Rank & Name: LCDR SJ Turner (III)
Cycle: Seven (7)
Submarine Squadron 2 / Submarine Division 4A
U.S.S. Thresher SS-200
Patrol Zone & Sector(s): South China Sea ( all
sectors )
TDC: Auto
Realism (%): 109%
Crew experience: Elite
Number of Warships sunk: 0
Number of Merchants sunk: 7
Warship tonnage: 0
Merchant tonnage: 54,220 tons
Total JANAC tonnage: 27,110 tons
Damage sustained: Hull – Light (10 %) System – Light
(12 %)
Types of Warship sunk: 0
|
Date |
Time |
Lat &
Long |
Class of
Vessel |
Tonnage |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Types of Merchant sunk: 7
|
Date |
Time |
Lat &
Long |
Class of
Vessel |
Tonnage |
|
June 21,
1943 |
02:06 |
21-49N,
123-28E |
Oil Tanker |
10,010 |
|
June 21,
1943 |
02:12 |
21-48N,
123-27E |
Small
Freighter |
1,520 |
|
June 21,
1943 |
02:16 |
21-46N,
123-26E |
Supply |
2,610 |
|
June 21,
1943 |
02:37 |
21-40N,
123-15E |
Standard
Merchant |
7,170 |
|
June 21,
1943 |
02:45 |
21-38N,
123-10E |
Oil Tanker |
10,260 |
|
June 21,
1943 |
02:53 |
21-37N,
123-05E |
Standard
Merchant |
11,770 |
|
June 21,
1943 |
02:57 |
21-37N,
123-03E |
Armed
Merchant |
10,880 |
Conducted Lifeguard duty: NONE
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Date |
Time |
Lat &
Long |
|
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Conducted Photo Recon: NONE
|
Date |
Time |
Location |
Lat &
Long |
|
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Patrol Narrative:
RMKS/ 1. We departed port on June 3, 1943 and headed north to
our assigned patrol area, the South China Sea.
We arrived on station on June 12 and started to patrol South of Hong
Kong.
RMKS/ 2. Tuesday 15 June 17:52 SJ radar made contact bearing
302` at 11,900 yds. SD radar also picked up an air contact at 17,000 yds. I
dove as the aircraft close inside of 10,000 yds and went to 180 feet, which
left 70 more under the keel. 18:16 picked up low speed screws to port and I
went to periscope depth. Spotted 1 DD at 1,000 yds and 2 Standard Merchants at
3,600 yds. Spotted 2 additional escorts and decided to break off the contact
due to the shallow water and no temperature gradient to hide in. 19:33 came to
radar depth and surfaced at 19:56.
RMKS/ 3. Wednesday 16 June 04:30 SJ contact bearing 020` at
8,200 yds. Two minutes later spotted a Yagumo DD bearing 039` at 7,400 yds and
went to radar depth. 04:41 radar showed us 8,600 yds ahead of a large group of
ships. I went to periscope depth and identified 2-Small Freighters, 2-Armed
Merchants, 2-Large Freighters, 1-Supply, 1- Factory, and 1-Standard Merchant.
Also spotted 5 escorts. Just before firing time convoy turned hard to port and
escorts began active pinging. I went to 200 feet and let them clear the area.
Surfaced at 06:09 and at 06:27 SD radar picked up 2 air contacts at 16,000 yds
so I pulled the plug and went deep. Radar depth at 08:00 and surfaced after
clearing the area. By 18:48 had completed battery charge and was over deep
water.
RMKS/ 4. Thursday 17 June 10:20 lookouts spotted a pagoda type
mast on the horizon bearing 357` at 23,000 yds. I set an intercept course and
went to radar depth at flank speed. Turned out to be a Nagato class battleship
with 9 escorts all around. At 10:46 fired all 6-bow tubes from 2,100 yds then
went deep. Arrived at 368 feet awaiting impact time. Was hard to tell but
sounded like 3 hits on the target. I turned southwest at 1/3 speed to elude the
very angry escorts. Had a great thermal layer at 100 feet so I wasn’t detected.
