During the Doolittle raid, the Navy found out the Japanese were using fishing boats as picket vessels. Letting the third boat escape probably lead to the weird activity afterwards.

Those fishing boats were almost certainly scouting you. “It’s never a war crime the first time”- the fat electrician

Officially, sampans and light coastal vessels only became 'legitimate targets' for the US 7th Fleet in July 1943. However, it was accepted as 'operationally legitimate" long before then. There were 34 recorded attacks in 1942. In fact, as Japanese shipping losses reached critical proportions, small coastal craft became crucial military transports, keeping widespread island garrisons alive and, at least partially, able to fight on. Attacks reached a peak during 1945 when over 1000 such vessels were attacked/sunk by US submarines as Japan tried to compensate for the loss of over 5 million tonnes of merchant shipping from 1942-45.

If you notice on top of the mast of the Junks, Sampans, Fishing boats they have a long thin antenna, meaning that they can radio their observations. When they see you, they can report that... And as you watch them explode, 'no it can't be fish.' Small civilian craft have been used by many countries, to transport troops, munitions, medical supplies, etc... They do it at their own risk, and know they put themselves into harm's way, if the enemy catches them!

@timonsolus

7 ай бұрын

Fishing boats often had small auxiliary petrol engines. And a small fuel tank...

@jameslanning8405

7 ай бұрын

@@timonsolus Are you speaking about now, or back to pre WWII? Not saying you're wrong. But things then, clearly aren't the same now...

@timonsolus

7 ай бұрын

@@jameslanning8405 : Well, US fishing boats certainly had them. Not sure about Japanese ones - perhaps not.

@jameslanning8405

7 ай бұрын

@@timonsolus "In this GAME," they are there. Historical accuracy matters little. Junks and Sampans aren't generally fishing boat. But small craft used to carry supplies and sundries. Maybe a few people, like a charter boat. I dare say very few of those, had any radios, or electronics of any kind. Nor would they have had the money to buy outboard engines and 'petrol,' which was being very controlled by the military, during the war. That would hold true for all countries in that time. At that time, very few people could even read or write in their own native tongues. I have no doubt, that when war broke out, those governments for whom the boat owners answered to, may have set up radio operations in many of those small boats. Maybe they could even to send a radio operator, (a government agent,) to handle the radio. So, unless the government of Japan, China, Taiwan, the Philippines', and others, release documents on radios in civilian boats, I'll simply go along with the GAME dynamics... That's all that matters in the GAME!

@timonsolus

7 ай бұрын

@@jameslanning8405 : Yes. Back then, most Japanese fishing boats would not have had a radio in peacetime, so any such vessel with a radio aerial is almost certainly performing an auxiliary naval function as a lookout - which makes it a legitimate target. Also, an American sub can’t be expected to determine whether or not a fishing boat has an aerial or not at night, since it would be impossible to see it - so it’s reasonable to assume that it does, and therefore it should either be avoided by remaining submerged, or sunk if it has already spotted the submarine on the surface.

24:39 ah that little ship you let get away reported your position, and they sent fighters looking for you!

@BullGator-kd6ge

7 ай бұрын

I was thinking the same. If they weren’t carrying supplies, they probably had radios to report positions of enemy ships.

@BellaZuikaku4785

7 ай бұрын

Pretty much, Taff just blew his own cover by not destroying it. In wartimes, you have to silence something with a radio because if you don’t your basically giving the enemy your position

I was waiting for a Sampan to " cook off " ...guilty . You know they are friendly with enemy just to be sailing in those waters....Grease em' !

34:23 yes. They were considered legitimate targets and sunk according. Sloops like this were used to transport small arms and rice along the coastlines. They were also used as pickets and screening vessels.

15:37 definitely a legitimate target; tuna rarely explode

@papasmurfette007

7 ай бұрын

Blowfish?...

@zyavoosvawleilte1308

7 ай бұрын

@@papasmurfette007 Weaponized Fugu

@creatorsfreedom6734

7 ай бұрын

gas bag , fart bomb

@schmoemi3386

6 ай бұрын

It was a whaler, obviously.... 🤔 kzread.info/dash/bejne/imhrmtyIhceulLg.htmlsi=yL2WdR4s8rvt-k9w

Ships sunk, 10. Total tonnage, 9. :P

"Um, battle stations.....I suppose?" Good to see the Navy instilling an agressive spirit in its sub commanders.

