Shooting up sampans: it wasn't all that easy

LukeFF · 12-30-08, 07:25 PM

...as this report from the Pollack shows:

Quote:

1222: Lat. 6d.-05'N; Long. 153d.-27.5'E - periscope sighted object which appeared to be a small sailboat.

1300: Closed object with 20mm. guns manned and 4" gun crew standing by in the conning tower. Determined object to be partly sunk and abandoned sampan of about 10 tons. Closed to 500 yards and fired 180 rounds of 20mm. and 60 rounds of 45 cal. (Thompson Sub Machine Gun) for indoctrination and training purposes. Backed clear, made another run and fired 5 rounds of 4"-50 cal. for same purpose. Results:~ One bird of Nipponese leanings definitely sunk; six more thoroughly scared; sampan now draws about two feet more water; 4" gun crew abashed because sampan was not blown out of the water.

SteamWake · 12-30-08, 07:34 PM

It was a shipment of Balsa

No really I dont know, but they were mostly wood but you wold think after all those rounds it would be driftwood.

Task Force · 12-30-08, 10:03 PM

Yea, those Sampans seem to be tougher than they look.

NEON DEON · 12-31-08, 12:42 AM

Fluckey's encounter with a large sampan:

"In half an hour, I welcomed Tom back aboard. Nine down, six to go. Backing clear,

we sank her with one 5 inch shell.

These single shots at the waterline from 100 yards saved a lot of ammuntiion."

Excerpt was From the book Thunder Below, page 391 paragraph 7 that was written by Admiral Eugene Fluckey the comander of USS Barb.

A Very Super Market · 12-31-08, 12:43 AM

Got a bit sidetracked there, eh?

NEON DEON · 12-31-08, 01:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A Very Super Market

Got a bit sidetracked there, eh?

???

Care to elaborate?

A Very Super Market · 12-31-08, 01:37 AM

Um... the fact that American submarines would surface in coastal areas to sink sampans?

12-31-08, 01:59 AM

excerpt from Thunder Below p.98
"Since our basic orders were to sweep the seas clean of all fishermen, pickets, weather vessels et cetera, we decided on a gun attack."

Urge

NEON DEON · 12-31-08, 02:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A Very Super Market

Um... the fact that American submarines would surface in coastal areas to sink sampans?

No just Fluckey.

The Barb commander wanted to prove the submarines versatility as a weapon of war. So on the Barb's last war patrol he did.

Shore gun bombardments:

7/02/1945: Kaihyo To Island; new naval radar station, radio station, all buildings, boats, and supplies completely destroyed.

07/25/1945: Chiri cannery completely destroyed.

07/26/1945: Shibetoro lumber mill, sampan building yard, all cradles, and all new sampans destroyed.

Rocket attacks:

First rocket attack by US submarine.

06/22/1945: Factories at Shari.

07/13/1945: Shikuka Air Base.

07/14/1945: Shiritori town and Oji paper factory.

07/25/1945: Kashiho Factories.

Vessels destroyed by ramming:

150 ton trawler.

Fluckey regretted sinking the trawler. He claims he did not think about it untill after he did it. From what he claims he wanted to transfer some fuel to it and take it as a prize to bring back to Pearl.

Destroyed by commando raid:

One train and 16 cars.

Vessels destroyed by gunfire:

Three luggers 69 sampans*

*50 or so sampans were done in when they opened up shore bombardment with 20mm and 40mm only. Apparently they hit the fuel supply.

Torpedo.

3 merchants.

1 frigate.

Rockin Robbins · 12-31-08, 02:14 PM

Fluckey also ended up taking Admiral Lockwood's place after the war. He was a successful sub captain when most were returning to port full of torpedoes complaining they couldn't find anything to shoot at. I think you can use Fluckey as the supreme example of aggressiveness without recklessness. His crew was one of the safest in the fleet. Fluckey was proudest of the fact that in his entire career not one crewmember received the Purple Heart.

That's my kind of commander!

SteamWake · 12-31-08, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

aggressiveness without recklessness.

Yup

A Very Super Market · 01-01-09, 01:07 AM

In '45, I doubt there were any Japanese merchants left to sink. That explains it.

Task Force · 01-01-09, 01:18 AM

Yea, almost all of japans merchant fleet was at the bottom of the ocean. I know, I did acouple of 1944-45 patrols in RFB/ the run silent run deep campaign.

