Sucessful patrol but surprised I made it home(pics) | Forums

[bubblehead1980]

TMO 1.7...100 realism(only external enabled for screenshots, do not use it during battle) April-May 1944...USS Seal, Salmon Class out of Fremantle, third patrol.Departed April 27 for Area just off Manila.

After an uneventful transit and stop a Mios Woendi for fuel in order to stay on station longer, arrived in early May.Second day in patrol area, heavy air contacts, dove 3 times.A pair of Zeros appeared on the radar suddenly, forcing me to crash dive...as I was passing 140 feet, bombs exploded close aft...causing fairly heavy damage.

All four torpedo tubes damage, one destroyed, 18 percent hull damage.Port prop shaft slightly damaged.Hell of a thing to deal with second day in area.

After repairs, decided to stay in area.Although with one aft tube damaged beyong repair.

After a few days of nothing, contacted a freighter leaving manila bay...sank it in night surface attack.After dawn in two seperate attacks, sank two mid sized freighters with torpedos.

On May 8th I contacted a fast moving, unescorted convoy of three troopships(2 Horai Marus and one Kitrin Maru)...sank two with Mark 18s, one with deck gun)

On May 9th I spent hours chasing a convoy contact report but due to heavy air cover was forced to dive.

Finally at midnight on May 10th...radar made contact with what turned ou to be a large convoy.I prepared for a night surface attack but as they reached the firing point, convoy zigged away, forcing another set up.It was after daylight when I attempted my first periscpe attack but again the convoy zigged.After a high speed run to get into position, was ready again.

As I prepared to fire all four bow tubes with Mark 18's, the convoy zigged again, but not all was lost, while zigg messed up my bow shot, if I brought my stern to bear, could get a stern tube shot with my 3 working stern tubes, so I did just that and fired from 1500 yards, soon 3 Mark 18's were on their way to a Buzyun Maru tanker...one ran deep but other two hit home and the tanker exploded and quickly began to sink.

The two DD's came in fast pinging as I went to 250 feet...test depth.I was weary of taking her much deeper due to the hull damage, but with dead calm seas, the DD's had optimal sonar conditions.

I ordered half a knot, full right rudder and 300 feet.After 5 hours and many close charges(some minor damage) they DD's gave up.I surfaced and gave chase, contacting the convoy again.

I passed it and then waited until dark to attack for night surface.

Around 1900, with no moon in the sky, set up for my night surface attack with my last six bow torpedos(four in tubes, two in reserve, salmon only has four forward and after tubes, all aft except the one in the damaged tube expended)

The convoy zigged again , forcing me to reposition myself and throwing my "perfect timing" off...instead of getting a non moonlight attack, a nearly full moon was soon in the sky.However, I have full attacks off in moonlight before so decided to chance it, besides it wasnt a full moon.

As the the convoy passed in front of me at a range of 2800 yards, I prepared to fire on another Buzyun Maru tanker.The forward escort had already passed when apparently some sharp eyed lookout spotted me, even though I was dead in the water.I trained the TBT towards the escort to check it out of habit and noticed it was heading my way with a "bone in its teeth"...a rather impressive bow wake.DD's often do this when they have spotted nothing so I kept an eye on him and my finger on the crash dive key, I knew he was coming for me when I saw the flash and ordered crash dive.Soon a splash of water that could only be a missed shot landed near.I ordered right full rudder to turn into him to give him a smaller target while diving.As we passed 29 feet, BOOM...not a direct hit but a shell landed close enough amidships to put a hole..pressure hull was not damaged thankfully but hull damage did go up to 24.As we turned into him I ordered periscope depth and bow tubes open.I reset the TDC and decided to try a Down The Throat torpedo shot on this DD...to avoid a working of with two DD's in still dead calm seas.This was not to be though, he closed the range too fast.I ordered deep dive at flank speed as he sped over and dropped charges....6 charges exploded around me, shaking the boat but causing no damage, they were set too shallow.

Once at 250 feet, I began my slow but effective evasion tactic.1/2 knot speed, right full rudder, then left full rudder, continuing to alternate.This worked a while but I was forced to 300 feet, as deep as I would go with current hull damage.

