Stories and Patrol Logs + Screenshots and Videos (merged)

[Clean Sweep]

Also,

RIP Torpedoman's Mate 1st Class Russell A. Garrison, USS Tang

KIA August 20, 1944

Carbon monoxide poisoning during submerged combat operations.

Posthumously promoted to Chief Torpedoman's Mate.

[c13Garrison]

Commander Gael Glenn, U.S.S. Narwhal
3 August 1942

...crew performance adequate, ...torpedo performance exemplary...

--

*double knock* "Captain?"

"Yes Lieutenant Ryan, come in."

"Good morning Captain. All is well on the boat Sir, we'll be ready to get underway whenever our orders clear."

"Very good Lieutenant. However you didn't need to drive all the way over here to tell me that. What's on your mind?"

"I understood you'd be writing up the torpedo performance summaries that were misplaced this morning..."

"You are correct, as usual. And, this is relevant how?"

"Well, Sir, I've been talking to a lot of other submariners here. On Midway there's no place for anyone to hide. ...I think you might want to consider this sir."

Lieutenant Ryan hands over an envelope, revealing papers within.

"What's this?..."

"That Sir, is a letter of protest that a few other Captains would like you to sign. Its a general complaint about the quality of the Mk 14s."

The envelope is unemotionally handed back to Commander Glenn's exec.

"I'm not interested in conspiracies and incompetence Lieutenant."

"Sir, you've got to consider, there's a lot of grousing about those torps. You're the only captain I know who isn't complaining, and the fact that you're blowing on the Bureau's ass about them is going to look - ...very odd, sir."

"...I see. ...well Lieutenant, how would you describe a torpedo that has a less than 15% premature rate, a less than 5% dud rate, and only requires alert attentiveness to account for a prevalence to run deep? I'll be damned if I'm going to sign some memorandum just because no-one else is bright enough to manage their tactics correctly."

"Sir, I understand of course, but look at all the reports coming in from the whole theater. Where there's smoke there's fire Sir, it can't all be negligent usage-"

"Ryan, for two straight patrols we've come back with 10 ships sunk. Over 4 patrols we've sunk 4 Jap cruisers with Single shot kills and a destroyer. That torpedo is not a problem. Do I make myself clear?"

"...Yes sir, perfectly clear."

"Good. ...my boat runs like an Elgin watch Lieutenant, not a Roman forum. ...Precision, promptness, attention to detail. More of This, and less of That." He points at the envelope in Ryan's hand.

"Yes sir. ...I'll get back to the ship."

"Do that. Good morning Lieutenant."

Ryan nods, and leaves.

--

...effectiveness of Japanese escorts improving, tenacity as well. 4 escorts searched for us at last known location for 36 hours...Slow Ahead seems to draw attention from over 4000 yards...Jap depth-charging inefficient and ill aimed...

...suggesting commendation for our torpedo chief...

[Admiral Halsey]

Just got back from a patrol that saw me utterly decimate Kurita's Center Force. I ended up sinking both the Yamato and Musashi and I still had enough time to do a flank run towards the Surigao Strait and sink a heavy cruiser from the retreating Southern Force.

[Gryffon300]

Originally Posted by in_vino_vomitus

To die in battle is what sailors, and battles are for, but for lives to be wasted is a crime.....

We were in the 'Kanal at night, making about 14 knots, when an explosion came from nowhere.

Dieter was unable to hear anything, which doesn't mean it wasn't a surface vessel, but it strongly suggests otherwise.

Philipp

Agree, just being Kannon Fodder is not good for the soul. Sorry for the morale challenge - we'll have to send a Stiff Note to Krupps! (or whoever).

Any chance the Kanal explosion could have been an air-dropped mine?

Cheers, my friend

Gryff

[c13Garrison]

@Halsey- Now THAT has to be a rarity, bagging Both Yamatos in a single attack. I'd love to see a video replay of that. Bravo.

@Clean Sweep- Very spooky indeed. Assuming they were not stars, and I presume you ruled that out, that's quite an apparition.

@Vino- As always, I love the flavor of your letters home. A unique touch, and the angle you captured the pic from was perfect. It really looked like it could have been from someone standing on the deck.

@pstein- Welcome aboard, and kudos for something I just don't have the patience to do; logging the watch hours so precisely! For me if its no longer in the message buffer I just don't know when it happened.

[grislyatoms]

First patrol on my "dead is dead" career now that I have everything set the way I want.

Approaching Southern end of the Okinawa chain, ran across a lone Zinbu Maru. May have spotted us, as he changed course several times. 3 torpedos fired, one was a dud, the other two premature detonations.

Manuevered into another position, fired two torpedoes. One dud, one missed.

Manuevered into a 3rd position, Fired all four bow tubes. 3 hits, one dud. Target exploded and sank.

