Tales From The Temp Folder

[Orca] 0830

(11/28/23)
This is the continuation of Reciperacol Course.

School's starting up again, but at least this is the final push before winter break. We can make it.

The next watch after Reciperacol Course, with Orca defending PQ-17. They're about to meet their first contact of the day.

~Forenoon Watch~

Our first battle began just a little past 8:30.
"Signals, HUFF DUFF reports a German transmission, bearing zero five zero, range three miles."
I barely had time to turn to Mr. Young before Ben blared over the radio.
"Conn, Combat. Radar has new surface contact, bearing zero-four-eight, range two-point-five miles."
I set my coffee down, listening intently to the radio.
"I designate contact Baker. Time, 0831 hours."
"Bridge, aye." I sounded off.
"Contact now bears zero-four-six, range two-point-five miles. Lookouts, Combat. Anything at zero-four-six?"
Then Foster's voice sounded over the mic. "Forward lookout, Combat. I see nothing at zero-four-six."
"Conn, Combat. Contact now bears zero-four-five, range two-point-five miles."
I got on the radiotelephone. "Orca to Commconvoy, unknown target ahead left of the convoy. Advise you begin anti-torpedo maneuvers."
"Commconvoy to Orca. Thank you, and Godspeed, over."
"Conn, Combat. Contact Baker coming in strong now. I evaluate as a definite contact."
"Bridge, aye." I looked up at my bridge crew. We all collectively nodded. "Mr. Rackham, bring us up to General Quarters." "Set General Quarters, aye." The man quickly said, switching on the klaxons. *General Quarters! General Quarters! All hands man your battle stations! Set condition 1 throughout the ship, lockdown all watertight passageways.* "Contact now bears zero-three-nine, range two-point-five miles." Then Mr. Young yelled out. "Stern and bow depth charge detail manned and ready. Main battery reports manned and ready. Engineering Officer of the Watch reports Engineering manned and ready. Condition 1 set. Four boilers online, max speed thirty-seven knots, electric plant split, all fire pumps online."
"Very well." I sharply replied as an icy blast drew up a flurry in the bridge.
"Conn, Combat. We lost radar contact. Last bearing zero-three-five, range two miles."
"Here we go," I mumbled. "Left handsomely to zero-three-five." "Left handsomely to zero-three-five." "All ahead standard." "All engines ahead standard, aye sir."
"Sonar, search ahead, standard pattern," I said. "Sonar, Bridge. Search ahead, standard pattern." Mr. "Dick" Richardson drawled out.
"Sonar, searching ahead, standard pattern." Mr. Parker said.
"My heading is zero-three-five sir," Kent remarked.
"Steady as you go." "Steady as I go, aye sir."
Me and Stinky took up positions at the front of the pilothouse to see with our glasses what we could through the frosted-up glass.
"Sonar, got 'em. Contact bearing zero-two-eight, range indefinite." I heard faintly behind me. "Sonar reports distant contact, bearing zero-two-eight."
"Come left to zero-two-eight." "Come left to zero-two-eight, aye aye sir."
"Sonar reports contact bearing zero-two-seven, range indefinite. Bearing drifting left."
I turned to my Chief Gunnary Officer. "Mr. Steele, standby with a shallow pattern and the Hedgehog." "Manned and ready sir!"
"Sonar reports contact bearing steady at zero-two-seven, range twenty-five-hundred yards."
I took a breath. "Report all bearings as relative." "All stations, Bridge. Report all bearings as relative."
"Sonar reports hydrophone effect, sounds like sixty RPM, sir," Dick said. "Bearing port zero-two, range twenty-three-hundred yards."
"Helmsman, standby for rapid maneuvers," I said. "Aye aye, sir." Kent placed both hands on the rudder.
Myself, I positioned myself between the radiotelephone, in case we spotted a torpedo, and the sonar station to hear Parker, so I could react quicker.
"Sonar, contact port zero five, range two-thousand."
Only now did I realize how far away from the convoy we were. "Left standard rudder."
Half the bridge crew hesitated.
"Left standard rudder, aye aye sir." Kent brought us around.
"Sonar, contact starboard zero-eight, range eighteen-hundred."
"Sir." Stinky caught me. "We can't let this sub get a shot off on the convoy!"
"Yes, I know. But the right flank has been unguarded the entire time as well! Who knows what's out there?"
"Sonar, contact starboard one-zero, range fifteen-hundred."
"That sub is a mile and a half to the convoy!"
"We're a mile and a half to the convoy!"
"Sonar, contact, starboard one-nine, range thirteen hundred."
"Conn, combat. Course to intercept target is port zero-three." Even Ben knew what was going on.
Everything raced through my head. Baker was an immediate threat to the convoy. Even if I circled around, the right flank would be unguarded until I could get to station. It was better to be rid of this U-boat now and return to station than to let it prey on our left flank.
"Hard right rudder!" I shouted.
"Hard right rudder, aye aye sir."
"Sonar, contact, port zero-nine, range eleven-hundred yards!"
"Ease the rudder!" "Easing the turn, aye aye sir."
"Sonar, contact dead ahead, range nine-hundred yards! Estimated depth: medium."
"Meet her!" "Aye sir, holding course."
Now Mr. Parker's sonar began pinging rapidly.
"Sonar, contact, port zero-one, range seven hundred."
I turned. "Mr. Steele-" "Manned and ready sir!"
"Sonar, contact, port zero three, range six-hundred."
"Left, ten degrees rudder!" "Left ten degrees rudder, aye sir."
"Sonar, contact, dead ahead, range five-hundred!"
Stinky was intently scanning at the front of the pilot house.
"Sonar, contact starboard zero-one, range four-hundred!"
Minimum sonar range was three-hundred. The Hedgehog range was two-hundred.
