Patrol Report October 00 I
SS-287 Bowfin Sixth War Patrol covering the period from 7/2/44 to 7/25/44
To: ComSubPac, Commander SUBRON 4 - Manual TDC
PROLOGUE TO
Arrived Darwin 5/12/44 after fifth War Patrol.
NARRATIVE
7/4/44 departed Darwin for Malaysia with a full load of Mark 18's.
7/12/44 arrived on station. Sea's moderate weather partly cloudy. Head towards Singapore to begin our patrolling.
Rmks 1 - 7/13/44 0715 SJ contact 33000 yards. Turn to close quickly and identify the target. 0736 get our first glimpse of the target through the scope either two Nagara or Kuma class CL's. Radar indicates nine escorts. Fired a spread of four torpedo's at the nearest CL range 2200 yards depth 6 feet. Three hits dove to 300 feet below a thermocline to evade the escorts. Only one set of heavy screws can be heard so the target may be dead in the water. 0820 back at periscope depth one cruiser is burning the other is departing without escort. The escorts are behind us searching and dropping occasional DC's. Close for a finishing shot on the damaged CL. 0921 Fire one fish at the burning CL range 1500 yards. Hit target explodes and sinks. Exit the area to avoid the escorts. 1100 escorts depart the area bearing 270 at 24 knots.
Rmks 2 - 7/13/44 1758. Sj contact 32000 yards. Turn to close and identify targets before dark. Looks like four or five ships with one escort on radar. 1810 looks like more ships with additional escorts. Probably smaller targets and PC's since they did not show up on radar right away. 1836 still haven't sighted them but range to lead escort is 6500 yards with the main body about 8000 yards have them dead astern setting up for an initial stern salvo into the group. 1841 misjudged their direction looks like they're grouped across in five or six loose columns. Trying to turn the corner at flank speed to get in front of them. 1926 finally spot one of the escorts while closing on their port flank. 2002 past behind the first escort and spot the next one. He should be the last one in the inner screen. 2130 break off the pursuit. I have passed the escorts but am losing ground on the main body doing 14.2 knots, flank speed.
Rmks 3 - 7/14/44 0310. Sj contact 33000 yards. Weather is worsening. Rough sea's now limiting us to about 10 knots. Appears to be one large target with escorts zigzagging radically. 0500 break of this pursuit also entering the Singapore channel with down an hour away.
Rmks 4 - 7/14/44 1250. Sj contact 33500 yards. Close at full speed to identify. Range now 16000 yards appears to be large capital ships with an air escort. One of the aircraft spotted us. One bomb hit deck gun out of action and flooding in the crews quarters. Unable to get position on the convoy while dodging three aircraft. Wait for night to finish repairs.
Rmks 5 - 7/14/44 1250. Sj contact 33000 yards. Turn to intercept still charging batteries all damaged repaired except deck gun. Appears to be a large convoy with escorts on the points. 1842 the range is down to 13000 yards to the lead ship. Convoy is in two columns bearing about 245. Come to full speed to get into position ahead of them. 1955 spot the port flank escort as we cross his pass. The group is making about 15 knots we are only doing 10 and taking a pounding for it. Will shoot across the group right through the middle of the convoy. The escort spotted us before we could get into firing position. Once we dove unable to catch the convoy. He dropped a few DC's nothing close. 2010 back on the surface investigating the stragglers. One is a DD but passes without echo ranging. Once on the surface again the DD the attacked begins to close again. Dive and set up a stern shot as he passes by. Fire two at 1500 yards one hit one miss. Fire a follow up which finish's him off.
Rmks 6 - 7/14/44 2245. Sj contact 33000 yards. Turn to intercept still charging batteries and reloading torpedo's. Sight a large CA and three escorts. Try to get around them as they zig zag. 0240 slowly loosing ground at flank speed. Break of the attack since the moon is now up and the distance is slowly increasing on the nearest zig.
Rmks 7 - 7/15/44 0854. Sj contact 33500 yards. Surface and close to get a sighting with the high scope. 0915 spot a large fighting top appears to be a Kongo BB. Radar indicates three large targets with 6 or 7 escorts. 1035 give up the chase they zig zag around us and depart at 23.5 knots.