Started to get underway again, same area, when sound contacts started popping up situated to the South. Their track would lead them right on top of us. Surfaced about 3 a.m. in the middle of the largest convoy I have ever seen. Fired approximately ten torpedoes, out of those, a couple misses, a couple duds. Took down two merchants for about 10K tons.

Dove deep, took some depth charges from escorts, nothing too severe. Attempted to get into position for our last few torpedoes but was unable due mainly to repeated air contacts.

Decided to head to the barn. One our way back, spotted a lone merchant. Fired two torpedoes, on miss, one dud. Battle surfaced and engaged target with deck gun. After 5-6 hits, target exploded and sank. Three crew manning the deck gun dead, 2 injured, boat shipshape. Returned to Pearl with just shy of 18K tons for the patrol.

[in_vino_vomitus]

I don't know about a mine, but I suspect it was air dropped. Generally I travel through the Channel submerged during daylight and at high speed at night. The aim being to vacate the area as quickly as possible. surface patrol craft seem mostly to be armed trawlers, and they don't appear to have ASDIC - I've never been pinged by one, or depth charged for that matter - even when I've been detected. The destroyers I've seen have all appeared to be en route to somewhere, rather than on patrol. During the day the air threat is quite high, but it tends to disappear after dusk.

Anyway, I was in TC, it was well after nightfall, when suddenly I snapped back into normal time with damage reports coming in and flooding in the bow torpedo room. I hit crash dive out of reflex, but we were halfway under by that point. It seems that mark IX boats don't have much tolerance for flooding. Fortunately the bottom wasn't too deep and the damage was slight, so we made repairs fairly quickly, but at no point did we hear anything on the hydrophones. Even if it was a lucky shot from a warship at extreme range you'd expect it to come over for a look.

Unless it was a programme bug, then I suspect it was an aircraft - it's not unknown for them to fly at night, but if it was, then my lookouts completely missed it. Travelling at full ahead, I guess my wake would have been quite visible.

I guess I'll never know....

[grislyatoms]

Can't speak for SHIV as I have yet to play the German side, but in SHIII GWX I know from intimate, unfortunate experience that the English Channel is heavily mined...

[in_vino_vomitus]

I had that thought - It's only the fact that we survived that made me think it wasn't - A tethered mine would have blown our bow off surely?

[c13Garrison]

"All quiet Captain. It looks like they'll make it ashore without raising a ruckus."

We were 200 yards offshore of the Makin atoll, watching the marines we'd just ferried over start to jump into the surf. Patrol number 5 was a freighting job for us to start. The trip down from Midway had been quiet and calm and we'd been easily able to adjust our speed so as to arrive offshore about dusk.

"It does Lieutenant. Maintain the watch, we'll provide fire support if its needed. Argonaut must be out of sight up the coast a ways."

"Aye Sir."

The deep hours passed tensely for us, but we were asked to fire on no targets. We heard small arms fire echoing from various distances, but it certainly didn't sound like a pitched battle was underway. About dawn as we were beginning to work west to round the southern heel of the atoll the boats started to return and we had our blinker signal from Argonaut that she was going to edge up to the beach to ease the load-up some contraband. Nautilus was standing by her.

We proceeded northward about 10 minutes.

"Captain, air-search reports a long range contact bearing 021 inbound."

This was unwelcome news. We had plenty of time to dive, but our sisters could still be in shallow water and we had no knowledge of how long they would have their pants down.

"Man the AA guns Ryan, we need to engage that plane."

"Aye Sir! Man the flak guns!"

We continued on course at 9 knots, and soon the big 4-engined flying boat came into view. Banking on a steady firing platform being a card in our favor, we opened up just as it began its pass. Flames sprouted from its #1 engine and fuselage, but it was undeterred and dropped 2 small bombs astern. They succeeded in killing some fish in our wake.

"Mind your bearings, she's turning back!"

The big flying boat had a very astute gunner on board and as it banked around peppered our boat with quite a few rounds. We maintained a steady fire but to no obvious effect. It was precisely 0700. Then-

The boatswain's call sounded. "Relieve the watch!"

"...I commend your attention to detail Lieutenant Ryan, but let's hold off on that just a little while yet shall we?"

The plane began its second pass, and a 3rd small fire started on her, but once again she completed her run and dropped 2 bombs, this time with Much greater accuracy. A cacophony of calls blistered the air as the world shook everyone on the bridge from their feet.

"Hit sir! Bulkhead destroyed! Flooding! Man down! Medic!"

"Hard to port ahead flank battle-stations!"

We turned into the retreating plane as I rushed below. It was a mess. Forward torpedo room and Command deck were taking water, fully half the crew was injured, but the worst of it was up above. The forward AA station and after 6" mount were destroyed, and their crews killed, including our gunnery expert. The plane was likely satisfied it had hurt us badly and also worried about everything burning up around them as it never deviated from its exit course and disappeared off radar in time.

