Rank & Name: Lt. Mark S. Kucinic
Cycle: Cycle
8, Sept 1943
Squadron & Division: 2/4A
USS & SS:
USS Haddock, SS 231
Patrol Zone & Sector(s): Northern Japan (NJ 2/3)
TDC: Auto
Realism (%):
95%
Crew experience:
Veteran
Number of Warships sunk: None
Number of Merchants sunk: 12
Warship tonnage: None
Merchant tonnage: 55,205 (110,410)
Total JANAC tonnage: 55,205
Types of Warship sunk: N/A
|
Date |
Time |
Lat &
Long |
Class of
Vessel |
Tonnage |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Types of Merchant sunk:
|
Date |
Time |
Lat &
Long |
Class of
Vessel |
Tonnage |
|
14 Sep 43 |
21:22 |
38-17N
141-46E |
Standard Merchant |
14,740 |
|
15 Sep 43 |
23:14 |
37-53N/ 141-51E |
Small Freighter |
1,020 |
|
|
23:14 |
Same |
Oil Tanker |
9,240 |
|
|
23:16 |
Same |
AMC |
11,940 |
|
|
23:17 |
Same |
Oil Tanker |
9,240 |
|
16 Sep 43 |
08:12 |
37-06N/ 141-46E |
Oil Tanker |
9,240 |
|
|
08:12 |
Same |
Standard Merchant |
14,740 |
|
|
15:25 |
37-01N/ 141-44E |
Large Freighter |
3,200 |
|
|
16:22 |
37-03N/ 141-46E |
Converted Factory Ship |
3,830 |
|
17 Sep 43 |
00:02 |
36-48N/141-55 E |
Oil Tanker |
9,240 |
|
|
00:02 |
Same |
Standard Merchant |
14,740 |
|
|
23:51 |
36-13N/141-45E |
Oil Tanker |
9,240 |
Conducted Lifeguard duty: (If yes how many aviators
rescued): N/A
|
Date |
Time |
Lat &
Long |
|
|
|
|
Conducted Photo Recon: (If Yes than where was it
performed) N/A
|
Date |
Time |
Location |
Lat &
Long |
|
|
|
|
|
Patrol Narrative: This can be as short
or as detailed as the commander wishes as long as the spaces are filled above
with the main details.
14
Sep Arrived in patrol zone.
20:44 First Contact on SJ dead ahead. Closed on convoy of 5 Merchant in two lines
w/2 escorts southbound. Maneuvered
between and attacked single heavy at tail end.
21:21 Fired two fish from stern tubes @ 500
yds. Both exploded, but did not sink
SM. Fired third fish, which did. Headed deep at Flank. Escorts made one DC run. No damage.
Broke contact at 21:55. Unable
to regain.
15
Sep
21:38
Radar Contact
22:00 Start approach on large convoy southbound
head on. DD to Port quarter of convoy appears to be loitering in listening mode
(6 knots) so make approach in silent running. Inside, convoy appears to be in
four columns at least 11 ships w/5 heavies traveling at slow speed.
23:13-23-17 Fall in line with #2 column when entire
convoy turns to starboard. With great setup begin by firing at tanker at 1500
yds in column four. Fire two fish; turn
to port hard 20º to line up on tanker 500 yds in front of me pulling away. Fire one fish on this tanker. Idea is to have all torps arrive at about
same time. Suddenly small merchant in
column #3, 500 explodes apparently catching one of the fish intended for first
tanker. Oh shit! Second tanker begins maneuvering, but not
fast enough as Mark IV explodes under stern quarter and she disappears in a mushroom
cloud. And then FIRST tanker
explodes!! Three ships destroyed or
sinking in less than 30 seconds!!
Without having to change course fire three fish from stern tubes at AMC
700 yds dead astern. All three detonate
and AMC is dead in the water with decks awash.
I check with my soundman and he has only four escorts pinging, none
close, so it’s all ahead full and we close to 1500 yds on another tanker dead
ahead. Fire one fish, which detonates,
but only damages tanker. Fire second
and tanker breaks in half. Five
ships in four minutes!!
NOTE:
Following engagement noted log had given credit for only TWO
tankers. Perhaps in heat of activity I
took damaged tanker as sunk, but I don’t think so. Unfortunate if so because I could have sunk tanker with stern
tubes AFTER sinking third tanker.