At 12:39 all the escorts passed over going south. 13:10 arrived radar depth but
had no contacts. Assuming the escorts were still with the Battleship I headed
south at flank speed. After making no contact I circled to the northeast in
hopes of regaining contact but never did. Hopefully the damage will lay up the
Battleship sometime for repairs.
RMKS/ 5. Sunday 20 June 07:43 lookouts spotted a mast bearing
335` at 24,500 yds and also SD radar picked up 2 air contacts at 17,000 yds.
Dove to radar depth on a large convoy. One of the aircraft apparently had
spotted us on diving and they headed right for us. Pulled the plug and went
deep. One escort also came over to investigate causing us to loose contact on
the convoy. At 09:59 the escort departed and we went to radar depth. As
suspected the convoy was nowhere to be found. Surfaced and continued patrol.
RMKS/ 6. Monday 21 June 01:28 SJ contact bearing 317` at
14,400 yds. At 01:44 lookouts spotted a Standard Merchant bearing 060` at
11,247 heading 183`. I came south to intercept. Final tally of the convoy
revealed 4-Supply’s, 3-Merchants, 2-Tankers and 2-Armed Merchants, 1-Small
Freighter. I was trailing the single file convoy so elected to target the
trailing Tanker and at 01:52 fired 1 torpedo from 7,500 yds set at slow speed.
The torpedo missed but was spotted because the Tanker turned to starboard
closing the range on us. At 02:05 fired a second torpedo from 2,100 yds set on
slow and it sank the Tanker. The convoy turned southwest and I surfaced to
pursue. At 02:10 I had the deck gun open fire on the trailing Small Freighter
from 2,000 yds. Fired 17 times for 15-hits and 2-misses and sank the vessel.
Shifted fire to the next ship in line a Supply ship and opened fire from 2,000
yds. Fired 14 rounds for 12-hits and 2-misses and sank the vessel. By now my speed had carried me by the last
ship in line, a Standard Merchant and I fired 2 stern tubes at it from 1,500
yds at 02:31. One torpedo prematured but the second hit. I fired a third at it
and it was a dud. Fired a fourth from 1,700 yds and it to was a dud. Had the
deck gun take it under fire from 2,000 yds. Fired 25 rounds for 23-hits and
2-misses and sank the vessel finally. Picked out the next ship in line an Armed
Merchant and at 02:39 fired 2-bow torpedo’s from 2,600 yds. One was a dud but
one hit. I fired 2 more bow torpedo’s and had another dud and a hit. I shifted
my attention to the leading Oil Tanker in hopes the damaged Armed Merchant
would sink. The deck gun fired 15 rounds for 15 hits sinking the Tanker from
3,900 yds. I shifted my focus back to the Armed Merchant and from 2,600 yds the
deck gun poured 24 rounds into it. Being out of deck gun ammo I had to go back
to torpedo’s. Fired a fifth torpedo from 2,700 yds and it was a dud. Fired a
sixth from 2,500 yds and it was a dud. At 02:55 fired a seventh torpedo from
1,800 yds and it prematured. Fired an 8th torpedo from 2,000 yds and
finally sank the ship. With only one bow and one stern torpedo remaining I
headed for the last Armed Merchant, which was being trailed by 2 Supply ships I
had to pass. I got to close and they fired on me knocking out my periscope and
damaging the Forward Torpedo Room hull, Aft Torpedo tubes 8+9 and the Stern
Dive Planes. I snap shot the bow tube at the Armed Merchant from 2,600 yds then
turned due away from the Supply ships and fired my last stern tube from 3,000
yds at the Merchant. I didn’t receive any more fire from the Supply vessels and
only one torpedo hit the Merchant ship damaging it. Being out of torpedo’s and
deck gun ammo I set course for base.
Torpedo Performance:
Hit – 7
Missed – 9
Dud – 6
Premature – 2
Deck Gun:
Hit – 89
Miss – 6
LCDR. SJ Turner (III)
USS Thresher, SS-200
// SENDS //