//IMMEDIATE//
From: LCDR Greg Turner (USS Lagarto, SS-371)
To: ComSubRon 4
Cc: ComSubPac
Date: July 21, 1945
Re: Patrol Report (Jan 01 - Cycle 1)
RMKS/ 1. Left Pearl Harbor on July 4,1945 and arrived on station in the early afternoon of July 8,1945. Headed for Bungo Suido. 02:16 SJ contact bearing 064` at 8,570 yds. Visual at 02:30 on 1 Sampan bearing 348`. Sunk with 1 round from the 5" gun. Continued to within 40 miles of Bungo Suido and patrolled there.
RMKS/ 2. July 10,1945 07:47 received a radio message from ComSubPac assigning the Lagarto lifeguard duty 20 miles off Himeji. Headed for station at flank with almost 190 miles to go. 15:59 SJ contact bearing 002` at 30,070 yds. I suspected a patrol. At 15:40 radar reported 3 contacts and I went to radar depth to await darkness to enter channel. Dove to 427 feet as escorts searched the area. At 18:01 came to radar depth and picked up a contact bearing 311` at 9,070 yds then headed back to 400 feet as I began maneuvering. Passed through the strait without incident and continued north.
RMKS/ 3. At 02:02 as I was passing south of Akashi harbor lookouts spotted 1 DD at 2,107 yds patrolling. I didn't dive but remained on the surface at high speed and passed by successfully. At 02:37 started charging the battery and went to radar depth with almost a full charge. Eased down to within 6 feet of the bottom (218 feet) and waited for dark as we listened to the DD's searching the area with active sonar. At 06:09 heard surface explosion and again at 09:09 and 10:36. Came to radar depth at 19:20 and received report of 3 down pilots from the raid. Headed for the nearest one estimated 5 miles east of Himeji. Also reported one down in the narrows east of Tokushima. 19:57 lookouts spotted the 1st pilot and we surfaced and picked him up at 20:02 then continued north to search for 2nd pilot. Spotted and rescued pilot at 22:36 then headed for south of Akashi. At 22:39 lookouts spotted a single Patrol Craft at 2,200 yds heading toward us. I changed course to lessen our silhouette and the Patrol Craft never spotted us. Cleared the strait by 22:53 and had found and rescued the 3rd survivor by 01:03 then headed for Kii Suido to get to open water.
RMKS/ 4. 02:25 spotted a patrol at 3,170 yds and identified 1 - Kagero class DD. At 02:36 spotted 2nd patrol at 1,800 and active sonar hit me. Made ready all stern tubes and continued on. DD never turned toward me. 02:45 radar reported 4 contacts, one at 308` at 7,280 yds, one at 047` at 9,120 yds, one at 060` at 3,540 yds and the trailer. At 02:54 spotted DD (Kagero) at 054` at 2,720 yds as it just completed it's outward leg of its patrol zone. We also crossed into deep water at this time. At 03:01 radar reported the DD closing from 154` at 19.5 kts and the Patrol Craft at 104` t 13.4 kts. I made a slight course change to get a better angle on both ships and continued at flank. Also spotted at (Type D) Patrol Craft closing from 279` at 2,800 yds and picked up a contact bearing349` at 6,00 yds I came right 15 degree's and slipped by the trap that was set for me.
RMKS/ 5. 06:01 SJ contact bearing 351` at 32,090 yds. Headed for at flank. 06:21 went to radar depth 15,000 yds ahead of contact. 06:30 spotted several ships at 14,000 yds but made no identification due to lead escort. At 07:02 the lead Escort DD passed 200 yds astern. At 07:04 fired 2 torpedoes at Tanker at 1,100 yds (SUNK). At 07:05 fired 2 torpedoes at AMC at 830 yds (1 hit - 1 Dud)(DAM) 07:08 dove and active sonar hit me passing 100 feet. 07:13 depth charges began dropping. Evaded and lost contact by 09:09. Arrived radar depth at 09:36 and picked up a contact bearing 131` at 25,800 yds. Surfaced at 09:42 and headed southeast to charge the battery. At 10:23 reversed course for radar contact bearing 126` at 29,579 yds. 11:37 lookouts spotted a Troop Ship bearing 000` at 18,757 yds. Ship spotted me at 12:16 and turned away but I continued to close and at 12:17 open fire with the 5": gun at 1,200 yds. Fired 19 rounds for 17 hits and 2 misses.(SUNK) After securing headed for ISE WAN.
