My worst experience ever!

Loudspeaker · 02-25-12, 04:28 PM

Ok, here I was, just south of the Bungo Strait, with a Gato and an inexperienced crew. It was a beautiful day, sun was shining and I enjoyed the fine graphics of RFB, when suddently my watchman reported a ship sighting. The visibility was so excellent that he spotted it even before it was noticed by my radarman. (Note to self: Have radarman polish all shiny stuff in command room tomorrow.)

I ordered engines stopped while making the first plottings, no wakes from the bow or stern, thankyou. From binoculars I could tell that it was a big, juicy mother f... TARGET! coming my way. Better dive to periscope depth and wait, but then... The target, which turned out to be a 10000t tanker, altered it's course, just as I opened torpedo doors.

No worries, said I, we just end around, and so we did. It was getting dark, when I positioned the boat ahead of the tanker. My sonarman reported its coming. I raised periscope and prepared for the attack. Minutes passed.

Why don't my crew report of its sighting? thought I. I took a look at it myself, and there it was, big and juicy with foam around its nose. But my crew couldn't see it in the clear night. Nevermind. Surely they will see once it's within 2000 yards.

But they didn't, and I had to take action myself.

Have you ever tried to make a firing solution on a target that nobody else but you can see? It's hard, I tell you. When the tanker was within 1000 yards and right ahead of me, with my crew still unable to see it, (note to self: Make a donation to visually challenged people society), I launched a spread of 3 torpedoes at it, but oh my...! I forgot to send bearing to TDC, and the torpedoes took their own way back to Pearl Harbour without me!

Now, I am an optimistic and happy guy, so I just let panic overwhelm me and fired 3 more shots in an insane manner, and luck was on my side, 2 hits.

The tanker slowed down, it was ablaze a few hundred yards from me, it looked so beautiful, burning with the stars as background. Could my crew see the big, burning tanker, so bright that my eyes hurt? No they couldn't!

Ok, let's see if the watch crew can see it, thought I and surfaced right next to the tanker. After all this is what they get payed for. It was like daylight up there, I tell you, and the flames lightened up the faces of my crew. They, however, couldn't see the tanker...

Fire at will, shouted I to the gun crew, give them hell! Give who hell? they asked. There is no one around. At that time I could hear the blaze from the burning tanker right next to us.

Ok, I took the gunners seat myself and started to fire. Shell after shell hit into the hull with high explosions to follow.

Then, after 5 minutes, the tanker lit its search light, and my watch man announced: Ship sighted! I bloody know there is a ship! I have been firing at it for 5 minutes, you imbecile hobo!

Now hell broke loose. Shells were everywhere around us, and machine guns were firing at us. We were like a plastic duck in a shooting tent. CRASH DIVE, IF YOU BLIND PEOPLE CAN FIND THE VALVES!

We took several hits, and we began to sink. I ordered periscope depth, but the depth just increased, slowly and deadly. I didn't mind it at all. I still had a few good cards at my hand, such as going flank speed or blowing main ballast tanks. Humming the Funeral March I got the best mechanics into an repair team. After a while we were able to maintain depth, and I prepared for the final attack on the tanker, which no one but I could see.

A stern tube salvo finished the job, and we went home.

From now on I will recommend Chief of Command not to enlist people from a blind peoples home. Maybe, just maybe, more submarines will return from patrol this way.

TorpX · 02-25-12, 10:36 PM

Hmmmm......

Interesting story. I take it, it was a very dark night. I hope you get your crew sorted out.

Hinrich Schwab · 02-25-12, 11:28 PM

RFB seems to have issues with the watch crew doing its job. I think there is a scripting error that has slipped through the cracks. They either don't report anything or report a couple of dozen contacts at once, overloading the buffers and causing a CTD. Sometimes, I have to lock onto a clearly visible and perfectly rendered target and identify it before the stupid Watch AI does its job. It really needs a development review.

magic452 · 02-26-12, 01:50 AM

That's a great post there Loudspeaker.

Magic

cameron1124 · 02-27-12, 11:03 PM

aww, I thought the plotwist would be that you ended up sinking a ship from an allied navy.

She-Wolf · 03-04-12, 03:16 PM

loudspeaker you one funny guy

DrBeast · 03-04-12, 05:23 PM

Maybe you should change your moniker from Loudspeaker to Spectacles

Hilarious story, that one!

