[AAR] Balao Big-Time

[Rinaldi]

Hey folks, one of my favourite parts of the forums is how enthusiastic everyone is about sharing screenshots, patrol stories, and their personal little battles in careers across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. I've recently returned to TMO after a brief (and highly enjoyable) foray into FOTRSU and thought it the perfect opportunity to share my experiences in a career with you all. I figured it might prove entertaining for the working-from-home-types like myself. It's also unique for myself. The last time I had played TMO was all the way back in 2014, and I had played a Salmon class based out of Brisbane. After 7 very fruitful patrols (Late 41-Mid 43) I was offered a new boat, refused, and got a 'you've been promoted out of a job' game over! I thought it a fitting end: finishing with close to 110k tons, a good reputation and alive.

Long story short, I generally never get into anything fancier than a Gato. I wanted to try a later war start, when things really heat up in the campaign, in something flashier.

Before we begin though, let's get some preliminary stuff out of the way. What are the 'rules' of this career?

 

1. Dead is dead, obviously!

2. Realistic career length, for the purposes of this playthrough that means promotion to CAPT +1 patrol, or getting sacked. Whichever comes first.

3. Routine rotation of personnel every three patrols. As most of you are aware, SH4 never had the benefit of a program like SH3 Commander. It's up to skippers themselves to manage transfers, etc. Generally, like anyone with that option would, it usually means we tend to hoard the best and brightest crewmembers. It also means renown is rarely spent on replacements, at least for me.

I will be using https://freeonlinedice.com/ and will go through the boat, section by section, transferring however many men I roll. E.g.: If I roll a six for Engines, six ratings get transferred. This will create some challenge, may create crew shortages or under-staffed Officers - NCOs may have to step up. In my view, this captures the vagaries of personnel management accurately. I will also use the site to flip a coin, if heads, an officer is being transferred as well.

4. 'Experimentals' allowed, because you know what? If I got the renown, I'm going to bloody use it!

So, without further ado, meet Lt Cdr Eugene Philip Lynch, US Navy.

Having served with some distinction aboard S-42 and the Darter (SS-227), the latter as XO, he has been awarded the Rank of Lt Cdr and provided with his first independent command: Skate (SS-305). She is a Balao class submarine, a war-time design. It dives deeper, goes almost as fast and has more torpedoes in its belly than the earlier Gatos and the pre-war designs. The captain and crew have finished their work-up off the coast of California and have reported to pearl.

Currently, Eugene's XO is a gentlemen named Irvin Ryan and it is clear, to anyone who sees him in action, that Eugene is not likely to hold on to him for long: there's a command waiting for him, and soon. Ryan previously was a navigator on one of the Brisbane boats through to Mid '42.

For this career I'm running the following modset, for those curious:

1_TriggerMaru_Overhaul_2-5
1.5_Optical Targeting Correction 031312 for TMO 2.5
1.5_OTC_Realistic Scopes for 16 to 9_TMO
3_TMONewDepthChargesTypeLatewar_43-45
4_TMOConningCustomEmblem


I'm running realism at 90, naturally, to allow external camera for the purposes of this AAR.

Hope this attracts some attention, watch this space!

Contents - Click a part to go to its post immediately

Patrol 1, Part 1 - 'Ebb and Flow'

Patrol 1, Part 2 - 'Changing Fortunes'

Patrol 1 Debriefing

Patrol 2 - 'Convoy Battle at Corridor II'

Patrol 2 - Debriefing

[Rinaldi]

Let's get this started although its not the best start, to be sure.

First Patrol Part 1- Ebb and Flow

Key Personnel

 

• Irvin T. Ryan, Lieutenant: Executive Officer
• Benjamin R.P. Digby, Lieutenant (jg): Third Officer
• David B. Thompson: Ensign, Control 3
• Theodore "Teddy" Hull - Chief of the Boat
• Ens. Abraham Merton - Conn 1
• Ens. Norvell Zabriskie - Conn 2
• Ens. Glynn N. Reed - Conn 3
• Ens. Roy T. Dare - Watch 1
• Ens. Merril E. Maddison - Watch 2
• Ens. Abraham Bryant - Watch 3
• CPO Morton F. Madley - Torpedo Officer
• CPO Edgar Eli Fenno - Chief Machinist

Note all times are base time.

June 7th, 1943

We had received a real warm welcome to Pearl, alright. "Welcome Eugene, why don't you take your green self right to Hokkaido and put a little old agent in for us."

It immediately soured my mood and gave me a sinus-like headache. The mission was high-risk and, as far as I was concerned, low reward. We hadn't even put to sea and I was already feeling the pressure. Irvin trying to mitigate by saying it was a sign the Squadron commander had faith in us did nothing to help. It only made the burden all the weightier. Our orders, in summary: Move to vicinity of Akkeshi, island of Hokkaido, avoid contact and insert friendly agent at the provided co-ordinates. Depart no later than 1300 hours June 7, 1943.

And so we did. With a band bombastically playing 'Anchors Aweigh' I conned the sub right down the channel, past the shattered hulks that could not be salvaged, and to sea.