"Come back on course ahead slow. How's our bunkerage?"

"Fuel levels holding steady Sir."

"Alright, ...let's get to work and see what we can get done here."

Over the next 4 hours everything was repaired, thanks to our wizard of an engineer. The bodies of the deck crew were laid in the after battery compartment, and their personnel rotated up to serve the guns. The hull was thoroughly battered, but we were sea worthy.

"What course shall we steer captain?"

"...we still have some stations to keep, and heading back now won't help ...them." I nodded aft. "Continue on course, proceed with patrol."

We patrolled for 2 further weeks, to two different stations in the Gilberts and Marshalls. Not a single ship was sighted, and numerous planes were assiduously avoided.

Having had no luck, and not wanting to give up on salvaging this patrol, rather than steer for another station that would have taxed our fuel more than my liking I set course for Truk. There were always ships around there I'd heard.

Approaching Truk from the south, we were running at radar depth when we detected a merchant to the east, also steering for the south channel. We set up at 1500 yards.

"...Fire 1...Fire 2...Fi (boom) re 3-" "Premature detonation Sir!" "...and Fire 4."

Fish #2 exploded early too, and the merchant started turning. Fish #3 & 4 continued on their way. "5 seconds ...3 seconds...impact Now-"

Thud.

"...#3 is a dud sir. ...and #4 has missed aft."

I frowned. "Well, that's rotten luck. ...there's contacts closing, let's let this one go and renew our run in. Hopefully the patrols will head out here now."

We continued on course, and being slow and cautious at 200' feet we entered the anchorage after about 3 hours of running, avoiding 2 escorts that seemed interested in our vicinity. Up scope showed a bit of a shock though. Terrible fog, visibility less than 200 yards. Laborious steering finally put a freighter astern of us, and we fired both tubes.

"...#1 premature-", Ryan said uselessly, "...#2 running true...5 seconds...3..."

Thud.

"Dud, Sir." Was that Relish I was hearing in Ryan's tone? He stared at me stone-faced.

"...Let's get out of here Ryan, there's too much going on that I don't like."

We returned to open waters in the dark before dawn, and plotted a course around Truk and heading back to Midway. Just as dawn was threatening to break we detected a merchant heading north west. It was crossing our path, so we submerged and waited for it. We fired 4 torps.

"...#1 - premature, ...#2... premature..., #3... premature, #4 running true..."

Thud.

Ryan just looked at me.

"Surface and blow them to hell."

The replacement gun crew did an excellent job, as the execution took just about 3 minutes and I detected no misses from either gun. As we watched the ship's two halves bob and slowly sink the sun rose in the east.

"Ryan, when we get back to Midway I think there's some mail I'd like you to post for me."

"Yes Sir." Ryan didn't hide his smile.

I wouldn't smile for a good while.

---
KIA LtJG Barton M. Brown
KIA PO1C Vincent H. Molony
KIA S1C Bruce Acker
KIA S1C Dilbert Bannister
KIA S1C Henry D. Moore
KIA S1C Romando Martinez
KIA S2C Albert Barringer, first patrol
KIA S2C Marshall Blanchard, first patrol

[grislyatoms]

Great read!

"The boatswain's call sounded. "Relieve the watch!"

"...I commend your attention to detail Lieutenant Ryan, but let's hold off on that just a little while yet shall we?""

[grislyatoms]

Originally Posted by in_vino_vomitus

I had that thought - It's only the fact that we survived that made me think it wasn't - A tethered mine would have blown our bow off surely?

I would certainly think so...

[in_vino_vomitus]

""All quiet Captain. It looks like they'll make it ashore without raising a ruckus."

We were 200 yards offshore of the Makin atoll, watching the marines we'd just ferried over start to jump into the surf. Patrol number 5 was a freighting job for us to start. The trip down from Midway had been quiet and calm and we'd been easily able to adjust our speed so as to arrive offshore about dusk.

"It does Lieutenant. Maintain the watch, we'll provide fire support if its needed. Argonaut must be out of sight up the coast a ways."

"Aye Sir.""

Good read, as usual

[grislyatoms]

ComSubPac Eyes Only communique

From: Lt. Commander Bart Mancuso, Sr. Nautilus

Re: Mk. XIV. Suspect faults. Please advise.

Engaged target 53 NM WSW of point Abuse. One dud, one hit. 5126 ton recognize as Zinbu Maru. Wilco as ordered. Seas 5, weather clear.

[Clean Sweep]

After some much needed R&R for the crew, and a refit and overhaul of their boat, the Tang has put out from Pearl today for her fourth war patrol! Happy hunting!