Serendipity is a cruel mistress

Pigboatcook · 02-15-15, 10:57 AM

Three large merchants have made the tonnage so far a welcome change but fuel begs us to head for home. One more leg of this patrol line and Seadragon will have to return for the barn.

We are slowly cutting through the moonless night at 6 knots. The lookouts doing their best but the blackness is thick. On a whim I put the boat at all stop and chance a turn at the sonar. Serendipity lays up a surprise. Large and small screws are racing in at our 180. Crash dive!

We just get under and we spin Seadragon 90 degrees and lurch back up to 55 feet. Up pops the eye. 1500 yards away a heavy cruiser leads her brood of escorts down the slot. We all hold our breath as she swims in and I mark her at 340 degrees and open the four tubes. One through four push out of the boat in a salvo to rake her sides.

One hits under the number one turret. Two slams under the bridge. Three catches her at the funnel followed by four close to her screws. All duds. May the engineers of the Mark 14 be loaded into the tubes next time. Maybe their hard heads will do more damage on the next patrol.

Torplexed · 02-15-15, 11:36 AM

A very well written expression of opportunity dashed by frustration.

I wonder how it would have done as an actual after action report.

In addition to the hard-headed engineers, some blame (as always) falls on the politicians. The political interference from the Rhode Island congressional delegation at the time, cannot be minimized. A small state congressional delegation absolutely determined to keep in place Rhode Island's monopoly, even choke-hold, on torpedo production. It kept anyone from infringing on Newport, RI by setting up a second production facility. Which also kept anyone from checking Newport's work to find the hidden flaws within the Mark 14. If there had been a will to break Newport's monopoly, then maybe all the dominoes begin to fall sooner. Evidence of problems leads to testing, which then leads to live fire testing, which leads to redesign and more testing.

fender2610 · 02-15-15, 11:09 PM

[QUOTE=Torplexed;2287911]A very well written expression of opportunity dashed by frustration.

I wonder how it would have done as an actual after action report.

Probably something like this;

$#&* *)*^% I can't believe those @%#@%^ and &*%$$ I hope they all &**^%$ and &^%$#^$ and die !!!!

Spraug · 02-15-15, 11:58 PM

Very nicely written, all three of you!

02-15-15, 10:57 AM	#1
Pigboatcook A-ganger Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 74 Downloads: 21 Uploads: 0	Serendipity is a cruel mistress Three large merchants have made the tonnage so far a welcome change but fuel begs us to head for home. One more leg of this patrol line and Seadragon will have to return for the barn. We are slowly cutting through the moonless night at 6 knots. The lookouts doing their best but the blackness is thick. On a whim I put the boat at all stop and chance a turn at the sonar. Serendipity lays up a surprise. Large and small screws are racing in at our 180. Crash dive! We just get under and we spin Seadragon 90 degrees and lurch back up to 55 feet. Up pops the eye. 1500 yards away a heavy cruiser leads her brood of escorts down the slot. We all hold our breath as she swims in and I mark her at 340 degrees and open the four tubes. One through four push out of the boat in a salvo to rake her sides. One hits under the number one turret. Two slams under the bridge. Three catches her at the funnel followed by four close to her screws. All duds. May the engineers of the Mark 14 be loaded into the tubes next time. Maybe their hard heads will do more damage on the next patrol.

02-15-15, 11:36 AM	#2
Torplexed Let's Sink Sumptin' ! Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 5,823 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	A very well written expression of opportunity dashed by frustration. I wonder how it would have done as an actual after action report. In addition to the hard-headed engineers, some blame (as always) falls on the politicians. The political interference from the Rhode Island congressional delegation at the time, cannot be minimized. A small state congressional delegation absolutely determined to keep in place Rhode Island's monopoly, even choke-hold, on torpedo production. It kept anyone from infringing on Newport, RI by setting up a second production facility. Which also kept anyone from checking Newport's work to find the hidden flaws within the Mark 14. If there had been a will to break Newport's monopoly, then maybe all the dominoes begin to fall sooner. Evidence of problems leads to testing, which then leads to live fire testing, which leads to redesign and more testing. __________________ --Mobilis in Mobili--

02-15-15, 11:58 PM	#4
Spraug Helmsman Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 105 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	Very nicely written, all three of you! __________________ Playing: Windows 10 - Steam - Silent Hunter 4 v1.5 1_TriggerMaru_Overhaul_2-5 1_TMO_25_small_patch RSRDC_TMO_V502 RSRDC_V5xx_Patch1 SCAF for RSRDC v502_2.0 IJN_Radar_Fix_2

02-15-15, 11:09 PM	#3
fender2610 Gunner Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: L.A. , Ca Posts: 100 Downloads: 217 Uploads: 0	[QUOTE=Torplexed;2287911]A very well written expression of opportunity dashed by frustration. I wonder how it would have done as an actual after action report. Probably something like this; $#&* )^% I can't believe those @%#@%^ and &%$$ I hope they all &*^%$ and &^%$#^$ and die !!!!