Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer!

walrusbomb · 03-10-08, 08:35 AM

I never thought I'd say this... but the S-18 is my favorite sub.

no contest. small, sleek, and agile. dives like champ and turns on a dime. I can't believe how much fun it is to sneak around in this boat. It might be me, but she even feels safe in shallow waters...

In fact, I bottomed her out near Taiwan and the sandy cloud covered her completely from view! POOF!

Friedmann · 03-10-08, 08:53 AM

My favourite US submarine. In fact I don't play the others at all because of the joys of the Sugar Boat.

I love being the underdog and patrolling early war in that thing definitely gives me the underdog feel. Later in the war? Not so much.

AVGWarhawk · 03-10-08, 08:57 AM

I like chugging around in the S.

walrusbomb · 03-10-08, 12:11 PM

did the aft lookout really have no guard-rail? it doesn't look very safe.

DavyJonesFootlocker · 03-10-08, 12:20 PM

Yeah, you know how many times we have to fish him out of the drink? I like the S-42 with the twin AA Gun and 4xo.50 cal deck gun and SJ and SD radars- The Super Sugarboat! It takes 4 minutes to submerge though.

CinC Battleforce · 03-10-08, 01:15 PM

The S-boats were perfect shallow water boats. They were idea for the restricted waterways in the Phillippine Islands. They also gained fame in the Alution Islands as well. When it comes down to a definsive campaign, I would gladly trade one of the big fleet boats for a one of the old pig boats. From what i have gained from my research on the sugar boats in Alaskan waters. they really were excellent boats. They could be put into places that the fleet boats couldn't. They were used to recon Attu and Kiska. and they also set up a US Coast watching force along the Alution Islands. They were used to place recon eliments directly on Kiska before the Kiska Task Force of US and Canadian troops landed to retake it. They were used to shell Attu. From January 1942 to around mid 1944, the Alaskan sugar boats conducted one hell of a campaign.

It has been often over looked by casual historians, but the S-boats that called Dutch Harbor home were very brave boats, with very brave crews.

Another point to remember is that even in the era of the fleet boats USN also built another class of coastal subs Mackrel and Marlin were very modern versions of the S-boats capable of carrying Mk-14 torpedos and also carrying the Mk III TDC

Back to the S-boats, I have heard people say that they don't thinkg the S-boats carried TDC, from what i have learned in my research and from talking to other folks, the S-boats used in the Alutions were retro fitted with the Mk I TDC. These TDCs came off the early fleet boats as they were modernized in the war. When a fleet boat came in its Mk I TDC was replaced with the Mk III. When a sugar boat came in for refit they put the old Mk I on it. Mare Island and Pudget Sound were kept busy keeping the Dutch Harbor boats equiped uptil the time they were totally withdrawn from the Pacific and sent to the Submarine School at New London.

Once the war passed the Alutions by, the sugar boats weren't able to conduct the offensive war patrols that were needed against Japan, so they sort of lost their porpuse for fighting. The campaign had swung from definsive to offensive and the boats at Dutch Harbor soon became fleet boats making runs to and from Northern Japan.

03-10-08, 08:35 AM	#1
walrusbomb Planesman Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 180 Downloads: 13 Uploads: 0	Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer! I never thought I'd say this... but the S-18 is my favorite sub. no contest. small, sleek, and agile. dives like champ and turns on a dime. I can't believe how much fun it is to sneak around in this boat. It might be me, but she even feels safe in shallow waters... In fact, I bottomed her out near Taiwan and the sandy cloud covered her completely from view! POOF!

03-10-08, 08:57 AM	#3
AVGWarhawk Lucky Jack Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a 1954 Buick. Posts: 28,286 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	I like chugging around in the S. __________________ “You're painfully alive in a drugged and dying culture.” ― Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road

03-10-08, 12:20 PM	#5
DavyJonesFootlocker The Old Man Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Stink Drunk in Trinidad Posts: 1,572 Downloads: 138 Uploads: 0	Yeah, you know how many times we have to fish him out of the drink? I like the S-42 with the twin AA Gun and 4xo.50 cal deck gun and SJ and SD radars- The Super Sugarboat! It takes 4 minutes to submerge though. __________________ "Silence means death. Stand on your feet. Inner fear your worst enemy."- Sepultura. My Silent Hunter 5 mantra is this......"Torpedo missed, sir!" A P-400 is a P-40 with a Zero after it. A proud member of the Wikipedia Haters Club

03-10-08, 08:53 AM	#2
Friedmann Bosun Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Aussie in Oslo, Norway Posts: 65 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	My favourite US submarine. In fact I don't play the others at all because of the joys of the Sugar Boat. I love being the underdog and patrolling early war in that thing definitely gives me the underdog feel. Later in the war? Not so much.

03-10-08, 12:11 PM	#4
walrusbomb Planesman Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 180 Downloads: 13 Uploads: 0	did the aft lookout really have no guard-rail? it doesn't look very safe.

03-10-08, 01:15 PM	#6
CinC Battleforce A-ganger Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 78 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	The S-boats were perfect shallow water boats. They were idea for the restricted waterways in the Phillippine Islands. They also gained fame in the Alution Islands as well. When it comes down to a definsive campaign, I would gladly trade one of the big fleet boats for a one of the old pig boats. From what i have gained from my research on the sugar boats in Alaskan waters. they really were excellent boats. They could be put into places that the fleet boats couldn't. They were used to recon Attu and Kiska. and they also set up a US Coast watching force along the Alution Islands. They were used to place recon eliments directly on Kiska before the Kiska Task Force of US and Canadian troops landed to retake it. They were used to shell Attu. From January 1942 to around mid 1944, the Alaskan sugar boats conducted one hell of a campaign. It has been often over looked by casual historians, but the S-boats that called Dutch Harbor home were very brave boats, with very brave crews. Another point to remember is that even in the era of the fleet boats USN also built another class of coastal subs Mackrel and Marlin were very modern versions of the S-boats capable of carrying Mk-14 torpedos and also carrying the Mk III TDC Back to the S-boats, I have heard people say that they don't thinkg the S-boats carried TDC, from what i have learned in my research and from talking to other folks, the S-boats used in the Alutions were retro fitted with the Mk I TDC. These TDCs came off the early fleet boats as they were modernized in the war. When a fleet boat came in its Mk I TDC was replaced with the Mk III. When a sugar boat came in for refit they put the old Mk I on it. Mare Island and Pudget Sound were kept busy keeping the Dutch Harbor boats equiped uptil the time they were totally withdrawn from the Pacific and sent to the Submarine School at New London. Once the war passed the Alutions by, the sugar boats weren't able to conduct the offensive war patrols that were needed against Japan, so they sort of lost their porpuse for fighting. The campaign had swung from definsive to offensive and the boats at Dutch Harbor soon became fleet boats making runs to and from Northern Japan.