June 10th, 1943

The trip to Midway was thankfully routine, we had finished topping up by early evening on the 10th. I could not help but notice just how much more robust Midway appeared to be since the last time I saw it. It was a hive of activity and I imagine it will stand on its own as a submarine base soon enough. Indeed, it appeared a few boats were permanently deployed there already, as one of the watch crew pointed out a Gato swinging alongside a quay.

It was here we met up with the agent, a Captain in the OSS. Didn't give me his name, naturally, how damned dramatic. Asides from the usual spook tropes he was not how I imagined him. Built like an Ox (aren't they meant to be discrete?) and with a jock's sense of humour. The men liked him and I could see why. I tried to act aloof and annoyed, I didn't like having guests. Don't think the fellow bought it.

We soon put out to open waters and Midway faded into the west. The attack periscope and the SD radar antenna were both lifted to maximum elevation and the Watch Crew reminded we were in it to win it, now. Nothing less than utmost attention would do. I was mindful to remind all Watch Officers of how important it was to avoid contact and not to get complacent just because we had an SJ set. The SJ was there to supplement them, I said, not the other way around.

June 18th, 1943

The bridge watch proved themselves not long after my warning to remain alert. Sails were reported on the horizon, to the south, at 0938 hours. SJ hadn't picked up a thing yet, too small was the target even in the current atmospheric conditions. We didn't hang around long enough to get solid eyes on whatever the ship was. With an OSS agent on board it wasn't the time or place to investigate and sink. At any rate we were in the final approach to the projected insertion point and I expected to be just off the coast later that afternoon. We therefore duly changed our course to 310 true and hoped whoever was on that boat wasn't as keen-eyed as ourselves.

Luck was with us. Just as we were preparing the trim to dive and await nightfall a fog bank, followed by a warm tropical rain, set in and enveloped the boat.

'I'm worth a try if you are' our guest said.

'What if the fog lifts as you're coming ashore? You won't have any cover, fella.'

'You let me worry about that, fella' came the cheery response. Crazy bastard.


So we went in, at general quarters, drifting the last stretch towards the Hokkaido coast. The quiet lap of water against the sides of the boat matching the gentle sound of tink-tink-tink of rain against the hull. All the deck weaponry was manned and I ordered the .50s and the BARs brought up as well. I was confident SJ would give us a warning of a corvette or destroyer knifing through the fog towards us, but we could never discount something smaller getting the drop on us. Of course, detection meant failure. I didn't intend it to mean death as well.

As it happened, our luck held out. Swearing and sweating a bit as the waves bumped our VIP's raft against the hull a few times, we were able to lower him into the water and see him off. I told Irvin to put 'Insertion at 144'59E, 42'58N' in the order book and we reversed course, creeping out at ahead slow for a while. By the time the sun had set we were more than 100 nautical miles away and the Japanese, as far as I knew, none the wiser. I imagine I will never be told what becomes of our guest. Above my paygrade, no doubt.

June 19th 1943

I snapped quite a few pencil tips trying to write this. Our first attack and it was an absolutely inauspicious start.

We had radioed in late the previous evening and had received the terse response:

Proceed to AREA 4 and engage AS ops off Home Is x Remain on station 5 days x Maintain radio silence for period x

Which found us roughly heading at a course of 205 down the coast of Honshu when, at 1648, sonar reported merchant-type screws. The distance appeared to be opening and it was just off our port side. We changed our course by around thirty degrees to try and get a more accurate course reading and as we did so, the SJ began to get solid returns on the ship. Now we were in business. Ryan, myself and Ensign Zabriskie - the midwatch Navigator - all crammed around the plotting chart, occasionally bumping heads. We began to track the target over the next few minutes based on SJ and Sonar's timely reports.

By 1704 we had a picture: Course 45(T), speed 4.5 knots estimated. I plotted a standard 1 hour intercept and then handed the Conn back to the officer of the deck. Removing myself to a corner of the conning tower and responding with the standard, aloof, 'very well' to updates. Trying desperately to project an aura of calm when inside I was salivating like a particularly dumb dog.

We had visual on the target at 1720 and stalked it - it looked like a Momoyama-type freighter. Things progressed swiftly then. Twenty minutes later we were at periscope depth, moving fast and using sonar to set up an attack. By 1824 the freighter was within range and we had a good solution - or so I bloody thought! The first spread all passed aft, the freighter blissfully unaware. 'Goddamnits' muttered throughout the conning tower. 'Alright lets up the speed half a knot and plug it into the solution, Eugene' suggested Irvin. Right enough - half a knot. 1831 saw us fire off a Mark 18 with - mercifully - an impact two minutes later and a fire all along the fore superstructure. It certainly looked fatal. Looked.

'Mr. Merton you have the conn, match its course. We'll monitor the merchant and see if it doesn't need more encouragement.'

It needed more encouragement. A periscope sweep at 1851 showed the fire was under control and, though a bit heavier by the bow, the merchant was making good speed. The deck was crawling with merchant sailors running to and fro. We gave her a stern tube salvo of 3 Mark 14s and....all passed fore. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, came the sound of shattering glass. I felt a heat spreading across my face. Any pretense of godlike aloofness was, for the time being, dead. It appears only Irvin noticed me privately losing my mind, thank God, because he shot me a concerned look as I said, through gritted teeth, 'Bearing...mark.' Then, leaning back from the periscope and resisting the urge to smash my head into it in sheer frustration... 'Firing point procedure, gyro 0, tube 10 on my command.'

