10 Dec 1941 01:08
War patrol Day 2.
We have received another signal from COMSUBPAC: JAPANESE FORCES APPROACHING APPARI (sic) LUZON X INVASION IMMINENT X
We can’t get there to oppose the invasion, but perhaps we can interfere with their logistics.
04:14
We have received yet another signal from COMSUBPAC: ENEMY INVASION FORCES HAVE BEEN REPORTED OFF THE COAST OF VIGAN WESTERN LUZON X INVASION IMMINENT X
The Japs are certainly busy! Vigan is a lot closer to us, only some 160 NM from our current location. We could be there in under 15 hours, so I’ve ordered ahead full and changed course to 358°. My NO has plotted a new course to place us off the invasion beaches. Our current position is 15°11’N, 119°37’E.
12:00
We are making good progress, currently at 16°34’ N, 119°42’ E, course now 024°, less than 20 NM NW of Santiago Island at the mouth of Lingayan Gulf. I have ordered a dive to 100 ft, ahead two thirds. Lingayan Gulf is an ideal place for an invasion - the lowlands from there lead right towards Manila. I want my sonarman to spend some time searching for possible contacts, before we proceed towards Vigan.
13:00
We have heard no sound contacts of note. I have ordered us to periscope depth.
13:05
A periscope sweep and another hydrophone sweep reveal no contacts in our vicinity. I have ordered us to surface, ahead full.
13:25
It’s said that best laid plans don’t survive first contact with the enemy. At 16°41’ N, 119°44’ E lookouts spotted multiple aircraft coming from aft. I quickly counted 20(!) twin-engined bombers in echelon formation on a direct intercept course. As I ordered a crash dive at flank speed, with a hard turn to starboard, they started to strafe and bomb us from medium to high altitude. Bomb detonations were so frequent and close together, we could not count them. As I write this, additional detonations are audible, so at least some aircraft must be circling and dropping ordnance in a vainglorious hope of a lucky hit on us. Fortunately, reports from all compartments indicate no damage, and no injuries apart from bumps and bruises suffered by those caught unawares by the crash dive.
13:32
More detonations in the distance; why are they continuing a futile expenditure of ordnance on a target they cannot see?
We are currently on a heading of 098°, ahead two thirds, at a depth of 150 ft. Battery is already down to 87%, so I’ll reduce speed before long to conserve power.
The enemy knows we’re here now, so we’ll remain submerged until nightfall.
13:52
I have ordered a reduction in speed to ahead one third, with battery reserves reduced to 85%. I have also ordered a return to our plotted course. We haven’t heard any more bomb detonations since before 13:40, so it looks like they’ve finally given up.
[NOTE: I went back to check this encounter on replay. There were, indeed, 20 twin-engined bombers that all either bombed or strafed us. It was an impressive number of bombs that were dropped! The bombers were followed by a number of waves of fighters, which attacked the same location we had vacated over the next 10 to 15 minutes. I counted 50 fighters in total! The bomber "formation" was especially ridiculous - maybe not the number of aircraft, but certainly the formation. They should have been in tactical groups of three, not a 20-aircraft echelon! And 50 fighters turning up in such a short space of time? Are these known bugs?]
16:00
A hydrophone sweep shows no contacts. But they’re bound to be looking for us. And expecting us!
17:00
Still negative on another hydrophone sweep.
17:11
The Nautical Almanac says the sun should be setting, so I’ve ordered ahead two thirds and periscope depth. Time for a look see!
17:26
Periscope shows all clear. But it’s still too bright for comfort -- I don’t want to get caught out by a lucky sighting by an enemy aircraft. So I’ll check again at 18:00.
17:53
Hydrophone and periscope sweeps show all clear. We surface at 18:00. Battery reserves are now 75%.
18:10
We surfaced at 18:00 at 16°50’N, 119°50’E, ahead full.
We received a signal from COMSUBPAC. Grim news, indeed: BRITISH BB PRINCE OF WALES BC HMS REPULSE SUNK BY JAPANESE BOMBERS OFF MALAY PENINSULA X GUAM CAPTURED X JAP FORCES HAVE LANDED AT APARRI AND VIGAN PHILIPPINES X
The British have one of the best navies in the world. The IJN was modelled on it at one point! But air power is showing the day of the battleship may be over. And we very nearly joined those two grand vessels on the bottom of the sea today, too!
At our current speed and course we should arrive off Vigan in less than five hours. Perhaps under cover of darkness we can demonstrate that our submarines pose just as great a threat to Japanese shipping!
21:05
We are at 17°19’ N, 120°02’ E, inside 20 NM from our plotted arrival point off Vigan. At 21:00 I ordered a dive to periscope depth to make a hydrophone sweep, to see if we can pick up any contacts. We’ll proceed from here with more caution.
Third watch is on duty; first watch sleeping -- I want them well rested for the night ahead!
I must commend my crew. Morale is good; all remained calm through their first combat experience today; and even though we didn’t have time to go to battle stations, all operated magnificently to get us under in good time to avoid the worst of the onslaught of multiple bombs dropped all around us. That experience I’m sure will stand us in good stead in the future.
20:20
The hydrophone and periscope show all clear, so we are surfacing, ahead standard.
22:05
I conducted a binocular sweep ahead at 22:00. No visual contacts. We are now about 10 NM from our plotted point of arrival, so I ordered periscope depth for another hydrophone sweep.
22:06
And there there are! Multiple sound contacts ahead at long range, both warships and merchants. Right where I expected them to be!
22:15
The warships seem to be concentrated ahead, near the plotted point of our arrival. The merchants seem to be further inshore. I’m altering course towards shore, course 070°, and what I hope will be a target rich environment!
22:18
With a clear periscope sweep, I’ve ordered us back to the surface, ahead standard, for our run in towards the coast. The lookouts will have to be extra wary of the warship threat to our north,
22:50
The Moon has risen, and the weather remains clear and calm. This should aid us greatly in setting up any opportunities to attack the enemy. Equally, it gives the enemy a better chance to spot us in our approach on the surface. So, I shall dive again at 23:00 to conduct a hydrophone sweep.
23:10
I ordered a dive to periscope depth at 23:00, and commenced a hydrophone sweep shortly thereafter. This shows a group of warships and merchants between bearings 263 and 281, with the warships further offshore than the merchants. On those bearings they would be 10 to 15 NM offshore -- there appears to be nothing closer in, where I was aiming for. Are they withdrawing? Have they completed their landing operations? We shall monitor the situation for the next while before deciding what to do.
[NOTE: I took a toilet break here, leaving the sim running in real time, and guess what happened?!]
23:47
We have lost all hydrophone contact. I am surfacing to pursue northwards in hope of reestablishing contact.
23:52
Periscope showed all clear. I ordered us to the surface at 23:50, ahead full, on new course 359°.