RMKS/ 6. 15:31 SJ contact bearing 327` at 29,950 yds. Suspected a patrol but went to investigate. At 16:27 spot a large 2-ship patrol and reversed course to clear the area. At 16:51 received a message from ComSubPac assigning the Lagarto lifeguard duty 20 miles off of Kobe. Set course for the Kii Suido Strait. July 14, 1945 00:09 SJ contact near strait bearing 349` at 29,980 yds. Counted 4 contacts on radar. By 01:20 had slipped by 3 escorts only to encounter 3 more. Slipped by these contacts by 01:45. At 01:57 radar picked up contacts in both Tokushima harbor and Wakayama harbor. 04:344 went to radar depth as daylight approached. 04:53 SD air contact at 17,170 yds. Dove to 178 feet to await dark. 08:49 heard an aircraft over fly the boat. Eased down to 200 feet. Heard aircraft fly over again at 13:08 and 17:51. Arrived radar depth at 19:22 Surfaced at 19:25 and by 20:11 had passed through the narrows and went to depth (252) to await notification on the air strike. 01:25 went to radar depth and waited. At 01:41 picked up the strike force at 17,570 yds. 01:47 observed flashes in the distance from the bomb raid and at 01:48 received a report of a downed aviator near Sakai. Surfaced and headed for pilot with less than 3 hours before sunrise. Moments later notified of a 2nd downed pilot between me and Sakai. Altered course to search. 01:52 lookouts spotted the bomb group retiring. 01:54 notified of a 3rd down pilot at the north end of the narrows. 01:59 notified of a 4th downed pilot north of Kii Suido strait. Continued north and at 02:34 picked up one of the downed pilots at 34-22N x 135-07E. 02:35 SJ contact at 002` at 15,440 yds. I suspected a patrol so steered clear of it. 02:46 spotted lights in the port of Sakai. 03:05 headed south to search for the other 2 aviators since there was no chance of getting in close enough for a rescue with the patrols searching where they were. Will make every effort to return later. 04:32 spotted 3rd pilot as the sun came up and picked him up at 04:29 then continued south to search for the 4th pilot. 05:25 picked up the 4th pilot and headed north to search for the 1st pilot. At 05:28 went to 251 feet to wait for darkness to continue search.
RMKS/ 7. Arrived at radar depth and surfaced after checking the area and headed north. 21:30 picked up two contacts on radar in Sakai harbor (Patrol) at 4,910 yds. I headed around the northern end of the harbor to search. At 21:30 spotted 1 - AMC and 1 - Supply ship anchored in the port plus 1 - Patrol Craft patrolling the southern approach. I made ready all tubes and continued in to search for the pilot. At 21:53 lookouts spotted the pilot bearing 053` at 1,600 yds directly between us and the anchored ships and 1,100 yds from the AMC. We had slipped in and picked up the pilot by 21:58 and I backed the boat out always before turning around. Slipped back out of the port with no problems and headed south. 00:40 picked up radar contact on the patrol in Kii Suido at 3,000 yds. Had successfully passed through strait by 01:47 and headed north toward the entrance to ISE WAN.
RMKS/ 8. 05:50 SJ contact bearing 019` at 10,410 yds. Made visual on 3 Sampans and after closing on them opened fire with the 5" gun at 06:16 at 1,000 yds. Fired 4 rounds for 3 hits and 1 miss and then continued patrolling. 07:46 SJ contact bearing 004` at 33,440 yds. Set intercept course. At 08:22 lookouts spotted a mast on the horizon. Dove to periscope depth at 08:25 and was in firing position ahead of the convoy by 08:56 by 3,600 yds. Identified 1 - AMC, 1 - CFS, 2 - TT, 1 - Supply and 1 - SF. At 09:07 fired 2 torpedoes at Transport at 1,370 yds and fired 2 torpedoes at Transport at 842 yds. (Sank Both). 09:08 fired 2 torpedoes at AMC at 783 yds plus fired 1 torpedo at CFS at 970 yds. The AMC caught fire but continued on, as did the CFS. 09:09 fired a 2nd torpedo at the CFS at 720 yds which further damaged it but had to finish it off with a 3rd torpedo.