Is it just me, or??

[torpedobait]

I have a modern system that should be able to handle everything SH4/TMO/RSRD can throw at it (FalconNW Mach V, Intel I7 975 CPU@ 3.46 GHz, 12 Gb RAM, 256Gb SSD, twin ATI Radeon HD 5800 series SLI cards w/256 MB each, Creative SB X-FI sound, etc., running under Win7 Pro 64-bit) but have encountered something I can't explain or work around.

At approximately 0400 hours on August 17, 1942, 3850 yards due West of 25-50N, 136-00E, my Gato class USS Drum encounterd the large Task Force heading from the Japanese Home Islands to Truk. There were at least 2 Shinano class fleet cariers and numerous heavy cruisers and escorts. The second and third ships in the middle column are the fleet carriers, and I was positions approximately 1,000 yards to the east, careful to keep my bow to the leading escort. As the escort passed I backed slowly with hard right rudder until I was near-perpendicular to the column's course line. As the first carrier came into my 25 degree arc, I let go with 4 Mark 14's.

When the first torpedo struck and exploded, the game froze! I have tried this interception at least 4 times, each time starting with a new mission from Pearl, or from an intermediate loaded save-game, all with exactly the same results. I have updated to the latest Catalyst video drivers, and turned the video settings to the lowest possible (ok, not below 1080-768 resolution), but nothing can change that when that first torpedo strikes the game freezes.

Has anyone enountered such a thing? Is there anyone who also runs TMO2.1/RSRDC patched who would be willing to try the same intercept and get me the results? I hate to pass on the opportunity to bag one, or maybe even 2 fleet carriers in a single pass!

Thanks in advance for the help, Captains.