Back in the Fleet Boat again!

[Rockin Robbins]

For the first time since the publication of SH4UBM I'm back to my Fleet Boat career in October of 1944! I'm all loaded up with the new TMO, RSRD and PE3, and I feel like I just came home again. Well, almost....

Ducimus, you screwed up my throttle settings! Where's my 9 kt 2/3 throttle? We're back to ahead standard as best fuel economy again. You been talking to those RFB guys again????

I cut my teeth on a long Medium Split Freighter. Set him up for a Dick O'Kane with radar, submerged and never raised the scope. Trashed him with two hits from two sonar fired torpedoes. Very satisfying! And coincidentally identical to my last attack from my U-Boat, so it was doubly satisfying.

Proceeded to Formosa Straight on assignment and picked a cool RSRD 14 or 15 ship convoy with five radar identified escorts. Three of them picked me up on radar or with a radar detector and lit out after me when I was crossing a flat with only 90' of water. I shut down the radar quick and hit ahead emergency. The smoke on the horizon with PE3 is amazing and scary! They got within 5 miles so I went to periscope depth. Now I'm running WFO toward the track of the convoy, hoping to put the three hunters behind me. I'll deal with the consequences when I get some hits on the merchies. If I get to the merchies.

I extended the radar antenna for the first time and what did I find? A lousy evil radar-equipped airplane headed for my last known position. I shut down the radar and lowered the antenna.

My batteries are boiling, I'm ahead emergency toward the track and eyeing my three escort buddies on the sonar. This is gonna get real interesting. Maybe TOO interesting the way I'm using up my batteries.

More power Scotty! More power! This is great!