From: CAPT. Greg Turner (USS Whale)
ComSubRon 12A
To: ComSubPac
Date: October 13,1944
Re: Patrol Format (Oct 01 - Cycle 2)

RMKS/ 1. Arrived on station early morning 6 October,1944 with a full load of MK 18-2 Torpedo's. 19:44 SJ Radar contact bearing 317` at 29,320 yds. Radar reported that 3 to 5 ships closed to about 18,000 yds then circled and headed away. I suspect a convoy might have been forming up on the opposite side of the strait south of Kyushu. At 05:54 went to radar depth due to daylight.

RMKS/ 2.Sunday 8 October,1944 22:35 SJ radar reported a contact close ahead moving very slow. At 22:54 spotted 4 Sampans and sank by deck gun. Fired 27 rounds for 9-Hits and 18-Misses.

RMKS/ 3. Monday 9 October,1944 06:09 spotted and sank 2 Sampans by deck gun. Fired 8 rounds for 4-Hits and 4-Misses. At 07:25 lookouts spotted 3 more Sampans at a range of 23,000 yds on a opposite course. We evaded. At 08:47 lookouts spotted 3 more Sampans at 24,000 yds and we avoided these to in hopes of bigger game. At 14:45 lookouts spotted 4 Sampans dead ahead at 21,000 yds. Being in our path I elected to engage and sink. At 15:16 opened fire and fired 20 rounds for 8-Hits and 12-Misses. Continued patrolling. At 18:37 spotted 2 more Sampans ahead so I ordered them sunk also. Fired 8 rounds for 4-Hits and 4-Misses.

RMKS/ 4. Tuesday 10 October,1944 06:07 Dove to 345 feet as daylight as a trim dive and remained down until Surfacing at 18:29.

RMKS/ 5. Wednesday 11 October,1944 07:45 sound reported contact bearing 000`. I went to radar depth. At 08:12 spotted a convoy consisting of 1 - Large Freighter, 1 - Armed Merchant, 1 - standard merchant, 1 - Supply, 3 - Unidentified Merchants and 3 - DD's unidentified and 1 - Patrol Craft unidentified. Convoy had already passed ahead making 16 kts so I was unable to engage. I went to 300 feet and awaited dark. Surfaced at 18:11.

RMKS/ 6. Thursday 12 October,1944 03:16 SJ contact bearing 077` at 32,400 yds. I tracked the contact but radar reported it passed ahead at about 17,000 yds without being sighted. I stayed at 100-fathom line. At daybreak I dove to 300 feet and remained submerged until surfacing at 18:26. Radar immediately picked up contact bearing 032` at 29,080 yds. I closed on the contact and at 19:00 went to radar depth 10,500 yds from the contact. At 19:27 spotted 1 Patrol Craft apparently anchored in the channel. Closed to 2,200 yds off its port beam and secured engines while searching the area. At 19:37 I was satisfied this was a lucrative target so I fired 1 torpedo from 1,963 yds set for 9 feet (SUNK). The PC went up with a great roar and I surfaced and headed east at flank to clear the strait.

RMKS/ 7. 21:24 SJ contact bearing 355` at 30,440 hugging the coast in shallow water. I decided to close and try for a sinking. At 22:05 went to periscope depth and spotted 1-Akizuki class Destroyer and 1-Type (C) Patrol Craft but did not sight any merchants. The convoy escaped to my south without spotting me. I surfaced and continued to patrol until 05:29 when I dove to radar depth due to daylight.

RMKS/ 8. At 18:32 SJ contact bearing 241` at 31,390 yds. Radar reported a very large blip on the screen. At 19:50 we had closed to within 4,600 yds and spotted escort but could not make an ID. I reversed to the east and dove to periscope depth and listened as the escort passed overhead. At 20:06 I spotted several ships, which consisted of 3-Converted Factory's, 3-Lareg Freighters, and 1-Armed Merchant. I closed on the single column of ships on their port side and at 20:17 began firing torpedo's. Fired 2 torpedo's at the Armed Merchant from 980 yds (DAM). Fired 2 torpedo's at a Large Freighter from 870 (DAM). Fired 2 torpedo's at a Factory ship from 580 (MISS). I immediately went to 200 feet and headed east to clear the area. The escorts found me within seconds and began their runs. At 20:35 a close string of depth charges caused severe damage throughout the boat. (SEE DAMAGE REPORT BELOW) With so many leaks causing depth control problems I elected to set the boat on the bottom at 297 feet while I still had control at 20:40. As I feared at 20:50 the XO reported chlorine gas in the aft Battery Compartment. By now the flooding had made it impossible to rise due to the large volume of water we had taken on. Damage control teams quickly plugged the leaks but reported it would take some time to pump out the flooded areas. Finally at 21:21 just as the escorts were searching further out from the boat I had to order surface due to the Chlorine gas. As the main ballast was blown all the escorts apparently heard it and turned back to work us over again. I had to blow the tanks aver half dry before the Whale even began to ascend. Just as we passed 290 feet a depth charge ruptured the Control Tower hull and flooded the boat within seconds killing the whole crew. Watertight doors were sprung from the Depth charges and the ones that didn't fail outright had slow leaks, which doomed the members in those compartments.

Patrol Summary:

TDC: Auto

Conditions:
Seas: Calm
Weather: Clear

Enemy Sunk:

1.Oct 12,1944, 19:37, Patrol Craft type (C), (810 tons),31-07N x 138-18E

Total: 810 tons

Enemy Damaged:

1.1 x Armed Merchant Cruiser
2.1 x Large Freighter

Enemy Escaped:

1. 3 x Converted Factory
2. 3 x Large Freighter
3. 3 x Unidentified Merchant
4. 3 x DD's unidentified
5. 1 x Armed Merchant
6. 1 x Standard Merchant
7. 1 x Supply
8. 1 x Patrol Craft Unidentified

Damage Sustained:

1. Periscope Destroyed
2. Aft Engine Room Hull - Minor
3. Fwd Engine Room Hull - Minor
4. Engine 3 - Minor
5. Engine 2 - Minor
6.Radio - Moderate
7.Store Room 2 Hull - Minor
8. SJ Radar - Minor
9. Pump Room Hull - Heavy
10. Officers Quarters Hull - Moderate
11. Fwd Battery Room Hull - Moderate
12. Control Tower Hull - Heavy
13. Aft Battery Room Hull - Moderate
14. Crew Quarters Hull - Moderate
15. Engine - Minor
16. DC Motor 2 + 3 + 4 - Moderate

Torpedo Performance:

Duds - Premature - Misses - Hits
-0 -------- 0 ---------- 2 ------- 5

Aircraft Encountered:
0

Depth Charges Received:
Way To Many this Time (31)

Ordnance Remaining:

Torpedoes: 19 - MK 18-2 Electric
Deck Gun: 32

Comments: All hands were lost. As oxygen ran low I had to blow main ballast hard to get the boat heading toward the surface due to the heavy flooding. The flooding gauge was way in the red. The escorts no doubt heard the blow and just as I began ascending a depth charge finished us off. Damage control had just sealed all the leaks and if the batteries had not started emitting chlorine gas I believe I would have brought the Whale home. It is also my opinion that all but the smallest ships require a 3 shot spread to sink with these smaller MK-18 electric torpedo's.

CAPT. Greg Turner
CO USS Whale
CO SubRon 12A

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