(SUNK) At 09:11 fired a 3rd torpedo at the damaged AMC at 720 yds, which hit but didn't sink the ship. I paralleled the ships course while the forward tubes were reloaded. Then at 09:18 fired a 4th torpedo at the AMC at 1,035 yds and sank it(SUNK). Spotted both the Supply and the SF heading north and I surfaced to give chase. At 09:28 opened fire on the Supply with the 5"gun at 4,500 yds. Over the next few minutes fired 17 rounds for 12 hits and 5 misses and sent the ship to the bottom(SUNK). Shifted fire to the Small Freighter at 2,250 yds and fired 16 rounds for 15 hits and 1 miss and sent it to the bottom(SUNK). At 09:38 I secured the gun and set a course for ISE WAN. At 14:17 SJ contact bearing 356` at 32,360 yds. At first I thought it might be a patrol because only two blips appeared on the radar but the ships continued on a southeasterly course so I headed for them to check it out. At 17:00 lookouts spotted a Sampan at 18,000 yds off the nose and I closed and sank it with the deck gun. (2 hits - 2 misses) I swung south then west to search the area and at 09:02 lookouts spotted another Sampan 50 miles south of Kii Suido. At 9:40 I opened fire with the deck gun and sent this vessel to join it's ancestors. (4 this - 1 miss)
At 10:31 made SJ contact bearing 055` at 32,700 yds and set an intercept course. At 11:14 lookouts made visual on 1 escort and I dove to radar depth to close. I headed south and at 1:33 eased down to periscope depth as the merchants came into view. The Patrol Craft was heading right at me and finally at 1,500 yds it zigged away. A spot check at 12:07 showed 10 ships in a single column with 1 Patrol Craft visible. Identified 5 - AMC, 2 - OT, 1 - Supply, 1 - SF. The tankers were near the end of the column so I waited for them to come into range then12: 26 fired 2 torpedoes at tanker at 620 yds (SUNK). Also fired 2 torpedoes at 2nd Tanker at 1,300 yds expending all my forward torpedoes (MISS). Dove for 426 feet as the PC closed. At 12:48 active hit me and the cat and mouse game began. With no thermal the PC had no trouble keeping up with me so I jettisoned debris at 13:18 and managed to slip away by 14:24.
RMKS/ 9. At 14:41 I surfaced to give chase on the convoy At 16:43 secured from tracking as there was no chance to get ahead of the ships before the entered the strait at Kii Suido. Headed south to continue battery charge. 20:35 SJ contact bearing 034` at 34,190 yds so I set an intercept course. At 21:17 radar reported us 13,400 yds ahead of the contact and at 21:46 lookouts spotted a Standard Merchant on the horizon and I took the boat to radar depth to keep an eye on the ship. Identified 1 - SM, 1 - AMC, and 1 - SF. I let the SF pass then at 22:07 fired 2 torpedoes at the Merchant at 660 yds. The hits set the ship afire and I fired a 3rd torpedo to at 640 yds and sunk it.(SUNK) The AMC turned my direction and I took the boat to 100 feet. I don't think it spotted us it just turned my way in an attempt to escape. I surfaced as the AMC pulled away to about 4,500 yds to try and get the SF. At 22:23 while trying to end around on the Freighter the Armed Cruiser turned and headed across my track at 2,100 yds. I brought the stern tubes to bear and fired my last torpedo at the AMC at 2,170 yds. A little far for a shot but I had a good setup. Manned the deck gun and at 22:25 opened fire on the AMC just as the torpedo hit. With all the confusion I wasn't to worried about the guns on the AMC but had the gunners take them out first to be sure. Fired a total of 33 rounds for 30 hits and 3 misses to sink the ship.(SUNK) With only 2 shells left for the deck gun I set course for Pearl Harbor with a jubilant crew.
Patrol Summary:
TDC: Auto
Conditions: Enemy Sunk:
Enemy Damaged:
1. 1 x Armed Merchant
Enemy Escaped:
1. 6x Armed Merchants Damage Sustained: Ordnance Remaining: Comments: Request reload and refit.
LCDR Greg Turner /SENDS/
Seas: Moderate
Weather: Partly Cloudy
1. 9 x Sampans
2. Tanker, 6,130 tons, 32-45N x 134-13E
3. Troop Ship, 8,520 tons, 32-16N x 134-11E
4. Troop Ship, 9,250 tons, 33-17N x 136-13E
5. Troop Ship, 9,250 tons, 33-17N x 136-13E
6. Converted Factory, 3,220 tons, 33-17N x 136-13E
7. Armed Merchant Cruiser, 6,700 tons, 33-17N x 136-13E
8. Supply, 3,060 tons, 33-20N x 136-13E
9. Small Freighter, 2,060 tons, 32-20N x 136-14E
10. Tanker, 10,400 tons, 33-13N x 135-26E
11. Supply, 2,350 tons, 33-13N x 135-26E
12. Standard Merchant, 13,040 tons, 32-58N x 134-22E
13. Armed Merchant Cruiser, 9,430 tons, 32-59N x 134-20E
TOTAL: 82,564 tons
2. 3x Patrol Craft Unidentified
3. 2x Small Freighters
4. 2x Supply
5. 1x Tanker
6. 1x Kagero DD
7. 1x Escort DD Unidentified
None
Torpedos: 0
Deck Gun:
(USS Lagarto SS-371)