Rank & Name:
Lt. Robert Farley II
Cycle: December 2003/Cycle 6
SubRon 2/ Division 4A
U.S.S. Permit
SS-178
Patrol Zone & Sector(s): Palau Islands/All Areas
TDC: Auto
Realism (%): 95%
Crew experience:
Green
Number of Warships sunk: 0
Number of Merchants sunk: 4
Warship tonnage:
0
Merchant tonnage:
24280
Total JANAC tonnage:
12140
Percent Damage:
0%
Days to Repair/Re-Supply: 11
Types of Warship sunk:
|
Date |
Time |
Lat &
Long |
Class of
Vessel |
Tonnage |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Types of Merchant sunk:
|
Date |
Time |
Lat &
Long |
Class of
Vessel |
Tonnage |
|
March 14,
1943 |
16:15 |
7-02N,
131-41E |
Oil Tanker |
8490 |
|
March 16,
1943 |
12:17 |
8-07N
132-41E |
Supply
Ship |
3020 |
|
March 16,
1943 |
18:42 |
8-05N
132-07E |
Troop
Transport |
7480 |
|
March 16,
1943 |
22:29 |
8-01N 132-07E |
Large
Freighter |
5290 |
Conducted Lifeguard duty: (If yes how many aviators
rescued):
|
Date |
Time |
Lat &
Long |
|
|
|
|
Conducted Photo Recon: (If Yes than where was it
performed )
|
Date |
Time |
Location |
Lat &
Long |
|
|
|
|
|
Patrol Narrative:
March 13, 1943
20:40 Entered
patrol area
March 14, 1943
09:14 Arrived
west of Islands; Investigated known shipping lanes.
15:51 SJ
contact bearing 348, 14000 yards.
Moved to intercept.
16:01 Target
spotted. Dove to periscope depth when
target hit 9000 yards. 5 targets. Two merchants and three destroyers are clearly visible.
16:15 Fired
two fish from bow tubes at first merchant.
Both hit and destroyed target
Fired two fish at second merchant. Target zigged when she saw the torpedo
wakes. Both fished missed.
Dove to 200 ft to evade incoming destroyers.
16:22 DC
attack started. Increased depth to 250 ft. No damage reported.
16:43 DD’s
lost contact. We must have found a
thermal. Rose to periscope depth to see
situation. DD’s spotted periscope and
headed straight for us. Dove again to
250 feet and changed course.
17:25 DD’s
again lost contact after we found the same thermal. I adjusted course to following last known heading of the convoy.
17:41 Report
on low battery came in from engineering.
Because of this and constant destroyer screen between us and merchant, I
decided to break contact and make escape.
18:25 No
targets present. Surfaced boat to
recharge batteries and find new contacts.
March 15, 1943
04:49 Received ULTRA report of nearby convoy.
08:08 Maneuvered to intercept point and found no convoy
March 16, 1943
11:27 SJ radar
contact at 15000 yards.
11:41 Convoy
is coming straight at us. Three
Merchants with single escort. Dove to
periscope depth when targets were 8000 yards away.
12:17 Maneuvered
to firing point. Fired single fish at
each of the three merchants. First and
second were duds. Third hit and sunk
target. I fired the remaining bow
torpedo at the second merchant. It too
was a dud.
Order right full rudder to bring the stern tubes to
bear. Fired 5th torpedo at
the first ship in convoy, distance 1300 yards.
Missed target.
Dove to 250 ft to avoid oncoming DD. Commenced evasion.
13:25 No
escort sounds heard. Rose to periscope
depth to take a look. DD drifting about
500 yards distant. She spotted us and
came right at us in an effort to ram.
Dove to 250 ft and endured a few DC’s until we found a thermal.
14:01 Again no
sounds of escort. Rose to periscope
depth for a look. Nothing in
sight. Surfaced to recharge batteries.
18:25 New SJ
contact at 12000 yards. Two distinct groups are visible on the scope. I believe the first is a scouting
escort. We make heading towards the
second group.
18:29 Spot
first group. It is a destroyer. We steer clear.
18:30 Second group
of ships spotted. Massive convoy. Their course will take them right over us.
18:35 Passing
between escort screen and main convoy body.
I’m going after the first three ships in the convoy
18:42 Fired 1
torpedo each at the first three ships in convoy when range hit 1000 yards. All three were duds. Quickly fired forth torpedo at the second
ship. Scored a direct hit an sunk her.
Ordered left full rudder to bring stern tubes to bear
on the now scattering ships.
18:52 Fired to
fish from stern tubes. Both duds. Dove to 200 ft to commence reload.
18:55 DD passing over head. DC’s dropped.
I only have one stern fish left. I’m going to have make this one count.
20:02 Rose to
periscope depth. I have a single merchant moving away at very slow
speed. DD’s are circling my position
but don’t seem to have found me. I’m
going after the slow merchant.
20:21 Long run
at flank speed was a big drain on batteries, but we’re in a good firing
position. Last stern fish fired at 1200
yards. Impact and detonation is
heard. The DD’s saw the fish’s wake and
are heading in. Crash dive.
20:30 DC’s
dropped all around. No damage.
22:09 After
numerous evasion maneuvers, the tin cans have moved off. Rose to radar depth to get bearing on the
wounded ship. She’s 4000 yards off and
moving away at 2 knots. I surfaced the
boat and got the deck crew ready.
22:29 Within
range. Single shell fired hit her and
the water line. This was the straw that
broke the camel’s back. Target
destroyed.
With no torpedo’s left, we headed for the barn. Dud torpedoes still a problem. Of the 16 torpedoes that we fired 50% were
duds.
Lt. Robert Farley II