// IMMEDIATE //
To: ComSubRon 4
Cc: ComSubPac
From: LCDR Greg Turner - USS Muskellunge SS 262
Date: September 15, 1944
Re: Patrol Report (Oct00 – Cycle 2)
RMKS/ 1. Arrived on station early morning of September 7, 1944. Had 24 MK-14 Steam torpedoes on board plus an improved SJ radar. Headed for an area southeast of the Tokyo entrance.
RMKS/ 2. SJ contact bearing 334` at 33,140 yds. Radar reported the contact passing ahead at 30,080 yds so I didn’t try to intercept. Friday, Sept 8 SJ contact bearing 067` at 32,730 yds at 08:32. SD air contact at 17,200 yds so I dove to radar depth. SD radar reported 3 air contacts. A check at 00:27 showed one aircraft close to starboard. Went to periscope depth and spotted what I thought was a Carrier. A check at 09:50 confirmed one Carrier and the mast of another ship. I set an intercept course. Check at 09:57 showed one Akagi class Carrier and one Heavy Cruiser. Check at 09:59 showed the Carrier pulling away. Secured tracking at 10:17 as radar reported the CV Task Force opening out at 25,000 yds. Lost radar contact at 10:42. Made a trim dive one minute later to check depth and hit bottom at 273 feet. Surfaced at 11:00.
RMKS/ 3. 11:11 SJ contact bearing 304` at 29,170 yds. I ordered an intercept course. Convoy changed course and passed aft at 28,000 yds. 17:51 SJ contact bearing 056` at 34,470 yds. Radar reported contact closing so I turned north to get a better intercept course. Dove to radar depth at 18:56 with contact at 5,340 yds. At 19:03 spotted one Tachibana class Escort Destroyer at 1,918 yds. At 19:20 I made visual on convoy and identified 2 – SF, 1 – Supply, 1 – OT, and 3 – SM. Tracking reported speed at 14 kts. At 19:20 fired 2 torpedoes at closest SM at 1,850 yds. Hits se ship afire and the convoy started to break up and scatter. A Standard merchant on the far side of the convoy turned southwest giving me a shot at it. Fired 3 torpedoes at SM at 2,000 yds then dove deep with escorts at 1,700 and 2,000 yds. Sound reported a large secondary explosion and the SM breaking up. Passed a great temperature gradient at 315 feet and stopped decent at 350 feet. Sonar lost contact on the DD at 21:33. Arrived at radar depth at 21:44. Radar reported the main convoy reforming at 11:500 yds and a single at 19,300 yds. I set course for the single contact and surfaced at 21:52 to close. At 22:26 I spotted the damaged SM afire and alone. After closing I ordered the deck gun to finish it off. At 22:35 the deck gun opened fire at 1,040 yds. Fired 4 rounds for 3 hits and 1 miss to finish ship off. Radar reported another contact bearing 218` at 19,810 yds and multiple contacts bearing 242` at 17,990 yds. Set course for the multiple contacts. At 23:10 I spotted one escort Destroyer at 3,165 yds and dove to radar depth. Due to shallow water and being hit by active sonar I elected to take out the DE if it closed on me. At 23:13 I went to periscope depth. At 23:15 I fired 1 torpedo at the DE as it passed 680 yds and sank it. At 23:27 the periscope watch spotted one destroyer anchored at a range of 3,551 yds. I moved away quietly and left it alone. If it had gotten under way it could have been a problem. Sonar also reported a second destroyer closing bearing 200` at 8,000 yds. I headed east to clear the area and find deeper water. Sonar lost contact at 23:59.
