Stories and Patrol Logs + Screenshots and Videos (merged)

[c13Garrison]

Excellent patrol! I love those unintended hits, feels like you found a 5 in your pocket.

[in_vino_vomitus]

Nice Work

[Bubblehead1980]

Originally Posted by c13Garrison

Excellent patrol! I love those unintended hits, feels like you found a 5 in your pocket.

Thanks. I agree, especially when unintended target sinks.

[Armistead]

Escort dead head, fire and dive dive..


Night attack


Night attack, two down, let's get out of here.

[in_vino_vomitus]

That looks really good - Is that a hole I see in your boat, below the conning tower?

[in_vino_vomitus]

Lieutenant Commander the Hon. Tarquin Horatio Thatsall-ffoulkes walked out of the radio room in deep thought. The news was bad. He didn't want to break it to his Number one on the eve of a patrol, but the man had a right to know about his brother. It was a shame about the whole crew, but he knew how hard this was going to be for his second in command. Roger had always spoken of his younger brother with thinly disguised pride, and the boy had certainly seemed determined to follow in his elders footsteps. Whatever Roger had done, Peter would emulate, as soon as his age allowed. Peter was preordained a place on that boat, in virtue of his brother having been there. No - this wasn't going to be easy at all......

ffoulkes knew where he'd find Roger. On a promontory, overlooking the bay, watching the sun as it set and smoking that awful pipe of his. Lord only knew what was in it. his Aunt Jemima, a missionary in Chitral, sent it over apparently - Ah well, ruminated ffoulkes, a man needs at least one vice, especially in these times.

His reverie was interrupted by a cheerful greeting from his first Lieutenant as he walked up the dusty track to the clifftop. "Evening sir! just the chap I was looking for - Any news......" Seeing the look on his Captain's face, he faltered. "I see. Bad news then sir?"

"I'm afraid so Roger" admitted ffoulkes. "I really don't know what to say. If you'd prefer to be left alone for a while...."

Roger nodded. he sat down heavily on a rock by the path and buried his head in his hands. ".......Lost....." He looked up, his eyes shimmering, "I'll be fine in a moment sir - It's just..... It's just a damned shame sir - It's going to destroy Father."

ffoulkes turned away to allow his number one a moment of private grief. he felt a twinge of shame that the same event that had felled his brother officer, should be a source of joy for him, but that was the nature of the unspoken rivalry between them. And in any case Cambridge had won the damn boat race five years running, this time Oxford had the better team.

Better not mention that just yet though.......

[c13Garrison]

Riveted. Mas! Mas!

[Gryffon300]

Originally Posted by in_vino_vomitus

Better not mention that just yet though.......

Ah, Vino, they'll have to drink it to the bitter dregs.
Well done, Sweep.
(In case you are wondering, I should explain that's what we call the 'Cox' on an Aussie Surf Lifesaving Boat.)

[c13Garrison]

By the way Vino, kudos on generating perhaps the most ostentatious name I've ever contemplated!

...and always pull for Oxford.

[in_vino_vomitus]

Thanks guys - as for the name I had several ideas - but I thought it would be good to sign off as T.H. Thatsall-ffoulkes - Probably watched too many cartoons a a kid....

[c13Garrison]

LOL oh man I Missed that! Lol. Brilliant!

[Armistead]

For Bubble. I sent you two night envs, I like the last one better, here some SS.

Dark, no moon, taking out Kongo at about 1700 yards




Escort screen wide here, shot at 1600 yards, actually had shot with sterns and was turning around to use bow torps, as one hit, I noticed something....lucky me, that circle runner missed by a foot. Here moon is just rising. You'll notice clouds only light near moon. Never like consistant cloud color at night.




Lil later






Anyway, sent you two versions by email, the first one a lil darker, the second a lil brighter. Playing second one, if you don't make mistakes, you can get by a competent escort at about 1300 yards, vets....be more careful. Do think I'll change water to more black/green, looks too blue when moon is high.

[fireftr18]

Originally Posted by in_vino_vomitus

Thanks guys - as for the name I had several ideas - but I thought it would be good to sign off as T.H. Thatsall-ffoulkes - Probably watched too many cartoons a a kid....

You could not have possibly watched too many cartoons.

[c13Garrison]

"Come on in and have a seat Solomon. I guess we won't be having dinner like we planned."

"No Sir, I don't suppose we will. I'll eat when I get to the boat."

