Torpedo's do the darndest things.

[Santini]

Late September, ’39, and it’s a total pisser. Waveheight at least 2 meters over the tower of my trusty Steed, the Type II, and I’m bobbing like a bloody cork about 50 clicks east of the Scotish English boarder. After about half an hour of going 3 knots at flank, I’ve given up, brought the watch below decks, and am prepaired to wait it out.

Then, from the radio man: ship, 45 points off starboard, heading south slowly.

As I’ve 3 fishies left, and a bit of an itch (pretty dull patrol thus far), I give flank another go- again, 2 to 3 knots.

Accordign to the radio intercept, the target should be passing off my nose only 10 clicks or so, so I’ve got to give it an attempt.

I order a crash dive, and after about 2 minutes of struggle, she goes under, and I level off at about 50 meters, heading west at 4 to 5 knots (twice my surface clip).

I go two clicks, then glide a half click with a bit of a turn, doing a hydro phone scan. Nothing.

Two more clicks, then another glide. Again, no joy.

After two more rounds of that, I’m at half battery, and pretty pissed, so I give the surface order.

At 30 meters, it happens: strong sound contact, 20 points off starboard, ridiculously close. I blame thermal layering.

Anyhow, a quick peep at the surface with the observation scope confirms it: I’m not gonna make periscope depth, in any way shape or form without flying out at least once. So, I take her up to 18 meters, and figure my firing solution from the hydros.

I take 4 measurements at 15 seconds each, and determine the closest linear plot across the points, then line her up. I figure 6 knots, then fire 2 degrees ahead in case she’s going any faster.

I push out the fishie, then harder rudder to port, so I can point my ear at her.

The fish and the boat grow closer, and about 5 seconds before the impact, they’ve overlapped.

Then nothing. I hear the boat go her way, and the fish his.

Great. Pop open the TDC, and find I’m an idiot- I’d changed to impact, as per the weather conditions, but I still had magnetic depth set. He’d passed right under her. No worries, I think. I’m only 400 or so meters from the boat- full ahead, and I put myself in the boats wake, liend up for a stern shot. A couple of waggles and a hydrophone session, and I’ve confirmed that I’m right on her course.

I set the depth to 1 meter, and the fuse to impact, and fire off that fishie. Turning 5 points to starboard, I run to the hydrophone office, and listen to my second torp home in.

5 seconds to impact, and I’m listening:

“Whirwhirwhirwhirwhit… CLANG!”

I sigh, and slump a little.

But then, I hear it again!

“Whirwhirwhirwhir… CLANG!”

And again! I hear it at least 5 times!

As far as I can figure, my torp ran out, struck the boat, bounced off, then flew back forward, hit the boat, and bounced! This goes on at least 5 more times before I decide to do something about it:

I turn back onto course, and fire my last fish.

Back at the hydro, the second torpedo is still making a racket, but I hear the third go in.

“Whirwhirwhirwhirwhirwhir… CLANG!”

And the torpedo takes off to starboard…

“whirwhirwhirwhi…”

And the second torpeo is still clunking away, trying to batter it’s way in.

Now, before you mock my analysis, or my captianship, try to remember the pain of even a single missed shot from a Type II. Now, imagine 3.

I turned about, and headed off. About 5 minutes out, I turned my hydro back 160 degrees, and sure enough, heard my torpedo still banging away.

I headed home, crying all the way