Operation Juno

UnterseeBoogeyMan · 01-01-08, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigboywooly

Nice story

Some nice tonnage there too

thanks, I like to share what I'm finding about Juno and also the story for me is a way to reflect on my tactics and what worked and what didn't. someone else can come along and say "well, I also tried this ...."

where these torpedoes hit, i did not intend, i may have lead the target to much. however, i found new weak spots so i can still do 1 shot 1 kills like Kretschmer. i have to do this 90 aob thing until BDU approves the use of magnetics. then i think options for how i attack the convoy open up, because i wouldn't need the 90 aob.

Jimbuna · 01-01-08, 09:50 AM

Well done Kaleun....I'm certainly enjoying this

BE MORE AGGRESSIVE!!

UnterseeBoogeyMan · 01-01-08, 11:48 PM

It is getting towards 20:00 hours and my boat is at periscope depth for a 3rd attack on the convoy for June 5, 1940. I raced ahead off the convoy's portside at 12 kms and about 8 kms from escorts. I submerged, went to 2 knots 2kms from where the portside ships are projected to pass. I am setup for atleast what i think to be a shot on a troopship, large tanker and the last auxiliary cruiser. Judging convoy speed at 10 knots, mine at 2 knots and their distance at 11 kms, we will meet each other where I will have a shot within 1000 meters. I watch the hydrophones, so this time I dont bring up the periscope until the middle of the convoy is 15 degrees to starboard. That means the lead escort and the first merchant have to pass.

At that point, an escort is at medium range at 165 degrees going to port and another escort is at 90 degrees the same direction and the lead escort has passed. My targets are coming into view but I have 3 escorts in a position to pounce. I raise the periscope but barely enough out of the water to put the crosshairs on target. It is a troopship at 1200 meters. I had torpedoes set at 4.7meters depth, open outer door for tube 1 and fire. Lower scope. Check hydrophones, another target at 20 degrees. Raise scope and set to 20 degrees. A large merchant at 900 meters, now at 15 degrees. Set torpedo depth to 4.6, open doors fire one shot from tube 2. Lower scope. Check the phones. I have noticed that the auxiliary cruiser is recognized as a warship on the phones and the sound it gives off is like sharpening a knife on a stone. It is very distinctive from the other screw noises. I track this at 35 degrees. I set torpedoe tubes 3 and 4 at 4. 7 meters. When he is at 10 degrees, 1000 meters
I fire one torpedo in fuel bunker and one in boiler under smokestack.
I lower the scope, take the boat to 50 meters. I do not hear any pinging yet. I hear the first torpedo impact.

I hear pinging now, and its reflected off the hull. I order ahead flank to 155 meters, and 15 degree turn to port. From there I hear a succession of two more torpedo impacts and success.

The 4th torpedo hit the aux cruiser between the fuel bunker and the boilers. A chain of secondary explosions ripped through the depths. Then reports of the Large Merchant going under added to the reports.

At 120 meters I cut engine back to 2 knots, silent running. At 150 meters the DDs make passes over our position behind us at short range. For 45 minutes they make pass after pass, we take no damage. I am on the same course as the convoy at this point at 155 meters depth. I hear reports of another ' she's going down!' Thats the troopship. The DDs eventually race off to catch the convoy. Results so far:

It seems the DDs didn't react until explosions happened. That means they didnt spot the torpedoes on their way to target and did not spot the periscope. I have 1 torpedo loaded in forward tube, 4 stored externally needing to be moved inside. None of the stern tubes have been used yet. I have 11 shots left. My 3 torpedo petty officers are fully rested, I can try to move 1 or 2 from topside into the bow and go for maybe a 4th try for June 5 or the first try of June 6.

