One valiant submarine

[Randy Stead]

I wish there was a way to issue a commander and crew a medal in this game. SS Albacore, cursed with the unreliable Mark 14 [though I have had several hits with my fleet, one sighted sinking and several likely] surfaced and clobbered a Maru until she herself took damage. Her captain submerged and I ordered him to RTB. What does he do? Surfaces and hammers another Maru on the way home!

This game is amazing.

[Platoonist]

I have fond memories of an S-boat that was forced to surface by a quartet of Japanese escorts. Although damaged by depth charges, she started accurately landing five inch shells on her tormentors. She badly mauled enough of the Japanese sub chasers to escape. Sadly, she sank due to her wounds on the way home. Those old S-boats could be formidable adversaries.

In the actual war, the US submarine Salmon performed a similar feat in 1944 after being forced to surface, by driving off a ring of four Japanese coast defense ships with her deck and 20mm guns and escaping into a rain squall.

[Randy Stead]

Great story. Thanks for sharing it.

[jdsrae]

Alternatively, court martial the CO for allowing his sub to be hit by a Maru, taking unnecessary risks with his ship, his crew, resulting in a shortened patrol.

[Maallon]

I had a similar Story as Platoonist happened to me in my current PBEM, playing as the Allies.

I digged out the Combat Report:

Submarine attack near San Francisco at 214,73

Japanese Ships
SS I-4, hits 7, heavy damage

Allied Ships
KV Chilliwack, Shell hits 1, on fire
KV Wetaskiwin
PC Onondaga, Shell hits 3, heavy fires

SS I-4 is sighted by escort
KV Chilliwack attacking submerged sub ....
SS I-4 eludes KV Chilliwack by diving deep
KV Chilliwack cannot establish contact with SS I-4
SS I-4 forced to surface!
KV Chilliwack firing on surfaced sub ....
KV Wetaskiwin firing on surfaced sub ....
PC Onondaga firing on surfaced sub ....
KV Chilliwack firing on surfaced sub ....
KV Wetaskiwin firing on surfaced sub ....
PC Onondaga firing on surfaced sub ....
KV Chilliwack firing on surfaced sub ....
KV Wetaskiwin firing on surfaced sub ....
PC Onondaga firing on surfaced sub ....
KV Wetaskiwin firing on surfaced sub ....
PC Onondaga firing on surfaced sub ....
KV Chilliwack firing on surfaced sub ....
KV Wetaskiwin firing on surfaced sub ....
PC Onondaga firing on surfaced sub ....
KV Chilliwack firing on surfaced sub ....
KV Wetaskiwin firing on surfaced sub ....
PC Onondaga firing on surfaced sub ....
KV Chilliwack firing on surfaced sub ....
KV Wetaskiwin firing on surfaced sub ....
PC Onondaga firing on surfaced sub ....
Contact with submarine is lost

I-4 was also attacked previously on that day but no depth charges there launched, on this second battle Chilliwack seems to have gotten a good Sight on I-4 and hammered it with several depth charges severely damaging the sub. Then I-4 surfaced and decided it is time for revenge and landed some good hits on Chilliwack and Onondaga before managing to escape.
Both ships needed to return to port for repairs afterwards. The Battle took place on the 23rd December 1941, so I can imagine that the Crews were quite happy to be back by their families again for Christmas Eve, instead of sailing the vast Pacific Ocean.

And as far as I know, I-4 have survived the battle while my two escort ships needed several days in Port after this.
My opponent mentioned if the sub should make it safely back home, the crew will never have to pay for drinks again.

[Randy Stead]

ORIGINAL: jdsrae

Alternatively, court martial the CO for allowing his sub to be hit by a Maru, taking unnecessary risks with his ship, his crew, resulting in a shortened patrol.

At which trial the captain would reply, "I had to, the bloody torpedoes you gave me won't go boom." What a scandal. Although I've had a few go off [mathematically even a 1 in 10 chance will get the occasional boom] an incredible amount of shipping escapes harm from faulty torpedoes. The Germans had it bad early war, too, but not quite as bad as the Mk XIV; what a piece of junk.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: jdsrae

Alternatively, court martial the CO for allowing his sub to be hit by a Maru, taking unnecessary risks with his ship, his crew, resulting in a shortened patrol.

If that would have happened, then the subs would never engage another target on the surface again.

[Rusty1961]

ORIGINAL: Randy Stead

I wish there was a way to issue a commander and crew a medal in this game. SS Albacore, cursed with the unreliable Mark 14 [though I have had several hits with my fleet, one sighted sinking and several likely] surfaced and clobbered a Maru until she herself took damage. Her captain submerged and I ordered him to RTB. What does he do? Surfaces and hammers another Maru on the way home!

This game is amazing.

Hans B had a U-boat forced to surface and it sand two CAs or CLs before it went down.

[Randy Stead]

Wow! That was one defiant Kaleun. I've twice had in my current game subs forced to the surface and they fired torpedoes but missed. One got hammered and I never did see it sink, the report said I lost contact. I think it sank and in all the smoke and fog it went under without being observed. Fog of war.