The Anatomy of a Submarine Patrol: Pt. II
Game: Silent Hunter IV Wolves of the Pacific
We pick back up where we left the Skate last: en route to their third patrol zone in the Sulu Sea.
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| A last scan of the horizon and skies before our daily dive. |
After making a detour to attack a pair of merchantmen entering the Luzon Straits, we had spent 5 relatively uneventful days off Luzon, sinking only a pair of Japanese-flagged fishing vessels to break the hum-drum of patrol. Upon completion and request for further orders, we were told to divert to the Sulu Sea and remain on station for another 5 days.
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| The course taken into the Sulu Sea. |
Thus, we headed South, plotting a course into the Sulu Sea through the Mindoro Strait. En route our hydrophone operator reports a merchant contact, heading towards us. After a series of course corrections to gain bearing, we were able to run hard under the surface for a short time to get a perfect stern-tube attack. Having realized my foolishness with AOB, we were able to put two torpedos into the ship perfectly, sinking it a mere 30 minutes later. Another 6000 or so tons added to our growing tally.
Our luck persisted, for as we exited the Strait and ran off the coast of Palawan one evening, radar contacts were reported, again heading vaguely towards us. We plotted an intercept and soon in the murky darkness, could barely make out two silhouettes on the horizon. Large merchants, of some sort.
Very soon, a third, much smaller and sleek contact was spotted, zig-zagging in front of the two fat merchants, an escort! We had gone quite a few weeks since our last attack on an escorted group of merchants, but needless to say this small 'convoy' would have to be approached with some caution.
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| Plotting the attack. The convoy was tracked over radar at making about 7.5 knots, and I wanted to intercept it about an hour and a half later - after it had traveled about 14 nautical miles, roughly two hours after its initial detection, in other words.
There was a heavy swell and fairly thick fog, conditions which I felt were ideal for a surface attack. We called up General Quarters and put our bow on. We then go into emissions control, turning radar off, unnecessary as it is with them barely within visual range. We slow our speed down to a head 1/3rd and go about the difficult exercise of trying to identify what the hell we're shooting at. I never am able to confirm what the escort is, but guess the targets are a whale factory ship and a medium freighter - the former nearing a whopping 18, 000 tons!
Finally, with everything readied, we fired two torpedoes each at both contacts. The attack plot and data from the bridge suggests we're dead on target, and a few minutes later we get to see the satisfying spouts of neon-bright water that denotes impacts. Both targets are hit twice, phenomenal accuracy! We have no time to celebrate, as both ships fire red distress flares and their escort immediately lights up like a Christmas tree, searchlights sweeping (in the wrong direction, thankfully, at first!) and star shells blazing. We turn hard to port and go deep.
Unfortunately, we only hear the sound of the whaler breaking up. A huge success, to be sure, but the freighter taking two hits and limping on is unprecedented. Unfortunately, any further attack is hindered by the escort snooping around. We never get depth charged or hear any active pinging, though it was surely aware of our vague position, aggressively sweeping near us even as we tried to stalk the wounded freighter. Eventually, we lose hydrophone contact with the second ship and call off the pursuit.
This attack was the climax of our patrol, as the days we spent on actual station in the Sulu Sea were in either gale force winds and rain or heavy swells that made for poor hunting. Not a single contact was mas made in that entire time, unsurprisingly.
Rough weather gave way to a glassy calm as the Skate, now down to only 5 torpedoes total (2 fore, 3 aft) headed home through the many straits and seas of the Philippines. We were able, using our anti-air weaponry, to tally up a few more fishing vessels on the way, however.
Then came the long haul back to Midway through the open Pacific. A few bogeys on air-search radar kept us much delayed and running under the surface as we passed well south of Saipan, but we pulled in safe and sound at Midway on March 11th, 1944. A full 61 days after setting out. This long odyssey was actually a fairly typical patrol length for an American 'fleet boat.'
While accuracy of firing solutions initially left much to be desired, once the rust had been shaken off the results began to pour in. 8 Merchants and 1 tanker of various sizes were sunk throughout the 61 days at sea, making for just under 48, 000 tons sent to the bottom. My new skipper has started off his command with a bang and has put himself in the running with the other top tonnage 'aces' in the US service. He is awarded the Navy Cross the day after arriving at Midway.
I may continue this series, so stay tuned!
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Nice, had some good times with this way back :)
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