RMKS/ 4. Saturday September 9, 1944 SJ contact reported multiple contacts. One at 157` at 20,600 yds, one at 188` at 16,170 yds, and one 251` at 27,850 yds. Proceeded to track contacts while I completed charging the battery. All contacts were moving away so I remained on station. At 17:01 SJ contact bearing 031` at 33,190 yds. Changed course to intercept. At 17:45 lookouts spotted 3-SM, and 2-AMC bearing 301`. Dove to radar depth to close and went to periscope depth at 17:52 after spotting one destroyer on each flank of the convoy. At 18:18 I reached a position 1,200 yds ahead of the convoy. Sound reported five sets of high-speed screws nearby. At 18:23 fired 1 torpedo at SM at 1,099 yds. Hit damaged and slowed the ship. Also fired 2 torpedoes at AMC at 900 yds and fired 2 torpedoes at second AMC at 820 yds. Hits on first AMC set it afire. I fired a 3rd torpedo at it and sank it. At 18:24 I fired 2 torpedoes at a SM at 690 yds and a 2nd torpedo at the damaged AMC at 820 yds. Second hit sank AMC and sound reported one dud and one explosion on the second SM At 18:26 fired 1 torpedo at the third SM at 1,028 yds then dove. Sound reported one explosion on the third SM. Active sonar painted the sub as it passed 162 feet. Passed through a good thermal at 308 feet and checked the dive at 345. Over the next two minutes heard 10 depth charges. Once below the gradient active pinging lost me. At 18:35 sound reported the escorts passing overhead. At 20:35 sound lost contact and I headed for radar depth. Radar contact bearing 159` at 20,360 yds on what I believed was a merchant and a DD at 16,000 yds. Also picked up a single contact bearing 315` at 12,640 yds. Surfaced at 20:46 and headed for the closest contact. At 21:03 lookouts spotted one SM at 4,195 yds making 15.7 kts. Six minutes later fired 1 torpedo at SM at 1,100 yds. The hit slowed the ship to 11.2 kts and the vessel turned west. I turned the boat to use the stern tubes. At 21:11 fired a 2nd torpedo at the SM at 870 yds and sank the ship. Radar showed no contacts so I continued the patrol while charging the battery.
RMKS/ 5. At 21:40 SJ contact bearing 345` at 33,920 yds. After seeing that the contact was closing I set an intercept course. At 22:34 dove to radar depth with contact at 3,780 yds. At 22:43 spotted one Tachibana class Escort Destroyer. Three minutes later I spotted a second escort DD at 3,800 yds. Radar reported the convoy 4,200 yds to port. At 22:48 went to periscope depth and had reports of 4 sets of high-speed screws closing. Crossed convoys track to bring the stern tubes into action. While maneuvering identified 1-CFS, 1-OT, 1-SM, and 1-SF. At 23:13 fired 2 torpedoes at OT at 1,090 yds. Oil Tanker broke in half and spilled burning oil over a large area. At 23:14 fired 1 torpedo at Standard Merchant at 1,257 yds. Hit damaged ship but didn’t stop it. Being out of stern torpedoes I turned the sub and at 23:17 fired a second torpedo at the same SM at 970 yds. Ship evaded second torpedo and I fired a 3rd at 23:19 at it at 1,218 yds then dove to 350 feet with an Escort DD at 2,004 yds. At 23:25 heard 4 distant depth charges. Four minutes later heard 12 more depth charges in the distance. Lost contact on the ED’s at 00:32 without hearing any more depth charges. At 00:39 arrived at radar depth and made contact bearing 338` at 6,630 yds. At 00:43 surfaced to head for contact. Seven minutes later the port lookout sighted a single Supply ship at 3,975 yds. At 11:04 fired 1 torpedo (my last) at Supply at 1,350 yds. Hit destroyed ship. Surfaced at 01:05 and radar reported contacts bearing 070` at 21,070 yds and 143` at 30,300 yds. Being out of torpedoes I set course for Pearl Harbor. Arrived in port September 15, 1944
Patrol Summary:
TDC: Auto
Conditions:
Seas: Moderate
Weather: Mostly Cloudy
Enemy Sunk:
1. 1x Oil Tanker 15,550 tons, 34-40N x 140-33E
2. 1x Standard Merchant 15,090 tons, 34-48N x 140-15E
3. 1x Standard Merchant 14,780 tons, 34-32N x 140-50E
4. 1x Standard Merchant 11,840 tins, 36-44N x 139-58E
5. 1x Armed Merchant Cruiser 5,420 tons, 34-39N x 140-44E
6. 1x Armed Merchant Cruiser 5,420 tons, 34-39N x 140-44E
7. 1x Supply 1,830 tons, 34-35N x 140-47E
8. 1x Matsu class Escort Destroyer 1,530 tons, 34-54N x 140-06E
Enemy Damaged:
1. 3x Standard Merchants
Enemy Escaped:
1. 1x Akagi class Carrier
2. 1x Heavy Cruiser Unidentified
3. 2x Tachibana class Escort Destroyers
4. 2x Escort Destroyers Unidentified
5. 1x Standard Merchant
6. 1x Converted Factory ship
7. 1x Small freighter
8. 5x Destroyers Unidentified
Damage Sustained:
NONE
Ordnance Remaining:
Torpedoes: 0
Deck Gun: 91
Comments: Request reload and Refit.
LCDR Greg Turner
USS Muskellunge SS 262
// SENDS //