The satisfying water spout a minute later of a second impact. Surely now...? No, the stubborn beast began to heel, ponderously, to starboard and began firing wildly in our periscope's direction. I was now beyond anger. I was even beyond credulity at the merchant's co-dependency with buoyancy. As it put its stern on us I roared down to the Chief Engineer to blow ballast and for Chief Madley to assemble a gun crew.

We 'battle surfaced' and a robust stern chase developed, with the water all around the bow frothing with fire from cannon and machineguns, coming at us from this ship full of suicidal madmen. I took the conn from the bridge, bellowing variations of 'rudder to port, hard to starboard hard over, hard over' and feeling more like a Destroyer leader than a sub skipper. Eventually, the freighter's captain realized he could not outpace us and began to ponderously turn to bring his frontal cannon to bear. This move, however, simply allowed Madley's gun crew to rake the starboard waterline with 4 inch fire. Finally, at 2121 hours, the ship lurched to a stop, on fire yet again. As I ordered 'all stop' and glided through the water we could see merchant sailors lowering boats, or sliding down the deck as their ship slowly capsized and sank.

We set a course 45nm to the west, to get away from what we were sure was airpower and patrol ships already steaming our way, and stood down from General Quarters.

I need a damned coffee.


To be continued...

[Rinaldi]

Let's continue!

First Patrol Part 2 - Changing Fortunes

Key Personnel

 

• Irvin T. Ryan, Lieutenant: Executive Officer
• Benjamin R.P. Digby, Lieutenant (jg): Third Officer
• David B. Thompson: Ensign, Control 3
• Theodore "Teddy" Hull - Chief of the Boat
• Ens. Abraham Merton - Conn 1
• Ens. Norvell Zabriskie - Conn 2
• Ens. Glynn N. Reed - Conn 3
• Ens. Roy T. Dare - Watch 1
• Ens. Merril E. Maddison - Watch 2
• Ens. Abraham Bryant - Watch 3
• CPO Morton F. Madley - Torpedo Officer
• CPO Edgar Eli Fenno - Chief Machinist

June 23, 1943

A remarkable day. Had our first real close call with airpower, for a start. Naturally we have been dodging the occasional SD contact throughout our time on and around station but its hardly newsworthy to jot down every encounter. Today was a different story. We had been returning to our search pattern down the Honshu coast when SD reported a contact, at the edge of the range of detection. I opted to risk keeping us on the surface as it looked like it would skirt past us, when suddenly it turned East, towards us, and began closing. We had to order an emergency dive and were shaken up by depth charges.

We likely would've been kept down for the rest of the day as well by other antisubmarine patrols going beserk on our last known heading, if it wasn't for a storm front rolling in. Along with the storm came a very interesting encounter, indeed.

It was well into the afternoon, at 1742, when the roll and pitch of the submarine was getting so bad I was going to order us down to 200 feet just to give the Watch a rest when sonar picked up a faint contact. It was thready and fading in and out in ambience of a booming ocean, but the operator was adamant he heard screws. SJ continued to report a clear scope, though. I was skeptical but knew the importance of trusting my sensory crew's first instincts, so I went aloft to the Bridge -making the mistake of not putting on any storm gear - to direct their attention and have a scan myself. Who knows, in this weather sound couldn't carry far, I had thought, so perhaps it's already in visual range, if "it" was anything at all.

One of the enlisted men, Ensign Bryant and I all appeared to spot the contact at the same time. I unwisely leaned over the bridge fairwater to try and get a better look at the contact and was quietly thankful when a rating discreetly pulled me back, just as a wave broke over the side of the hull. In that brief moment however, I got a decent enough look: small, narrow, black with green, rust-proof paint beneath the water-line. It was a submarine - and not one of ours. General Quarters!

There was nothing more we could do to better our approach in the 15m/s wind except to put our bow on the ship and hope the crenulations and valleys caused by the waves would mask our approach. She was crossing port to starboard. There was no question of using the TBT, the weather precluded that. At any rate the intelligence recognition manual we were provided had nothing on Japanese submarines. We'd have to do it kentucy windage style. A brief conference through the speaking tube to the Conning tower:

'I'm thinking Angle of Bearing, 75, speed 8 knots.'

'Let's call it 7 sir, this swell is on his bow with that angle, he'd be bleeding speed in every trough.' Came Ryan's voice back through the tube.

'Very well, 7 knots. Set the bearing to 0 and wait for my mark.'

'Aye sir. I recommend a 3 torpedo spread. Flooding Tubes 4-6.'

We crept in slowly, adjusting our bow to keep it ahead of the Japanese sub, which was definitely struggling as much as we in the stormy weather. Ultimately, it took until 1942 before we were in a position to fire. We fired a full three spread, as Ryan suggested and were greeted with a single, violent explosion a minute later. The Japanese submarine appeared to have ceased to exist, it had sunk so fast. The sonar operator did report after the attack that he had heard two impacts, but only the second had detonated - a dud.

June 25, 1943

Our time on station has ended and we have new orders to to proceed further southwest. That would keep us within Area 4 but put us just south of Tokyo bay. We were expected to remain on station for a further 5 days.

