Subsim Story Contest 2008 - Winners!

[Onkel Neal]

Ahoy writers and scribes!

It's time for another Subsim story contest. First prize will receive $50 and all stories selected will be included in the 2008 Subsim Almanac. Authors selected will receive a free copy of the Almanac with their story printed.

So, sharpen those wits and pencils. Stories should be at least 4000 words, no maximum length. Deadline: Sept 5. Subject matter: submarine history (document sources), submarine fiction, personal accounts as a submariner (sea stories), and art are accepted. Be creative, be original, and give the reader something he will enjoy. Submit as a Word file or WordPad file to subsim@subsim.com with the Subject: Here's my story, Onkel Neal!

If you submitted a story before but it was not selected, you can resubmit it. I suggest giving it a careful revision to improve it. This time I would like to include twice as many stories as we featured in the 2007 Almanac. Why not yours?

best
Neal






UPDATE: 9/14/07
I am pleased to announce the winner of the 2008 Subsim Story contest:

Almost Successful: ARA San Luis War Patrol
Mariano Sciaroni
With
J. Matthew Gillis

The Armada de la República Argentina (ARA) submarine San Luis (S-32) was one of the two new Type 209 submarines in service in 1982 with the Argentine Navy. The drums of war sounded on April 2nd, 1982 surprising San Luis and all of its crew, including her commander, docked at a pier of Mar del Plata Naval Base (BNMP), home base of the small ARA submarine force.

The surprise came because the Navy High Command chose not to inform the commanders of the diverse units not directly involved, about an operation initially designated "Blue" and later (mid-approach to target) "Rosary". This operation was the assault on the Malvinas/Falklands Islands.


However, ARA San Luis did not receive the order to get ready for a combat patrol until 24 hours after the assault of the Malvinas/Falkland, by an order issued by the Submarine Forces Command (COFUERSUB) numbered it as 2/82. COFUERSUB ordered the San Luis to "disrupt the operations of the British Expeditionary Force in the Malvinas–Georgias focal area, in order to contribute to maintaining and consolidating the conquest of the Malvinas"


The TOAS (South Atlantic Theater of Operations) commander, an ‘old school’ submarine officer, Vice Admiral Lombardo, had reasoned validly that a conventional diesel/electric submarine could not go safely to seek an encounter with the enemy, but instead "needs to be in a patrol area and to wait for it there".

I am adding five runner ups prizes: Silent Hunter 4 t-shirts to:
Chris Weisensel: Puppies of the Pacific
Andrew Glenn: The Krusanov Ultimatum
Kit Walker: Der Schlafende Drache
Alan ‘Chock’ Bradbury: Do You Believe in Miracles, Jake?
Wayne K. Mathias: Der Spanier

All authors published in the Almanac will receive a complimentary copy of the book when it is published in early December. Additonally, I am considering several other stories submitted for inclusion in the 2008 Submarine Almanac. I will notify these authors pending final editing of the book.

Many thanks for submitting your work!
Neal

[Marcantilan]

Hi Neal,

Yes! Another Almanac coming!! My boss told me he raised my mid-year bonus and now this. What a tremendous day!

Just a question: Only fiction stories (as in the 2007 contest) or can we write about "real" history, personal experiences / another submarine related topics????

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by Marcantilan

Hi Neal,

Yes! Another Almanac coming!! My boss told me he raised my mid-year bonus and now this. What a tremendous day!

Just a question: Only fiction stories (as in the 2007 contest) or can we write about "real" history, personal experiences / another submarine related topics????

Yes, by all means. Be sure if you do a piece on "real" history, you document your sources.

thanks!
Neal

[PeriscopeDepth]

When do they have to be in by?

PD

[nikimcbee]

Up Periscope...Shooting observation...bearing, mark! Down periscope.


Load tubes 1-4

[Tchocky]

Is there a deadline at all?

And how closely connected with subs need it be? I've got a couple of ideas.

[LobsterBoy]

What rules are there about profanity?
Sailors sometimes have a tendency (or at least a reputation) to swear, and I certainly wouldn't want to have a story excluded due to language.

[Safe-Keeper]

$50 would come in handy. I'll see what I can do.

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by LobsterBoy

What rules are there about profanity?
Sailors sometimes have a tendency (or at least a reputation) to swear, and I certainly wouldn't want to have a story excluded due to language.

Light profanity is allowed, but we don't need an R rating :hmm:

4000 words? This may take a while.

[Chock]

4000 words? This may take a while.

You might be surpised. An average paragraph has 50 words in it. Which means just twenty paragraphs will put you a quarter of the way through your allocation, and that's not a lot for a story with some decent exposition and a good plot.

Chock

[Onkel Neal]

Three weeks to go.

[Capt Squid]

Does this also include the members of the KRAP Writers Guild? Can we include the new story about the downfall of Kirk and Phil?

[Onkel Neal]

I am pleased to announce the winner of the 2008 Subsim Story contest:

Almost Successful: ARA San Luis War Patrol
Mariano Sciaroni
With
J. Matthew Gillis

The Armada de la República Argentina (ARA) submarine San Luis (S-32) was one of the two new Type 209 submarines in service in 1982 with the Argentine Navy. The drums of war sounded on April 2nd, 1982 surprising San Luis and all of its crew, including her commander, docked at a pier of Mar del Plata Naval Base (BNMP), home base of the small ARA submarine force.

The surprise came because the Navy High Command chose not to inform the commanders of the diverse units not directly involved, about an operation initially designated "Blue" and later (mid-approach to target) "Rosary". This operation was the assault on the Malvinas/Falklands Islands.


However, ARA San Luis did not receive the order to get ready for a combat patrol until 24 hours after the assault of the Malvinas/Falkland, by an order issued by the Submarine Forces Command (COFUERSUB) numbered it as 2/82. COFUERSUB ordered the San Luis to "disrupt the operations of the British Expeditionary Force in the Malvinas–Georgias focal area, in order to contribute to maintaining and consolidating the conquest of the Malvinas"


The TOAS (South Atlantic Theater of Operations) commander, an ‘old school’ submarine officer, Vice Admiral Lombardo, had reasoned validly that a conventional diesel/electric submarine could not go safely to seek an encounter with the enemy, but instead "needs to be in a patrol area and to wait for it there".

I am adding five runner ups prizes: Silent Hunter 4 t-shirts to:

Chris Weisensel: Puppies of the Pacific
Andrew Glenn: The Krusanov Ultimatum
Kit Walker: Der Schlafende Drache
Alan ‘Chock’ Bradbury: Do You Believe in Miracles, Jake?
Wayne K. Mathias: Der Spanier

All authors published in the Almanac will receive a complimentary copy of the book when it is published in early December. Additonally, I am considering several other stories submitted for inclusion in the 2008 Submarine Almanac. I will notify these authors pending final editing of the book.

Many thanks for submitting your work!
Neal

[TarJak]

Thanks Neal,

Even though I didn't win I hope you enjoyed the reading.