Evening star., 1952-11-22
SUBMARINE:
By Comdr. Edword l. Beech, U. S. N.
CHAPTER XII.
ArcherfSh.

On and on. on and on, strain
ing every nerve. Archerfish pur-
sues her quarry.
The carrier is tracked at 20
knots. Archerfish can do no more
than 10 or possibly shade better.
But the carrier is zigzagging.
If Archerfish can detect his base
course and parallel that, disre-
garding the zigs. she may be able
to overtake him in spite of the
disparity in speeds.
But this is tricky, too, because
on a zig toward Archerfish, the
target group might approach close
enough for one of the flank escorts
to sight the laboring submarine.
Conversely. zig away might lead
them out of radar range, where a
course change would result in
Archerflsh's pursuing in the wrong
direction.
So Archerfish cannot blindly
charge ahead, but must conform
to maneuvers of the target; she
cannot lose him. nor can she
let him get too close. With
these considerations. resisting
every move which might tend to
increase the distance she must
run, Archerfish doggedly sets about
making an end around. Theo-
retically, it is possible to get
around a target going faster than
you are. 1t is possible. but mighty
hard to do!
One hour before midnight the
target group zigs toward. not
enough to give Archerfish an op-
Iportunity to dive and attack on
this leg, but sufficiently so that
one of the flanking escorts ap-
|proaches periliously near the sub
Imarine-6.000 yards.
At midnight the carrier force
makes another big zig, to the west.
|Archerfish had expected that he
was probably headed for some
where in the Pacific, and there
fore had chosen the left or south
ern flank of the convoy to trail
from. A change of base course
lin the most probable direction. to
the south. she hoped would drop
the whole outfit into her hands.
But such was not to be. The
zig to the west puts the subma-
rine even farther out in right field.
but doggedly Archerfish digs in
and continues the chase.
Pulling Ahead Slowly.
For two and a half hours the
pursuit goes on. Racing to crawl
UP the left flank of the task group,
Archerfish finds that her top speed
lis just barely allowing her to pull
ahead. But there is obviously no
chance of attaining a firing posi-
ton before dawn.
But at 0300 the sands run out
for Shinano. Base course is
changed again. this time to nearly
due south. and incredulously Arch
erfish finds herself almost dead
ahead of the target. Fate picks up
her dice and slows them away.
Right full rudder!" The sub
marine changes course rapidly,
|heeling to port as she does so. At
last Archerflsh heads for the
enemy.
Ah-oooh-gah! All oooh gah
The diving alarm seems more
piercing than usual. olive! Dive!"I
Battle stations Submerged" A
few men dash through the ship
to their battle stations, but most
are already there.
Expertly each man does his job.
and Archerf1sh smoothly slips be-
meath the waves. Radar gets al
final range as the antenna goes
under water, 1,700 yards, closing
fast.
up periscope!" The long,
shiny tube huns out of the peri
scope well. Squatting on his
|hauncheS before it, hands poised
to catch the handles the moment
they emerge, Joe Enright. the
commanding officer, resembles an
ageless devotee of some obscure
occult religion.
He slowly rotatoes the periscope
from side to side. searching
through the faint predawn light.
Down periscope! Target not