02-25-12, 04:28 PM	#1
Loudspeaker Bosun Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 69 Downloads: 56 Uploads: 0	My worst experience ever! Ok, here I was, just south of the Bungo Strait, with a Gato and an inexperienced crew. It was a beautiful day, sun was shining and I enjoyed the fine graphics of RFB, when suddently my watchman reported a ship sighting. The visibility was so excellent that he spotted it even before it was noticed by my radarman. (Note to self: Have radarman polish all shiny stuff in command room tomorrow.) I ordered engines stopped while making the first plottings, no wakes from the bow or stern, thankyou. From binoculars I could tell that it was a big, juicy mother f... TARGET! coming my way. Better dive to periscope depth and wait, but then... The target, which turned out to be a 10000t tanker, altered it's course, just as I opened torpedo doors. No worries, said I, we just end around, and so we did. It was getting dark, when I positioned the boat ahead of the tanker. My sonarman reported its coming. I raised periscope and prepared for the attack. Minutes passed. Why don't my crew report of its sighting? thought I. I took a look at it myself, and there it was, big and juicy with foam around its nose. But my crew couldn't see it in the clear night. Nevermind. Surely they will see once it's within 2000 yards. But they didn't, and I had to take action myself. Have you ever tried to make a firing solution on a target that nobody else but you can see? It's hard, I tell you. When the tanker was within 1000 yards and right ahead of me, with my crew still unable to see it, (note to self: Make a donation to visually challenged people society), I launched a spread of 3 torpedoes at it, but oh my...! I forgot to send bearing to TDC, and the torpedoes took their own way back to Pearl Harbour without me! Now, I am an optimistic and happy guy, so I just let panic overwhelm me and fired 3 more shots in an insane manner, and luck was on my side, 2 hits. The tanker slowed down, it was ablaze a few hundred yards from me, it looked so beautiful, burning with the stars as background. Could my crew see the big, burning tanker, so bright that my eyes hurt? No they couldn't! Ok, let's see if the watch crew can see it, thought I and surfaced right next to the tanker. After all this is what they get payed for. It was like daylight up there, I tell you, and the flames lightened up the faces of my crew. They, however, couldn't see the tanker... Fire at will, shouted I to the gun crew, give them hell! Give who hell? they asked. There is no one around. At that time I could hear the blaze from the burning tanker right next to us. Ok, I took the gunners seat myself and started to fire. Shell after shell hit into the hull with high explosions to follow. Then, after 5 minutes, the tanker lit its search light, and my watch man announced: Ship sighted! I bloody know there is a ship! I have been firing at it for 5 minutes, you imbecile hobo! Now hell broke loose. Shells were everywhere around us, and machine guns were firing at us. We were like a plastic duck in a shooting tent. CRASH DIVE, IF YOU BLIND PEOPLE CAN FIND THE VALVES! We took several hits, and we began to sink. I ordered periscope depth, but the depth just increased, slowly and deadly. I didn't mind it at all. I still had a few good cards at my hand, such as going flank speed or blowing main ballast tanks. Humming the Funeral March I got the best mechanics into an repair team. After a while we were able to maintain depth, and I prepared for the final attack on the tanker, which no one but I could see. A stern tube salvo finished the job, and we went home. From now on I will recommend Chief of Command not to enlist people from a blind peoples home. Maybe, just maybe, more submarines will return from patrol this way.

02-25-12, 10:36 PM	#2
TorpX Silent Hunter Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 3,975 Downloads: 153 Uploads: 11	Hmmmm...... Interesting story. I take it, it was a very dark night. I hope you get your crew sorted out.

02-26-12, 01:50 AM	#4
magic452 Sea Lord Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Reno Nevada USA Posts: 1,860 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	That's a great post there Loudspeaker. Magic __________________ Reported lost 11 Feb. 1942 Signature by depthtok33l

03-04-12, 03:16 PM	#6
She-Wolf Watchdog Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hampshire UK Posts: 971 Downloads: 152 Uploads: 0	loudspeaker you one funny guy __________________

03-04-12, 05:23 PM	#7
DrBeast The Old Man Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Somewhere Out In Space Posts: 1,408 Downloads: 36 Uploads: 0	Maybe you should change your moniker from Loudspeaker to Spectacles Hilarious story, that one! __________________ Let the Beast inside you free!

02-25-12, 11:28 PM	#3
Hinrich Schwab Grey Wolf Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 908 Downloads: 89 Uploads: 0	RFB seems to have issues with the watch crew doing its job. I think there is a scripting error that has slipped through the cracks. They either don't report anything or report a couple of dozen contacts at once, overloading the buffers and causing a CTD. Sometimes, I have to lock onto a clearly visible and perfectly rendered target and identify it before the stupid Watch AI does its job. It really needs a development review.

02-27-12, 11:03 PM	#5
cameron1124 Swabbie Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 9 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	aww, I thought the plotwist would be that you ended up sinking a ship from an allied navy.