Rmks 8 - 7/15/44 1323. Sj contact 33150 yards. Close to investigate. 1330 radar indicates large ships with escorts and SD picks up an aircraft escorting. Appears to be two BB/CV's of the ISE class a CA probably Takao class and escorts. Try to get in position for a submerged attack on the BB/CV's. Before I can get into firing position the aircraft spot's us and alerts the convoy. Dive deep to evade and listen to where they are going. 1635 slip the eight escorts and back on the surface leaving the area and charging batteries.
Rmks 9 - 7/17/44 0838. Sj contact 33000 yards. Weather is foggy with a moderate sea. Close to investigate. 0935 range down to 8000 yards to the closest ship and still cannot see them. Slow to 2/3 speed and radar depth for the approach. Escorts detect us while still moving into position. These guys are actively searching. One drops a good of set DC's Scopes out, fuel leak, SD radar damaged and leaking in Control, Radio and Pump Room. Evade with no other damage. 1245 on the surface in the fog everything repaired except Deck Gun and Periscope.
Rmks 10 - 7/17/44 2144. Sj contact 34000 yards. Close for night surface action. Fired six forward tubes at three ships. Two each at the first and second ship in the nearest column range 1000 - 1500 and two at the lead ship in the farther column range 1500 yards. Dive under the convoy. Sound indicates three hits one ship is sinking. Surface behind the convoy fire one fish at burning standard merchant sinks him. Spot a small freighter also sinking. Turn to pursue convoy while reloading bow tubes. two ships have broken away from the convoy pursue those two as the escorts are moving between us and the rest of the convoy. 7/18 0050 Fire two fish at tanker range 1300 yards. Both miss. Fire a follow up shot lowering his speed at 900 yards. First fish explode at end of run tanker veers radically and avoid that one. Reset and fire two remaining forward fish at range 600 yards one dud and one hit tanker is burning and slowing down. Turn and fire one stern tube at range 1000 yards misses as tanker speed is still decreasing and he is turning. Circle around to get a better stern shot after he stabilizes. Trying to track him in Heavy fog. Fire one torpedo range 800 yards using radar information only, missed. Move in front of him and fire one torpedo range 560 yards can just make out his image in the fog this one hits and the tanker sinks.
Rmks 11 - 7/18/44 0138. One stern torpedo remain so return to base.
Arrived Darwin 7/25/44.
Jap ASW. Warships with heavliy and aggressively escorted.
Torpedo performance summary.
Attack one. Four Mark 18's all fired at depth 6 feet.
Hit Prem Dud Miss ———————————————————— 3 0 0 1
Results Damaged Kuma Class CL.
Attack two. One Mark 18 fired at depth 6.
Hit Prem Dud Miss ———————————————————— 1 0 0 0
Results Sunk the damaged Kuma Class CL 5832 tons from attack one.
Attack three. Three Mark 18 fired at depth 6.
Hit Prem Dud Miss ———————————————————— 2 0 0 1
Results Sunk a Mutsuki Class DD 1772 tons.
Attack four. Seven Mark 18 fired at depth 6.
Hit Prem Dud Miss ———————————————————— 4 0 0 3
Results Sunk a Small Freighter 1772 tons and a Standard Merchant 8870 tons
Attack 5 - 7 on the same tanker.
Hit Prem Dud Miss Not Fired ——————————————————————————————— 2 0 1 5 0
Results sunk one tanker 5140 tons.
TOTALS
Hit Prem Dud Miss Not Fired ——————————————————————————————— 12 0 1 10 1
Torpedo performance. All appeared to perform well.
Deck Gun. was not used, damaged early in patrol.
SJ Radar. Performance made contact at about 32000 to 34000 yards.
SD radar. Aircraft were detected at a range of 17000 yards.
Damage. Hull damage light 15%, System damage light 6%. Repair time four days.
Weather Conditions. Moderate to Heavy seas and Foggy while in PZ.
Endurance factors. Fuel remaining 39%, torpedo's 1, shells 100, supplies 43 days.
Photo Recons. None requested.
Pilots rescued. None requested.
Ships sunk.
Kuma Class CL 5832 tons Mutsuki DD 1772 tons Small Freighter 1980 tons Standard Merchant 8870 tons Tanker 5140 tons ————————————————————————————— TOTAL 23594 tons
Respectfully,
LTCMD Ray McNeice
Commander SS-287 Bowfin.