From: LCDR Mush Magnússon, (ss-214) Grouper
Date: 26 September 1942
Patrol report: 3rd patrol - April Cycle 2
Rmks/ 1. Assigned command off ss-214 a Gato class submarine, my homebase is now at Midway and on september 3 i recived orders to patrol Southern Japan. Travel time was est. 9.58 days.
Rmks/ 2. September 12 0729 hours we were on loc. 31-36N, 137-20E heading 291°. Running all ahead standard our speed was 9.3 kts. I ordered change off course to 270° since i had decided to patrol ship lane out of Kii Suido. At 1928 hours we were patroling on surface boy what a night it is so black that i can´t see the deck on my own submarine.
Rmks/ 3. 0000 hours 13 september. We have run into some realy bad weather, speed is down to 9.8 kts with all four engines running. At 1230 hours lookout spotted one destroyer and one, what looked like troop transporter, bearing 025° on loc. 33-00N, 134-50E. I ordered fast dive to periscope depth since range was only 3000 yards. After caculating for some time i fired two bow torpedos at troop transporter #1 hit and destroyed #2 missed. I then recaculatied realy fast and fired two bow torpedos at another troop transporter #1 hit and destroyed #2 was a dud. Made a crash dive after hearing ecco from pinging destroyers. Unfortunatly that made us not being able to confirm second kill (But we heard good and solit hit trough sonar). Took her deep, 25 feet below test depth. Sonar hears at least three hi-speed screws up there and two low speed screws trying to clear the area. Depth carges were heard but no damages taken. 1414 hours They gave up never being able too find us. Took her up to 150 feet and decited to stay down till dark duo to heavy seas. Surfaced at 1832 hours only to get hit by the same ugly weather. Call this a vetran crew, after half hour on surface most off the men were see sick so i had to order dive to 150 feet.
Rmks/ 4. 2036 hours sonar reported hi-speed screws bearing 009°, ordered periscope depth as sonar gave me more information on our contact. Most likly 5 destroyers and two merchants or warships. 2046 DD was spotted bearing 015° Fired two bow torpedos at him at 2048 hours. #1 was a dud #2 hit and destroyed. Ordered plansman to put planes on dive. More DD's were sighted as we dove to evade being depth carged. Again i ordered my crew to take her deep, 55 feet below test depth, and rigged for silent running. 2205 hours we came up to 150 feet, the DD´s were gone, we had taken some beating but fortunatly no damages were taken.
Rmks/ 5. 14 september i stayed down most off the time only surfacing to get some new oxygen and recharging batterys. 1028 hours 15 september sonar reported hi-speed screws bearing 120°. Ordered periscope depth and found at 1034 hours one DD and one standard merchant bearing 090° at range off 3100 yards (DD) and 4100 yards. 1045 hours we lost sight off both targets and dived to 180 feet.
Rmks/ 6. 1155 hours sonar reported hi-speed screws bearing 309°. Ordered periscope depth. 1156 hours low-speed screws bearing 319°. 1158 hours hi-speed screws bearing 342°. 1159 hours DD sighted bearing 315° Standard merchant bearing 305° Converted factory ship came from behind DD. Another DD bearing 250°. Range to glosest DD 1700 yards, range to Standard merchant 3100 yards. 1206 hours DD bearing 359°sighted. 1213 hours i called off the attack, fireing solution were not good + our oxygen was low and batterys were down to 300 volts. 1225 hours lost sight of convoy.
Rmks/ 7. 2245 hours 16 september after being submerged most off the time i ordered all ahead flank to try to intercept a convoy. Speed only 9.7 kts. 0339 hours 17 september i told the diveing officer to take her down to 295 feet(I was very popular among my crew after giving that order, 5 hours of heavy seas had not been good for theyr stomick.
Rmks/ 8. 0706 hours sonar reported low-speed screws bearing 230°. I ordered periscope depth and at 0712 hours we sighted a ship bearing 318° at a range off 11500 yards. 0714 hours all ahead flank was ordered and we saw another ship bearing 306°. 0718 third ship was sighted bearing 286° fourht ship sighted bering 284°. Looks like two armed merchant cruiser, one standard merchant and i think one large freighter, no make that armed merchant cruiser. And + two small freighters or supply ship i´m not sure. 0755 hours surface all ahead flank. My speed 9.8 kts. theyr´s speed aproximatly 12 kts. There fore i´m not able to close morethan 5700 yards. Fired 4 torpedos at Armed merchant cruiser at range of 6200 yards #1 prematured other torpedos there fore missed. Fired at him with deck gun, range to long will try to get supply ship. It is moving slower for some reason. fired on supply ship at a range off 2200 yards. Fired two bow torpedos at him at a range of 1700 yards. Both missed but he is burning from shellhit´s. Fired one bow torpedo at him witch prematured. Fired one more hit and destroed him. 0937 hours there was reported aircontact on sd radar range at 16000 yards and closing. Made a crash dive, down to 300 feet. convoy last sighted heading 180° at a speed of 12 kts, range 6300 yards.
Rmks/ 9. 1827 hours we surfaced and returned to base.
Patrol summary
TDC: Manual
Conditions:
seas - heavy weather - foggy
Enemy sunk:
Troop transport 6990 tonns Sep 13 12:48 33-00N, 134-50E Troop transport 6990 tonns Sep 13 12:50 33-00N, 134-50E (Not confirmed) Mutsuki class DD 1772 tonns Sep 13 20:48 32-33N, 134-49E Supply ship 2670 tonns Sep 17 09:28 31-51N, 135-01E
Enemy escaped:
Destroyer (unidentyfied) Destroyer (unidentyfied) Standard merchant (+ one low speed screw never sighted) Destroyer (unidentyfied) Destroyer (unidentyfied) Destroyer (unidentyfied) Destroyer (Kagero class) Standard merchant Destroyer (Yugumo class) Destroyer (Akizuki class) Destroyer (Fubuki class) Standard merchant Armed merchant cruiser Armed merchant cruiser Standard merchant Armed merchant cruiser Small freigther
Damages: None
Comments: Request for refuel and reload.
LCDR Mush Magnusson