@timonsolus

7 ай бұрын

The US Navy, like the Imperial Japanese Navy, trained its submarine officers (in peacetime) to attack and sink enemy warships. And ONLY warships. Neither the Japanese nor the American submarine service ever imagined prewar that they would be sinking enemy merchant vessels. Both navies trained in accordance with Mahan's theory that only enemy warships were important.

@facubeitches1144

7 ай бұрын

@@timonsolus And Lockwood quickly replaced those officers who lacked proper aggression. The American sub crews figured out to go after anything with a meatball flag, though they were calculated in their approach. They wouldn't opt for a sampan over a more substantial trarget, but if that was what was available, they'd take it out.

Taff if you assign crew to the deck gun on the crew management page it will increase your rate of fire 😁

USS Plunger: the regatta killer! Scourge of the sailboats! Actually, for the last year of the war, that was pretty much what a lot of the Pacific sub fleet did. A number were basically gunboats that could submerge, since there weren't many targets left that warranted torpedoes.

The Japanese used these vessels to supply small garrisons on the many small islands. The larger ships supported the fleet or supplied Japan's industry. The small ships were essential to supply Japanese marines dispersed on all those Islands this is a job PT-boats did but subs did as well.

Those little ships have a wire slung between the masts, looks very much like a radio antenna !

Whenever I played SH4 and I encountered Sampans or junks I absolutely sank them because if I left them alone they always called in navy fighters and bombers. Love the series and Merry Christmas Commander Taff and a very happy new year from a loyal sailor of the Taff Navy

a junk and 2 sampans - so long as they are flying the Meatball they are fair game

That 20mm would have delt with them nicely 😂. Loving the series, keep up the great work and merry Christmas 🎅

@tacticalcalebgaming7264

7 ай бұрын

Nah the 40mm can do better then that because of accuracy Basically a bofors gun but has a single barrel

Fantastic episode taff, great to see you raiding the sampan sail boats.. the best weaponry to use on those are indeed the anti-aircraft guns.. my brother in law does that all the time when he plays this game and nah.. your not committing any war crimes.. the IJN used those sailing vessels as patrol craft. According to what I've read some of those carried arms and gun crews so those are legitimate targets. Small amounts of tonnage are always welcome out here, large merchants and warships are always favoured but sometimes you have to take what you can get. Those pickets destroyed won't be relaying information back to Tokyo and you brought the fear of retribution back towards the enemy. Air attacks happen quite a bit so.. best dive immediately when any more aircraft appear in the future. Great episode mate, excellent.. keep it up and well done 👍

Turning Junks...into junk! Awesome stuff! Keep em coming!!!!

Merry Christmas. I enjoy all of your content, it makes my day when a new video is posted.

Love the WWII sub stuff Taff! Well done!

I read that towards the end of the war Japan had next to no freighters and American submarines were reduced to sinking fishing boats. so you're not committing a war crime. An ASW patrol aircraft was ordered to bomb a German Uboat that was towing life boats and had civilians on the deck. It was towing them towards shore. I'm conflicted about what I'd do in that pilot's situation. ???

@vipertwenty249

7 ай бұрын

If it was me I'd somehow fail to find it.

@retmarut4499

7 ай бұрын

If you are referring to the Laconia incident, that uboat even flew the flag of the Red Cross at the moment of the attacks. That made the order and subsequent attack a war crime.

@retmarut4499

7 ай бұрын

The problem for the bomber was that they found the uboat and reported as much. After requesting further orders they were commanded to attack the vessel.

@K_N.H.

7 ай бұрын

​@@retmarut4499 remember its not a war crime if the victors commit it...

@Pikilloification

7 ай бұрын

Well, that U boat may go back to sinking ships afterwards, so not so sure the situation was that clear ar the moment

Happy Christmas Taff and every one else on here

Merry Christmas, Taff!

Love the SH4 series, Taff!

im surprised the sam pam at 29 mins was even sailing in those rough seas! crew was probably already in peril, the M2 might have been a better end than drowning...

Merry Christmas Taff and thank you.

Merry Christmas Taff. Explosive fish hahaha very good

I have the hardest time finding ships with FOTRS mod. And I have been playing SH since the very first one. Grey Wolves for SH3 was my favorite!

