Rank & Name: LCDR. SJ Turner (III)

Cycle: 6 (December 2003)

Squadron 2, Submarine Division 4A

USS Thresher, SS-200

 

Patrol Zone & Sector(s): Indochina

 

TDC: Auto

 

Realism (%): 109%

 

Crew experience: Green

 

Number of Warships sunk: 0

 

Number of Merchants sunk: 11

 

Warship tonnage: 0

 

Merchant tonnage: 70,400

 

Total JANAC tonnage: 35,200

 

Types of Warship sunk: N/A

 

Date	Time	Lat & Long	Class of Vessel	Tonnage

 

Types of Merchant sunk: 11

 

Date	Time	Lat & Long	Class of Vessel	Tonnage
12 March 1943	06:02	10-58N x 13-03E	SAMPAN	0
12 March 1943	04:02	11-09N x 110-44E	OIL TANKER	10,520 / 5,260
12 March 1943	04:02	11-09N x 110-44E	TROOP SHIP	10,170 / 5,085
12 March 1943	04:11	11-09N x 110-45E	ARMED MERCHANT	6,500 / 3,250
12 March 1943	06:13	11-40N x 110-42E	SUPPLY SHIP	3,190 / 1,595
12 March 1943	06:25	11-40N x 110-46E	OIL TANKER	10,520 / 5,260
12 March 1943	06:32	11-40N x 110-48E	OIL TANKER	10,520 / 5,260
12 March 1943	06:49	11-40N x 110-53E	FACTORY SHIP	5,900 / 2,950
12 March 1943	06:49	11-40N x 110-53E	SMALL FREIGHTER	880 / 440
12 March 1943	06:56	11-40N x 110-55E	LARGE FREIGHTER	6,300 / 3,150
12 March 1943	07:05	11-40N x 110-57E	FACTORY SHIP	5,900 / 2,950

 

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

 

Date	Time	Lat & Long

Conducted Photo Recon: NO  

Date	Time	Location	Lat & Long

 

 Patrol Narrative:

 

RMKS/ 1. March 11 1943 the Thresher arrived on station in the Indochina area with 24 Mk-14 torpedo’s. Weather conditions were bad with heavy seas and Overcast skies. Maneuvering was rough.

 

RMKS/ 2. Friday March 12 05:49 SJ radar reported contact bearing 068` at 4,800 yds. Nine minutes later at 09:58 lookouts spotted a lone Sampan off the starboard bow. The gun crew was summoned to stations and fired 2 rounds the first of which missed and the second that hit aft and sank the vessel. Resumed patrol.

 

RMKS/ 3. Saturday March 13 02:44 SJ radar made contact bearing 013` at 12,300 yds. SJ reported it as a big contact. 03:51 lookouts spotted 2-Tankers and an Armed Merchant bearing 002` at 3,200 yds going away from us. Radar reported more contacts ahead of these but due to weather conditions were not visable. The Armed Merchant gave the best setup so I fired one torpedo at it from 3,100 yds. It was heard by our soundman to hit target but failed to explode. Either the flask exploding warned the convoy or they sent out a radio message but the entire convoy turned nearly 70 degrees to port giving me a much better firing solution. I went to radar depth and continued to close. 04:00 fired one torpedo at a Tanker from 1,700 yds only to see it premature seconds after firing shaking the Thresher badly. Fired a second torpedo at the Armed Merchant from 1,500 yds only to witness another dud. Fired a second torpedo at the same Tanker and watched it sink the Tanker. Fired one torpedo at a Troop ship from 2,000 yds and it to sank. Fired a third torpedo at the same Armed Merchant from 1,000 yds and it was another dud. I brought the stern tubes to bare and fired a 4^th torpedo at the Merchant from 650 yds and it hit and detonated but failed to sink the ship. Fired a 5^th torpedo from 600 yds only to see another dud. Fired a 6^th torpedo from 650 yds and it detonated but failed to sink the target. Fired a 7^th torpedo from 800 yds and it to was a dud. Turned and brought the only reloaded forward tube back to bare on the Armed Merchant. Fired an 8^th torpedo from 520 yds which finally sank the Armed Merchant. Being out of loaded tubes right now we turned to trail the remainder of the convoy while reloading. At 04:11 we surfaced to go after the convoy. Radar held contact at 7,200 yds ahead. 05:23 lookouts spotted a Factory ship bearing 0301 at 3,800 yds and a Tanker trailing the Factory ship. 06:06 fired one torpedo at the Tanker from 4,800 yds set at slow speed. A early detonation and large ball of fire revealed that an unseen Supply ship between us and the tanker absorbed the torpedo and sank. Continued to close and at 06:20 the deck gun took the nearest Tanker under fire from 4,500 yds. Fired 20 rounds fro 15-Hits and 5-Misses sinking the Tanker.

 

RMKS/ 4. 06:26 the deck gun took a second tanker under fire from 7,000 yds. Fired 26 rounds for 17-Hits and 9-Misses sinking the Tanker. 06:33 took a Factory ship under fire from 4,000 yds and fired 21 rounds for 18-Hits and 3-Misses before the ship began to return fire as we closed to much. I ordered the deck gun secured and went to periscope depth for the killing shot. 06:39 fired one torpedo at the CFS from 3,000 yds set at slow speed. It prematured before impact. 06:41 fired a second torpedo from 2,600 yds and it to ran under the target and missed. 06:44 fired a third torpedo from 1,300 yds set at high speed and it to missed. 06:46 fired a fourth torpedo from 1,000 yds and amazingly it detonated on target. A quick sweep showed a Small Freighter crossing our bow at 480 yds so I fired one torpedo at it only to witness another dud. Turned for a stern shot and fired a fifth torpedo at the Factory ship from 980 yds and finally sank it. Fired a second torpedo at the Small Freighter from 450 yds and sank it. With radar and visual search only two merchants from the original convoy remained. We surfaced to give chase on a Large Freighter and a Factory ship. The Freighter was closest and we took it under deck gun fire from 1,700 yds. Fired 15 rounds for 14-Hits and 1-Miss. The Freighter did fire 4 shots at us but all fell way to stern in our wake. I don’t believe they actually sighted us. Shifted fire to the Factory ship from 2,200 yds. Fired 11 rounds for 4-Hits and 7-Misses. Being out of deck gun ammunition I fired one torpedo from 1,400 yds which missed. Turned to use my last two stern torpedo’s and fired a second from 940 yds which hit. Fired a third from 1,070 yds which also hit. Turned to bring my remaining two bow tubes to bare. Fired a 4^th from 1,000 yds and sank the ship. With only one torpedo left we resumed patrolling.

 

RMKS/ 5. Monday March 15 decided to return to port after making numerous contacts but was unable to gain a firing position on any of them. Set course for base at SubSoWesPac.

 

Hit – 11

Dud – 6

Premature – 2

Miss – 4
Remaining – 1

Deck Gun
Hit = 69, Miss = 26

 

LCDR. SJ Turner (III)

CO: USS Thresher, SS-200

 

 

// SENDS //