From:  LCDR Mush Magnússon - USS Perch
Date:  24 Dec 1941
Subj:  Patrol report - Feb 00 Cycle 1

Rmks/ 1.  Assigned to patrol Indochina. Travel time 5.21 days.

Rmks/ 2.  15 Dec 20:48 patroling ship route from Pilippine Sea to Saigon. 17 Dec 06:34 made visual contact with CV group at 7500 yards, ordered periscope depth and all ahead 1/3. 06:37 aircraft spotted down periscope. Fired 4 bow torpedos at him 2 hit´s CV sighted burning. Fired 2 stern torpedos at him then mada a crash dive. Two bombs dropt on us + 5 bombs as we headed deep (65 feet below test depth). 06:48 rigged for silent running and made a radical course change. After two hours and 40 min. of manuvering we managed to evade escorts after receving some damages.

Rmks/ 3.  18 Dec 19:42 CV group sighted one CV + one CA and one DD. 19:50 They changed course and i lost contact with them.

Rmks/ 4.  22 Dec 08:26 Airplane sighted made a crash dive, manned AA-guns. Bomb was drop on us as we passed periscope depth + 3 more on our way down to 61 feet below test depth. Continuesly ASW attack. 10:37 sonar reports DD´s are gone.

Rmks/ 5.  23 Dec 05:57 CL group sighted (9000 yards away). 05:58 Airplane sighted (2) Crash dive, manned AA-gun. Both airplanes bomed us some damages taken + 6 bombs on our way down to 251 feet. Sonar reported 2 low speed screws taken off and 3 hi speed screws comming to us. Ordered depth change to 323 feet. 08:08 sonar has lost contact with DD´s. Constant ASW attack for 2 hours some damages were taken + a fire broke out.

Rmks/ 6.  07:28 CA group sighted at a range of 12000 yards (1 CL, 1 CA + 5 DD´s) 07:31 Airplane sighted (2) Crash dived, manned AA-guns. Airplanes shoot on me some damages, a bomb was dropt when passing periscope depth took her deep (288 feet). 09:25 After manuvering for two hours (including blow tanks), and after reciving some heavy damages USS Perch was killed by a depth charge.

Rmks/ 7.  Patrol summary

TDC:  Manual

Conditions:  Seas - moderate, Visibility - partly/mostly cloudy

Enemy escaped:

 3 CV (unidentified)(one CV damaged)
 2 CA (unidentified)
 3 CL (unidentified)
12 DD (unidentified)

Damages sustained: 

ASW attack nr. 1
engine 1 moderate (repaired)
press hull in motor room moderate (minor flooding)

ASW attack nr. 2
DC motor 1 moderate (repaired)
press hull in crews mess
press hull in radio room
steering gear moderate (repaired)

ASW attack nr. 3
press hull radio room
press hull control room
steering gear (repaired)
press hull crews quarters
storage room 1 and 2 minor flooding
pump room minor flooding

ASW attack nr. 4
press hull radio room
press hull crews mess
periscope (beyond repair)
press hull fwd battery (minor flooding)
press hull fwd torpedo room (heavy flooding)
bow dive planes (suface repair only)
DC motor 1 (beyond repair)
press hull crews quarters
press hull motor room (minor flooding)
press hull fwd torpedo room incresed
press hull aft battery

Ordnance remaining:  10 MK 14 torpedos

LCDR Mush Magnússon