Rank & Name: LT. Don Van Wormer II

Cycle: PTC 4 Cycle 9

Squadron & Division: SUBRON 2, SUBDIV 4A

USS & SS: USS Barb (SS220)

Patrol Zone & Sector(s): Formosa, F3 & F4

TDC: Auto

Realism (%): 95

Crew experience: Green

Hull damage: 40% - moderate

System damage: 26% - light

Repair time: 15 days

Number of Warships sunk: 0

Number of Merchants sunk: 10

Warship tonnage: 0

Merchant tonnage: 50,450

Total JANAC tonnage: 25,225

Types of Merchant sunk:

Date

Time

Lat & Long

Class of Vessel

Tonnage

19 DEC 43

20 DEC 43

01:00

01:01

01:13

01:19

01:42

03:38

23:39

23:42

03:21

25-16N, 125-59E

25-13N, 126-03E

25-12N, 126-03E

25-11N, 126-13E

25-04N, 126-44E

25-42N, 124-55E

25-04N, 126-44E

25-43N, 124-42E

Supply Ship

Troop Transport

Coastal Tanker

Armed Merchant Cruiser

Small Freighter

Large Freighter

Armed Merchant Cruiser

1,580

7,290

2,100

5,760

910

1,430

6,560

10,240

Patrol Narrative:

01 DEC 43: Per COMSUBPAC order, assumed command of USS Barb (SS-220) at Naval Station Midway Island. Barb in good shape, but most of crew is new. Loadout of 24 Mk14s. Installed equipment includes SD and SJ-1 radars. SJ has PPI installed. Bathythermograph installed.

02 DEC 43: Set the sea and anchor detail. Barb underway for Formosa patrol zone.

14 DEC 43: Barb on station at 13:19. Initial position 22-03N, 128-5E (PZ F4). 63 percent fuel remaining. No contacts for the remainder of the day.

15 DEC 43: No contacts.

16 DEC 43: No contacts.

17 DEC 43: No contacts.

18 DEC 43: 10:51 – SJ contact 054R. Turn to intercept. 11:00 – SD contact. Dive to periscope depth to avoid aircraft. Aircraft drops a few bombs, but nothing close. 12:05 – Back to radar depth, but previous SJ contact gone. 18:38 – SJ contact 034R, turn to intercept. 21:40 – contact has run away. No further contacts this day.

19 DEC 43: 00:50 – Visual contact 040R. 00:52 – visual on 7 ship convoy, no escort present. Commit to night surface attack. Battle rages on until 03:39, when Barb has chased down and sunk the entire convoy. Convoy included: Supply ship, 3 x Troop Ships, Coastal Tanker, Armed Merchant Cruiser, and a Small Freighter. No damage to Barb, 12 torpedo’s remain aboard. 22:42 – SJ contact 008R. Turn to intercept. 23:06 – Visual contact with another 7 ship convoy, except this one is escorted. Commit to submerged attack. Fired on three ships, sinking two, a Small Freighter and a Large Freighter. Broke off, went deep, and performed evasive maneuvers to escape convoy escorts. Six torpedo’s remaining.

20 DEC 43: 01:38 – DC attack ended, DDs withdrew, no damage to Barb. 03:11 – Visual contact, a lone ship. 03:21 – Engaged and sank an Armed Merchant Cruiser, three fish remain. 09:34 – SJ contact 336R, Moved to intercept. 10:14 – Visual contact on a large, well escorted merchant convoy. Barb out of position for any attack. 11:09 – SD contact. Dove to periscope depth, but no attack came. No further contacts this day.

21 DEC 43: 05:45 to 13:06 – Tried to chase two SJ contacts, but both were too far away to run down. 18:51 – SJ contact 092R. Turned to intercept. 22:12 – Visual contact on convoy and escorts. Escorts must have spotted Barb about the same time we saw them. DDs opened fire and hit Barb as Barb was headed deep. Used radical maneuvers and speed with limited success. Damage from shell fire caused leaks pumps couldn’t keep up with. Water was was only 250’ deep, jettisoned debris and bottomed Barb for repairs. Major damage to hull and moderate systems damage. Events even included a fire in the crews mess!

22 DEC 43: 02:03 – DC attack over, DDs moved off. All damage repairable by crew is repaired. Periscope is out, fuel tanks holed. Captain surfaces Barb and elects to head home while he can.

03 JAN 44: Barb arrives Midway Island. Ship and crew performed well. Looking forward to our next visit to “Indian Country.”

Respectfully submitted,

LT. Don Van Wormer II, commanding

USS Barb (SS-220)