11:48 The Kreigsmarine also used 'auxiliary cruisers', warships disguised as merchant vessels. There were nine built, the Kormoran is probably the most well known. All it would take is for a few marksmen aboard the one of the Junks, to shoot at the periscope ...destroying the glass would not only render the submarine blind, but make it impossible to lower the periscope, due to flooding. Also, when it comes to a nation that you are at war with... there are no such things as 'friendly' vessels.

Before you dived at 31 minutes, you could have fired a starshell of your own to illuminate your enemy. 😊

@timonsolus

7 ай бұрын

Doing that would give away your position because of the gun's muzzle flash.

@markstott6689

7 ай бұрын

@@timonsolus Wouldn't a starshell descending over the target blind them? Or at least ruin their night vision?

@timonsolus

7 ай бұрын

@@markstott6689 : Yes, but what good would that do the American sub?

A US Submarine sailor was actually killed in an action agaisnt a Japanese sampan that was armed with a single MG.

last time I saw this many sails was watching the DFS adverts (UK joke)

US Navy sank lots of these little boats/

@papasmurfette007

7 ай бұрын

Wonder how many were just locals out fishing for their livelihoods...

Cinematics are brilliant .

You great big bully! Poor old Jack Sparrow never had a chance, oh I don't like the look of this, moments later 75 mm shell in the chest. Ah christmas, the season of good will to all men(but not your fellow mariners apparently).Everybody up on deck for target practice! er am, battle stations I suppose! Speaking of Christmas, I hope you have a great one. Pax dude and all the dudesses also.

In some cases depending on how close to japanese waters they were yes they blew em up on sight but in many cases they boarded sized them and searched them with armed teams because the IJN pressed every vessel into service including fishing junks to carry arms and supplies

They're numerous and annoying to have to deal with but they must be sunk whenever encountered.

I love your videos. do you now if you can do a silent hunter 3 uk sub?

When that fishing boat was burning there was a silhuette of a machine gun, so yeah... they were doing something sketchy

Remember, its not a war crime if you have a fun time.

Poor fishermen trying to get home with their cargo holds full of exploding eels and booming bass

That is Emperor Hirohito on his wildly daring clandestine trip to the front, where he is to appear in front of 100,000 Japanese warriors at dawn like an omnipresent God. He will deliver the most inspirational speech of WW2 and the Japanese will spread across the Pacific like wildfire, driven by spirit and zeal.

I was wondering about you deck gun usage. Every time I have seen your crew sheet, you have had no one assigned to man the gun. Are you swapping sailors in when you use it? If not, you really should. Having all 4 crew slots on the gun manned greatly increases load speed. Your load speed makes me think you are not. Ofcourse, load sped changes greatly given mods used so it is hard to tell.

Some junks was used as look outs, having a radio to report sightings. Best remain submerged as failure to report in would also confirm a sub in the area. However I don’t know if the game reflects this.

Those little boats had radios and would give your position away.

Unless you have it switched off, you should never get surprised by aircraft with the SD radar fitted. It can pick up contacts over 10 miles out, which gives plenty time to dive. And diving to just periscope depth might not be enough. In the FOTRSU Mod, aircraft can potentially still see you down to 150ft.

Last time I played SH4, when I was much younger. I onpurpose used a torp. Just to see what the game would do. Quite literly blown out the water..

Merry Christmas Taft

Merry Xmas and a happy new year

It's like the medieval trials. Trial by Gunfire - if it explodes, it was the enemy; if it just sinks, we'll let it go...

@stevegoesrogue

7 ай бұрын

Even more morbidly, the Salem Witch Trials; If she survives, she's a witch, if she drowns/burns to death, then she's innocent

Everything that floats is a target 🎯!!.

@timonsolus

7 ай бұрын

Does that include lifeboats and liferafts? Would you machine-gun them too?

@MichaelEdwards85399

7 ай бұрын

@@timonsolus they would kill you without a second thought 💭. Ask yourself mate how many war crimes did the Japanese 🇯🇵 commit at sea 🌊, against allied sailors?, this is war it’s kill or be killed take your pick!!!.

Merry Christmas , Taff & may you receive countless Blessings throughout the coming year !! Out of curiosity l would have pulled a stop & search on the first set of sailing vessels , I feel that you're not likely to encounter so many Japanese sailing vessels all that far from the Japanese home waters , unless perhaps off the coast of Vietnam or along the mainland coast . (?)