23:18 – 01:00 Take
her deep in a hurry. Escorts have
trouble finding me in all the noise and carnage, but they finally manage to put
in a reasonable effort dropping over 30 DCs, but without inflicting any damage
before we finally break off contact.
Whooie!!
With the Contact Exploder only we have fired 11 torpedoes so far. All have exploded and have sunk 6
ships!! One we weren’t even aiming at.
16 Sep
07:00 Heading
south get Ultra report on another Large N. bound convoy on a reliable
bearing. Pick chosen intercept point
and pull plug dropping down to 350’ where we find an excellent
thermalcline. Ascend back to 100’ and
await developments.
07:44 Sonar
contact. Develops quickly into four merchants,
but NO escorts. Hmmm!? Figure by now the Japs are waiting up there
with aircraft and escorts galore, but we take her up to periscope depth at
silent running.
08:01 Nudge
up the scope to an amazing sight!! A
long, single column of at least 7 ships stretches in the distance. Five are heavies. Two escorts in distance and NO aircraft. Down scope and we wait a few minutes for
nearest tanker to get within firing distance.
08:11 Fire
one torpedo at tanker at 1400 yds, wait 20 seconds and fire two torpedoes at
standard merchant at 750 yds. Again,
all three detonate!! Tanker disappears
in a ball of flame and SM is dead in the water, but perhaps not terminal so we
fire a third fish into her and this does the trick. We look to line up a third target and the entire column has
disintegrated into chaos. My soundman
has three escorts at some distance, but there is nothing close that we can be
guaranteed to sink with the two remaining loaded bow tubes. So all ahead flank and we take her
deep. Take her down to 380’ and go to
silent running. Turns out there were
six escorts, but they not only never get a contact, they don’t drop a single
depth charge. Japs must be short on
ordinance.
14:51 Sonar
contact
14:56 Go to
periscope depth. Convoy sighted heading
N @ 8 knots, 9000 yds. Four small
merchant unescorted in box formation.
Close targets at full speed.
15:25 Close
on starboard, rear ship firing one fish at 1300 yds.
15:26 Perfect
record continues as ship breaks in half and sinks. Formation scatters.
Follow single ship, which appears to be largest, surfacing at 6000 yds
distance.
16:21 While
charging battery @ 2/3 speed open fire with deck gun at 4800 yds.
16:30 Although
surprisingly good shooting by crew at the range takes over 40 rounds to set her
on fire as range is down to 3600 yds.
16:31 Radar
reports aircraft!! It’s all ahead full
and as we hit periscope depth we fire one fish at ship now dead in water, range
3000 yds.
16:33 Soundman
reports explosion and sounds of ship breaking apart. Aircraft arrives on scene and starts dropping ordinance, but
nowhere near.
23:23 Radar
contact.
23:40 Medium
convoy with at least 8 ships, 5 heavies an at least 4 escorts southbound at
high speed. Take her down. All ahead 1/3.
17 Sep
00:01 Abreast
rear of convoy. Line up on SM and OT at
1400 yds. Soundman now has six
escorts. Fire two fish at tanker and
three at standard merchant. Down scope, all ahead flank and right left rudder
to bring remaining two stern torpedoes to bear if necessary.
00:02 Sound
reports at least three explosions (no duds) and ships breaking up, escorts
pinging. Rudder amidships, take her
DOWN flank speed!
00:08 Reach
thermal cline at 350’ with escorts hard on my heels. All ahead 1/3, 30º left rudder and level off at 380’. DDs drop about 2 dozen DCs at successively
greater distance, but I then play it conservative and go to silent
running. It takes over 8 hours to
clear the damn escorts.
23:14 Radar
contact, convoy southbound
23:20 Escort
sighted @ 6000 yds. Pull Plug.
23:49 With
only two torpedoes remaining in stern tubes maneuver astern of last ship in
convoy (which happens to be a tanker) and fire both tubes at 1400 yds, target
retreating at 10 knots. All ahead
flank, take her down to thermalcline. Soundman
notes target destroyed. 4 escorts in
pursuit. Once we reach 380’ with no DCs
dropped we’re home free.
AN OUTSTANDING TOUR!! HADDOCK RETURNS TO MIDWAY WITH A BROOM ATTACHED TO HER
PERISCOPE. CLEAN SWEEP! 12 TARGETS ATTACKED. 12 TARGETS SUNK. 24 TORPEDOES FIRED WITH NO DUDS!
NO DAMAGE SUFFERED!
Lt.
Mark S. Kucinic