Balttle of Leyte, attack northern carriers.

[Armistead]

I chased this group for 3 days. I did one attack and got several hits on a carrier and both Ise's, but no sinking.

On the 25th per history, Halsey's carrier planes attack in mass. Sat back and watched them sink most everything. Over the day it seemed 100's of planes were in the air.

I attack







US planes show up right on time..


And sink about everything...kinda felt robbed.



Must be a 1000lb bomb, nice big hole in the middle.

[TabbyHunter]

Should have focused only on one ship at a time, unless you didnt want the credit that is.

[Armistead]

Had the carrier planes not showed up, I would have put them all on the bottom the next end around...

I seldom attack one ship at a time. If I can shoot with bow and sterns at different targets, I always do so. Why sink one when you can sink several, that is if carrier planes don't show up. Still, I got credit for the ones that I hit that the planes sunk, but I would have preferred to sink them myself.

[TabbyHunter]

perhaps what i should have said was attak one ship with fore tubes, attack one with stern. But then each Skipper has his preferances.

[WernherVonTrapp]

If anybody could've located that TF, it would've been you, Armistead. Too bad you didn't sink all the carriers and saved Halsey the trip. Leyte Gulf may never have happened then and the Yamato would've been on the ocean floor.

[Armistead]

I'll have to say Lurker did an amazing job with RSRD. I ran into Halsey on the way north and it included the correct amount of carriers, BB's, ect.
The path the JP's took was totally correct from Kure to where they were sunk.

This was a hard TF to get at. Most ships had Radar and did they ever change course and speed. Just as soon as I had got around to set up, they changed directions the other way. Several times escorts came from 8NM's away and chased me off.

What amazed me is the listing carrier hit 28kt's the next leg and the group stayed at 19kts. Thankfully they seemed to mill around on the 25th, the day of attack.

Ever get a chance, go for this one.

[Sandman_28054]

Here was my experience in the Battle of Leyte Gulf:

Ok, here is the situation.

After being given a Photo recon mission, I'm on my back towards Luzon. (Map ref. A2) Turning south, I reduce speed to 2/3 hoping to find targets of opportunity.

Two days later I'm near the mouth of Manilla. Suddenly it occurs to me that the Battle of Leyte Gulf is due to commence in 15 days.

Situation 1: I went to the wikipedia and found a good spot to sit and wait for Kurita's Central Force.

Oct. 23, 1500pm, radar reveals a large task force to the SW heading SW.

This is a huge task force. I can't see any ships but count'em, 15, yes 15 escorts surrounding a central force of an estimated 15 ships.

Thinking ahead, I save the game.

I begin to manuver to a good ambush spot.

The task force closes to within 3000 yards. Raise periscope.

Damn! Rain, heavy seas, and think fog.

Since I'm really not that good at underwater sonar attacks, should I still advance and attack the task force?

Situation 2: Same as before except I sail further south and position myself between the Island of Negros and Mindinao. While waiting, a "jap submarine" is spotted. After a short chase and drawing to within 5900 yards, I open tube 3 and fire a cutie. 4 minutes later it is sunk. Back to my original position.

Oct. 23, 1200pm, radar picks up a task force moving SE from the NW.

This just happens to be Shima's task force. I immediately take a position straight in front where the task force is coming at me.

After an hour of playing cat and mouse, the result is Shima's Task force of:

2 Mogami Class Heavy Cruisers

1 Nana Light Cruiser

4 Escort Class DD's

Were sitting at the bottom of the sea.

Surface and save game.

Navigate back to my original spot.

One hour later, radar officer yells out another task force heading due east. (Obviously this is Admiral Nishimura's Task Force)

I head south attempting to intercept at a 90 degree angle.

No such luck.

At 6500 yards, I am picked up by a destroyer.

I order ahead flank (what the hell, they already know I'm here) and head for the first Fuso BB in my sights.

In this task force are

2 Fuso class Battleships

1 Mogami Class Heavy Cruiser

6 Destroyers of different classes.

Long story short, all that is left are two Mutsuki class DD's dropping DC's all over the place in a vain attempt to find and sink me.

Amazing how deep a Balao class sub will go if you have the guts to try. (500 ft. was where I hid)

After 3 hours of moving west at 1 knt, the two remaining DD's are moving away.

I surface and "save game".

Once I am convinced they are far enough away that they won't bother me, I send a status report.

Total of 18 shps sunk for 119028 tons.

One of the best days I've had in a long, long while.

Question, Kurita's task force is bigger, but due to weather, I did not attack and chose to strike at the southern forces. Should I load a previous save and attack Kurita's task force, or just let sleeping dog's lie?

What would you do?

I am interested in hearing your opinions.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=167916

And here is my experience against Admiral Kurito's fleet:

Well, update...

I had attacked both southern task forces and sank those, and made a hasty retreat back to base for rearming.

I posted this thread and gave the details. (See post #1)

Against all advice given, I went back to an earlier save point and decided to try again.

This time, I decided a frontal attack would be unnesessary.

I catch sight of Kurita's Task Force as they exited the San Bernadino Strait and shadowed them as they moved around and ran SouthEast staying just far enough out of range of the main Force, but about 10,000 yards from the tailing DD. Just far enough away not to attract attention, but close enough to maintain radar contact.

After 9 hours of trailing, Kurita was being attacked by American planes, and was manuvering all over the place. Finally, he made his mistake.