Merton plotted a series of 'hour-glass' search patterns and we immediately set out.

June 26 1943

We hadn't even been on station 6 hours when sonar reported a contact. Time was 0819; single contact, merchant-like screws. Not long after SJ began to get echoes off the contact. We soon had a plot and intercept: 137(T) course, speed estimated 7 knots, we could be in an attack position in one hour, ten minutes. We stood to General Quarters and made preparations.

Unlike our first lone merchant, this one was far more co-operative. At 0953 we crept into an attack position, at periscope depth, having identified the ship as a Haito-type freighter. We gave it 3 Mark 18s at point-blank range, all three hit, but only one appeared to explode. She settled but refused to sink; that took a Mark 14 from the stern tube.

June 27-28 1943

Busy night but we've finally come into our own. We had just surfaced and the time was 2320. The SJ operator began to report multiple contacts. Sonar soon followed, reporting a confused mass of rapidly turning screws. My immediate thought at the time was that it was a Task Force steaming into Tokyo Bay. Once we realized the main contacts' speed was lower than the revolutions suggested I knew we were dealing with a merchant convoy of some kind. I rang up General Quarters and soon Zabriskie and I had pencilled in an intercept plot based on available data, Ryan had the conn.

The group's course was reading more or less 200(T) at 13 knots. We were close enough and they were on a reciprocal course - we could be in attack position in less than 30 minutes. There was a 6m/s wind and it was a partially cloudy night: perfect for a surface attack. I took to the bridge.

Visual contact followed at 2357. It was a single column of what was obviously passenger carriers. What truly caught my attention was the middle ship. She was a grand, open ocean-going liner. A hurried flip through the recognition manual confirmed it was a Conte Verde Liner. The adrenaline immediately began to flow. Merton identified the trail ship as a Kitutin-type passenger cargo but it went in one ear and right out the other. The blinders were already in place: we were taking that Euro-liner. Everything else could wait.

It was a minute past midnight when I ordered the look-outs below and Irvin up to the bridge. We trimmed so the decks were awash. The tubes were flooded, everything had to go exactly as planned. I steadied my hands by gripping the edge of the bridge fairwater, while Ryan placed a pair of binoculars on the TBT. Ten minutes passed and it appeared we had slipped past the nearest escort, which was to our rear. We had a brief window to rake the convoy with a comb of torpedoes before it would be near us. Irvin and I had just settled on a solution which we were both equally confident in....spotlights! A momentarily dazzling flash burst in my eyes as the conning tower was swept over by one of the concentrated beams. Then came the sharp 'krump-krump' of cannon fire off the port side. The destroyer!

'She's screamin' towards us Skip!' Irvin dashed to the portside of the fairwater to get a clearer look.

Shells had impacted well short of us; she was steaming towards us, a white, fluorescent bow wake evident in the darkness. There was no more time! I screamed down the speaking tube, in rapid succession, 'fire Tubes 4-6, 3 degree spread, and then take us emergency deep!'

We threw ourselves into the conning tower as the dive klaxon screamed. I snapped the hatch shut behind us, my breaths coming in heavy and ragged. We could hear cannon fire, duller this time, hearing what sounded like pebbles being thrown against the conning tower and hull - shrapnel. They must've almost had us.

The next few minutes were a blur - 0016 hours, 40 feet and screaming down, sonar reporting a series of massive explosions, breaking up sounds - no time to celebrate. Course altered to 088(T), foolishly trying to set up another attack even as a destroyer bulldogs towards us. Then the dreaded, screechy 'eeeeeeeeee' of active sonar. Just two pings before we course corrected and adjusted depth - was it enough? Did they have a fix?

Then...nothing. Sonar estimated the destroyer opening distance to port. She had wrongly anticipated our next move, expecting us to try and break away, rather than towards the convoy. Now was our chance: we drifted back up to periscope depth as the escort made its first, get-nothing, turn. Then at 0025 we fired off two Mk18s, in an eye-balled snapshot, I guessed we were no closer than 900 yards. The ship was heeling away in a sharp turn and I reckoned it was trying to pick up a bit of steam still after such a radical manoeuvre, so I had adjusted accordingly. Once the eels were in the water we crash dived yet again, finding a thermocline at 300 feet. By the time we had slowed down and rigged for silent running sonar reported, to my quiet satisfaction, the distinctive sound of two contacts breaking up.

This time we drew the attention from no more than 3 escorts, based on sonar. We had to come off silent running a few times, using rapid depth changes and manoeuvring bow- or stern-on to the tin cans, before suddenly heeling to starboard or port as we passed into their baffles. Eventually the manoeuvres worked, and we were able to slip them, settling back at 300 feet and rigged once more for silent running. We got a pounding, nevertheless. By my count, between 0031 and 0146 they dropped 31 ash cans around our ears.

By 0330 the sonar reported 'all clear' and a brief, hasty periscope sweep showed no destroyers parked on the surface waiting. Finally, we stood down and surfaced. A brief survey of the deck with red-light flashlights revealed no obvious heavy damage to the outer hull. A lucky break.

