First Combat
January 1944...Gato class out of Fremantle. Assigned to area A4 in South China Sea off Philippines. Transited via Lombok Strait(surprised it was not guarded) Makassar Strait(planes guarded it well, had to dive a lot) and then approached Sibutu Passage to transit it on surface at night. Radar made a lone contact, judging from its course and movement, patrol vessel.Attempted to skirt it but it came my way(should not have been able to see me, do they have hawkeye vision? Would make night surface attacks impossible) or radar(any chance of getting a radar warning equipment as some other mods have?)
Turned my stern toward the contact and went to GQ since became obvious could not outrun the patrol vessel(which turned out to be a Kisaragi DE). I had four of the "new" Mark 18's loaded in stern tubes. Let vessel close in until he fired a star shell, followed up by splashes. I took a final TBT bearing at 4100 yards(out of range, but DE closing at 20+ knots would solve the range) and let one torpedo loose, then ordered a dive. Waiting to see if my lone "down the throat shot" hit, we leveled off and prepared to fire more when torpedo impacted the DE, causing a large explosion and then she began to sink.
Made it to patrol area and saved, need to get some sleep. Loving FOTRS thus far, great work again to team.
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