UnterseeBoogeyMan · 01-11-08, 09:40 PM

Here's an update on my experiences with Operation Juno:

It's June 6, made a torpedo attack on the convoy's portside, one shot in the fuel bunker of a troopship at 1200 meters and and a shot in fuel bunker of a large tanker at 600 meters. After the last impact, went to slow, down to 50 meters, then 100. No pinging, no depth charges. I track on the hydrophones that there's two DDs milling around up there, very slow, but that's it. 30 minutes later, they and the convoy move on. I go to periscope depth. Look around, don't see smoke and don't see ships in recognizable view.
Surface, follow the convoy, but angle along the portside so that I can set up a surface approach 11,000 meters away, get ahead and submerge for another attack. Along the way my lookout reports a ship. 7000 meters away is the large tanker I hit. He's chugging at 1 knot and his stern is in flames. I cut it to all ahead flank, and man the desk gun. Within 4,000 meters I open up. I'm 50/50, scoring hits. Within 3000 meters I score a few that give off secondaries. At this time, my loookouts report a destroyer. Then I hear the high-pitch whine of shells overhead. I order crash dive. At 15 meters, my soundman says 'she's goin down!', so chalk up the tanker. I throttle it all the way to 130 meters and go to silent running. The DD does a good job of pounding the spot where I submerged but does not track me, he just makes passes over the same spot. And again and again, the depth charges seem to be set too shallow.
45 min later he leaves. I do my setup again for attack on the convoy. This goes off with no problem. I am setup for a 90 degree aob shot at 1200 meters of a troopship. Most screw noises are 80 degrees, but one merchant contact is at 90. I pop periscope for 2 seconds, bring it down again. The main body is not going to run me down. 10 minutes later I hear pinging from a warship contact at medium range, bearing 49 degrees. He must have see my scope. After almost 2 days of relentless attacks, the convoy escort is edgy and alert. I crank out a crash dive and a 30 degree turn to port. later I order a 20 degree turn to starboard. The pinging is relentless. At 50 meters I hear depthcharges splashing as they hit the water. I think I will take damage. I hear the explosions but none damage the boat. I do have the damage setting for in-game turned on all the way. I cut it to silent running at 100 meters. My course is 280. An hour later, the DD attacking me runs away.

I am surfaced again, ready for another run. 8 torpedoes left still.

01-01-08, 09:50 AM	#2
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,770 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	Well done Kaleun....I'm certainly enjoying this BE MORE AGGRESSIVE!! __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

01-01-08, 11:48 PM	#3
UnterseeBoogeyMan Ensign Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: The Land of Cholla Cactus and Red Chile Posts: 224 Downloads: 6 Uploads: 0	It is getting towards 20:00 hours and my boat is at periscope depth for a 3rd attack on the convoy for June 5, 1940. I raced ahead off the convoy's portside at 12 kms and about 8 kms from escorts. I submerged, went to 2 knots 2kms from where the portside ships are projected to pass. I am setup for atleast what i think to be a shot on a troopship, large tanker and the last auxiliary cruiser. Judging convoy speed at 10 knots, mine at 2 knots and their distance at 11 kms, we will meet each other where I will have a shot within 1000 meters. I watch the hydrophones, so this time I dont bring up the periscope until the middle of the convoy is 15 degrees to starboard. That means the lead escort and the first merchant have to pass. At that point, an escort is at medium range at 165 degrees going to port and another escort is at 90 degrees the same direction and the lead escort has passed. My targets are coming into view but I have 3 escorts in a position to pounce. I raise the periscope but barely enough out of the water to put the crosshairs on target. It is a troopship at 1200 meters. I had torpedoes set at 4.7meters depth, open outer door for tube 1 and fire. Lower scope. Check hydrophones, another target at 20 degrees. Raise scope and set to 20 degrees. A large merchant at 900 meters, now at 15 degrees. Set torpedo depth to 4.6, open doors fire one shot from tube 2. Lower scope. Check the phones. I have noticed that the auxiliary cruiser is recognized as a warship on the phones and the sound it gives off is like sharpening a knife on a stone. It is very distinctive from the other screw noises. I track this at 35 degrees. I set torpedoe tubes 3 and 4 at 4. 7 meters. When he is at 10 degrees, 1000 meters I fire one torpedo in fuel bunker and one in boiler under smokestack. I lower the scope, take the boat to 50 meters. I do not hear any pinging yet. I hear the first torpedo impact. I hear pinging now, and its reflected off the hull. I order ahead flank to 155 meters, and 15 degree turn to port. From there I hear a succession of two more torpedo impacts and success. The 4th torpedo hit the aux cruiser between the fuel bunker and the boilers. A chain of secondary explosions ripped through the depths. Then reports of the Large Merchant going under added to the reports. At 120 meters I cut engine back to 2 knots, silent running. At 150 meters the DDs make passes over our position behind us at short range. For 45 minutes they make pass after pass, we take no damage. I am on the same course as the convoy at this point at 155 meters depth. I hear reports of another ' she's going down!' Thats the troopship. The DDs eventually race off to catch the convoy. Results so far: It seems the DDs didn't react until explosions happened. That means they didnt spot the torpedoes on their way to target and did not spot the periscope. I have 1 torpedo loaded in forward tube, 4 stored externally needing to be moved inside. None of the stern tubes have been used yet. I have 11 shots left. My 3 torpedo petty officers are fully rested, I can try to move 1 or 2 from topside into the bow and go for maybe a 4th try for June 5 or the first try of June 6.