June 28-29, 1943

The action continued. After a day of relative calm sonar reported, again, a confused mass of sound, all fast revolutions. SJ had trouble getting the contacts at first, for reasons I am still not sure. We will have to have a hard look at it back in Pearl. After a few course corrections and bearing plots we were able to trace a rough course for the contact: yet again steaming generally towards Tokyo bay. Mercifully, a few minutes past midnight, whatever gremlins were toying with the radar departed and we began to get faint returns. A 'stalking party' was formed by Digby as I went up top to the bridge to aid the watch crew. Eventually, the report came in: Course 40(T), speed estimated at a brisk 23 knots.

I knew we wouldn't be able to catch them if they held course but we had the fuel and the darkness. If they were heading towards Tokyo bay, they would have to adjust their course, which would give us a brief window to intercept. By 0025, however, it was clear we were losing the race and the enemy were overtaking us. They did, eventually, change course as suspected, to come across our bow but we couldn't get into an attack position regardless. Powerless to do a thing, we watched the murky silhouettes of two carriers slip by us just outside of effective torpedo range.

We reversed course and slipped away. The night wasn't done with us, however. A scant two hours later we detected and intercepted a pair of freighters which appeared to have come from the west, along the coast. They were identified as an Akita-type and a Kasagisan-type cargoes. We managed to get into position, decks awash, for a stern shot. The fatigue was beginning to become apparent though, as the weapons officer failed to set the latter two torpedoes to a fast setting when we fired our spread. The lead Mark 14 passed just fore and the merchantmen, her spotlights sweeping and signal lamp flashing, managed to slow and heel hard to port. The rest of the spread also passed fore.

We were never spotted ourselves and now, after this last failed attack, were out of torpedoes and put to open waters and home.

July 7, 1943

We've just finished re-fuelling at Midway before our final stretch home. We're truly looking ragged now, a badge of honor after a first patrol: we look (and smell) every bit the veteran submariner crew. The trip back was relatively unremarkable but I had failed to note that we had yet more contact just before dawn on the 29th of June. A large tug was spotted by the watch and sank by gunfire, some small consolation after the missed opportunities.

Video link: Deck gun attack on Japanese Tug.

July 10, 1943

Mr. Reed conned us down the channel expertly, carefully avoiding coming too close to our escort - a Fletcher on final work up.

We've just now finished mooring and being greeted by the SUBRON and SUBDIV commanders. We've made a good first impression, it seems. For now however, the Skate is the relief crew's problem. We have some much needed R & R at the Royal Hawaiian. I have some administrative matters to attend to first, however. I'd rather not do that hungover.

To be continued...

[Rinaldi]

Administrative Matters

• LTCDR Eugene P. Lynch was awarded a campaign star to his Asiatic-Pacific Campaign medal
  
• A Navy Commendation Medal was awarded to PO2 Peter Royal, Watch 1 sonarman, for accurate and rapid communication of enemy warships which enabled Skate to successfully evade counterattack.
  
• Seaman Lawrence S. Dempsey, Forward Torpedo 1st Watch, was promoted to PO3 and certified in Torpedoes.
  
• No additional installations or overhaul of the Skate were completed.

...at least officially. While I was doing the paperwork, willing myself to do it slowly and carefully and not feel hastened to get to the Royal Hawaiian, I was visited by Teddy. He dragged in with him a planesman from Watch 2 and said, 'Sir, you oughta hear the boy out. Will do wonders for morale.' As it turns out, the kid apparently wasn't too bad a hand with a paint brush and a stencil and suggested we should mimic other boats with our own kill tally and mascot. I approved in a heartbeat: Submarines by their nature have to have their achievements and operations kept out of the limelight and it can be discouraging, if necessary. Allowing the men to boast among themselves would go a long way to counteracting that.

We also, surprisingly, received our next orders nearly immediately. I was a bit taken aback at how little time in port and liberty we would receive but kept my comments to myself. We were being ordered off the Ryuku chain, which would put us astride several known shipping lanes, it was promising hunting territory, just west enough to avoid the dangerous littorals of the China Sea.

Patrol Summary

2140 Renown earned.

9 officers, 63 ratings – ALL OK, no personnel differences at patrol end.

Merchants Sunk: 5

Warships Sunk: 0

Total Gross Tonnage: 35, 207

1. 19 June ’43 2143h, 142’21E”, 38’39N” - Momoyama MARU 4088 ton.
2. 26 June ’43 1026h, 140’206, 34’31N” - Heito MARU 4466 ton.
3. June ’43 0016h, 139’36E, 34’44N -Conte Verde Liner, 18, 765 ton
4. 28 June ’43 0028h 139’36E, 34’43N -Kitutin MARU 6786 ton
5. 29 June ’43 0601h 140’09E, 34’34N -Tug Boat 1102 ton.

Torpedoes fired: 24

Torpedoes impact: 10

Torpedoes missed: 11
Duds: 3
Gun expenditure: 30 rounds.
Special Operations:
18 June 43 1430h 144’59E, 42’50N - Commando Insertion off Hokkaido.


Debrief

Winding down and drinking up at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, pictured here sometime during the 30s or 40s. The Hotel was used almost exclusively during the war for Submarine crews, who generally held large pissups to de-stress.

