Battlestations: Pacific/Sub on Patrol

This mission obviously relies on your skills as a submariner. However, unlike Meeting the Germans, it is rather easy. Try to upgrade to the Gato-class; it has a large number of torpedo tubes both fore and aft, and this allows for some error in taking your shots.

Primary Objective
 * Sink all cargo ships.
 * Disable the specified Japanese base facilities.
 * Sink the Kumano.

Secondary Objectives
 * Sink the convoy's destroyer escorts.

Hidden Objectives This rather straightforward mission begins with you attacking a lightly defended Japanese convoy. The convoy is escorted by two destroyers, both of which can be sunk by head-on passes or through other means. Be aware, however, that your sub will take damage if you decide to go to depth level 3, due to a damaged hull. Avoid diving deep and instead try to outmanoeuvre the destroyers. Try to get them to run into the carcasses of the ships you just sunk and delay them enough for you to set up your next shot. Focus on the destroyer escorts and sink both of them before moving onto the convoy. The convoy itself has no artillery, so if you manage to sink the two escorting destroyers have your sub surface and deal with the enemy using your twin deck guns. The mission continues once you've downed the convoy.
 * Steal the Japanese recon plane.

Afterwards you'll receive notice of a large Japanese base in the area. It is separated over two islands, and consists of multiple base facilities. You must destroy these with your artillery or your AA guns. Also in the area are multiple bomb-equipped E13A Jakes and F1M Petes. These planes can cause considerable damage to you if you're on the surface, so dive and try to not get bombed. It's possible to use your twin AA guns on them, but they are rather hard to hit. That said, by constantly altering course it's possible to throw off the AI's aim with the bombs. If you wish to play it safe, dive as the enemy makes a run on you to force the AI to make another run or waste its bombs. As you close in on the southern base, you'll notice an idle F1M Pete near one of the houses that are a target. Approach it and your crew will note that it is completely unmanned. This completes the mission's hidden objective. The mission will continue when you've destroyed the specified port facilities. The final mission objective is to sink the heavy cruiser Kumano. It appears to the southeast and is escorted by a trio of destroyers. You gain control of the Catalina at around this time. Make a water landing near your sub to load up on torpedoes. This gives the Catalina some attacking power against the cruiser, although ultimately it will probably be shot down. If you touched the F1M Pete previously, it will move in now to assist you. It is equipped with a mere two bombs and is very fragile, but the enemy won't attack it unless you bomb or shoot one of their ships. As a result the Pete is best kept in the air as an observation plane so you can see the destroyers if your Catalina gets shot down.

It's generally best to ignore the destroyers and focus on the cruiser. You should be making a beeline straight for the cruiser. Lodge all your frontal torpedoes into the bow of the Kumano, then turn sharply and line your rear torpedoes up as well. Sinking the destroyers does not net you any more objectives, so focus on the cruiser. Sink the Kumano to complete the mission.

The destroyers are not really a threat considering they spawn far away from the cruiser they must escort. Try to sink one or two of these with a head-on attack and sink the third as it passes behind you. Unlike the Japanese submarines, you have rear-mounted torpedo tubes.