Rank & Name: Lt

Rank & Name: Lt. James D. Cox

Cycle: 2 (September 2003)

Squadron & Division: Squadron 2, Submarine Division 4A

USS & SS: U.S.S. Albacore, SS-218

 

Patrol Zone & Sector(s): F-1 & F-2

 

TDC: Auto

 

Realism (%): 95%

 

Crew experience: Veteran

 

Number of Warships sunk: 1

 

Number of Merchants sunk: 5

 

Warship tonnage: 13,440

 

Merchant tonnage: 58,370

 

Total JANAC tonnage: 35,905

 

Types of Warship sunk: 1

 

Date

Time

Lat & Long

Class of Vessel

Tonnage

19 August 1942

05:28

23-57N x 120-05E

MOGAMI HEAVY CRUISER

13,440

 

Types of Merchant sunk: 5

 

Date

Time

Lat & Long

Class of Vessel

Tonnage

18 August 1942

15:28

23-58N X 120-05E

STANDARD MERCHANT

13,580/ 6,790

18 August 1942

15:37

23-58N X 120-06E

STANDARD MERCHANT

13,580/ 6,790

18 August 1942

15:39

23-58N X 120-05E

STANDARD MERCHANT

13,580/ 6,790

18 August 1942

19:52

23-57N X 120-12E

ARMED MERCHANT

9,110/ 4,555

18 August 1942

19:53

23-57N x 120-12E

FACTORY SHIP

8,520/ 4,260

 

Conducted Lifeguard duty: (If yes how many aviators rescued): 

 

Date

Time

Lat & Long

 

 

 

Conducted Photo Recon:

Date

Time

Location

Lat & Long

 

 

 

 

 

 Patrol Narrative:

 

Tuesday, 04 Aug. 1942: Left port for patrol area's F-1 & 2. Crew is in good shape. Albacore is ready for action.

           

Friday, 14 Aug. 1942. 18:53hrs.: Been in patrol area F-2 for 10 days now, With NO sign's of Japanese shipping. Lookout are doing there job, as the only thing we have come across is enemy aircraft from time to time, from Keelung, or Foochow. Well move to F-1 at midnight.  

 

 

Early Morning of 15 Aug. 1942: Moving to F-1. Hope this area is better than F-2. Well try the area between Formosa, and Makumg Island area, North, Northwest of Takoa.

 

Evening of 18 Aug., 1942:

            14:30hrs. Convoy sighted by lookout's.           

            14:45hrs. Convoy is on a course of 177*, spd. 8kts. Coming right at us.

            15:00hrs. Convoy has NO escort's with her, & NO aircraft at the moment.

            15:10hrs. Convoy has NO air cover.

            15:20hrs. 3-Standard Merchant's ( SM ), and 1-Supply Ship. Range 6,000yds., and closing on the Albacore. As the Albacore is right in the path of the convoy in question.

            15:26hrs. 6-torpedo's set for a running draft of 20ft.. Range is 2,000yds.

            15:27hrs. Fired ALL 6 bow tubes, ( 2-at the last SM from the Albacore, 2-at the middle one, and 2-at the closest one from the Albacore. ) Turned Albacore hard left, to put the stern tube into play.

            15:28hrs. Last SM from the Albacore is going to the bottom.

            15:29hrs. 1 torpedo from the middle, and 1 torpedo from the closest permatured about 300yds. from said targets. Other torpedo's HIT, slowing them down a little.

            15:30hrs. Setup 2-torpedo's from the stern for a draft of 20ft.

            15:31hrs. fired one torpedo at each SM.

            15:32hrs. Both torpedo's hit said target's, with NO permature's. Both ship's still moving slowly, and on fire.

            15:34hrs. Ordered Battle surface, to sink said target's with deckgun's.

            15:37hrs. 1-SM heading to the bottom, stern first.

            15:39hrs. Second SM, sink by the bow.

            15:40hrs. Fire everywhere on the water as Albacore is    

heading away from the area. 1-Supply Ship is NO where to be found.

 

            19:00hrs. Lookout's sighted Small Convoy of 1-Armed Merchant Cruiser ( AMC ), 1-Converted Factory Ship ( CFS ), 2-Supply Ship's, and 2-Aircraft as air-escort's coming out of Takoa.

            19:30hrs. Air cover for the convoy, returned to Takoa as night is coming on fast.

            19:35hrs. Convoy is still heading for us on a course of 355*, spd. 7kts., Range is about 6,000yds..

            19:50hrs. Setup 4 stern tubes, 2 for a running draft of 19ft. on the AMC, and 2 for a running draft of 31ft. on the CFS.

            19:51hrs. Fired 2 at the AMC.

            19:52hrs. AMC is going to the bottom. Fired 2 at the CFS.

            19:53hrs. CFS is going to the bottom also.

 

Early Morning 19 Aug., 1942:

            00:45hrs. Battery's are all charged up on the Albacore as she is moving North at 1/3 spd..

            03:00hrs. Lookout's see Task Force ( TF ), Range is about 8,000yds., 1-Mogami Class Heavy Cruiser, and 3-Escort's. Speed is 23kts., Course 182*.

            03:30hrs. Albacore is in the right spot. TF is heading right for us.

            03:35hrs. Setup 8-torpedo's for a running draft of 13ft.

            03:40hrs. Fired 6 bow tubes, turned the Albacore to hard left for the stern tube.

            03:42hrs. 2 torpedo's permatured about 200yds from the target.

            03:43hrs. 3 torpedo's hit, 1 torpedo was a DUD. The 3 escort's are pinging away for the Albacore. Trying to find the dirty-dog that broke up there moon light cruise.

            03:45hrs. Mogami is going dead in the water, I think.

            03:46hrs. Fired the last of the stern tube's a the Mogami. Only to have one torpedo permature, and one DUD again.

            03:48hrs. Mogami is making 2kts. or less, as she is burning at the stern badly.

            03:50hrs. Escort's have found us. Albacore is heading for 200ft. fast as there is only 238ft. in the bath tub now.

            From; 03:50hrs. till 04:55hrs. The Albacore is pounded by the escort's with depth-charge's, with very little damage to her.

            04:56hrs. Pinging is going faint, as the Albacore is moving to periscope depth for a look see.

            05:00hrs. NO escort's in sight. But there is a big, fat heavy cruiser, at 4,000yds., making 5kts. trying to get away.

            05:15hrs. Setup the last 4 torpedo's for draft of 13ft..

            05:25hrs. Fired 1 torpedo for it to be a DUD.

            05:26hrs. Fired 1 torpedo for it to permature.

            05:27hrs. Fired 1 torpedo for it to be a DUD also. DAMN, one torpedo left.

            05:28hrs. Fired 1 torpedo, It's out-ta here, as one Mogami Class Cruiser is heading to the bottom, to meet Dave Jones.

            05:29hrs. Surfaced to re-charge battery's, and to clear the area before aircraft can arrive.

            06:00hrs. Heading home.

 

Tuesday, 08 Sept.,1942:

           

            USS-Albacore is home at Midway.

             

 

 

Lt. James D. Cox

CO: USS-Albacore, SS-218

U.S. Navy

 

 

// SENDS //

 

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