Whilst very, very, hungover the XO and I retired to the armchairs in his hotel room to discuss the patrol and see what lessons could be learned. We swiftly reached agreement on two points: that, all things considered ('all things' being our first, disastrous attack) overall torpedo accuracy was decent and we shouldn't beat ourselves up too much over it, and that we got damned lucky with that large troop liner. We also grumbled considerably over the, in our humble opinion, inane and unjust decision not to officially credit us with the Japanese submarine. They base that decision off of lack of detail in my own report of the attack and the lack of any independent verification of its sinking in intercepts and other intelligence.

We reached these ultimate conclusions and set out to conduct ourselves accordingly next we put to sea:

• While it was ideal to use the mantra of 'one ship, one torpedo' that simply was not a reasonable expectation with the torpedo dud rate remaining as high as it was. To say nothing of the surprising resilience some of the merchantmen had shown. Spreads of 2-4 torpedoes would likely have to remain the norm as we went into our second patrol.
  
• Nevertheless, we opted to modify how we fired spreads, not necessarily using just degrees on the gyro. If the solution looked choppy, we should opt instead for an adjustment in speed of 0.5 knots.
  
• Finally, there was clear room for improvement on our surface attack and some wargaming at the wardroom table would be needed to address this. We wanted to test an idea; jogging-in more or less parallel and reciprocal to a a convoy's projected track before sharply turning into it for a high angle attack. If necessary, from the convoy's rear and from outside the convoy if it was particularly well defended. The hope was this would avoid last-minute discoveries by a flank escort as we attempted to penetrate the screen. At the very least, such a small aspect would mitigate discovery, avoiding presenting a broad target to a PO'd destroyer or corvette.

[Rinaldi]

For those who have given this thread some attention, much appreciated. Hope you're silently enjoying. Patrol 2 was short but very sweet. Decided to take a different tack for how to present this one. Thought it appropriate.

Second Patrol

Key Personnel

 

• Irvin T. Ryan, Lieutenant: Executive Officer
• Benjamin R.P. Digby, Lieutenant (jg): Third Officer
• David B. Thompson: Ensign, Control 3
• Theodore "Teddy" Hull - Chief of the Boat
• Ens. Abraham Merton - Conn 1
• Ens. Norvell Zabriskie - Conn 2
• Ens. Glynn N. Reed - Conn 3
• Ens. Roy T. Dare - Watch 1
• Ens. Merril E. Maddison - Watch 2
• Ens. Abraham Bryant - Watch 3
• CPO Morton F. Madley - Torpedo Officer
• CPO Edgar Eli Fenno - Chief Machinist

Note all times are base time. I have artificially brightened a few photos in Photoshop but have tried to keep the feel of just how dark the nights were.

August 21st, 1943

'He ought to get a medal. The ma-'

'He will. I've put him in for one but I haven't submitted it, nor will I just yet.'

'Sir, I - ' CAPT Edmunds, CO SUBRON 4, let out a frustrated breath. 'Look, the man chases a convoy halfway across the Pacific, sinking every merchant, all after risking detection to report the contact. We tell him 'put the tankers to bed' and he does so - and nothing? I know he never reached his patrol grid but frankly sir I don't agree with this, we're punishing a man for putting tonnage on the board. Do we really care where he does it?'

'We needed that boat in the China Sea, Charlie. You know that. We had good intel on a lot of tanker traffic in that area too, and you know the Japs aren't convoying that deep inside 'safe' waters yet. It would have been lower risk for higher reward, no, I can't reward him. The objectives we set aren't suggestions. Don't make that face, I'm not asking you to rip the man's head off, nor will I either. We're just not going to lay out the red carpet. Remind him he is assigned grids for a reason.'

There was a decided air of finality to this statement. COMSUBPAC would broker no further argument. Edmunds didn't like it one bit, it smacked of the type of inflexibility that got good skippers sacked and good boats sunk in the pervious year. It wasn't like Lockwood, either. What could he do, though? There was no point in escalating (who could he escalate to?), and at any rate, he was being reassigned and given a new command. SUBRON 4 wasn't his problem starting August 31st. Even if he did go to bat for Lynch, he wouldn't be around for the pitch. He was no careerist either, but he knew better than to bite the hand that fed him. The aggressive skipper would be recognized for his work, in time, he knew. He just hoped it wouldn't be posthumous.

He sighed, bid the boss farewell and, with one last look at the document in his hand, put it down on the commander's desk. It was an after action report from the Skate, dated August 11th. Like most AARs, it was tersely worded, barely hinting at the real drama. For the two men who had read it, however, both experienced submariners themselves, they knew just how harrowing - and impressive - the actions contained therein truly were:

ATTACK AND CONTACT REPORT SS-305

To: SUBRON 4, COMSUBPAC

Date of Report: AUG 11 43

Date(s) of Action: AUG 8 - 10 43

AUG 8 43

1102H current pos "CORRIDOR II" zone, en route to assigned waypoint ("ABRIDGE" zone). HFDF intel rep contact, CSE NNE, SPD 7 KTs. Moving to intercept.

2212H sonar contact on screw noises, multiple. Reciprocal course SSW bearing. Possible convoy.

2217H SJ contact confirms convoy. SS-305 now at General Quarters.

