The First ( RL ) patrols to Empire waters

[Crosseye76]

I've seen a few comments and thoughts about patrol areas for SH4. Some mention that Empire waters might be dangerous to patrol in until later in the war.

On December 11th, only four days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the USS Gudgeon eased by the still smoking hulks of the Battlewagons and left on a war patrol. Her destination ? Bungo Suido, the southern entrance to the Inland Sea. The USS Pollack left on the 13th for the waters off Tokyo Bay, and the USS Plunger departed on the 14th for the north entrance to the Inland Sea.

The results were ( no surprise) meager, Plunger sank one ship, Pollack got two. On the way home, Gudgeon was ordered to intercept I-73, heading back to Japan after her patrol in Hawaiian waters. Gudgeon sank her on Jan. 27th.

There was still a very, very long way to go, with bitter failure and tragic losses to weather, but they were there, on the first days of a new war. And the Japanese began to get a glimmer of things to come: From Borneo to Empire waters, Japanese cargo ships knew they could feel the shattering impact of a torpedo at any time, any place, even when they were in sight of Home.

It does not seem that Submariners considered Empire waters to be more or less dangerous than other locations. They, like most Submariners, wanted to go where the tonnage was to be found. I find myself looking forward to both early war and late war patrols in Empire waters...... Sink 'em all !