Rank & Name: Lt. James D.
Cox
Cycle: 2 (August 2003)
USS & SS: U.S.S. Salmon, SS-182
Patrol Zone & Sector(s): M-1+2
TDC: Auto
Realism (%): 95%
Crew experience: Green
Number of Warships sunk: 0
Number of Merchants sunk: 1
Warship tonnage: 0
Merchant tonnage: 11,710
Total JANAC tonnage: 5,855
Types of Warship sunk: N/A
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Date |
Time |
Lat & Long |
Class of Vessel |
Tonnage |
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Types of Merchant sunk: 1
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Date |
Time |
Lat & Long |
Class of Vessel |
Tonnage |
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15 March 1942 |
17:29 |
02-06N X 105-26E |
ARMED MERCHANT |
11,710 / 5,855 |
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:
Wednesday,
04 Mar. 1942:
18:00 hrs.
Left Port of Fremantle. Crew has HIGH moral for second patrol. USS-Salmon is
all ready.
Friday,
06 Mar. 1942:
00:15hrs., Arrived in patrol area
M-2. Heading for Singapore on the surface at Flank speed before the sun comes
up.
04:30hrs., Went to periscope depth,
as the Sun was rising.
05:10hrs., Looked in the scope. As
we are coming in the Narrows of Singapore from the South.
09:30hrs., Looked in the scope for a
bearing for the XO & Navigator. Salmon is still heading in the narrow waters
South of Singapore.
10:45hrs., Stopped Salmon at
0'49"N, 103'55"E before we get to close to Singapore, and maybe some
patrolling DD's, or Aircraft. Sent "FLASH"
to base on Salmon's location.
15:56hrs., Got "FLASH" back from base. Salmon is A-O.k. on location.
From:
16:00hrs.; 06 Mar. till 00:19hrs.; 10 Mar. 1942:
By Day, Submerged, By Night, Re-charging battery's on the
surface. NO sign's of life in the way of Jap's, (Shipping, Aircraft, Not even a
Sampan).
Early
Morning, Tuesday, 10 Mar. 1942:
00:20hrs., Did a Recon of Singapore
Harbor on my on. ( Large Japanese Naval Base )"Man, I've got to be crazy
for doing this."
06:45hrs., Due South of Singapore
Harbor. 1-CV, 1-CVE, 1-BB, 2-CA's, 1-CL, 3-DD's, 3-Merchant ship's in harbor, (
12-Ship's in all ). 3-DD's patrolling ( On guard ). Singapore Harbor look's
like a busy place for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Other than that Singapore
look's piece-full to the world of this war. No Destroyer patrol on the south
side of Singapore enterance. Jap's must think it's un-impastable by submarine
from this side.
07:30hrs., Looked in scope again of
harbor. Heading Salmon 230* submerged, at 1/3 speed.
09:00hrs., Heading up to Malacca (
Medium Japanese Port ) at 2' 07"N, 102' 23"E .
Wednesday,
11 Mar. 1942:
10:25hrs., Large Patrol of 6-DD's on
guard. Turn the Salmon around as I have pushed my luck to the braking point.
Will return another day.
Thursday,
12 Mar. 1942:
06:00hrs., Submerged Salmon, as
battery's are up to full power.
06:41hrs., Heading for open
sea's.
From:
06:42; 12 Mar. Till 15:00; 15 Mar. 1942:
Nothing New to report.
Sunday,
15:01hrs., 15 Mar. 1942:
15:01hrs., Spotted 3 ship in the
scope. 1-Armed Merchant Cruiser, 1-Troop Transport, 1-Oil Tanker heading 065*,
No escort's in sight. Speed 08kts., Range 7,500 yds.
15:02hrs., Ordered Salmon to the
surface for an end run on them.
15:09hrs., Salmon making speed of
12kts., course 065*.
16:00hrs., Turned Salmon to 000*,
Range to target's 7,000yds..
16:05hrs., Ordered Salmon to periscope
depth of 65ft.,speed flank.
16:30hrs., Ordered Salmon to 065*,
speed 1/3kts., Range to target's 3,000yds., an coming up on Salmon's port side.
16:40hrs., Setup 3 torpedo's on the
Armed Merchant Cruiser, Depth setting's are 30ft., 3 torpedo's on the Troop
Transport, depth setting of 23ft., 2 torpedo's on the Oil Tanker, settings of
23ft. also.