2253H Watch reports smokestacks on horizon. Visibility currently adequate but lessening. Clouds partial. Wind 7m/s.

2300H contact rep sent SUBRON4. Convoy is 6-8 merchants, 4-6 escorts. Merchants are mix of cargo and small tankers. Orders from COMSUBPAC rec'd stating 'go for tankers.'

2357H First attack. Penetrated convoy screen on surface, on its starboard side. Starboard escort appeared to have doubled back in routine ASW sweep. We took our chance. THREE MK18 torpedoes fired at MOMOYAMA type freighter.

2358H THREE MK23 torpedoes fired at KAGAISAN type cargo.

2359H One impact on each contact reported. Skate attempted to break contact on surface but spotted by convoy search lights. Forced to dive by escorts. First pattern laid estimated at 12+ charges. Hull intact but light damage reported. Several instruments broken or damaged.


AUG 9 43

0000H Depth now 388. Escorts actively pinging. Bulkheads sealed and rigged for depthcharging.

0111H Escorts cease attack. Estimate 36 charges dropped over this period of time. SS-305 avoided further serious damage through bow-on manoeuvres, radical depth and speed changes and silent running. Attempted to maintain course of 25(T) to shadow convoy when not under attack. Successfully maintained contact. Wind now 12 m/s with full clouds. Thunder audible on surface.

0200H Convoy course now 230, maintaining previous speed. Shadowing at distance of 5-8nm. Reload still in progress on two fore tubes but will be in position to attack again shortly, slowly overtaking convoy.

0219H Watch reports signal lamps visible off port bow. Emissions control ordered; SJ no longer needed to stalk. CO of opinion Escorts lack VHF communications.

0251H Second attack, made in three salvoes. Unable to penetrate screen this time, initial spread fired at 8200y range, relying on pre-plotted radar data. Second spread fired at 4800y range, relying on TBT and optical data. Attack made decks awash on surface. SS-305 'raked' convoy with fire, turning right standard rudder between attacks.

• TWO MK 14s fired at damaged MOMOYAMA.
  
• TWO MK 14s fired at damaged KASAGISAN
  
• TWO MK14s fired at unidentified merchant.

0253H MOMOYAMA hit amidships. Escorts begin search, SS-305 avoids searchlights.

0255H KASAGISAN hit twice. Secondaries set ship on fire and illuminate area. Escort seen heading towards us at high speed, forcing us to 160ft.

0257H Sonar rep two more impacts. Indications confused. Course now 280 and rigged for silent running. Attempting to unmask stern tubes.

0302H Sonar rep clearer now. Multiple sounds of contacts breaking up, hull popping noises. Escorts appear to not have fix on position. Telegraph currently reads 'Ahead Slow.' No longer rigged for silent running.

0313H Sonar contact lost on convoy. Periscope sweep re-establishes visiual on escorts moving away. Damaged merchant seen to be left behind with heavy list and decks awash. Appears to be MOMOYAMA type. Unknown if same or different contact. Sunk at 0324H by TWO MK14s in stern salvo. [Click here for video]

0559H GQ Cancelled. SS-305 grateful to Japanese hosts for quiet second reception. Emissions control cancelled. SJ maintaining contact on Convoy 5nm. Will stalk and let distance open during daylight hours. Matching last reported speed of convoy. Organized rest needed.

1040H Convoy zig-zagging has ended with radical course change now 278(T). Maintaining contact.

2059H Contact course now 330, speed estimate 5.5kts. CO and officers agree to wait further before attack. 'End run' will begin in approx 1-2 hours. Intention is to attack with a 15 AOB to present narrow aspect and make it easier to rake convoy with fire. Weather has calmed but swell remain high. Wind 9 m/s, overcast skies.

AUG 10 '43

0000H Now at General Quarters

0017H Decks awash. Lookouts below. SS-305 making turns for 2 knots. Intention is to penetrate screen again on starboard side, taking advantage of escort falling back on a sweep to rear.

0049H Third attack. Torpedo fired at KASAGISAN type. Appeared to miss.

0051H TWO MK18s fired at HARUNA type tanker. Impact seen less than minute later. Dive ordered. Active pinging faintly heard but stops quickly.

0057H Depth is 300. 9 charges dropped. 5 explode very shallow, latter 4 badly rock boat. SS-305 is able to slip away after this first run.

0103H Now at periscope depth. 12 charges heard to go off in distance, starboard side as we rise. Attempting to unmask stern tubes.

0112H Fourth attack. TWO MK14s fired at a second HARUNA type tanker. Forced to dive by escorts shortly after. Sonar reports loud explosions, followed by active, rapid pinging. Pinging subsides as we come to 225ft.

0119H Attempt to make course 287. Escorts detect us as a result, heavily pinged from two different sources for short time before we reverse course. No charges dropped.

0127H Course now 281, depth is 381. Have escaped attack once again. Shadowing convoy. Heavy patterns of unknown quantity heard exploding astern through hull.

0210H No longer silent running. Reloads of Tubes 7-8 ordered. Now making turns for 5 knots.

0239H Surfaced. SJ reports gap in port-side screen of convoy, with a contact to rear still, certainly the missing escort.

0340H Port-side escort remains out of position and we are moving into attack once again. Intention is to close to point blank range due to lack of ammo and attack submerged with stern tubes.

