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To: Commander, SUBRON 4
From: Commanding Officer USS TROUT (SS-202)
OPERATIONAL ORDER: June 00/Cycle I
Subject: NARRATIVE Patrol Report March 1943
Rmks. March 04/ 0600 Departed Fremantle. Made trim/deep dive and received indoctrination depth charges from escort. Set speed for patrol zone; Java Sea.
Rmks. March 04-09/ Transit time 5.75 days 19,044 gal fuel used, 81,025gal (81%) remaining fuel conservation will not be a concern this Patrol. Air activity normal, no contacts encountered.
Rmks. Day 1, 09 Mar./ 0342-Arrived in PZ, pos. 8-24S, 106-04E. Moderate seas and Partly cloudy skies. We make our way off the southern coast of Java, AAH2/3 toward the LOMBOK Straits. SJ and SD show all clear, hopes are high it will remain that way. 0940-1040 conduct Crash dive training. 1800- we get a fix and speed up to AAHSTD to attempt to reach and clear the straits before daylight.
Rmks. Day 2, 10 Mar./ 0744-slowed to 2/3 positioned 10 MI. S of Bali. Submerge to get positioned directly south of the straits. 1821-Surface AAH2/3, begin transit. 2145- Clear straits un-opposed, and enter Bali Sea shipping lanes. Weather thus far has been good to us, opposed to our Philippine Sea patrol!
Rmks. Day 3, 11 Mar./0000- Moderate seas, no moon, black night! 0033- SJ contact bearing 000dR-13kyds. Looks like 4 merchants, and TROUT goes to Battle stations! Change course to 221dT-AAHFULL to open distance to track. 0040-From our new pos, the SJ is now showing 6 contacts. We Maneuver into an attack position, and come charging in. Visual: convoy is in single file course 105dT, speed@ 12kts. Six ships, 1 tanker, 3 Std Merchants, 1 AMC, and 1 Small Freighter. We get a setup on the first Maru, a Tanker. 2 Fish are launched, depth setting 10 ft, range 1200yds, target track 110d. We slow to 2/3 and set up on the second maru a STD merchant and launch 3 fish at him, same settings. The Tanker goes down by the bow with both 14’s detonating! The Standard takes two 14’s and begins to burn, but the last fish is a dud, as we watch the air flasks explode when they hit the hull. Then, out of nowhere, a DD comes charging at us from 135dT. The only explanation is that during our approach we were so focused on the convoy, and our maneuvers to get off target track, we missed it in the radar sweeps. He gets off several well-placed shots, and the list of damage is long. He bores in and we pass so close to each other, @200yds, I think that is what saved us from worse damage-he couldn’t lower his guns far enough! We manage to evade him long enough to close in and finish off the burning Maru. 0112-we launch our last fwd fish and send him to Davy Jones Locker! This now gets the attention of the searching DD, and TROUT crash dives to PD to conduct the Attack. 0115- A three-torpedo stern tube attack, depth setting 5ft spread by constant periscope bearings send the DD to the bottom! Two fish performed perfectly, but the third pre-detonates. 0126-back on the surface we regain the only contact within SJ range, and at Flank speed we take TROUT in. 0145-two torpedo attack on a small freighter, range 1050yds, track 120d, depth setting 4ft. One fish pre-detonates and the other breaks his back! 0148-TROUT’S condition needs serious attention. We Break out of the area leaking fuel and limping on one Main to the north. Damage: Fuel Tanks@5hrs--Engine#1@6hrs--Radio and Conning Tower pressure hull@2hrs--Bow [email protected] 3, 4, 5 outer [email protected]. 0500- ALL Stop, the mechanics and all hands available lend a hand to finish repairs near some small islands north of Bali. 0830-all repairs completed, we have lost over 25kgal of fuel. The slick is definitely visible, so we sprint to the east for the day, and stay at PD. 1800-Surface and head on course 300dT. 2325-The SJ Training gear Jams. 2300-Cross into shallow water entering the Java Sea. 2358-The Mechanics have the SJ rotating again and we pick up a contact 5500yds single pip 312dR, Man Battle Stations! Body of convoy 339dR, 6090yds. Conducting intermittent safety sweeps to ensure we do not get jumped again, and change course to 270dT to slowly merge in on convoy’s flank.
