Cycle: 4 (October
2003)
USS GUARDFISH (SS-217)
Patrol Zone & Sector(s): SJ 1,2,&3
TDC: Auto
Realism (%): 109%
Crew experience: Veteran
Number of Warships sunk: 4
Number of Merchants sunk: 3
Warship tonnage: 0
Merchant tonnage: 24,730
Total JANAC tonnage: 12,365
Types of Warship sunk: 4
|
Date |
Time |
Lat & Long |
Class of Vessel |
Tonnage |
|
14 Sept
1942 |
21:40 |
33-57N x 131-09E |
(DD) FUBUKI |
N/A |
|
14 Sept
1942 |
21:45 |
33-57N x 131-09E |
(DD) MUTSUKI |
N/A |
|
15 Sept
1942 |
19:53 |
33-57N x 130-48E |
(DD) YUGUMO |
N/A |
|
15 Sept
1942 |
19:56 |
33-57N x 130-48E |
(DD) KAGERO |
N/A |
Types of Merchant sunk: 3
|
Date |
Time |
Lat & Long |
Class of Vessel |
Tonnage |
|
15 Sept
1942 |
00:15 |
33-57N x 130-51E |
STANDARD MERCHANT |
6,950 |
|
15 Sept
1942 |
00:18 |
33-57N x 130-51E |
OIL TANKER |
14,280 |
|
15 Sept
1942 |
00:22 |
33-57N x 130-51E |
LARGE FREIGHTER |
3,500 |
Conducted Lifeguard duty: (If yes how many aviators rescued):
|
Date |
Time |
Lat & Long |
|
|
|
|
Conducted Photo Recon: NO
|
Date |
Time |
Location |
Lat & Long |
|
|
|
|
|
Patrol Narrative:
Hull
Damage: 7%
System Damage: 4%
Repair Time: 1 day
Patrol Narrative:
Underway from Pearl Harbor, Sep 4, 1942. Arrived on
station (PZ SJ 30-34N, 135-47E) Sep 12, 0730. Set a
course to proceed to sector 2 via the Bungo Suido
Straights and the Inland Sea.
Sep 12, 0700 Dove to avoid SD Air contact.
Sep 12, 0721 BB Group Spotted 33-14N, 122-38E, Not in
position to intercept and was outside assigned area.
Sep 12, 1347 CL Group spotted, Not in position to
intercept. Was outside assigned patrol area.
Sep 13, 0430 CA Group spotted. 2 Heavy Cruisers + 6
Destroyers. Zagged out of position from 3000 yds.
Could not intercept.
Sep 13, 1800 Forced to surface. Low on Oxygen. . 2
Battleship Group spotted run aground. As Guardfish
approached they disappeared from site!!!
Sep 13, 2245 Sm Convoy spotted. 33-18, 131-58E. 4
Merchants + 6 escorts. Guardfish in very shallow
water. Dove to avoid contact. Still out of patrol
area.
Sep 14, 0439 Arrived on station Zone 2.
Sep 14, 0500 Encountered small patrol escorting
anchored ships at the port of Ube.
Sep 14, 0520 Put GUARDFISH on bottom for daylight.
Patrols remained active pinging all day.
Sep 14, 1120 Aircraft heard passing overhead.
Sep 14, 1758 Lifted off bottom at 1/3 speed
Sep 14, 1824 Periscope Depth.
Sep 14, 1840 Surfaced
Sep 14, 2118 Spotted Escort at 3500 yds. Dove to
Periscope depth.
Sep 14, 2140 Spotted by Enemy! In shallow water (less
than 80 feet below keel at Periscope depth) Attempted
to elude but this seemed a loss cause after 15 minutes
of depth charging. No escape in sight. First shot with
aft tube missed first escort. Fired foreward tube at
second escort and destroyed it. Took 2 more shots from
aft tubes to destroy first escort. However, per ROE.
Left 5 Merchants + 2 escorts anchored alone.
Sep 14, 2218 Spotted another group of anchored ships!
@ Merchants + 1 escort. Escort passed within 50 yds
aft of GUARDFISH and dropped depth charges. But in its
excitement was obviously paying closer attention to
GUARDFISH than to where it was going. It ran aground!
Again abiding by ROE avoided attacking either this
escort or the 2 Merchants.
Sep 15, 0015 Spotted Small Convoy. 1 Escort + 4
Merchants. 1 miss, 2 duds and 7 hits sank 3 of the
four merchants. Tubes had run dry so could not pursue
the last merchant and the escort was hot on
GUARDFISH's heels. Eluded this destroyer.
Sep 15, 0315 CL Group spotted at 3500yds headed due
West at high rate of speed. Could not get into a
firing position nor intercept.
Sep 15, 0532 Large patrol spotted. Placed GUARDFISH on
bottom for the day.
Sep 15, 1945 Periscope Depth. Neither sonar or visual
pass noted any contacts, surfacing.
Sep 15, 1953 Started to surface between 2 destroyers!
Appeared out of no where! No Warning! GUARDFISH
spotted by enemy again! Low on Oxygen (Red lined).
Must surface soon. Decided to save ship had to attack
the escorts. Sank both with 2 fish each.
Sep 15, 2137 Small convoy spotted. 1 Merchant + 3
Escorts. Must be an important cargo. In perfect
position to attack merchant. Just sit and wait.
Sep 15, 2140 RAMMED! Lost the Periscope and Engine #3.
Destroyer didn't even notice. Just kept on going
(Thank goodness).
Sep 15, 2200 Surfaced. Recharged Oxygen and Batteries
and repaired damage. 4 fish still in the forward tubes
however have lost heart. Too many close calls this
patrol.
Sep 16, 0000, GUARDFISH proceeded out of patrol area
back to base.
In my defense, under normal operating conditions I
would have followed the ROE to the letter but under
each of the instances described above I did not see
how I would have avoided loosing my crew and ship if I
had not taken the actions I did. Certainly others and
myself have seen far more desperate circumstances and
survived but I will not apologize further even at the
risk of the loss of my command for disregarding the
ROE in the above described manner.
LT Bill Ketzeback
CO USS GUARDFISH
// SENDS //