After returning from Japanese waters, the SUNFISH sailed to Midway, now a submarine refitting and refueling base. After a little R&R (See war stories to come) she departed for the shallow East China Sea on 4 Feb, 1943. This was to be her SECOND WAR PATROL. Here the SUNFISH drew her first blood. The hapless Japanese had to strike two freighters, one that was 5,478 tons, and another that was 6,662 tons. The SUNFISH also severely damaged a 16,975 ton troop transport. Unfortunately, that one slipped the noose. The SUNFISH came back and refitted and refueled and departed on her THIRD WAR PATROL. This one, like her first, was characterized by a lack of targets, but in her usual AGGRESSIVE fashion, she bombarded the Japanese held island of Fais with her deck gun!!

The SUNFISH departed on her FOURTH WAR PATROL and sailed all of the way to the dangerously shallow waters off of Formosa. She had sailed into what today would be considered a "target rich environment." This hunting ground provided FIVE good targets, or which THREE were sent to the bottom and the other two sent to a shipyard with damage!!! She was a voracious hunter, the SUNFISH. The enemy vessels introduced into Davy Jones' locker were: a tanker of 9,182 tons, a freighter of 9,980 tons, and a troop transport of 10,000 tons. This total of 29,162 tons made this patrol, after evaluation by COMSUBPAC officials, as one of the HUNDRED BEST war patrols of the ENTIRE WAR!! What an outstanding accomplishment.

The SUNFISH's fifth patrol was characterized by torrentially bad weather which hampered her detection of enemy targets and her surface speed. The SUNFISH chased a carrier task force (a sub skipper's dream) but could not turn the corner and get into firing position. This was the last patrol for Cdmr R.W. Peterson.

The intrepid Cdmr E.E. Shelby took out the SUNFISH on her sixth war patrol. This skipper was revered by his men and thought by many, Dad included, to be one of the bravest men he had ever met! This patrol turned out to be ONE OF THE BEST OF THE ENTIRE WAR! The SUNFISH bagged, what was thought to be a carrier (later verified) and one large freighter for a total of 30,356 tons!!!!The SUNFISH was sent back to the states for a much deserved rest, refit, and recreation period. She was taken care of at Hunter's Point, SF, CA. (see the war story on Dad's beard incident) After this welcome period at home, she returned to the war zone and IMMEDIATELY turned in ANOTHER awesome war patrol. She sunk 18 ships, yes 18! They were three freighters, 4,000 tons, 4,000 tons, and 7,500 tons respectively. A patrol vessel of 500 tons and 13 different ARMED sampans totaling 2,500 tons. The sampans were destroyed by SURFACE GUN ACTION which, of course, exposed the sub to enemy counter-attack. (See the patrol logs for more information) Finally, a 6,600 ton freighter was heavily damaged and got away. The seventh war patrol was indeed lucky for the SUNFISH. In fact, the gun action was called by CinCPac as the BEST GUN ACTION for a sub in the entire war!

The eighth war patrol of the SUNFISH was the FIRST of three into the notoriously SHALLOW Yellow Sea. This patrol, performed by E.E. Shelby and his men, was also included into the category of, "top 100 patrols of the war!" The SUNFISH attacked with her usual aggressive spirit and sunk four ships and damaged another. The four sunk were: two cargo ships and two tankers for a total of 33,000 tons sunk and the damaged 7,000 ton tanker that got away.

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