glasgow Farragut, hero of the Battle of Mobile Bay and other sea encounters.

No guts, no glory.

[Thrair]

Follow-up report:

I be takin' a closer look at the state o' the force I be sightin and decided they be scootin' a pace too fast for me boat to shadow 'em, and while me current position weren't the best fer an attack, it be worth takin' a pot shot. That besides, ya lads and me mates seem to be thinkin' I be a cowardly sea-rat not worth a lick o' salt. So I *hacking* *cough* Ok, enough of that.



From exceedingly long range, I launched a full salvo into the task force and then dived as deep as I could, spun around, and began slinking away.


But I got lucky. I got ONE torpedo impact, and turns out I hit a cruiser right in the ass and took out his screws, leaving him dead in the water.

Eventually the escorts left them behind and I was able to slink in to finish the job with my aft tubes (I usually use aft tubes for this type of work, as I typically under-use my aft tubes and prefer to save my forward torpedoes). First 3 torpedoes were duds, but the 4th was a solid hit and he started listing heavily. While I was reloading, he popped out lifeboats and slowly sank.


Score one for "what the hell, why not" and blind luck.

[Bubblehead1980]

Hmmm well if no deeper water to shadow them in, do you know if they have radar? Could go for a long range night surface attack if you ha ve Mark 14's prob your safest bet.

[WernherVonTrapp]

Originally Posted by Thrair

From exceedingly long range, I launched a full salvo into the task force and then dived as deep as I could, spun around, and began slinking away.


But I got lucky. I got ONE torpedo impact, and turns out I hit a cruiser right in the ass and took out his screws, leaving him dead in the water.

Eventually the escorts left them behind and I was able to slink in to finish the job with my aft tubes (I usually use aft tubes for this type of work, as I typically under-use my aft tubes and prefer to save my forward torpedoes). First 3 torpedoes were duds, but the 4th was a solid hit and he started listing heavily. While I was reloading, he popped out lifeboats and slowly sank.


Score one for "what the hell, why not" and blind luck.

(In my best Bugs Bunny vs. The Gashouse Gorillas impression)That's puttin' the ol' pepper on it Thrair.

[Thrair]

Follow up, follow up:

So I've decided I'm not gonna tell those idiots jack about what I find til after I sink it, now.

After I got the cruiser, I went north to my objective (and got a pair of sampans along the way ). Patrolling in the area nets me a merchant before I get another blob of contacts, which turns out is a large and very fast moving convoy. They tell me to attack despite the fact that I kinda of screwed up and left myself without a good angle to attack from. So I try. It is night, after all, so why not?

Why not, indeed. Damn DD's caught wind of me and I got nailed by a depth charge. I managed to slink away a small distance, but I couldn't maintain depth at 1 knot without blowing balast and was soon low on compressed air. I try 2 knots. Still sinking. 3, still sinking.

In the end I had to push it to 7 knots to stop losing depth rapidly, and this unfortunately made enough noise to attract the destroyers again. This time I wasn't so lucky.


So ends the patrol of the Seal. It's patrol and the lives of it's crew cut short by incompetent brass who don't know how to leave well enough alone.



Still, had more fun with that patrol than I had in a while. I am liking TMO immensely. I admit, sometimes I've messed up horridly and succumbed to the urge to load the save. Trying to wean myself off that, tho. :P

[JoeCorrado]

Early war, at night- probably could have surfaced and tried to make good your escape. You wouldn't have been the first one to have gotten away with it.

Better luck next time!