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To:  Commander, SUBRON 4
From:  Commanding Officer USS PINTADO (SS-387)
OPERATIONAL ORDER:  October 00/Cycle I
Subject:  NARRATIVE Patrol Report Jul 1944

Rmks.  Jul 03/ 0900 Departed Midway Island . Conducted trim/deep dive and received indoctrination depth charges. Set course and speed for the Yellow Sea.

Rmks.  Jul 03-15/ Transit time 13.5 days 44,574 gal fuel used, 71,885gal (61%) remains. Routine Patrol craft and air patrols encountered. Conducted Fire, Flooding, and tracking party drills in route to PZ.

Rmks.  Day 1, 15 Nov/ 0855-Arrived in PZ, pos.35-45N, 126-27E. Moderate seas , Partly Cloudy skies, good visibility. Course 255dT, AAH2/3 to position PINTADO in the North-South shipping lanes in the northern area of the patrol zone. 1350 lookouts spot 3 sampans we close and at 1430 dispose of them with the deck gun. Continue on a NNE course after receiving ULTRA report speed AAH2/3.

Rmks.  Day 2, 16 Jul/ 0118- SJ Contact 31k yds, what looks to be 2 merchants and to flanking escorts. 0125-Radar picture clears and shows a 3 row convoy with 2 flanking escorts. Seas have calmed and the night is clear with moon rise at 0219. Speed up to flank to engage. 0154-submerge to RD. 0200-Escort comes in to view, it’s a DE making circles on the convoys STBD side. 0211-set up on the Armed Merchant Cruiser in the STBD column. 4 torpedo spread depth 8ft, 4 second interval’s, 40d STBD track, range 900yds. 0212-All fish work destroying the target, the escorts go active, and we blow to the surface to take advantage of our surface speed. When we do, the gun crew on the sinking AMC gets off a parting shot and takes out our scopes and radar! At Flank speed making 21 kts, we clear the area and begin repairs on the radar. With 20 torpedo’s and no scopes it is a tough decision whether to stay on station or return to Midway for repairs. The Yellow Sea is shallow affording limited evasion opportunities, so we decide to work our way south and plan to engage only at night.

Rmks.  Day 3, 15 Jul/ 0119- SJ Contact 33kyds looks to be 4-5 ships. 0134-Convoy looks similar to our last encounter. Moonrise at 0302 we have time to attack on the surface. 0203-submerge to RD. 0215-Surface and begin driving in to the port flank of the convoy. 0224- Tanker and Large freighter come into view. Setup on the tanker range 1100yds, 8ft depth setting, torpedo track port 120d. We fire four MK-18 electric’s, and then setup on the Freighter two 14’s, and one MK-18,range 800yds, torpedo depth setting 8ft, torpedo track port 110d. 0227-The 18’s miss their mark, but all fish sent at the Freighter hit home! At Flank speed we turn hard to starboard and cut across the stern of the convoy commencing a reload fwd. 0232- we position PINTADO and setup on the missed tanker for a three MK-18 torpedo spread, range 1000yds, depth setting 8ft, torpedo track port 80d. All fish hit and send the Maru to the bottom! 0237-No escorts in view I have the gun crew stationed and they begin pounding the Troop Transport. 0238-The magazine explodes and the Transport heads to the bottom. They switch targets to the sister transport and send it down as well minutes later. 0240-PC bearing 270DR!! He begins shooting at us and the gun crew steps up to the plate and returns fire. Rapidly they set him ablaze and within minutes he is going down by the bow! But he has hut us badly and the damage is extensive. Torpedo Tubes 2,3,5, and 6 are all OOC. Torpedo room pressure hull heavy leaking, control room pressure hull heavy leaking. The aft batteries heavy damage, engine #1 heavy damage, and the Bow planes have critical damage. 0241-The remaining escort is far astern and we make our way south and lick our wounds. 0450-No rest for the weary! The SJ picks up another convoy, but with repairs no where complete, we submerge to PD and let them go by. We surface transit all day.

Rmks.  Day 4, 16 July/ 0819-the Wardroom and I decide to head for home, based on our lack of a periscope, fuel remaining, the yellow sea shallow water, and 6 scalps on our pelt.

RETURN TO PORT:  31 July 1944

TDC:  MANUAL

DAMAGE:  Periscopes

ORDNANCE REMAINING:  10 Torpedoes, 27 4” Shells

Summary of Torpedo Performance:

11 Hits w/detonation
 0 Hits-Dud’s
 0 Premature Detonations
 3 Misses

SHIPPING SUNK:

1 Armed Merchant Cruiser     10,400 tons
1 (D) Class Patrol Craft        940 tons
1 Oil tanker                 18,300 tons
2 Troop Transports             7542 tons
1 large Freighter              5180 tons
6 Sampans                        70 tons
————————————————————————————————————————
Total tonnage sunk:          50,324 tons

Fuel used:  82%

Length of Patrol:  29.2 days

CREW PERFORMANCE:  VETRAN - superb

MATERIAL CONDITION:  Very good

EVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:  Visibility was good, Calm seas, clear skies

HEALTH AND HABITABILITY:  Crew health good, boat habitability good.

Respectfully submitted:

LCDR Frank Kulick Commanding Officer
USS Pintado (SS-387)

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