Damn premature explosion

[Bubblehead1980]

TMO 2.1 RSRD

August 28, 1942 South-West of Truk. USS Plunger Porpoise Class

While on war patrol number 5 in the USS Plunger and on surface about 0500, I made my way to the bridge to watch the oncoming dawn, get some fresh air before diving for the day.While scanning the horizion I spotted a large grey blop(before my lookouts had), I steadied on bearing 045 and could telling it was a large vessel of some time(no SJ radar installed yet) so I called GQ and plotted an intercept course best I could.

Soon morning twilight was coming on and could tell there other ships(smaller blops in distance) with this one large blop, the pagoda like structure up high brought one word to mind....battleship.With the plot looking good and fearing would be spotted and become a target of the BB's large guns, I ordered a dive to 100 feet and Ahead Full.Sound confirmed we had a big gal as we could hear heavy screws.

I soon came to scope depth for a look and slowed...she was a battleship allright, the Yamato.I soon set my four remaining Mark 14's(four bow tubes) to appropriate depth settings and plotted the remainder of the intercept.I should be able to close to 1400 yards to fire a spread.The Yamato was making 12 knots, with 3 Destroyers escorting and a Taiyo Escort Carrier in the rear.After a tense approach including sliding just past a destroyer(heavy seas helped mask me no doubt) I came back to scope depth and opened outer doors.The Yamato came on quickly and when at bearing 000, I fired my first fish, 8 seconds later another to the Middle Of Target.The last two were set to to hit forward and aft via the spread knob on TDC.

Soon the faulty Mark 14's proved ran true to their reputation as torpedo 2 prematurely exploded, followed seconds later by number 4.Torpedo then followed but number 1 seemed to be okay as it was just 100 yards or so from hitting, then 50 when it prematurely exploded

Prime target such as Yamato escaped unscathed as I was out of torpedos and even if I had any left, they wouldve made it to Truk before I could move ahead again.AHH.

Knowing RSRD often follows historical records for movements of ships such as Yamato, I began to think and then using the Tabular Record of Movement for Yamato I found that On August 28, 1942 USS Flying Fish was near Truk when it spotted the Yamato along with Taiyo and 3 DD's.Since Yamato was not in the ID book, she was indentified as a Kongo BB.Flying Fish fired four Mark 14 torpedos and heard some explosions but all were prematures and not impacts.

Out of fish I headed home with two large freighters down but could have been much better of a patrol if torpedos had worked.A very very small idea of the aggravation they faced