16:44hrs., Fired 8 torpedo's at said
target's. 1 torpedo permo'd on the way too the target. All three ship's headed
North, as the Salmon turned to aheading of 000*, speed flank.
16:55hrs., Surfaced. Manned AA-Gun,
Ordered Deck gun to open fire on the AMC.
17:29hrs., AMC going to the bottom.
85 rds. used, 10 left; 8 torpedo's fired, 12 left.
17:30hrs., Turned Salmon on the
Troop Transport, Range 3,400yds., When Salmon got a report of aircraft spotted.
Ordered Salmon for crash dive, full flank, hard to port.
17:32hrs., AA guns opened up on the
first aircraft, as she ( Salmon ) was still diving. Aircraft dropped 1 bomb
starboard side with NO damage to the boat. Depth of Salmon about 25 to 30 feet.
17:33hrs., AA guns opened up on
second aircraft coming in ahead of Salmon.
17:34hrs., Second aircraft dropped 1
bomb to port side of Salmon with NO damage. As Salmon was still heading to
256ft.
17:35hrs., Salmon is under the
water. Ordered Salmon to 000*, speed flank. As we cleared the area, just in
case the little yellow Jap radioed for a destroyer to. "Like 2 aircraft
isn't enough."
17:45hrs., Salmon is at 256 ft.,
heading North at flank speed.
18:00hrs., Reduced speed to 1/3 to
see if there are any DD's around, Ordered Salmon too periscope depth.
18:15hrs., Risied scope for a look
see. No aircraft, or DD's around. Stayed submerged on this course until
19:00hrs..
19:00hrs., Risied scope for look
see. NO ship's around, and NO aircraft. RED
light's just came on. Ordered Salmon to the surface to re-charge battery's.
19:15hrs., Surfaced.
19:16hrs. till 00:00hrs., Patrolled
for some sign's of shipping.
From:
00:01hrs.; 16 Mar. Till 5:00hrs.; 18 Mar. 1942:
Nothing to report.
Wednesday,
05:15hrs.; 18 Mar. 1942:
05:16hrs., At ( 2' 29"N, 104' 54"E ) found 8 ship
convoy with 3-DD's, 1-Troop transport, 2-Standard Merchants, 2-Oil Tankers.
6,800yds., speed 9kts., course 180*.
05:30hrs., Ordered Salmon to Flank
speed to attack them.
05:45hrs., Range 5,500yds. in this
heavy overcast from target's, Ordered Salmon to crash dive. Then as the water
got a holed of the dive planes. Ordered periscope depth of 65ft., at 2/3 speed.
06:00hrs., Put Salmon on a course of
270*, speed standard until the range closed on the targets.
06:10hrs., Turned Salmon to 180*,
same as the targets for a broadside on them, 2- torpedo's on the Troop
Transport, settings of 23ft., 4-on the Oil Tankers, settings of 21ft., 2- on
the Standard Merchants, settings of 26ft..
06:22hrs., As the targets came up
(From back to front) 2 @ the SM, 2 @ the last OT, 2 @ the other OT, and 2 @ the
TT ( SM=Standard Merchant, OT=Oil Tanker, TT=Troop Transport ) in question.
06:26hrs., All torpedo's went under
said target's, without exploding.
06:28hrs., 2 torpedo's promo'd on
the other side of targets. Destroyer's headed to the explosion's. Salmon turned
180* from the explosion's to make good her escape. Dove to 150ft. @ 1/3 speed.
06:45hrs., Heard prop noise above,
went to periscope depth for a look see.
06:57hrs., Rised scope to find a SM
doing 8kts. in a circle. Setup last 4 torpedo's on her for a depth setting of
26ft. again as ordered.
07:00hrs., Fired last 4 torpedo's at
said target ONLY to have them again go under the ship
without exploding. Something is WRONG with said torpedo's ( Mk-14's ).
07:01hrs., Hear pinging in the
distance. Salmon going deep ( 256ft. ), at 2/3 speed, course 090*.
08:00hrs., No pinging can be heard.
Salmon makes good her escape again.
From:
08:01hrs.; 18 Mar. till 23:59hrs.; 20 Mar., 1942
Patrolled around to find something. Nothing can be found. Ordered Salmon to make way for home water's.
Arrived;
21 March, 1942 at Fremantle:
HOME AT LAST. Fresh Vegetable's, and
Milk for the crew. An lots of it.
Lt. James
D. Cox
CO:
USS-Salmon, SS-182
U.S. Navy
// SENDS //