DeepIron · 01-01-09, 03:47 PM

Concerning Fluckey, yeah, he was an "unconventional" skipper in a lot of regards...

SteamWake · 01-01-09, 07:25 PM

[quote=NEON DEON]

Quote:

Originally Posted by A Very Super Market

One train and 16 cars.

Thats still one of my favorite storys. "The sub that sank a train !" :p

12-30-08, 10:03 PM	#3
Task Force Rear Admiral Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: SPACE!!!! Posts: 10,142 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	Yea, those Sampans seem to be tougher than they look. __________________ Task Force industries "Taking control of the world, one mind at a time"

12-31-08, 12:42 AM	#4
NEON DEON Ace of the Deep Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 1,207 Downloads: 39 Uploads: 5	Fluckey's encounter with a large sampan: *"In half an hour, I welcomed Tom back aboard. Nine down, six to go. Backing clear,* *we sank her with one 5 inch shell.* *These single shots at the waterline from 100 yards saved a lot of ammuntiion."* Excerpt was From the book Thunder Below, page 391 paragraph 7 that was written by Admiral Eugene Fluckey the comander of USS Barb. __________________ Diesel Boats Forever!

12-31-08, 12:43 AM	#5
A Very Super Market The Old Man Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Deep in the Wild Canadian suburbs. Posts: 1,468 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Got a bit sidetracked there, eh? __________________ The entire German garrison of Vanviken, right here in your thread!

12-31-08, 01:37 AM	#7
A Very Super Market The Old Man Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Deep in the Wild Canadian suburbs. Posts: 1,468 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Um... the fact that American submarines would surface in coastal areas to sink sampans? __________________ The entire German garrison of Vanviken, right here in your thread!

12-31-08, 02:14 PM	#10
Rockin Robbins Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: DeLand, FL Posts: 8,900 Downloads: 135 Uploads: 52	Fluckey also ended up taking Admiral Lockwood's place after the war. He was a successful sub captain when most were returning to port full of torpedoes complaining they couldn't find anything to shoot at. I think you can use Fluckey as the supreme example of aggressiveness without recklessness. His crew was one of the safest in the fleet. Fluckey was proudest of the fact that in his entire career not one crewmember received the Purple Heart. That's my kind of commander! __________________ Sub Skipper's Bag of Tricks, Slightly Subnuclear Mk 14 & Cutie, Slightly Subnuclear Deck Gun, EZPlot 2.0, TMOPlot, TMOKeys, SH4CMS

12-30-08, 07:34 PM	#2
SteamWake Rear Admiral Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 13,224 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	It was a shipment of Balsa No really I dont know, but they were mostly wood but you wold think after all those rounds it would be driftwood.

12-31-08, 01:59 AM	#8
Urge Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	excerpt from Thunder Below p.98 "Since our basic orders were to sweep the seas clean of all fishermen, pickets, weather vessels et cetera, we decided on a gun attack." Urge

01-01-09, 01:07 AM	#12
A Very Super Market The Old Man Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Deep in the Wild Canadian suburbs. Posts: 1,468 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	In '45, I doubt there were any Japanese merchants left to sink. That explains it. __________________ The entire German garrison of Vanviken, right here in your thread!

01-01-09, 01:18 AM	#13
Task Force Rear Admiral Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: SPACE!!!! Posts: 10,142 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	Yea, almost all of japans merchant fleet was at the bottom of the ocean. I know, I did acouple of 1944-45 patrols in RFB/ the run silent run deep campaign. __________________ Task Force industries "Taking control of the world, one mind at a time" Last edited by Task Force; 01-01-09 at 01:19 AM.

01-01-09, 03:47 PM	#14
DeepIron Sea Lord Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Too far from the Pacific right now... Posts: 1,634 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Concerning Fluckey, yeah, he was an "unconventional" skipper in a lot of regards... __________________ RFB / RSRDC Beta Tester RFB / RSRDC Modding Forum: http://forum.kickinbak.com/index.php RFB Top Post link: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=125529 RFB Loadout: RFB_V1.52_102408: RFB_V1.52_Patch_111608: RSRDC_RFBv15_V396 Last edited by DeepIron; 01-01-09 at 07:51 PM.