Tactics: How to sneak into a harbour?

[bill clarke]

I got in to Honiara last night, after sinking both the DD's patrolling outside.

Once in I sank two 10,000 ton tankers.

On my way to New Britian now.

[TwoGamers]

Ha nice one

[HW3]

I will say there was a nice big flattop, and a heavy cruiser in Truk, that I didn't notice till way too late to change my attack plans.

[b34856]

Originally Posted by doulos05

They had to dock someplace...

That's true. It's just strange with such a large task force there was no active destroyers guarding it or anything.

Originally Posted by WernherVonTrapp

I'm a stickler for realism, but I do raid harbors on occasion. Let's face it, it may not make for a lot of realism, but it sure makes for a change of pace and a different kind of fun. I sometimes like to use my torps as conversion instruments. For example: When I want to convert a Japanese maritime patrol unit into a Japanese aviation patrol unit.

Japanese PT-Boat:
[Photo]
Don't you worry about realism, if it make the game more fun for you.

I've only sunk a PT boat once, in SHIII, got the same results.

[U570]

Originally Posted by HW3

I will say there was a nice big flattop, and a heavy cruiser in Truk, that I didn't notice till way too late to change my attack plans.

I had the same line-up, except throw in the Yamato, 2 destroyers and an extra cruiser. same ending as well.

[Able Brown]

Raiding harbors did happen, so I don't see it as entirely unrealistic.

The USS Barb (SS-220) under Capt. (later Admiral) Fluckey once did it, escaping in broad daylight. Here's how she did it:

Operating in areas suspected of being mined, the submarine maneuvered slowly along the shore and, instead of finding one or two anchored ships, discovered an entire convoy in the lower reaches of Namkwan Harbor. In the early hours of 23 January, she commenced an attack. Fluckey reasoned that, because Barb was so close inshore, she had to create instant confusion if she were to succeed in covering the ensuing hour long seaward run she would need to reach deep water. Hence, from a range of 6,000 yards, the submarine fired 10 torpedoes at the group of 30 ships. The skipper observed eight hits that sank three ships and seriously damaged three others. The smoke from the burning ships rapidly obscured the convoy and prevented further assessment of the damage inflicted. It also provided cover for Barb's escape. She ran at 21 knots through uncharted, mined, and rock-obstructed waters until, an hour and 19 minutes after she fired the first torpedo, the submarine crossed the 20 fathom curve into deep water. To make the best time, she remained on the surface and headed for Midway, where she arrived on 10 February.
http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/b2/barb-i.htm

Note at the bottom of the kill flag: a train! That job was done by Navy Frogmen as the train was probably out of torpedo range.

[doulos05]

Originally Posted by Able Brown

Note at the bottom of the kill flag: a train! That job was done by Navy Frogmen as the train was probably out of torpedo range.

Not to mention the faulty depth keeping on the Mk.14s...

[TorpX]

Originally Posted by Able Brown

Raiding harbors did happen, so I don't see it as entirely unrealistic.

The USS Barb (SS-220) under Capt. (later Admiral) Fluckey once did it, escaping in broad daylight.

Yes, it happened, but it was at night, and it was not a heavily protected anchorage. At least not in the usual sense.

The reason the Japanese ships were there was that they were moving convoys along the China coast, but realising they could not protect them from night-time sub attacks, they moved during the day, close to shore, and turned into one of several anchorages at a night. Fluckey guessed that they were sheltering at night, along the coast somewhere and made an effort to ferret them out. It wasn't in the nature of trying to raid Truk or Tokyo.

[twm47099]

Originally Posted by Able Brown

Note at the bottom of the kill flag: a train! That job was done by Navy Frogmen as the train was probably out of torpedo range.

In Flucky's book he gives a detailed account of that. They weren't frogmen, just regular crew members. One was an ex railroad worker who explained the best way to destroy a train.

Tom

[Angryson]

Thanks for all the great targets! I plan on running a recon op on some of these tonight, hopefully I'll be able to report some serious tonnage!