ElAurens
08-02-2007, 08:36 PM
Lt. Cdr. "T.J." ElAurens, commanding, USS Drum.
156deg. 34min. East, 7deg. 15s. South.
We were submerged at the top of "The slot", having diverted from our normal patrol to assist in operations in the Solomons at the request of ComSubPac. At periscope depth an hour after submerging for the day's run.
The hydrophone operator called down from the con with a very anxious voice... "Skipper, I think you had better come up here and have a listen."
Now my senior hydrophone man has never been one to get overly excited about anything before, so I got up into the con on the double.
"Sir, I have multiple warship contacts, in two groups, one to the southeast, and one to the west of us, both at high speed and on a converging course with us in the middle."
I did some quick figuring in my head and ordered the boat to 200 feet and brought the crew to battle stations and silent running. "Any idea who is who?" I asked. The hydrophone officer rubbed his forehead at bit.. "Hard to tell sir, but the lead ship in the western group sure reminds me of the Jap tin can that chased us all over the South China Sea on our last patrol..."
That was good enough for me. We came about to 270. I really did not relish the idea of getting caught in the middle of a major surface engagement. Large surface fleets always have a good size destroyer screen, and in the middle of a fight they don't really know or care who they are dropping depth charges on, but I also knew that our surface assets in the area were on the thin side, so there really was nothing to do but commit to the battle. Hopefully the Japs would be too occupied to notice us.
After what seemed an eternity I brought the boat to periscope depth. There were sound contacts on all points of the compass. I raised the scope to a horrific scene. I could not believe my eyes, it was like an engagement from the days of Nelson. the fleets had closed to essentially point blank range and were firing madly at one another. A US light cruiser was sinking by the bows, two Jap heavy cruisers were on a course for USS Northampton, who appeared dead in the water, but whose guns were putting up a valiant fight. One cruiser lost in a day is enough I thought, they will not get another one. it looks bad in the papers and upsets civilians at their breakfast.
I opened all the outer doors, fore and aft. I fired two fish at the lead cruiser and 3 at the second, (who was actually closer to me), dropped the scope and waited. I didn't need my XO's confirmation of 5 torpedo hits, we all heard and felt them through the hull. I put the scope up and saw the lead Takao now dead in the water, and the closer Jap heavy slipping beneath the waves.
Our excitement at sinking the Mogami was short lived though as the Takao was still hammering at the Northampton. I got another solution on the now motionless enemy cruiser and unleashed my last forward torp at her. "Down scope! hard to port! ahead full!" I was trying to bring my rear tubes to bear if I needed them. I was watching the stopwatch... 15 seconds.... 10... 5... 3.... 1... nothing. "torpedo is a dud sir."
"D@mnit!" I put the scope up to try to get a good solution on the Takao, but were were still to far off angle. then I saw the most heroic thing I've seen in this crazy war so far. A Fletcher class destroyer, the last of the surface fleets screen came tearing by us at flank speed, all of her 5 inchers firing an amazing barrage at the Takao, who could not respond because the Fletcher was too close and too fast for what was left of her battery to track. Then the Northampton's "B" turret fired at the Takao, resulting in a massive explosion. She slowly rolled over to port and took her final voyage...
I scanned the horizon and saw no other ships, and the hydrophones confirmed. We then surfaced and set a course directly for the USS Northampton, who was dead in the water, and burning amidships. I ordered us along side to offer assistance.
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/9408/assistfm4.jpg
However the Captain of the Northampton said his crew was getting things under control and would have the Fletcher class if they needed further assistance, so I set a course to Tulagi to refuel and hopefully get a few more torpedos...
156deg. 34min. East, 7deg. 15s. South.
We were submerged at the top of "The slot", having diverted from our normal patrol to assist in operations in the Solomons at the request of ComSubPac. At periscope depth an hour after submerging for the day's run.
The hydrophone operator called down from the con with a very anxious voice... "Skipper, I think you had better come up here and have a listen."
Now my senior hydrophone man has never been one to get overly excited about anything before, so I got up into the con on the double.
"Sir, I have multiple warship contacts, in two groups, one to the southeast, and one to the west of us, both at high speed and on a converging course with us in the middle."
I did some quick figuring in my head and ordered the boat to 200 feet and brought the crew to battle stations and silent running. "Any idea who is who?" I asked. The hydrophone officer rubbed his forehead at bit.. "Hard to tell sir, but the lead ship in the western group sure reminds me of the Jap tin can that chased us all over the South China Sea on our last patrol..."
That was good enough for me. We came about to 270. I really did not relish the idea of getting caught in the middle of a major surface engagement. Large surface fleets always have a good size destroyer screen, and in the middle of a fight they don't really know or care who they are dropping depth charges on, but I also knew that our surface assets in the area were on the thin side, so there really was nothing to do but commit to the battle. Hopefully the Japs would be too occupied to notice us.
After what seemed an eternity I brought the boat to periscope depth. There were sound contacts on all points of the compass. I raised the scope to a horrific scene. I could not believe my eyes, it was like an engagement from the days of Nelson. the fleets had closed to essentially point blank range and were firing madly at one another. A US light cruiser was sinking by the bows, two Jap heavy cruisers were on a course for USS Northampton, who appeared dead in the water, but whose guns were putting up a valiant fight. One cruiser lost in a day is enough I thought, they will not get another one. it looks bad in the papers and upsets civilians at their breakfast.
I opened all the outer doors, fore and aft. I fired two fish at the lead cruiser and 3 at the second, (who was actually closer to me), dropped the scope and waited. I didn't need my XO's confirmation of 5 torpedo hits, we all heard and felt them through the hull. I put the scope up and saw the lead Takao now dead in the water, and the closer Jap heavy slipping beneath the waves.
Our excitement at sinking the Mogami was short lived though as the Takao was still hammering at the Northampton. I got another solution on the now motionless enemy cruiser and unleashed my last forward torp at her. "Down scope! hard to port! ahead full!" I was trying to bring my rear tubes to bear if I needed them. I was watching the stopwatch... 15 seconds.... 10... 5... 3.... 1... nothing. "torpedo is a dud sir."
"D@mnit!" I put the scope up to try to get a good solution on the Takao, but were were still to far off angle. then I saw the most heroic thing I've seen in this crazy war so far. A Fletcher class destroyer, the last of the surface fleets screen came tearing by us at flank speed, all of her 5 inchers firing an amazing barrage at the Takao, who could not respond because the Fletcher was too close and too fast for what was left of her battery to track. Then the Northampton's "B" turret fired at the Takao, resulting in a massive explosion. She slowly rolled over to port and took her final voyage...
I scanned the horizon and saw no other ships, and the hydrophones confirmed. We then surfaced and set a course directly for the USS Northampton, who was dead in the water, and burning amidships. I ordered us along side to offer assistance.
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/9408/assistfm4.jpg
However the Captain of the Northampton said his crew was getting things under control and would have the Fletcher class if they needed further assistance, so I set a course to Tulagi to refuel and hopefully get a few more torpedos...