New Experience

[Sandman_28054]

Starting a new career, I'm currently on my third mission.

Leaving the base in Java, I was ordered to patrol an area just NE of Saigon.

I plot my course and get under way. near Singapore, I encountered two merchants. Sank both.

I turn NNE. The screen starts acting funny, you know jumpy, so I submerge.

Soundman informs me of a warship heading SSE moving fast. I surface and find the ship. Akisuki Destroyer. A loner, 15,000 yards away, easy pickings, or so I thought.

Turning towards the destroyer, I soon find out I'm heading striaght for a task force.

7 destroyers, 2 Maya Heavy Crusiers, 2 Ise battleships.

I radio my contact in, and recieve the reply, good find, break contact and attack.

Its 18:30, dusk is about to set in, so I stay surfaced until I'm within 8500 yards.

Submerge and raise my scope, lower my SD radar mast. I plot a path where I will rendevous with the task force at about a 90 degree angle of attack.

The first Ise BB comes within 3200 yards. I fire tubes 1-3.

I take aim at the 2nd Ise with tube 4.

The first 3 "fish" hit and slow the Ise down to 2 knts. Torpedo men working feverously to reload the tubes. The 2nd Ise is moving fast, about 15 knts, and the 2nd, Maya heavy destroyer is moving at a 20 knt clip. Tube 1 becomes ready, I take aim and shoot at the cruiser.

Sank, 1 Maya Heavy Cruiser 9800 tons.

Tube 2 come ready, I aim at Ise #1 and fire.

Sank Ise BB #1, 33800 tons.

Turning hard starboard, tube 1 is ready, I take aim and fire.

I hit it right under the aft guns exploding the power magazine.

Sank Ise BB #2. 33800 tons.

Not a bad haul.

Then all of a sudden, bam I'm being pinged by 5, count 'em, 5 Destroyers.

I dive to 220' at flank speed and order Silent running.

For the next 3 hours, I'm being hunted.

Took several indirect hits. Bulkheads, dive plain transmitter, bow tube #1, main pumps, bow deck gun, and taking on water.

For the next 3 hours its a game of cat and mouse, going from ahead slow, to flank speed, diving to 220', rising to periscope depth. At one time, I had a destroyer parked right on top of me. Why he did not drop any depth charges, God only knows, but it was very lucky for me he didn't.

Anyway, at the end of 3 hours, I decided to wait until one Destroyer had passed over, rise to periscope depth, take aim and fire at the dd's. I had all my stern tubes ready and all the fore tubes ready.

One passes over and I go to periscope depth. As I'm heading up, another DD passes over, drops DC's, but they drop to deep as I'm rising.

At periscope depth, I raise the periscope and take aim a Fubuki Destroyer. Open my tube, and fire.

The "fish" runs and hits the destroyer in the aft section right near the men dropping DC's. I hear them scream.

I turn due North, lower my periscope.

After 15 minutes, I noticed the "pings" had stopped.

I raise my scope and take a peek.

The remaining Destroyers had "rallied" around the injured Destroyer and were moving off.

Wow! I hadn't expected that!

Bottom line, 3 ships sunk for 77,400 tons.

Just to be on the safe side I continued at 54' doing 1 knt for one hour.

Sure enough, they must have given up.

I surface, and immediately save the game.

I never would have thought topedoing a destroyer would rally the others away, but it must have worked.

Anybody else had this experience?

[Aramike]

I have a question: you mentioned that, after the chase you had most if not all of your tubes ready to go. Were you reloading while being hunted?

[Sandman_28054]

Originally Posted by Aramike

I have a question: you mentioned that, after the chase you had most if not all of your tubes ready to go. Were you reloading while being hunted?

Yes I did. After sinking the first 3 ships, i dove to 220' and ordered silent running.

Like I said, I was playing cat and mouse. zigging and zagging.

After sustaining damage, and activating the damage control crew, it didn't make much sense not to reload the tubes, they already knew I was there. I had to activate the damage control crew, the bulkhead in the fore torpedo room was leaking and I was taking on water. I couldn't control depth. At one time, the warning depth for the Salmon class boats is 250', I was at 280'!

And in order to keep from sinking too deep, I had to maintain at least "ahead full." And several times I had to go to flank speed.

So I reloaded the fore tubes.

[banjo]

Good story. In the future try going to silent running when being hunted. Also, I routinely go to 350' to 400' when being hunted. As deep as 550' with later subs.5

[SteamWake]

Originally Posted by Sandman_28054

Yes I did. After sinking the first 3 ships, i dove to 220' and ordered silent running.

Like I said, I was playing cat and mouse. zigging and zagging.

After sustaining damage, and activating the damage control crew, it didn't make much sense not to reload the tubes, they already knew I was there. I had to activate the damage control crew, the bulkhead in the fore torpedo room was leaking and I was taking on water. I couldn't control depth. At one time, the warning depth for the Salmon class boats is 250', I was at 280'!

And in order to keep from sinking too deep, I had to maintain at least "ahead full." And several times I had to go to flank speed.

So I reloaded the fore tubes.

With all that banging and thrashing around why even bother with silent running :p

Honestly its nothing short of a miracle you got away but still ... good job.

[Sandman_28054]

Originally Posted by SteamWake

With all that banging and thrashing around why even bother with silent running :p

Honestly its nothing short of a miracle you got away but still ... good job.

Thats what I mean, I had to do damage repair, so why not reload the tubes while this was happening?

The forward torpedo room bulkhead took 3 hours to repair.

Oh, before I forgot it, I did order silent running before diving to 220', then when I reached my depth, I turned 90 degrees to starboard and "Ahead 1/3".

It took them a little while to locate me, but they did get lucky.

But what still amazes me is that a single torpedo pulled all of them off me.

Perhaps they thought I was further away from where I really was? :hmm:

I have had trouble with 3 DD's chasing me, but 5, I thought for sure I'd be having dinner with Davy Jones.

[magic452]

GOOD JOB. Desperate times call for desperate actions.
Sounds like you did everything right.

If I ever get 5 DDs on me I'll try it.

Magic452

[The Renegade]

Sweet story, man, really! Huge task force, sinking battleships, and then.... FIVE destroyers?!?!?

Wow, I.....I don't know what I would've done. Probaly screamed though. --That is truly an epic though, how you managed to survive 5 DD's on top of you and then managed to HIT one and then get away......wow. Excellent work, very nice evading and all that, and good patience too..... I woulda been so stressed out and ready to just give it up after MAYBE two hours.

I haven't been pursued like that yet in the Pacific, only with SH3 and GWX did I really get hammered.....I am just starting to play SHIV though, so I guess I should buckle up.....or secure the bulkheads.....or just get ready for some hellish times under the sea!

And yet, it's what makes this game so great..... Awesome story though and awesome patrol! Hope that luck (and skill I suppose ) continues!