In WW2 the U.S. Navy destroyed the Japanese merchant fleet. The Japanese never really adopted a convoy system. Where the merchant vessels were protected by small warships. Because of this difference in naval strategy. The U.S. Navy's submarine fleet did exactly what the German U-boats were trying to do in the Atlantic Ocean.

If there are no survivors, there is no war crime.

@creatorsfreedom6734

7 ай бұрын

Modern warfare 2

The sail ships add to your tonnage without using up your torpedos.

Hi taff hope you're family and you have a great Christmas and Happy new year from Allan and terri in Scottish land

Just a note might be a good idea to swap out the .50 cal for the 20mm cannon as it's better for the stray type ships as it packs a better punch and is also better against aircraft...

Taff if you get hands on 40mm That thing may have less ammo mag but it is so accurate enough to bring the planes down (But it wasn’t intended for that it was only for sailboats like junk) but I do play Silent hunter 4. Yes I may have drowned probably like over 50 planes plus I can easily chew the merchants ships. I have a Balao class submarine. Her name is just Balao. She has sunk a Yamato class battleship it was during battle of Leyte. I do know the center force route to Leyte that’s how I found her and sunk her plus the timing.

Love the game, just can't get it to work....oh well, thx to Taff, not that bad 😎

Time to head back to finish off that Kongo Class BB and have another go at the CV, perhaps?

😀Merry Xmas

In WWII the Japanese fishing fleet and other small sailing craft, Junks and Sampans, were indeed actively hunted and destroyed by Allied submariners. Not just for their supplying fish to the Japanese but also transporting war material, supplies, fuel, ammunition. Also they were a great source of intel for the Japanese as well. Much like the Allies Coast Watchers. These small sailing boats would report Allied air and sea movements/operations. Destroy On Sight. You might want to upgrade your AA to make that more effective against these small craft as well as enemy planes. After playing these games for, literally, years. I have never scored a kill with the .50 caliber. You threw a Golden BB at him.

Also, Japan was still using a lot of whale oil. Those might have been whalers

@timonsolus

7 ай бұрын

Well, if so, they won't be having a whale of a time any more!

32:11 see it that way. The carrier you that got away is now on the bottom of the ocean, because the battle of midway happened.

Comms are basically nams but for chiefs and officers. Aka ur reward medal u got. It's basically a thata boy medal and kinda trash and just a low ranking piece of chest candy they throw around. U get them all the time in the navy, almost everyone has one

yes they did sink small ships

Is there a boarding party function ? Could easily go bad though if jumped by enemy aircraft .

Fremantle doesn’t have a double ‘e’.

Live your videos. My only complaint is the music in this series is too loud. I miss a lot of what you're saying.

Maybe you could’ve used your star shells to start a fire on the sails.

@timonsolus

7 ай бұрын

Star shells have a time fuse, not an impact fuse - so that wouldn't work. The star shells would go through the sails without detonating.

@beefymcskillet5601

7 ай бұрын

@@timonsolus but you already should know the distance

Ofcourse Taff would attack would attack innocent, defenseless crabbing vessels; I remember him strafing poor enemy fighter pilots during WW1.

@syphon_9892

4 ай бұрын

And taff has also sunk a couple of passenger ships, so i don't think he will feel an guilt by sinking a few innocent fishing boats

38:46 Yeah, I can definitely tell you its fish. That doesn't make it factual, but I can certainly tell you.

In the game do the enemy planes "repot " your last known position ? Forcing you to really be alert the next morning ....?

Violence against smol ships. Talk about overkill to use the deck gun against fishing vessels. Fishing vessels with high explosive fish, but still...

Non motorised doesn't mean no radio, or unarmed

basically this episode is just Taff forcing the Japanese Navy to modernize, by destroying all it's old ships one by one?

I can't run this game on windows 10😢

15:00 Promoted

The only iligitimate targets were Neutral vessels, lifeboats and Hospital ships. Anything else was fair game. Well, and your own vessels obviously. Was assuming that as a given, but it's best not to do that with the US military!

THE Japanese could blame Godzilla 🐲 for the destruction to sail ships...😂😂😂😊😮

I hate that stupid metroid music constantly playing and the idiots who seem to put it in almost every single historical war game mod