Stories and Patrol Logs + Screenshots and Videos (merged)

[Bubblehead1980]

Originally Posted by cookiemonste

That was a well written story, thanks for sharing.

Glad you enjoyed. It is an example of why this sim(when modded properly) is so great.

[cookiemonste]

Yeah, that's true. I shall try that too next time.
How the frak is my boat still floating:

[cookiemonste]

Now I have floating enemy ships imune to torpedos.
With all the other bullcrap, this is the nail in the coffin for SH4 for me.

Installiere Dein Spiel einfach neu, benutze keinen TC über 2048... und vor allem, lösche den SH4-Ordner unter eigene Dateien bevor du eine neue Kampagne mit neuen Modi versuchst.
Ich verstehe nicht, wie sich sowas ignorieren läßt!?!

Also selber schuld, wenn das Spiel nicht das macht, was man erwartet bzw was es eigentlich soll.

[Bubblehead1980]

Originally Posted by cookiemonste

Now I have floating enemy ships imune to torpedos.
With all the other bullcrap, this is the nail in the coffin for SH4 for me.

Hmmm. Are you running the stock(out ofthe box ) game? So many wonderful mods, SH 4 is an excellent sim modded, dont give up yet!

[cookiemonste]

I'm running the Trigger maru Overhaul with pacific enviroment. I installed everything in order. Damage controll on my boat is also not working.
Maybe I should start a seperate thread.

[cookiemonste]

I've decided to hang on to the game.
After so many awesome patrol logs, I shall try to write mine equaly well.

28th february 1942.
This is the 3rd patrol in this old lady. Even though she's not the youngest, I feel good. She is old but robust.

We left Surabaya at midnight and headed for our designated patroling area.
We never got there though, because at the 6th of march we spotted a japanese convoy. After cabeling the HQ, we got the order to focus the escorts. The conditions were perfect! The night was moonless and a slight swell helped us to conceal us.

So we went to periscope depth and started calculating the solutions.
We just recieved the new Mk. 14 Torpedos and rumors had it that something was not quite right. We had no idea what was in treat for us.

Launching all 4 torpedos, I targeted the destroyer escort and 2 freighters.
After 2 minutes, one explosion, the destroyer was a fireball. And all of a sudden, a huge fontain of water rose infront of us: the torpedo circled and exloded almost right next to us. The other torpedos never reached the target.

The tubes were reloaded and another salvo was fired.
None of the fishes hit the target, 2 of them exploded halfway towards the target.

Blast the Bureau of Ordnance! These things were as dangerous as the japs!
The convoy began to scatter, we reloaded one more time and fire 2 torpedos at a target about 600 yards away and the broadside of another freighter.

Two torpedos were duds, 1 hit the stern of the enemy ship and the other disapeared into the pacific. The problem was, the ship was still floating.

I waited untill the other ships moved along and out stricken prey refused to go down. So the boat was surfaced and the deckgun was manned.

After a couple of shots, she was going down and we engaged another ship that came to tow it.

And then a jap destroyer apeared out off this mist and started firing!

Crash dive! The water was shallow and we could only dive 98 feet before hitting the ground.
Sillent running! Head for deeper water.

And then there was this sound, the familliar Ping!. Sonar.
I kept looking up the ceiling, trying to make out the position of that basterd. It grew louder quickly, the time between the pings became shorter as the distance between the boat and the destroyer shrunk. Soon I could hear the screws. As she was right above us, we could hear the familliar splasing sounds. The sonar ping was gone, they were above us! Full ahead! The boat shaked as it accelerated, I prayed that we were quick enough.
Soon after, the boat was shaken by the pressure waves of the explosions.

Seaman Barstow was blown of his feet by the blast, but our trusty S-38 held shut. The jap was comming back! Back to 50 rpm on the engines!

The same procedure as before: as he was above us he threw his rocks into the sea and we ducked away from them. This went on for 2 hours, it was 1:30 in the night. The sonar man could no longer hear the jap, so we continued to head towards deeper water.
And then all of a sudden: ping!
He was back.

And so the dance starts all over! He goes above the boat, we go fast do dodge the depth charges. We go slow, he uses his sonar.
And then a big bang! It felt like the boat was punched, it stumbled and we could smell that the stern battery was ruptured!

Damage control got to work imediately and I thought of a new idea...
This time I decided we would stop the engines so we would make no sound.
It worked! He did not come back after the last attack run.

We stayed underwater till 0500 and surfaced shortly after.
We were all out of torpedos, so I decided to head back to Java.

Thre crew acted outstandingly and I will recommend some of them for a decoration.

And the Bureau of Ordnancee will recieve a long report that they will not forget!

And I got promoted and been given the command of a new Salmon class submarine, the USS Sturgeon!

And I hope that you enjoyed the thing I wrote.
And damn the Mk.14 Torpedos. These things are not good (yet) .

[propbeanie]

Glad you got it running, had some fun, and you made an excellent report, sir!

Originally Posted by cookiemonste

I've decided to hang on to the game.
After so many awesome patrol logs, I shall try to write mine equaly well.

...

[cookiemonste]

Thank you for the kind replies. But there is a lot to learn. And not just about the game, there are some things I could have phrased better.
And that only 2 out of I think 12 Mk.14s (How much Torpedos does an S-Boat carry?) actualy hit and detonated rustled my jimmies. That Convoy was a fish in a barrel.

[Bubblehead1980]

Possibly the shortest career I've ever had in SH 4.

TMO RSRD

100 realism, ex camera off.

USS Batfish June 1944, out of Fremantle, Australia.

Departed on June 7 with orders top proceed to Northern South China Sea off Hainan Island.