One DD dropped a large pattern and all missed but one lucky one landed close enough to bow to cause hull damage to go to 30, severely damage bow tubes, cause flooding in forward torpedo room, destroyed forward dive planes transmission and few other minor things)

soon I was sinking below 300 feet and forced to order ahead 1/2 and a a clim to 200 feet, while repairs were made to stop flooding.After a fight to keep the boat up and avoid charges, flooding was stopped and water pumped out.Slowly control returned to the sub.After 3 more hours of evasion and more depth charges, including some very close ones(TDC, port prop shaft, TBT, deck gun, aft 20 MM AA gun, rudder transmission destroyed)

I surfaced after dawn and set course for home, my boat was a wreck, surprised I survived.I finally made it home with seven ships down for just over 40,000 tons.

Here are some of the scars I came back with.


This the "near miss" from the DD's guns...




These are from the depth charge that landed forward....after surfacing I found out it was worse than I thought.

[MWolfe1963]

That was a heck of a patrol in a Salmon...

Don't ya just hate when you think you're gonna pull off a surface attack and you get detected. Those far away gun flashes and shells hitting close test your nerves as you try to get under.
With TMO, it doesn't take but a few salvo's before they tune in and hit ya.

In that boat....you were lucky...or just skilled.....

Often playing this game is like reading some of the sub books. You can almost imagine it as you play it.

[bubblehead1980]

Well i've learned to handle my boat pretty well so some skill, some luck.Thats how it really was, some skill, some luck.


I was just shocked after i surfaced to see that hole up forward, no wonder my dive plane transmission was gone.Dive planes were sluggish after, guess manual power doesnt work as well.I've never had a depth charge blow a hole in my sub before, it mustve been close but no so close it destroyed my pressure hull.lucky for sure.

[MWolfe1963]

Have you tried 1.8 yet....how is it. Hope if not now that soon it will work with RSRD.

You still learning to mod. I've about got the snow mod done, just stuck on some points that I need help, so waiting for my sister. Mainly need it to snow in the winter and not the summer.

Wish I could get a good cloths mod to work with it..

Playing with the seasonal forest files to see if I can get the tree's to change colors in the fall.

I have spent untold hours trying to learn to mod, mainly because I run so many mods and tweaking them to work together. Right now I have the best setup for fun that I ever played.

It's sorta starting to take hold, just end up playing with files now more than the game.

Course, don't worry, I wouldn't put mine out for use until someone with uber mod skills looked it over.

[Magic452]

MWolfe Let it snow in the winter and than send some over here, Hotter than h*** here.

Very good story and pics BH
Are you trying to take that boat to the end?

Magic

[captgeo]

Brave Skipper, Great Little Boat, best of luck BH

[fireftr18]

Great pics. Good job getting home. I trust all your crew made it. Have fun.

[WernherVonTrapp]

Geez bubblehead, your damage control team did a heck of a job keeping you buoyant. I think a few medals would be in order once you return to base.

[bubblehead1980]

MWOLFE, I have not tried 1.8 yet, its still in BETA though correct? I may try it next patrol.

Well I just don't have the time to learn and do any "real modding" per se but i have been altering and adding traffic to the campaign in TMO.

I added some to Marshalls and Gilberts, on a patrol in January 42 in Marshalls, having a blast.Next will adding some to Gulf of Siam.Then alter some of traffic around Japan.In books I read, a lot of the coastal merchants making local runs would have one DD, DE, PC type escorting...sometimes too or there would be two ships and DD etc...smaller convoys.Thats lacking, so adding that.

It's fun and since if you create it as random, then the game will spawn different ships everytime, so you never know exactly what youre in for, even if you create it.

Magic, I do plan on taking her to the end of the war if possible.Salmons are good boats are good up to 100 feet below test depth, maybe more, but thats as deep as ive taken her.I have found if I go to 350 feet and use proper, quiet evasion moves, even in dead calm seas I can survive, but its not easy.Makes you think how nice it was a Balao could go to 600 feet or more.My biggest problem with Salmon is only four tubes forward, but i've managed to do well.

Thanks fire and Geo.

Wernher, I move them from compartments onto the DC team but yes they are top notch, repaired it fairly quick.I feel lucky, that was a big hole near starboard dive plane made by depth charge,guess it was close enough to do that but not close enough to destroy my pressure hull.