I went to the wikipedia and printed off a map of the battle of Leyte Gulf, and I knew that at one point, Kurita makes a big circle.

I found his intersect point and took a position there.

16 Type 18 "fish" and 8 "Cuties" were waiting on him.

My initial attack took place heading south.

Sank:

4: Asashio Class DD's

1: Maya Heavy Cruiser

1: Kongo Class BB

1: Yamato Class BB.

Then the fun started.

DD's all over the place. I dive to 450 feet and order silent running.

With all the dive bombers and torpedo planes attacking the fleet, I guess the DD's were too occupied with them and I slipped away fairly unmolested.

I crept along at 1 knt. for about the better part of an hour.

I ordered periscope depth because I could hear the fleet still firing away at the planes.

When I reached the surface, I raised my periscope and found out, I was in the heart of Kurita's task force!

The Task force evading the bombers and tropedo planes had done nothing but ran a big circle.

Fully loaded tubes, I took aim and fired another round.

Sank:

1: Asashio Class DD

1: Akizoki Class DD

1: Yamato Class BB

2: Takeo Class Heavy Cruisers

1: Fuso Class BB

1: Mogami Class Heavy Cruiser

Guys, if you ever get a chance to met this task force, there are tons of choice targets. Talk about a target rich enviroment!

From 1500pm until 1900 pm, the fleet I encountered just circled. If I had more fish I know I could have taken more ships out.

Remember, this fleet circles in one place for more than 6 hours on 24-10-44. So you can attack, dive, attack, dive, attack, dive, quite a few times if your careful.

I managed to escape.

Sinking the two southern forces combined, I got: 119028 tons.

Attacking Kurita's task force my way, I sank a total of 258,341 tons!

That is the way to hit 'em!

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=167916

[Armistead]

Not sure what mods you're using, but sounds like fun. RSRD scripts the 3 main battles. The large center force that most ambush coming through the San Bern straits on the 25th. This is the biggie.You can attack in the 24th in the Sibuyan Sea..sp..,at the same time the US aircraft attack, but slows down to a crawl. Has both Y classes, total of about 25 large Capital warships with a ring of escorts spread out over 9NM's. If you follow it long enough you can watch it make contact with the US jeep carrier force. Better known as the battle of Samar.

Here is where the US aircraft attack on the 24th. Again, with 100's of aircraft, many downed pilots and about 35 warships it can really place a load on your pc. I could hardly attack running AMD 6000 with 4 megs of ram and a 260 vid card.



Center force is two long rows of capital ships with a large ring of DD's. If you can attack it why the planes are attacking it can help as they damage several ships.



A good surface battle takes place in the Surigao Straits as the southern groups attack. RSRD has the US ambush waiting with all the old pearl harbor BB's. I think about a total of 4 US TF there and they take on the japs in probably the largest surface battle in the game. Course fun to join in on. . These are the US TF.



Then the battle I just found. I usually attack the center force, but tried to find the northern carriers and finally did.

The good thing with RSRD is Lurker added the correct ships in proper formation, almost to perfection in most battles.

Why waiting on the battle, a very nice convoy can be attacked, about 40 ships, course you can use your torps up. On the 18th, I can't remember if I made it to Saipan to refit and got back in time, but running flank maybe it was possible
.

[WernherVonTrapp]

That is exactly where I ran into Kurita's Center Force. Just west of the San Bernardino Strait. I was in the middle of their circular run so, I caught them coming, going and coming back again. I can't remember what I sank, I think a Mogami, a Kongo and maybe something else. Got DCed by 2 DDs but that came to a quick end when U.S. planes attacked and sank one of the DDs, then damaged the other.
BTW, my AMD 6000 ran it beautifully without so much as a hiccup. I didn't notice any lag or jitters. In fact, I haven't had any problems running any of the mods so far, not a one.

[Bubblehead1980]

nice shots Armistead

[Armistead]

Originally Posted by WernherVonTrapp

That is exactly where I ran into Kurita's Center Force. Just west of the San Bernardino Strait. I was in the middle of their circular run so, I caught them coming, going and coming back again. I can't remember what I sank, I think a Mogami, a Kongo and maybe something else. Got DCed by 2 DDs but that came to a quick end when U.S. planes attacked and sank one of the DDs, then damaged the other.
BTW, my AMD 6000 ran it beautifully without so much as a hiccup. I didn't notice any lag or jitters. In fact, I haven't had any problems running any of the mods so far, not a one.

What mod were you running tmotw's.. I would slow down when many squadrons of planes were in the air. I think a lot of it is all the flak from so many ships. There were two squadrons of about 48 planes each. Lot's of downed pilots. I picked up one, but left about a dozen in the water to keep up with the rear of the TF.

[WernherVonTrapp]

What mod were you running tmotw's.. I would slow down when many squadrons of planes were in the air. I think a lot of it is all the flak from so many ships. There were two squadrons of about 48 planes each. Lot's of downed pilots. I picked up one, but left about a dozen in the water to keep up with the rear of the TF.

Actually, come to think of it, I think I was running version 1.5 straight-up, no mods at the time. It was a long time ago, maybe a year or so. Yeah, I remember there were lots of planes, and alot that got shot down too. I think I rescued about 25 pilots that day but the entire TF was there and, like you said, both the Musashi and the Yamato.