"Sonar, contact inside minimum sonar range!"
I started my stopwatch. Twelve seconds ticked down.
"Hydrophone strong! Very strong!" Eduardo cried!
Five seconds left!
"Over-revving screws!"
Three.
Two.
One.
"FIRE HEDGEHOG!" *Fire Hedgehog, half pattern! Fire Hedgehog!*
The rapid-fire mortars leaped from the bow of my ship, arcing ahead to meet their foe.
"Hard left rudder!" "Hard left rudder, aye aye sir!" "Mr. Steele! Medium pattern!" "Manned and ready sir!"
For those long, painful moments, as our ship turned into the U-boat track, we watched for the underwater explosion, the white eruption in the sea, and the glorious geyser of water...
But none came.
"Reciprocal course, left standard rudder, bring us around." "Left standard rudder."
"Parker, standard pattern across our bow."
"Standard pattern across the bow, aye sir."
We circled round, trying to regain contact with sonar.
Suddenly Parker cried out. "Sonar, contact, port beam! Range three-hundred!"
"Hard left rudder!" "She's already hard over!" "Then steady as you go!" "Steady as I go, aye sir."
"Sonar, contact inside minimum sonar range, sir."
"Meet her." "Aye sir, holding course!" "Standby for rapid maneuvers." "Aye sir."
"Sonar, hydrophone effect, slow revs, sounds like sixty RPM. Bearing dead ahead."
"Mr. Steele!"
"Medium pattern manned and ready sir!"
I watched and waited, watched and waited.
"NOW!" Parker exclaimed. "NOW MR. STEELE!" I relayed! *Roll and fire, medium pattern. Roll and fire!"
I looked back to hear the PLOOMF of K-guns, looking back to see them sending the barrels overboard.
"Hard right rudder!" "Hard right rudder, aye aye sir!"
Then the underwater explosions, the white water churning, and the small geysers leaping up in the aftermath. They were too small to hit anything. This attack was a miss.
"Sonar reports suspicious screw noises, likely decoy, sir," Dick reported
I groaned in anger, Leaning over the railing. "We at least scared him enough to make him waste a decoy. Helmsman, take us back to station, head of convoy."
"Back to station, head of convoy."
I sighed, clicking on the radio. "Orca to Commconvoy. We engaged a sub bearing... zero-one-zero, left of the convoy. Drove him under, have faith that you will outrun him."
"Thank you Orca. That was a helluva show you put on for us."
I chuckled. "Well, I aim to please sir."
"Keep it up. Godspeed Orca."
I sighed. I could tell from his tone that he wasn't that confident in us, especially how we commuted entirely to that one U-boat without hesitation and for so long.
I reached down to take another swig of coffee.
"Starboard lookout! Object, one-half to the horizon, starboard beam! Looks like a periscope feather!"
I immediately set my cup down. "Hard right rudder!" running to the bridge wings. "Where!" I shouted.
"There sir!" Dozer pointed.
I brought my glasses onto that bastard, a periscope for sure.
"Mr. Steel! Five-inch mounts, director controlled." "Five-inch mounts, director control." "Fire as they bear!" "Five-inch mounts, fire as you bear."
The roar of my forward turrets blazing away stole what remained of my lungs.
"All ahead full!" "All ahead full, aye aye sir!" "Mr. Steel, standby with a shallow pattern!" "Aye aye sir!"
You could barely hear anything over the gunfire.
"He's diving! U-boat diving!" Foster cried.
I watched the periscope dip under the surface.
"On my command, Mr. Steele!" "Aye aye, sir!"
"Left, five degrees rudder!" I sent my ship where I saw that sub would be going.
We had to be maybe 300 yards, no more. We were right on top of him in an instant.
"Now, Mr. Steele!"
*Roll and fire, shallow pattern! Roll and fire!*
The second wave of depth charges was sent overboard.*
"Hard left rudder!" "Hard left rudder, aye aye sir." "Put us between that U-boat and the convoy! Bring us down to standard!" "All engines ahead standard, aye sir."
Then I felt the explosions rock the keel of my ship. We almost turned into our own depth charge attack.
"Holy shit," Kent remarked. "Felt that one."
"Reciprocal course, bring us around again to try and catch him on sonar."
"Hard left rudder, aye sir."
"Serves him right," Stinky remarked. "Trying to prey on our convoy."
I got on the radiotelephone. "Orca to Commconvoy, we regained that left flank submarine contact and launched depth charges." I wanted to say more, but I decided to let off the trigger.
"Good show, Orca! When you're done there tangoing with that U-boat, feel free to defend the other side of the convoy when you get the chance."
"Aye aye sir."
I turned back to meet Stinky.
"No oil slick or debris. But he's behind the convoy now."
"Very well, bring us back to station."
"Aye sir. Helmsman, left standard rudder." "Left standard rudder." "Sonar, standard sweeps ahead." "Sonar, bridge. Standard sweeps ahead." "Sonar, sweeping ahead, standard pattern."
I sighed, returning to my little station of the bridge. A cold cup of coffee waiting for me.
"Mr. Rackham, you may secure from general Quarters."
"Aye aye sir."
And as we secured from General Quarters, stepping aside for Mr. Steele, I took the moment of reprieve to catch my breath and take a minute to look everything over.
But before I could make my next move, Ben appeared. "Hey Oscar," he began, "Good work. I'll trade you that for some more coffee." He set the new cup before me on the chart table.
"You know how much I despise the shit water you guys drink down there." Already taking a warm swig of black.
Ben chuckled. "It's the same stuff they make in the galley. Except... maybe minorly seasoned with tobacco smoke."
We both laughed. Everyone within earshot laughed.
We survived our first battle. Lord knows it wouldn't be the last one.