//  IMMEDIATE  //

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

Rmks.  Nov 03/ 0900 Departed Guam. Conducted trim/deep dive and received indoctrination depth charges. Set course and speed for the Southern Japan patrol zone.

Rmks.  Nov 03-07/ Transit time 4.17 days 13,800 gal fuel used, 103,131gal (88%) remains. Very little air or sea patrols encountered. Conducted Fire, Flooding, Crash dive, and tracking party drills in route to PZ. Crew�s performance and attitude seem exceptionally high, many proud sailors on this patrol after our success on the last war patrol. The SD and SJ radar has been operating properly since we left port.

Rmks.  Day 1, 07 Nov/ 0701-Arrived in PZ, pos; 30-33N, 133-48E. Moderate seas, clear skies, and good visibility. Course 025dT, AAHSTD to position PINTADO south east of the port cities Wakayama, and Tokushima shipping lanes. No Contacts this day.

Rmks.  Day 2, 08 Nov/ 0000-Partly cloudy skies, moderate seas. 0400-SJ contact 34kyds! Speed up to AAHFlank to close before dawn. 0440-Slow to STD and begin tracking by TDC. 0445-Slow to 2/3 to reduce bow wake. Radar shows an unescorted convoy, but I am sure there are at least two Maru�s with gun crews! Man Battle Stations! 0450-convoy comes into view, and we begin setting up a tanker in the stbd column. 0455-submerge to RD. 0500-Hearing his engines through the hull, Tubes 1 & 2 depth setting 8ft, range @1000yds, stbd 45d track. 39 seconds later the tanker is destroyed. The convoy now divides into 2 groups. Four Maru�s turn 45d to port off base course, and two continue on base course with the biggest, an Armed Merchant Cruiser speeding up. Both are making a slow turn to the north, using the constant helming method. This method makes a solution extremely difficult, because by the time you launch your fish, the solution has changed seconds later. We decide to attack a small freighter close off our port beam before surfacing to attack the AMC. Two fish, tubes 3 & 5 depth 4ft, range 900yds, track stbd 90. Both find their mark so we surface begin the solution. 0516- we give it our best, and send three fish from tubes; 1(battle reload), 4, and 6 range 2200yds, depth 10ft, and stbd 140d track based on slow turn to stbd. A grueling 2 minutes later two of the fish hit him in the stern, slowing him down to a crawl! What a shot! I order the deck gun manned and 8rds later, 0521, the Maru heads to the bottom. We now turn PINTADO to the south to attack the rest of the convoy, but as luck would have it, the SJ goes down, and we never regain the convoy. No more contacts this day.

Rmks.  Day 3, 9 Nov/ 0000-The weather remains favorable. 1133-SJ contact 29kyds what looks to be a good-sized convoy with at least six escorts. Looks like the crew will have more than ham sandwiches for lunch! Man Battle Stations! 1201-the lead escort comes into view with a high look from the scope. 1202- we lower the scope and speed to Flank on course 170dT to position ourselves between the two columns. 1210-slow to STD to minimize wake. 1220-Dive to PD and continue to work our way in submerged. 1247-Close aboard contact sends us to 150ft. 1252-AAH2/3 course 170dT. 1300-the Maru�s screws are pounding loud as we settle in at PD and make all tubes ready for firing. 1301-(all torpedo�s set to 9ft depth) we launch fish from tubes 1 & 2 at a tanker range @800 yds, torpedo track stbd 120d. I then order the TDC �locked� and switch to a Troop transport off our port bow, and �unlock� the TDC on the new target in-putting new bearings. Fish from tubes 3 & 4 are sent out range 750 yds, port 50d track. 1301.30-Tanker destroyed. 1301.40-I �lock� the TDC and pan to the aft port corner, and in-putting new bearings, �unlock� the TDC on a supply ship range 700yds torpedo track port 90 tubes 7 & 8. 1301.45-Troop Transport destroyed! 1301.55-Supply ship destroyed! 1302-We setup on a STD merchant crossing our bow port to stbd range @900 yds torpedo track stbd 170d, but our shot is foiled. I abort any more fish sent as he turns to port, and the fish from tube 5 misses. 1302.30-I pan to port and spot another troop transport turning slowly to stbd, bearing his port side to us. I get a quick setup on him for tubes 9 & 10, range 800yds, torpedo track port 110. 1303-The transport is destroyed and sinking. 1303.20- I send the last fish from tube 6 at yet another transport range @900yds track port 90, but he is constant helming and our shot misses astern. 1304-All tubes empty we go deep. 1312-level off at test depth + 100ft, as the destroyers fade to the north. 1410-the escorts on their return course to the convoy detect us. 1418-The shock wave from the charges hit the hull and thus begins the payback! 1655-The pinging finally fades and we begin reloading our tubes. 1812-Surface into an empty sea with the SJ being the only casualty of the escape. No more contacts this day. Repairs in progress on the SJ.

Rmks.  Day 4, 10 Nov/ 0000-Weather is favorable with moderate seas and partly cloudy skies. 0650-The lookouts spot a single PC. Figuring this is a Hunter Killer group, we point our stern at him and Flank our way to the south. We spend the day working our way to the west, back to our first encounter location. 1420-Visual sighting! The Radar men assure me all is needed is a few more minutes and they will have the SJ back up, so I bring another engine on line and stay ahead of the convoy. 1443-With the SJ back in service I take PINTADO in and submerge to RD, Man Battle Stations! 1511-The solution is looking good so we leave RD and begin a turn to 090dT. 1520-The helmsman alerts me that we have turned nearly 180d! I order the new course of 270dT, and check the solution. The TDC is way off, but the contacts are Close. Not willing to return to RD, I get a quick range by Stadimeter, adjust TDC inputs, and; 1522-setup on a Tanker tubes 7 & 8, range 700yds torpedo track stbd 20 depth 9ft. 1522.20-Tanker explodes with an orange fire ball! 1523-turn the scope to port and setup on a small freighter tubes 1, 2, & 3 range @500yds track port 120d depth 9ft (too deep) after I realize the mistake, I look aft again and get a bearing to the last Maru this patrol. 1523.35-Large freighter tubes 9 & 10, depth 9ft range 800 yds torpedo track port 100d. 1524-Both fish find their mark and finish him off! 1531-Go deep and take the payback! SIX DD�s pound away relentlessly for hours. 1727-All Pinging ends but we stay submerged and secure from silent running and head south all primary ordnance expended. 2000-Surface and set course for Guam.

Rmks.  Day 5, 11 Nov/ 1116-PINTADO departs Patrol Zone.

RETURN TO PORT:  14 Nov 1944

TDC:  MANUAL

DAMAGE:  None

ORDNANCE REMAINING:

0 Torpedoes
92 5� Shells

Summary of Torpedo Performance: 

18 hits w/detonation
0 Hit-Dud
0 Premature Detonations
6 Misses

SHIPPING SUNK:

1 Armed Merchant Cruiser    12,220 tons
1 Supply Ship                 3380 tons
1 Troop Transports            9710 tons
1 Troop Transports            9710 tons
1 Small Freighter              980 tons
1 large Freighter             5010 tons
1 Oil Tanker                13,860 tons
1 Oil Tanker                  7010 tons
1 Oil Tanker                12,660 tons
���������������������������������������
Total tonnage sunk:         74,540 tons

Fuel used:  32%

Length of Patrol: 9.62 days

CREW PERFORMANCE:  VETERAN : Exceptional. Award package forwarded to Squadron Commander.

MATERIAL CONDITION:  Superior

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:  Visibility was good, moderate seas, partly cloudy skies.

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

Respectfully submitted:

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

//  SENDS  //