First Successful contact!

[doulos05]

Ok, apparently 3rd time's the charm. I decided to start a career in 1944. I'm sitting in a new Balao-class submarine out of Pearl and draw an "Engage enemy shipping off Carolina Islands." Because of my previous issues with dying... frequently... and with great explosions, I've gone back and reset realism to 0. Unlimited everything (Except torpedos ), etc, etc.

I arrive on station around 1800 Pearl time and receive a radio contact 200 nm south of my position, about 100 nm south of the Carolina Islands. Using the method laid out by CMDR Legion in Sub school (Course: Legion's Noob Guide) for intercepting a convoy, 13 hours to the beginning of my search pattern in the probability corridor, set up the TC and kick back.

Approx. 0700, I begin my search and at 0931 I make radar contact with the convoy. 8 merchants in double line with 3 DD escorts: 1 forward, 1 port, 1 starboard. I replot their course and select an intercept point off their port side. I was so excited I forgot to radio a contact report back (Oh well, my orders were to engage shipping off the Carolinas, and this sure looks like shipping to me).

I dive (probably far too early, but I wanted to be sure) and around 1300, I make visual contact with the lead destroy at 8000 yards and do another plot. Looks like I was wrong and based on his search pattern, he will pass right over me. I'll have to reposition, while within visual range of the enemy. I fire two fish at him when he closes to 2000 yards. I the periscope and begin repositioning.

Unfortunately, while repositioning I get out of position with the convoy. When I popped back up and was looking at almost 40 deg AoB for my target, a Small Modern Composite. Looking behind me, I see the destroyers behind me, apparently pinging away at my last position. I flood tube 1, get the green light, fire 1, and dive deep. Because I'm roughly in line with my previous position, the destroyers don't react too quickly. After one minute submerged with no sounds of breakup, I got greedy. I begin traversing towards my next target and surfaced to periscope depth and she's in bad shape. She's listing hard to port. I begin to traverse around to my next target, a Small Old Split when suddenly I'm eyeball to eyeball with one of the deckhands aboard one of the destroyers! He was in my baffles, so I missed him. *SPLASH* SPLASH* DCs going over, I can actually see them rolling off the deck, this is not good. Fortunately, he missed my depth change, so they exploded harmlessly about 100 ft below me.

Fortunately, the deckhand didn't see me in time for them to bring their deck guns to bear, but the other destroyer is bearing down behind me about 2000 yards. He lays over hard to port, and line up on him. Flood tube 3. 400 yards, 450 yards... He's almost broadside to me. 500 yards, only showing an dark yellow, but I'll have to take it. Torpedo in the water. Not 30 seconds later an explosion erupts. Solid hit, just ahead of the DC racks. I bring her back around to see the 2nd destroyer closing. "Flood tube 7" At 1000 yards, I've got a light yellow plot, it's now or never. Torpedo in the water, Crash dive! The torpedo misses, and he DCs me on the way to the thermal at 140 ft. Flooding in the in engine room, damage to the bulkhead and the main pump! The guns are damaged, and their crews injured as well. We pass through 150 as my sonarman reports a sinking behind me, down goes the merchant.

Right now, repairs have been effected on everything except the deck and AA guns and it's nearing 1800. I've nearly avoided the DDs, however they remain fairly persistent. Fortunately, I've got a track on the heading for the rest of the convoy and I hope to re-establish contact tonight and launch another attack, hopefully taking out a second merchant and a second DD, maybe even both DDs, opening the convoy to a more relaxed approach.

Review: It was great to finally get a good hit. I thought about just going after the convoy, not the escorts. But unfortunately, they're all Small-Medium vessels, nothing big so I can't sneak off with 5k or 10k tons easily. Since I plan on stalking this convoy until either 1) I run out of luck, 2) they run out of ships, or 3) I run out of torpedos. Hopefully, I'll be able to make my second attack tomorrow.

[kylania]

Nice work! Great story too. Let us know how your next attack goes.

[ReallyDedPoet]

Nice, good luck in the continued hunt


RDP

[Ivan Putski]

Nice report, and congrats. Just remember thats a two edged sword, it kills in both directions, watch the greedy stuff, lick your wounds, and hunt another day. Puts

[SteamWake]

You are improving

Pretty soon you will be getting 2 or 3 targets plotted, empty all the tubes before going deep.

I hardly ever fire a single torp at a target, too many duds, deep runners, bad calcs, etc. Firing one torp and then going to evasion mode is a ticket to frustration.

Also I hardley ever engage the escorts. Espically with my first shots. If one crosses my bow / stern at 500 yards I might let one rip, otherwise I concentrate on the shipping

[doulos05]

Well, I'm cheating right now. I'm running without duds because... well, my previous attempts at full realism failed... horribly. So, my goal is to enable 1-2 realism settings per patrol until I'm at/near full.

[Rockin Robbins]

Great job sir! It is not cheating, by the way, but legitimately learning the game at a pace a human being can tolerate. People who simply jump in over their heads and are overwhelmed by the complexity of the game are those who are playing something else next week. They are left with a very bad opinion of a great game in SH4.

You're doing it exactly right! No need for embarrassment about that!

[SteamWake]

Originally Posted by doulos05

Well, I'm cheating right now. I'm running without duds because... well, my previous attempts at full realism failed... horribly. So, my goal is to enable 1-2 realism settings per patrol until I'm at/near full.

As RR said its not cheating its playing at a level your comfortable with.

But try and see if you cant get a couple of targets lined up and shots at before going into evasion mode. If nothing else it will confuse the convoy and slow them down a bit.

My 'best' attempt so far was to get 3 ships damaged and burning at the first salvo. That was with 6 torps in the water :rotfl:

Have fun !

[Sailor Steve]

Excellent account! As far as cheating, read the above. If you think it's cheating, then consider it part of the learning curve.

You mention getting greedy. Always a bad idea, but a good idea is to do what you see in the movies: every time you raise the periscope, immediately do a 360-degree sweep, just to make sure.

[Diopos]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Excellent account! As far as cheating, read the above. If you think it's cheating, then consider it part of the learning curve.

You mention getting greedy. Always a bad idea, but a good idea is to do what you see in the movies: every time you raise the periscope, immediately do a 360-degree sweep, just to make sure.

and