Silent Victory

[zed]

I think the american submarine force could have starved Japan into submission by the middle of 1946, without anything else being done. When I am waiting for turns I like to play silent hunter.

[crsutton]

Yes, I have noticed that "vulching" at enemy bases is a common tactic in UV. (Tried it myself a bit But very ahistorical and dangerous as enemy asw air activity is bound to be very intense the closer you get to his base.

Would like to see subs more suppressed by air activity. Airplanes did not sink much in 42-43 but they served to drive subs under and keep them out of mischef.

[GunRange]

Tactics of using own subs in enemy ports or imidiattely next to them, could prove dangerous in WiTP.

I can see all UV veterans placing their subs in Tokyo/Pearl entrances in early war and by '43 asw planes/ hunter-killer groups would have experience of 90 and no subs left.

[smithmr]

The trouble is Sarge, the no shoot rules were very direct. The Destroyers were not supposed to be attacking any sub in the "safe zone" for any reason. The orginal Sub attack happened outside the safe zone and they thought the Jap sub retreated into the "safe zone" The navy got lucky and only lost the 50+ men on the Seawolf, could have been worse. The Seawolf was there for Life Guard duty. Could have had several downed pilots on board if it had been returning from duty instead of going on duty. To me it would have been one thing if the H/K group had a solid contact they were attacking and had accidently gotten switched over to the Seawolf due to the subs being in close proximity, but when you are just out conducting a search and enter a zone where you have been ordered not to attack subs as you have friendlies in that zone its a good idea to call off the search. Just my opinion though. Mark

[lupi]

Listing of submarines lost during 1942 with cause from official history. Only 1 confirmed due to enemy action.


Submarine (SS)

USS Grunion (SS-216) missing off Kiska, Aleutian Islands, at the end of July 1942. Probably sunk by the Japanese submarine I-25, 30 July 1942.

USS Perch (SS-176) scuttled after being damaged by Japanese destroyers Sazanami and Ushio north of Java, Netherlands East Indies, 3 March 1942.

USS S-26 (SS-131) sunk after collision with submarine chaser PC-460 in the Gulf of Panama, 24 January 1942.

USS S-27 (SS-132) lost by grounding on a reef off St. Makarius Point, Amchitka, Aleutian Islands, 19 June 1942.

USS S-36 (SS-141) lost by grounding on Taka Bakang Reef, Makassar Strait, 20 January 1942.

USS S-39 (SS-144) lost by grounding south off Rossel Island, Louisiade Archipelago,
14 August 1942.

USS Shark (SS-174) probably sunk by Japanese destroyer Yamakaze east of Menado, Celebes, 11 February 1942.

[OG_Gleep]

Originally posted by Cap Mandrake
Wow..Point Luck..that is sobering. Think of all those men!



Look at the first 8 losses, half were due to grounding or collison with friendly vessels.

Germany lost so many Subs its sick. Good thing for us their best and brightest often went out for sub duty.

39' - 9
204 men died and 148 men survived those losses

40' - 24
643 men died and 331 men survived those losses

41' - 34
887 men died and 645 men survived those losses

42' - 85
3277 men died and 818 men survived those losses

43' - 235
10081 men died and 1826 men survived those losses

44' - 219
8020 men died and 2408 men survived those losses

45' - 122
3856 men died and 440 men survived those losses

http://www.bv.net/~gaffer/U-BOATS.html

[zed]

2 american subs also collided in WW2.

Gilmore on the Gudgeon told the XO to submerge the ship even though he was wounded and on the conning tower.