Cycle: 5 (November 2003)
USS Thresher, SS-200
Patrol Zone & Sector(s): SI-1+2
TDC: Auto
Realism (%): 109%
Crew experience: Green
Number of Warships sunk: 1
Number of Merchants sunk: 0
Warship tonnage: 42,850
Merchant tonnage: 0
Total JANAC tonnage: 21,425
Types of Warship sunk: Nagato class Battleship
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Date |
Time |
Lat & Long |
Class of Vessel |
Tonnage |
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12/10/42 |
05:08 |
07-04S
x 153-46E |
NAGATO (BATTLESHIP) |
42,850 |
Types of Merchant sunk: 0
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Time |
Lat & Long |
Class of Vessel |
Tonnage |
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Conducted Lifeguard duty: (If yes how many aviators rescued):
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Date |
Time |
Lat & Long |
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Conducted Photo Recon: NO
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Date |
Time |
Location |
Lat & Long |
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Patrol Narrative:
RMKS/ 1. Departed Pearl Harbor 3rd of
December 1942 and headed for the Solomon Islands. Had a load of 24 Mk-14
torpedo’s with magnetic exploders.
RMKS/ 2. December 7th entered patrol sectors
SI-1&2.
RMKS/ 3. December 9th SJ contact bearing
006` at 14,580 yds. 14:07 lookouts spotted a mast bearing 013` at 18,000
heading due west. 14:10 dove to periscope depth to close the target from 14,000
yds ahead. 14:28 identified 1-Supply ship 2 Armed Merchants and 1-Small
Freighter in a single column with 3 escorts. Worked into a position to fire on
the larger Merchants. 14:53 fired 2 torpedo’s at each AMC from about 550 yds
set for magnetic detonation. All 4 were duds and the escorts headed for us.
Dove to 350 feet and turned away to evade. Several depth charges were dropped
but none were close to us. At 19:02 the escorts finally headed away and at
20:40 we surfaced.
RMKS/ 4. December 10th 03:10 SJ
Radar picked up a contact bearing 032` at 16,000 yds. I turned due north to get
ahead of the target. 03:21 lookouts shouted out they had 2 Battleships bearing
023` at 4,200 yds. I went at once to periscope depth and identified both BB’s
at the Nagato and the Matsu both Nagato class Battleships. I turned due east to
be in perfect firing position when both BB’s and the 3 visible escorts turned
due west. I setup on the nearest BB (Nagato) and fired all forward and stern
tubes from 640 yds. 5 hit but 1 prematured and 4 were duds. I crash dived to
try and shake the escorts. I went to 350 feet but the escorts still gave us a
bad time. Depth Charges damaged the Control Tower Hull, the Engine Room Hull,
DC Motor 2, and knocked out the Hydrophones. I jettisoned debris and proceeded
to make several course changes and finally pulled away from the escorts to the
northwest. As the sound of the escorts was fading astern large slow speed
screws were heard to pass right over us heading north. I came to periscope
depth and low and behold there was the “Matsu” only 1,100 yds off. I got a real
quick setup and fired the reloaded 6 bow tubes from 1,400 yds. 3 detonated and
3 were again duds. I fired 2 of my 4 remaining stern torpedo’s from 2,000 yds
then waited. Both impacted sinking the great Battleship. A fast sweep showed 5
escorts astern closing from 4,500 yds so I surfaced and went to flank speed. A
radar sweep out to 40,000 yds showed no sign of the damaged “Nagato”. The
escorts continued to close on me at a speed higher than we could obtain so at
05:16 I fired 1 torpedo from astern toward the lead escort at 3,400 yds. At the
last minute the escort swerved avoiding the torpedo but that caused the rest of
the escorts to slow and take evasive action to avoid a collision. Just as they
began to reform the torpedo detonated on the end of its run and they once again
took evasive action. I had managed to open the gap to 4,200 yds but again the
escorts high speed closed the gap. When the lead escort was 3,600 yds off I
dove to 365 feet and turned northwest at 2/3 speed. The escorts couldn’t find
me with sonar and after dropping a few patterns of depth charges turned back to
the sinking “Matsu”. I stayed deep until 10:32 then came to radar depth and
cleared the area and surfaced. With only one torpedo remaining aft I elected to
return to port. Set course for base and sent off a report of our sinking and
damaging of the “Nagato”.
Hit – 10
Dud – 11
Premature – 1
Miss – 1
Remaining – 1
Lt. SJ Turner (III)
CO: USS Thresher, SS-200
// SENDS //