Action for Men, May 1960 — page 61: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

freighter showed up with absolute clarity. “Propeller noises bearing one eight five,” came the report from sonar. “Battle stations, surface! All ahead full!” Dave called. “Ask sonar for a revolution count.” A count of the revolutions of the target’s propeller would give a valuable clue to her speed and help to make for accurate solution of the firing problem. “Can’t give a count,” the report came back. “There are two sets of noises.” Dave searched the horizon again, and saw the reason. On the far side of the merchant- man, just emerging from its obscuring shape, slid a Japanese destroyer escort changing course in normal screening pattern to pro- tect his convoy. For a moment he thought Perch had been sighted as the destroyer changed course in their direction. Then the warship steadied down in the same heading as the maru, manifestly just changing station from one bow to the other. © Dave held to heading one eight five, letting the enemy group draw away to port. Al- though a bow shot would be preferable, he figured to cross astern of the merchant ship and attack from the quarter away from the destroyer. With the warship blanked off and the enemy lookouts probably concentrating their attention ahead, he counted on being able to close the target to point-blank range before being sighted. Perch crossed the eneamy’s track about a mile astern of the maru, and then swung to one four zero to start his stern chase. The convoy steamed steadily ahead at a leisurely 12 knots. With a speed advantage of six knots, the submarine could work up to good firing position in ten minutes. The minutes crept by as Perch stealthily overtook her prospective victim, growing larger as the range shortened..Dave had eyes for nothing but the foremast of the maru, transfixed on the cross hairs of the TBT. “Destroyer’s crossing over; sir!” “Stand by to fire bow tubes!” Almost immediately, Dave’s “Clear the bridge!” sent the lookouts scrambling be- low. For another tense moment he trained the TBT vane on the target and then pressed the button to send the final bearing below. “Shoot !” THE first torpedo leaped from the bow tube. Number two followed in four sec- onds. Then number three. In the few seconds before the final torpedo was on its way, a pair of alert eyes on the bridge of the de- stroyer picked up Perch’s low contour. A red signal rocket shot skyward, the merchant- man frantically changed course to present a reduced target area to the oncoming torpe- does, and the destroyer heeled over and bore down on the submarine. “Dive! Dive!” The opening salvo from the destroyer’s guns screamed overhead as Dave slammed the conning-tower hatch ‘shut behind him. Perch was clawing for deep water at top speed when she shuddered under the impact of a blast that momentarily deafened those in the conning tower. 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