0422H Fifth attack. TWO MK 14s fired at a KASIGISAN type. Impacts less than thirty seconds later, ship observed sinking rapidly through periscope. Left-rudder ordered.

0425H ONE MK14 fired at HARUNA type.

0427H Impact observed through periscope. Secondaries break her hull and she is seen to be sinking. [Click here for video from the periscope]

0432H ONE MK14 fired at second HARUNA type. Impact shortly thereafter. A thunderclap explosion followed - tankers not evidently in ballast. Target rapidly sinks. Depth ordered to 400 and boat is rigged for silent running. Course set to take us through and under the convoy's last track.

0626H GQ cancelled. No counterattack sustained. Crew now at limit of endurance. Ship to remain at 160 for several hours of needed rest. Ammunition depleted.

Summary

Estimated tonnage at 25, 000. Six merchants, varying types sunk. 24 Torpedoes fired for 13 apparent impacts. Course now set for Midway

LT CDR E. P LYNCH
CO SS-305
SUBRON 4

COMSUBPAC couldn't help but skim through the report again. Only a handful of skippers were repeating these kind of feats. Every merchant in the convoy...if it was accurate - he was assured that Intel would be able to confirm by monitoring radio traffic - then it was a serious blow to the Japanese attempt to keep their war machine fuelled and oiled, quite literally. Out of all proportion to the actual tonnage, sinking oilers and tankers had been a vital operational goal he had put to all his subordinates.

Skate had only put into Pearl earlier that afternoon. He was thinking it may be appropriate to make himself a fly on the wall for Lynch's in person report. The skipper had provided hand drawn diagrams of his attacks in the report and he wanted to chime in with a few questions of his own...

To be continued...

[Rinaldi]

Sorry for the delay, been a very busy week or so! Let's revisit the 2nd patrol and debrief:

Administrative Matters

• Seaman 1st Class Mason S. Lincoln (Conn Watch 2) is awarded the Navy Commendation Medal
  
• Seaman 1st Class Otis Henry E. Jenkins (Engines 3) awarded the Asiatic-Campaign Medal
  
• Petty Officer 1st Class Marshall White (Aft Torp 2) awarded a bronze star to his
• Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal.
  
• Skate had its SJ set replaced with an improved SJ-1 radar set

Edmunds gave me some limp-wristed lecture about the importance of reaching our patrol zones and I can tell his heart wasn't in it. I'd do it again; the tonnage will be sunk wherever I found it unless I am expressly told to avoid engagement. The men heard no such reservations from command and I didn't share it with them, so as far as they were concerned the patrol was an unmitigated success. They giddily painted kill flags on our conning tower and added it to the Squadron's kill board.

Patrol Summary

965 Renown earned.

9 officers, 63 ratings - ALL OK

Merchants sunk: 6

Warships sunk: 0

Total Gross Tonnage: 20, 331

09 August '43 0255h, 141'03E", 28'19N" - Kasagisan MARU 2433t
09 August '43 0302h, 141'03E", 28'19N" - Hakusika MARU 8197t
09 August '43 0324h, 141'03E", 28'20N" - Momoyama MARU 4084t
10 August '43 0423h, 139'55E", 29'40N" - Kasagisan MARU 2433t
10 August '43 0427h, 139'55E", 29'40N" - Haruna MARU 1617t
10 August '43 0432h, 139'55E", 29'40N" - Haruna MARU 1567t

Torpedoes fired: 24

Torpedo impacts: 13

Torpedo misses: 11
Duds: 0
Gun expenditure: 0

While the enlisted men went off to celebrate and rest, all the leading officers had a sober (don't worry, we hit the Royal Hawaiian hard this time too, we just got the order right side around this time) talk in the Skate's ward room. Again, while accuracy was satisfactory, there was room for improvement. We talked at length about the final attack on the convoy, how easily we picked off targets at point-blank range whilst submerged.

The ability for a submarine to live up to its name and submerge is obviously one of its greatest assets, and there was a clamour to make all attacks submerged henceforth - how quickly the depth charging is forgotten. I ultimately disagreed: so long as Japanese sensors remain so far behind our own there is no reason to put ourselves low and slow at night, we're more vulnerable if anything. We are giving the two sensors they have that don't care what the visibility is outside a chance to detect us. We get our targets with the spreads and continue to rely on the luxury of agility and stealth that only a surface attack can provide. Though I will risk submerged attacks at point blank range when the situation warrants it.

Ultimately:

• Our surface approaches were much improved, or the Japanese escorts didn't eat their carrots. We were never spotted before an attack and got to choose how and when to dive. Definitely, a large part of this success comes down to our excellent radar team and the ability to detect emerging gaps in the screen.
  
• The idea of fish-tailing, that is, using the rudder to comb our way down or up a convoy as we attack is one worth continuing. A few more drills and scratch pad practice is going to be needed to game out how to make the torpedoes hit seconds, rather than minutes apart, but the concept was proven. I made a mistake of shooting the closest target first, rather than shooting far and moving in - the thought totally slipped my mind in the heat of the moment.

I'm still waiting on our next orders but I have a feeling we're going to be short in our stay at Pearl once more.

To be continued...