After topping off at Exmouth Gulf, transiting via Lombok Strait(dodging patrols I added, makes it exciting and challenging. ) . While transiting Sibutu Pass into the Sulu Sea, detected a convoy on radar, 6 ships and two escorts.Planned to make an attack and send a contact report, then proceed to area.

Dove at 1145 hours, positioned for a stern tube attack with Mark 18's. Targeted a large freighter(8,000 tons) from 2500 yards.Just as fourth fish left tube 10, convoy made a zig the torpedoes missed. The convoy was now about to run over top of me, I ordered 200 feet depth. As I passed 80 feet, heard a ships alarm sound and sonar reported a warship closing fast.As we passed 140 feet, pinging began from astern, to port. I ordered us to 412 feet, test depth.Pinging grew intense from two directions, now had two escorts(one Type C escort and one aux subchaser) closing in


After multiple runs I seemed to shake them, was forced to 575 feet though, then the type c(sounded like it) came roaring in and dropped a massive pattern, two close charges caused heavy damage. Bow tubes reported destroyed, flooding in forward torpedo room, compressor heavily damaged, periscope heads destroyed, radio severely damaged, forward batteries damaged,sonar damaged.

After a couple more runs had situation under control, was cruising at 600 feet when type c made another run.several charges were close.Lights went out, stern batteries damaged, forward batteries destroyed, flooding in control room and conning tower, more flooding in forward torpedo room, variosu equipment destroyed or heavily damaged, we were now taking a down angle and sinking below 650 feet.Emergency back power and orders for rise on planes stopped the boats descent momentarily but as heavy flooding occurred in forward torpedo room, we began to sink deeper, finally climbing back after blowing tanks.Eventually flooding was stopped in other compartments and we leveled off somewhat at 430 feet while repairs were conducted. Batfish was in trouble though, only 30 percent battery left, Much of equipment damaged, only 30 percent compressed air reserve. Then came the good news, escorts coming back for another run, with all the noise, both knew where we were. Each made a run right after another. Several close charges, caused flooding in control room again, destroyed the compressor. We again began to sink out of control despite all efforts.Only option was to blow ballast, hope could make a run on surface, diesels were untouched. Blowing the tanks, rose to 80 feet and stalled, then blew tanks again using last of compressed air and surfaced with 40 MM aft and forward manned, as well as 20 mm manned. The 5 inch deck gun forward was non operational as we discovered, destroyed in the depth charge attack.

both escorts were astern, one just 2000 yards away. Ordered flank speed, began firing at us and aft 40 MM went to work on the aux subchaser, causing an explosion on her fantail when depth charges were hit. As we sped away both were firing automatic fire and deck cannons, shell splashes landing dangerously close, as automatic fire hit the boat a few times.

We were only making 15 knots at flank speed.Noticed sub was riding low in water, this was due to heavy flooding.The aux subchaser was firing but not moving, apparently damaged.The type C was blasting away but circling.Shells roared overhead(using sounds from Fall of Rising Son, very nice sounds FX) and splashed in the sea.Soon one found it's mark, landing astern where he aft gun crew on 40 MM and 20 MM were. All three crewman KIA. Hull now compromised, no diving for us.Also noticed three lookouts were KIA before this, likely from automatic gunfire. An Ensign on bridge, and two lookouts in shears, all three KIA.

The Type C escort was now pursuing blasting away at just 3200 yards and closing. Riding low in water(water was being pumped out) , ordered new gun crews to the deck. Stern tubes still operational, one Mark 18 completed reloading. Put aft TBT and set up for a down the throat shot if needed.Meanwhile we were dodging shells, many were landing close.Fired aft 40 MM at the type C scoring a few hits which started a fire , the ship slowed, still firing as we finally picked up another 2 knots and slowly pulled away, dodging more shells as we headed north towards sulu sea away from the escorts.

The type c escort continued to fire but circled, burning but the fire died out soon . Finally, one shell landed close enough scoring a hit in the forward torpedo room, injuring many in compartment and causing heavy flooding, we began to sink lower in water.Shells continued to roar overhead, landed near but no more hit as we slowly opened the range.

Finally we were out of range and lost contact, exiting Sibutu Pass into the Sulu Sea. flooding eventually was controlled, water pumped.Clearly the patrol was over, now challenge was making it back to Fremantle via enemy infested waters, with no bow tubes operational, six key crewmen KIA, much of boat's key equipment destroyed.

Night fall we turned south through Sibutu Pass, into Celebes Sea and headed to Lombok Strait via Makassar Strait. Unable to dive, stayed on surface. An SD radar contact as entered Java Sea caused concern but stayed outside 10 miles.

Finally reached Lombok Strait, waited for nightfall and made a run at flank speed. Dodged the northern guard, but ran into a patrol boat in center, dodging it was tricky but managed, southern guard was way out of position and exited cleanly by 0400.

Arrived back at Fremantle on June 26, 1944. After docking, was informed my carreer was over as was relieved of duty.

[cookiemonste]

How can you be relieved? If you fall under a certain reknown number or, is it random?

[Bubblehead1980]

Originally Posted by cookiemonste

How can you be relieved? If you fall under a certain reknown number or, is it random?

First patrol, failed to sink anything. Boat was heavily damaged. MY hull damage was in the 60 percent range. Said I was sent to a staff job, career ended.

[cookiemonste]

I see, thanks for letting me know.

Originally Posted by Bubblehead1980

Arrived back at Fremantle on June 26, 1944. After docking, was informed my carreer was over as was relieved of duty.

Perfectly right - whoever wants to prove himself as a CO as irresponsible and a daredevil - the command is permanently deprived.

Departure...