Rank & Name:
Lt. Robert Farley
Cycle: Cycle 5
(November 2003)
Squadron & Division: SubRon 2/ Division 4A
U.S.S. Sargo
SS-188
Patrol Zone & Sector(s): Caroline Island CI-2
TDC: Auto
Realism (%):
95%
Crew experience:
Veteran
Number of Warships sunk: 0
Number of Merchants sunk: 2
Warship tonnage: 0
Merchant tonnage: 8,630
Percent Damage: 100%
Days to Repair:
N/A
Types of Warship sunk: N/A
|
Date |
Time |
Lat &
Long |
Class of
Vessel |
Tonnage |
|
|
|
|
|
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Types of Merchant sunk:
|
Date |
Time |
Lat &
Long |
Class of
Vessel |
Tonnage |
|
Dec13,
1942 |
19:01 |
6-21 N x
155-54E |
Large
Freighter |
3,220 |
|
Dec13,
1942 |
21:56 |
6-21N x
155-51E |
Converted
Factory Ship |
5,410 |
Conducted Lifeguard duty: (If yes how many aviators
rescued):
|
Date |
Time |
Lat &
Long |
|
|
|
|
Conducted Photo Recon: (If Yes than where was it
performed )
|
Date |
Time |
Location |
Lat &
Long |
|
|
|
|
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Patrol Narrative:
December 11, 1942
00:42 Entered assigned patrol area. Made course for known enemy shipping lanes.
14:49 Received
Ultra report of small convoy east of our position. Accelerated to flank speed to reach an intercept point.
18:24 Arrived
at plotted intercept point. SJ radar showed no contacts. Either we missed them or the Ultra report
was invalid. Resumed normal patrolling
over shipping lanes.
December 12, 1942
03:22 SJ Radar
reports contact at 13,000 yards. Increased to flank speed and attempted an
end around maneuver. Moonless night
will make spotting the enemy difficult.
03:48 Lookouts
spotted enemy vessel. Positively
identified as a Destroyer. Enemy began
spotlight search of our area. They must
have heard the diesels. Dove to
periscope depth and plotted an escape course.
14:54 No enemy
contact to report. This patrol area
seems devoid of targets. The crew is
getting antsy to get in the fight.
December 13, 1942
13:15 While
patrolling on the surface, SD contact made with plane at 17,000 yards. Dove to periscope depth.
13:18 Two
bombs dropped. No damage reported. Dove to 150 ft to evade.
13:32 Sonar
reported two sets of high speed screws coming in. The plane must have vectored in the tin cans. Dove to 250 ft. Rigged for silent running.
Destroyers began depth charge runs.
Numerous short scale pings heard.
They must have found us.
13:35 They got
our depth. Depth charges are right
on. Lost the sonar. Aft battery damaged. Pressure hull damaged with minor leaking
reported.
13:38 More
depth charges dropped very close together.
These guys are good.
14:01 Severe
flooding reported in the motor room.
Dove to 280 ft (30 ft below test depth) and accelerated to flank speed
to evade. We must have found a
temperature gradient as the destroyers lost contact.
15:30 No more
contacts reported. Rose to periscope
depth and commenced search. No
destroyers were present. Surfaced to
begin battery charge and repairs.
Inspection of deck gun showed massive damage. We’re unable to repair this at sea.
18:35 SJ radar
contact at 13,000 yards. With repairs
almost complete, I decided to commit to the attack.
18:51
Continuous SJ radar contact indicates that the convoy is
zigzagging. At 6,000 yards, we are
still unable to make visual identification.
18:54 Lookouts
spot what appears to be unescorted freighter dead ahead. Two smaller ships are right behind. Attack will be on the surface.
19:01
Maneuvered to 1,200 yards. Fired
one Mark 14 at the lead ship. Hit her
amidships and cracked her hull. She
went down in two halves.
19:03 Order
right full rudder to bring our bow tubes to bear on the second ship in the
convoy. Fired 1 fish at 1,000
yards. Quickly adjusted target and
fired 1 Mark 14 at the third ship in the convoy. Before either fish was due to impact, we began taking fire from
the second ship in the convoy. She had
what appeared to be a 4 inch gun. Dove
to periscope depth.
19:04 Both of my shots were misses. I fired the fourth and final bow tube at the
second freighter. Distance was 700
yards.
Sonar picked up high speed screws and fast
pinging. An undiscovered escort must
have been out of sight on the other side of the convoy. Ordered crash dive. On the way down a signal explosion was
heard. Our last shot was a hit.
19:06 First
depth charge hits close.
19:34 Depth is
250 ft. We moved off the northwest in
order evade the single tin can.
20:45 With no
sonar reports and no pinging heard, we rose to radar depth.
20:53 SJ
contact showed a target at 15,000 yards moving slow. Surfaced and rang up flank
speed.
21:50 Spotted
a damaged freighter moving at 2 knots.
This must have been the ship we wounded at 19:04. Fired a single torpedo at 1,000 yards. Fish prematurely detonated. Fired a second fish. This one hit and sank the target.
22:00 Speed at 2/3 to recharge battery and reload bow
tubes.
December 14, 1943
04:58 SJ
contact made. Targets at 14,000
yards. Accelerated to flank speed and
plotted an intercept course.
05:10 Lookouts
spotted a lone destroyer. I believed
that she was a scout and that more ships would be behind her. SJ radar confirmed this. Sargo adjusted course to avoid the lone
destroyer and attack the trailing convoy.
05:18
Destroyer doubled back towards the convoy. We dove to periscope depth and poured on the speed to try and
reach our plotted intercept point.
05:25 Large
convoy spotted. Appears to be a
combination of merchant, tankers and troop transports. Being submerged, we were unable to reach an
ideal firing position. Closest target
was 1,600 yards. I fired one fish at a
small merchant. Shot was dud.
Fired a second fish.
This one was also a dud.
05:29 Adjusted
to a new target and fired two fish.
Both were duds.
05:30 Sonar
reported multiple high speed screws were inbound. Closing from all four sides.
Dove to 250 feet to escape.
05:35 Screws
passing over head. They switched to
short scale. Depth charges were dropped
seconds later.
As with previous encounter, these destroyers were
good. Depth charges exploded very
close.
05:53
Continuous depth charges raining down.
Eased her down to 275 ft to try and find a temperature gradient. No luck.
The enemy fire is getting closer.
06:05 They’ve
got us. Nearby depth charges caused
massive damage. Motor room
damaged. Leaking reported in the
officer’s quarters, control room and forward battery.
06:15 Depth charging
damaged the storage room. Heavy leaking
reported.
06:17 Hull
showing signs of stress. Rose to 200
ft.
06:20 Depth
charging continued. I decided to make a
break for it. Accelerated to flank
speed and headed for an opening in the destroyer screen.
06:31 Fire
reported in the officers quarters.
Chlorine gas reported coming from the damaged batteries. Decided to rise to periscope depth to see my
situation. Maybe we can make a break
for it on the surface.
06:40 While
rising to periscope depth, the Sargo was destroyed by a string of 5 depth
charges.
Lt. Robert Farley