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To: Commander, SUBRON 4
From: Commanding Officer USS TROUT (SS-202)
OPERATIONAL ORDER: August 00/Cycle I
Subject: NARRATIVE Patrol Report Nov 1943

Rmks. Nov 03/ 0900 Departed Fremantle. Conducted trim/deep dive and received indoctrination depth charges. Set course and speed for the Sulu Sea

Rmks. Nov 03-12/ Transit time 8.96 days 29,670 gal fuel used, 71,070gal (71%) remains. No significant contacts encountered. Conducted Fire, Flooding, and tracking party drills in route to PZ.

Rmks. Day 1, 12 Nov/ 0430-Arrived in PZ, pos.10-26N, 117-19E. Very Heavy seas, Mostly Cloudy skies, limited visibility. Course 110dT, AAH2/3 to position TROUT in the North-South shipping lanes in the western area of the patrol zone. 2006-SJ contact 28.5 yds course estimated 042dt. 2027-changed course to 253dt to intercept. 2035-change course to 306dt AAHFLK. 2051-Visual sighting 343dr @6kyds, submerge to RD and drive in conducting �peek and run� tactic. 2104-Counter-detected! 2106 at RD we launch a four torpedo spread at an AKIZUKI class DD range 1100yds, 90d stbd track depth setting 7ft, all spread by constant periscope bearings. #1 predetonates, #2 hits/explodes, #3 predetonates, #4 must have missed ahead due to speed error. The DD drops depth charges reactively, but fails to sink and starts to turn away, With the other 4 DD�s charging in we go deep and reverse course to the SE.

Rmks. Day 2, 13 Nov/ 0112- we secure from silent running and head to RD. 0130- all clear we surface into moderate seas and partly cloudy skies. 1047-on course 225dt, SJ contact 203dr, 32kyds set course to intercept. 1047- Visual sighting 16kyds 355dr. The convoy shapes into a standard merchant, screened by 9DD�s! TROUT will attack! Either this is a trap or a very important ship, I find it hard to believe that the IJN would dedicate this many assets on a Sub trap. 1134- Rig for silent running and begin the setup. 1137 Contact zigs to STBD, continue pressing in. 1147-We launch a 5 torpedo spread 1100yds, 45d stbd track depth 10ft, 4 second intervals. #1, 2, and 3 hit/explode, #4 predetonates, and #5 misses. The merchant explodes furiously and heads to the bottom! Now to prevent a quick death for TROUT, we crash dive and break to the south. As we pass 200ft the dive calls out a steep thermal layer and we go deep and fast for a short spurt to clear the DD�s depth charging patterns.

Rmks. Day 3, 14 Nov/ 0310- Surface in a clear ocean and commence a battery charge. 0407-received a tasking message to conduct a photo recon of the harbor at Koto Kinabalu before 0836 on the 16th . Set course 157dT to conduct the mission. 0737 with a full can we speed up to STD. 1134-SJ contact ahead 33kyds on the bearing of the harbor. 1222-visual sighting. 1235-SD contact 17kyds closing fast, so we crash dive to 100ft, and continue pressing in. 1507-@6kyds from the target we bottom out at PD. We back off and sit TROUT on the bottom and wait till dark. 2350-surface, charge batteries and change-out the air in the boat.

Rmks. Day 4, 15 Nov/ 0415- we decide to engage the DD�s and alleviate them from the equation. We fire a few rounds from the deck gun and at Flank speed head for deep water. While we are running, we keep pumping shells into them one at a time until they each begin to burn. We swing around once in deep water and crash dive to PD. 0430- we send a spread of 6 fish at the DD�s all spread by swing of ship. Moments later all fish perform flawlessly and send each to the bottom. 0500-we return to the harbor and complete the mission and head out before the air patrols come out. 0650-while powering them up, the SD and SJ both die out, and the radarmen are tearing into them. 0950- while the doubled lookouts are changing out, 2 ZEKE�s come out of the sun and score some serious damage. We get guns manned fast, but not before they put the rudder, sternplanes, and scopes OOC. We finally get under with water leaking in all over the place, conduct repairs and head for home.

RETURN TO PORT: 24 Nov 1943

TDC: MANUAL

DAMAGE: Steering, Pressure Hull, periscopes, stern planes aft torpedo tubes

ORDNANCE REMAINING: 9 Torpedoes, 27 4� Shells

Summary of Torpedo Performance

8 Hits w/detonation
2 Hits - Dud�s
3 Premature Detonations
2 Misses

SHIPPING SUNK

1 Standard Merchant      13,800 tons
1 ASASHIO class DD         2370 tons
1 HATSUHARU class DD       1802 tons

Total tonnage sunk:  17,972 tons

Fuel used: 60%

Length of Patrol: 17.3 days

CREW PERFORMANCE: Elite - Average

MATERIAL CONDITION: Flawless

EVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS: Visibility was good, Choppy seas.

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

Respectfully submitted:

Frank Kulick
Commanding Officer, USS Trout (SS-202)

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