"We're lucky submarines aren't high on the Japs' target list. And You're lucky your plane wasn't shot down."

"Yes Admiral, a the air is no place for a Navy man to die."

"Well its the ground that would've killed you son. ...now, the Narwhal's liberties have all been canceled and she's taking on provisions as we speak. You've read the docs on the crew?"

"Yes Sir, I'm thoroughly familiar with them. I can't wait to meet them."

"Good. Lieutenant Ryan is a great Exec, he'll have his own boat someday. You're in good hands."

"Actually Sir I've made the decision to transfer Lt. Ryan ashore."

"You've what?"

"Ryan deserves his own boat sir, and you can't tell me that in the next 5 weeks you wouldn't have a command to offer him."

The Admiral leveled his practiced 'are you giving me **** son?' gaze at Solomon for the space of 4 chews on his cigar.

"...you're just like your old man Solomon, but you know better than anyone if you sit in your own **** you're the one who'll have to clean it up. Alright, who's your XO then?"

"Digby Sir."

"Digby? A Limey?"

"He's made Olympia his home since 1934 Admiral Withers, and served underneath Ryan on the Narwhal for 15 months. The crew trusts him I'm sure, judging from what I've heard he's been popular at every post he's had."

The Admiral snorted.

"Alright. There's no safety net underneath you if this one falls through Solomon. I'm washing my hands of it."

"Yes Sir."

"Now, you'd better get going. You'll have orders cut by 1000 tomorrow. And adhere to my standing orders; Commanders are ordered to remain submerged during daylight hours when within 500 miles of a Japanese airbase, and you may not use more than two torpedoes against merchant ships. Save them for bigger whales."

"Yes Sir. And, thank you for the leg up, Sir. I appreciate it."

Admiral Withers snorted in derision. "You'd damn well better Solomon, I'll be around here a hell-uv-a-lot longer than you will be."

"Yes Sir", said Solomon, rising and snapping a sharp salute before exiting.

He'd known that wasn't going to go well, but it went better than he expected. His father had been Wither's first commander in the Navy, and getting this command was essentially cashing in all the chips his family had earned over 30 years. That, and bypassing a certain regulation.

He made his way towards the pier where Narwhal was tied up, frenzied emergency activity still going on at full speed all over the harbor despite the late hour. He rounded a corner and his first command hove into view. He was about 500 yards away yet, and saw there was some kind of gathering breaking up at the gangway, and then a duffel was tossed into a waiting jeep followed by its owner. The jeep soon raced by him in the dark, but he wasn't looking at it. That no longer had anything to do with him. He arrived at the gangway, a single sailor waiting for him, saluting smartly.

"Sir! Chief Petty Officer Hull Sir! Welcome aboard."

He returned the salute.

"Hull, you're my new Chief of the Boat. Kindly see that the crew is informed of your station and of Lieutenant Digby's promotion to Executive Officer. Where can I find him?"

"He's right here Sir, thank you Sir! Yes Sir!", and Hull turned to dart across the gangway, shouting down the hatch, and waiting for Digby to ascend before before he dropped down himself. Digby approached crisply and saluted, speaking with the unmistakably merry lilt of the Queen's English.

"Lieutenant Jr.Grade Benjamin Roderick P. Digby III, Sir. Welcome aboard."

"Digby, at ease. You're my new XO. I know everyone liked Ryan, but he needs to spread his wings and I need a clean slate. How's the boat?"

"We'll be ready to sail by dawn Sir."

"Digby, unless its a situation where you think chain of command needs to be reinforced, call me by name. We'll all be smelling pretty ripe by the end of the tour, and I don't think a commander should smell bad", and he cracked an easy smile and shook his hand.

"Yes Sir. Thank you, Solomon."

"Actually, I go by my middle name. Thor. Solomon is a bit ostentatious, don't you think?"

"Oh, of course Sir, clearly an Old Testament king is more ostentatious than a Norse god", he said with a chuckle, as they turned to board the boat.

Thor laughed, then asked, "So what does the 'P.' stand for? Its even just 'p.' in your file."

"Percival sir."

"Of course it does...", and with a wry smirk Lt.Cmndr Solomon Thor Hardin stepped onto his first command, the U.S.S. Narwhal.

[in_vino_vomitus]

Good stuff - Looking forward to reading more

p.s. just seen the post number - guess that confirms what every one of my exes says......