Rmks. Day 4, 12 Mar./0000-Weather remains on our side, and we spot one of the escorts, an Ashio class DD. Convoy comes into view, course 255dT, single file. Tanker, 3 supply ships and 2 escorts. We dive to RD, and hold our breath as the DD passes @ 1000yds off our STBD beam. 0015- After the DD clears the path, we launch 2 fish depth setting 12ft, 130d Track, range 1200yds spread by periscope bearings. Both hit, both duds! Waste of a Perfect setup. The Convoy begins to scatter, but we hold our position, as one of the supply ships turns port to cross our stern. One of the DD’s active gets a solid return and so begins the hammering! But first, TROUT will have her fill. Two fish from stern tubes, depth 7ft, 110d track, range @1000yds. Both fish work, sending the Maru’s bow in the air. Now both escorts are coming in for blood! We lower to PD and launch 2 fish zero gyro’s, depth 4ft, spread by ships swing, Range @800yds. Again both work splitting the DD in half, but his partner makes a close pass down our stbd. side dropping cans. They knock out the stern planes for good, and damage the pressure hull aft in the Torpedo room, aft Engine room, and fwd in control. 0031- After some maneuvering, we surface and hunt the tanker with the DD off our stern. 0032-we lose the DD behind us visually, and swing north. We track by radar for the next few hours conducting an end-around. 0157-At RD, positioned for a stern shot we launch tubes 7, 8 & 9 range 1100yds-track 85d, 12ft depth setting. Fish from 8 pre-detonates, but 7 & 9 end his service to the Emperor! 0200-Surface, finish minor repairs, and "Splice the Main Brace" All hands partake in and enjoy this treat! With 4 fish forward we set a course for the eastern end of the Bali Sea, north of Flores Island. 0706-We pull all the fish from the tubes and check them twice. 0908-All weapons reloaded, no abnormalities found. 1300-We spot a lone DD, Asashio class, and slow to analyze. It is heading straight for us, so we dive to RD to get a better picture on the SJ, and keep our presence concealed. The SJ shows four others, and from the aggressiveness of their pinging, we figure it’s either a hunter killer group, or a large patrol. In either case, with our underwater speed limited by one motor, we point our stern and go deep. 1500-At RD, all clear, surface and resume our course south-east.
Rmks. Day 5,13 Mar./ 0000-The weather holds in our favor. 0051-Course 180dT, SJ contact 14Kyds, 3 pips Bearing 050dR. 0100-Man Battle Stations! We come to Course200dT, AAHFLK and begin Tracking. 0111-Just as we slow the convoy pops into sight and we change course to 245dT and submerge to RD. It is a single file convoy, leading is a supply ship, troop transport then a tanker. We setup on the Tanker, and launch 2 fish depth setting 8ft range, 1500yds, 165d track. Then we fire two more fish at the transport, same settings, range @900 yds. One fish hits the transport, dud. The second blows the stern off. Now the tanker begins a hard turn to starboard and turns into the fish, receiving the full effects of both 14’s. With all ordnance expended, we plot a course for home and "splice the main brace" feeling satisfied with our performance. Torpedo performance was markedly improved, as evident in the success of this patrol.
RETURN TO PORT: 18 March 1943
TDC: MANUAL
DAMAGE: Deck Gun, Stern planes, #1 DC Motor, 42%hull damage, 7% System damage
ORDNANCE REMAINING: 0 Torpedoes, 95 3" Shells
Summary of Torpedo Performance: 18 Hits w/detonation, 3 Hits-DUD’s, 3 Premature Detonations, 0 Misses
SHIPPING SUNK:
3 Tankers ------------ 3130 ea -- 9390 tons 2 ASASHIO Class DD --- 2370 ea -- 4740 tons 1 Troop Transport --------------- 6180 tons 1 Small Freighter --------------- 1340 tons 1 Supply ship ------------------- 3100 tons 1 Standard Merchant ----------- 11,740 tons
Total tonnage sunk: 36,490 tons
Fuel used: 75%
Length of Patrol: 15 days
CREW PERFORMANCE: Excellent. The tracking party, and damage control party were key to TROUT’S success.
MATERIAL CONDITION: SD radar training gear jammed once, but the mechanics were able to repair it. Despite the severe depth-charging there were no problems with the SJ. The crew conducted many repairs and I have no doubts as to the quality of work. Had the refit crew not done such a fine job on TROUT, I believe the results of this patrol may have been different.
EVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS: Visibility was good, moderate seas. Weather overall was very conducive to surface night attacks, which all of our attacks were.
HEALTH AND HABITABILITY: Crew health was good. A few minor injuries were taken during the depth charging. Habitability good, A/C units worked flawlessly while submerged. Temperatures were mild and air was unusually dry.
Respectfully submitted:
Frank Kulick Commanding Officer, USS Trout (SS-202)
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