01-11-08, 09:40 PM	#4
UnterseeBoogeyMan Ensign Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: The Land of Cholla Cactus and Red Chile Posts: 224 Downloads: 6 Uploads: 0	Here's an update on my experiences with Operation Juno: It's June 6, made a torpedo attack on the convoy's portside, one shot in the fuel bunker of a troopship at 1200 meters and and a shot in fuel bunker of a large tanker at 600 meters. After the last impact, went to slow, down to 50 meters, then 100. No pinging, no depth charges. I track on the hydrophones that there's two DDs milling around up there, very slow, but that's it. 30 minutes later, they and the convoy move on. I go to periscope depth. Look around, don't see smoke and don't see ships in recognizable view. Surface, follow the convoy, but angle along the portside so that I can set up a surface approach 11,000 meters away, get ahead and submerge for another attack. Along the way my lookout reports a ship. 7000 meters away is the large tanker I hit. He's chugging at 1 knot and his stern is in flames. I cut it to all ahead flank, and man the desk gun. Within 4,000 meters I open up. I'm 50/50, scoring hits. Within 3000 meters I score a few that give off secondaries. At this time, my loookouts report a destroyer. Then I hear the high-pitch whine of shells overhead. I order crash dive. At 15 meters, my soundman says 'she's goin down!', so chalk up the tanker. I throttle it all the way to 130 meters and go to silent running. The DD does a good job of pounding the spot where I submerged but does not track me, he just makes passes over the same spot. And again and again, the depth charges seem to be set too shallow. 45 min later he leaves. I do my setup again for attack on the convoy. This goes off with no problem. I am setup for a 90 degree aob shot at 1200 meters of a troopship. Most screw noises are 80 degrees, but one merchant contact is at 90. I pop periscope for 2 seconds, bring it down again. The main body is not going to run me down. 10 minutes later I hear pinging from a warship contact at medium range, bearing 49 degrees. He must have see my scope. After almost 2 days of relentless attacks, the convoy escort is edgy and alert. I crank out a crash dive and a 30 degree turn to port. later I order a 20 degree turn to starboard. The pinging is relentless. At 50 meters I hear depthcharges splashing as they hit the water. I think I will take damage. I hear the explosions but none damage the boat. I do have the damage setting for in-game turned on all the way. I cut it to silent running at 100 meters. My course is 280. An hour later, the DD attacking me runs away. I am surfaced again, ready for another run. 8 torpedoes left still.