[REL] We Dive at Dawn

[GerritJ9]

Just finished my third patrol, started fourth; apart from my previous remarks a few further notes:
1) concur about aircraft behaviour- only saw one at "medium range", but it did nothing at all. Otherwise not one aircraft spotted during the three patrols- Dutch and RN subs frequently reported on them IRL.
2) only warships spotted in Malacca Straits were two small auxiliary patrol boats- one off Penang- sank it with a torpedo just for fun (was too small to really waste a torpedo on it) and one off Sabang. Not one warship of any size off Singapore, otherwise only a few patrol vessels at the northern end of Sunda Strait, type unknown as I was running submerged and did not bother to look.
3) lots of unescorted merchies running singly (easy pickings indeed!), but so far no small convoys of one or two merchies with escort of one or two subchasers/DEs plus air patrols, as were historically spotted/attacked by RN and Dutch subs operating in Malacca Straits. Ditto when proceeding up the coast to Rangoon, or to the Andamans.
4) main gun ammo load of 500 AP and 500 HE seems rather large- is this historically accurate? Not that I mind having a large load, allows me to sink any junk/sampan I want to

A few further notes:
1) RN and Dutch subs occasionally landed agents/supplies for guerrillas in Malaya- might be an idea to add the occasional "cloak and dagger" mission to the campaign if not included already.
2) Sumatra's west coast was also patrolled by RN subs, as there was coastal traffic between Sibolga, Padang, Benkoelen and Batavia. HMS "Tradewind" sank "Junyo Maru" during such a patrol in September 1944. Unfortunately, "Junyo Maru" was transporting Allied POWs and Javanese slave labourers to Sumatra to work on the Pakan Baroe railway and most of them were killed-
see http://members.iinet.net.au/~vanderkp/junyopg1.html

Hope this is useful.