FROM:� Lord Alfred Wellington, H.M.S. Swordfish
  TO:� ComSubPac
 VIA:� ComSubRon 4M
DATE:� April 23, 1942
SUBJ:� USS Tautog (SS-199)

One of our Australian Coast Watchers found what we believe
to be one of your ships journals.  The last legible entry
is attached:
�
Date: 13 April 1942
Subject: Patrol Report April Cycle 1
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Rmks/1. 4 July 1942 : 07:00 hrs. : Left Midway to assigned Patrol area.
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Rmks/2. 17 July 1942 : 16:22 hrs. : Reached area of East China Sea. Beginning Patrol.
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Rmks/3. 21 July 1942 : 09:28 hrs. : Course 021 : Speed 2.6 kts. : Seas Moderate. Contact : 2 Subs spotted Range 19968 yds. Course 166 : 1 Submerged 1 Believe to be a Type A Class. Set Torpedo depth to 2 ft. Plotted intercept course. 09:32 both targets are surfaced. Still can not identify the second target. dove to 100 ft. 09:48 surfaced to periscope depth. Lost targets.
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Rmks/4. 22 July 1942 : 05:30 hrs. : Course 021 Speed 4.3 kts Seas Moderate. Contact : 2 ships ID Sampans Course 021 Range 9000 yds. 06:21 Now 3000 yds from target began Deck Gun action. Fired 4 shells and sank both targets. 38-21N, 122-39E.
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Rmks/5. 23 July 1942 : 16:00 hrs. Course 021 Speed 2.6 kts Depth 60 ft Seas Moderate. Sonar Contact : Low speed screws. 16:32 hrs. 3 Ships spotted. Small convoy. Course 048 Speed 14 kts. Range 14050 yds. 16:10 Lost contact. Believe one ship to be a Destroyer. Unable to identify remaining ships.
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Rmks/6. 23 July 1942 : 21:21 hrs : Course 165 Speed 2.6 kts Seas Moderate Depth 14 ft Contact : 4 Ships Course 348 Speed 12.3 kts. Range 7401 yds. 2 of the ships are Destroyers and are outside of 2 unidentified ships. Dove to Periscope depth and plotted intercept course. 21:36 hrs. Determined 2 other ships to be 1 Troop ship, 1 Small Freighter. 21:40 hrs. 2100 yds. Both Destroyers are within 1000 yds and are acquiring. Fired 2 Bow Torpedoes at lead ship identified as Troop ship. Bottomed the boat at 146 ft. 2 Torpedoes struck target and did not explode. 21:46 hrs. Surfaced to periscope depth. 21:50 hrs. Fired 2 Bow Torpedoes at Troop ship now at 1850 yds. Both Torpedoes missed target. Believe they went under ship. Still have Torpedoes depth at 2 feet. 21:54 hrs. Fired 2 Aft Torpedoes at closest DD. Range now 800 yds. DD's have reacquired and closing. Both missed target down Port side. Recalculated and fired 2 more Aft Torpedoes at DD. Range now is 640 yds. Both hits and sank target. 21:56 hrs. Fired 2 Bow Torpedoes at troop ship who's range was 1586 yds. 1 hit, 1 dud. Target has slowed to 4.9 kts. Fired one more Bow Torpedo and it was a dud. Second Destroyers range now 900 yds. and has acquired. Dove to 125 ft. 22:00 hrs At 96 ft received direct hit from depth charge. Heavy damage, casualties and injuries.
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Damage as follows:
  1. Aft Torpedo Room : Pressure Hull severe leaking, Stern dive critical damage and unable to repair, Tube 7 critical damage and unable to repair.
  2. Motor Room : DC Motor critical damage and unable to repair.
  3. Engine Room : Engine 2 Critical damage and unable to repair.
  4. Aft Batteries : Heavy Damage but repairable
  5. Deck Gun : Critical damage and unable to repair.
  6. Pump Room : Pressure Hull severe leaking but repairable.
  7. Radio Room : Pressure Hull severe leaking.
  8. Control Room : SD radar has heavy damage but repairable.
  9. Periscopes : Critical damage and unable to repair.
  10. Forward Batteries : Pressure Hull damage severe leaking, Forward batteries are critically damaged and unable to repair.
  11. Forward torpedo Room : Bow Dive Planes have heavy damage but are repairable, Tube 3 outer door damage but repairable, Tube 4 outer door critically damaged and unable to repair.
Altered course to escape.
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Rmks/7. 24 July 1942 : 12:39 hrs. Lost contact with ships. Have stopped all engines to conserve batteries and will wait for repairs to be complete.
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Rmks/8. 25 July 1942 : 02:27 hrs. : This may be my last entry. All repairs that could be repaired are completed. Trying to reach the surface I have exhausted all compressed air to reach only a depth of 63 ft. I have been left with no alternative but to abandon ship.
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Patrol Summary :
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Ships Sunk or Damaged : 2 Sampans for 90 tons, 1 Destroyer Fubuki Class 2090 tons, 1 Troop Ship 6040 tons
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Ships Escaped : 2 Submarines 1 Type A class, 1 unidentified, 3 ships unidentified, 1 Akizuki Destroyer, 1 Small Freighter
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Damage : Reported above
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