[Rhodes]

TMO Update BH V2.0+patches

USS Paddle - Late November/December 1944. 9th Patrol
Destination: Area 11-C for patrolling and anti-shipping operation.


USS Paddle departed from Pearl Harbour on the 20th of Nov. to the patrol area.

Surface travel, with a calm, mirror flat sea. The crew enjoyed the outside time until near the designated area.

At area 11-C, for 2 weeks, no shipping was sighted/detected. Running always on surface, only diving when a few planes were detected and remaining under water until dusk.



After that, ComSubPac ordered to go to the Luzon Straits and conduct patrol operations.

In travel, night, we spoted a destroyer and we changed course to surface attack. When we were about to conduct the latest corrections to the TDC, the destroyer changed course to our direction. Radar...
Ahead full, periscope depth and going for a throat shot.

Error made, not shooting when the target was still going strait, with type18 torpedos. Miss 2 plus the backup 3rd torpedo, type 14, full speed. Passed in front of the bow of the target....

Hard to starbord, crash dive, depth charges - aft compartment damage, torpedos tubes severe to moderate, bulkhead light.

Began the cat and mouse game for 6 hours...


200 feet first, slow speed, damage being repaired. Enemy pinging, 250ft, changing course; rinse and repeat.

After the bulked was repaired and water pumped out, silent running at 300ft.

After a bad judgment, took long to go below, depth charges went closer to comfort and damages to the control tower.

350ft, damage repair. After that, manage to get behind him, and the contact was lost. Destroyer going way, for several minutes, turn to port and go way.

After a few minutes, they detected me again.
Maximum depth was 380ft, the depth charges began to explode far and he lost contact again, escaped...


After the next day at 100 ft, repairing everything, surface at dusk for charging and ventilating the boat.

At the Strait, not much to report, until a large convoy was reported. Far but interpretable, changed course to.



Detected the convoy during the day, reported has ordered. Was ordered to break contact. Didn't understood the last part of message, radio malfunctioned for some reason.

Decided for submerge attack, 2 ships sunk, escorts didn't detected me.



After that, for 2 weeks, no contacts besides airplanes, sea state always 15/m for 3 weeks, decreasing to 11/m. Always clear, no fog or clouds.

During a crash dive, some malfunction happend and the boat went down uncontrolled.

Order back emergency and blow main ballast. Damage to the forward compartment and tubes, boat went to 580ft before stopping and rising.

When levelled, went head flank and and had to blow half the tanks to rise.

My torpedo chief had his morale broken (first time I saw that).
After surfacing, repaired were made and with least of a half a tank of fuel, ordered return home.

Xmas was passed in transit, extra rations for every one.

Not a good patrol for the USS-Paddle.