//IMMEDIATE//
From: LCDR Greg Turner
(USS Tarpon SS-175)
To: ComSubRon 4
Cc: ComSubPac
Date: May 28, 1943
Re: Patrol Report (June - Cycle 2)
RMKS/ 1. Arrived in patrol area early on the morning of May 10, 1943. Proceeded to patrol southwest of Agattu Island.
RMKS/ 2. Friday, May 11 - 06:39. SJ radar made contact bearing 318` at 14,980 yds. Seconds later SD radar made contact on 3 aircraft at 17,570 yds. I dove to 200 feet when the air contacts closed within 9,000 yds. Aircraft dropped 3 bombs but did no damage. At 06:47 sonar reported high speed screws bearing 309`. I went to periscope depth at 06:53 to check for visual on sonar contact then to RD. Made radar contact on 1 - Fubuki class DD bearing 348` at 10,207 yds just drifting with the current. I went to 75 feet to close on target.
RMKS/ 3. Come to RD at 07:49 to check range on DD. Target at 5,000 yds still drifting. Spotted aircraft bearing 206` at 2,200 yds. I dove to 130 feet and by luck received no bombs so aircraft must not have spotted me. Sonar picked up active sonar at 07:53. Ten minutes later my XO spotted a convoy by periscope approaching head on and aircraft overflew the sub. Earlier sightings identified 2DD plus the drifter, after tracking for several minutes A Battleship was identified but no classification was made. There was a total of 5 DD's and 1 - Battleship and 1 - Aircraft. The lead escorts headed my way so I headed for 250 feet at a dead stop with the hope that if the escorts had spotted me they would miscalculate my position by my diving without forward speed.
RMKS/ 4. Destroyers passed overhead at 08:11 and the first depth charges entered the water seconds later. A second drop of charges seconds after the first damaged the Motor Room pressure hull causing heavy leaking and heavily damaged the Aft and Forward Batteries reducing my ability to maneuver by 50%. At 08:47 a string of depth charges destroyed my deck gun. A few seconds later I jettisoned debris and turned south at the same time another string of charges damaged Engine 1 and caused a pressure hull leak in the Crew Mess. At 08:52 I ordered the chief of the boat to ascend to 225 feet to help ease the flooding. Three minutes later I ordered the depth back to 250 feet as escorts moved in again.
RMKS/ 5. At 08:57 depth charges damaged the Motor Room pressure hull causing a heavy leak. DC Motor 1 and Engine Room pressure hull. At 09:09 sound reported 5 sets of high-speed screws circling above. At 09:14 the OOD reported that damage control had repaired the Forward Battery Room Hull. At09: 18 the Pump Room Hull was damaged causing a moderate leak. Damage control had the Engine Room Hull repaired by 09:25 and the OOD reported that the pumps were unable to keep up with the flooding. I finally stopped our decent at 300 feet by putting a 6 Degree rise on the dive planes.
RMKS/ 6. Found a good thermal at 275 feet but was having depth control problems due to flooding. Depth ranged from 225 to 305 feet. At 09:30 the XO reported the battery was down to 185 volts and the Crew Mess Hull had been repaired. At 09:40 another depth charge run caused even heavier hull damage to the Pump Room and knocked out the Stern Dive Planes. Escorts showed no sign of giving up. With the Dive Planes inoperable I had to blow ballast to check my decent at 305 feet. I stopped my ascent at 203 feet and immediately started sinking again.
RMKS/ 7. At 09:46 I blowed ballast at 301 feet to check decent. At 09:48 I stopped rise at 224 feet as depth charges rained down. Blowed ballast again at 09:50 at 304 feet. At 09:52 the OOD reported that the Pressure Hull in the Motor Room had been repaired and I check our ascent at 163 feet. At 09:57 I blowed ballast at 300 feet as the hull began to buckle. Down to less than 1/2 tank of Compressed Air Checked rise at 113 feet at 10:00 with 120 volts on the battery. At 10:05 I blowed ballast expending the last of the compressed air. Headed for periscope depth to fire on escorts. At 10:11 fired 1 torpedo at DD bearing 029` at 850 yds. It missed. Fired 1 torpedo at DD bearing 181` at 1,200 yds. It missed but the remaining DD's took evasive action and turned away. A moment after firing second torpedo the sub broached and was hit by gunfire that destroyed the Periscope and damaged Engine 2. By 10:19 flooding in the Motor Room had decreased but the Pump Room was still flooding heavily making it difficult to remain surfaced. Gunfire hit and damaged the aft Battery pressure hull adding to the flooding. At 10:08 I fired two torpedoes at DD bearing 168` at 780 yds. One was a dud and one made a solid hit that sank it. At 10:12 due to massive flooding and empty ballast tanks I ordered the crew to abandon ship.
RMKS/ 8. Me and a few other crewmen were picked up by a PBY that just happened to be in the area. The DD's retired possible fearing an air strike.
Patrol Summary:
TDC: Auto
Conditions:
Seas: Calm
Weather: Clear
Enemy Sunk:
1. 1x Fubuki Class DD 2,090 tons 52-19Nx172-39E
Total: 2,090 Tons
Enemy Escaped:
1. 1x Battleship Unknown Class
2. 4x Destroyers Unknown Class
Damage Sustained:
1. Periscope Destroyed
2. Deck Gun destroyed
3. Motor Room Pressure Hull - Heavy Damage
4. Aft Battery - Critical
5. Forward Battery - Moderate
6. Aft Battery Room Hull - Heavy Damage
7. Engine Room Hull - Moderate
8. Engines 1 + 2 - Moderate
9. Crew Mess Hull - Moderate
10. DC Motor - Moderate
11. Pump Room Hull - Extensive
12. Stern Dive Planes - Heavy
Ordnance Remaining:
Torpedoes: 14
Deck gun: 95
Comments: Japanese escorts pinpointed my location without any problem. I don't believe my periscope was spotted. The escorts have developed good tactics. At all times at least 2 DD's stayed off my beam tracking me. My torpedo attack put a scare in them and then I believe they thought they had sunk me. I lost several good men while abandoning the boat and several more in the water. I was very lucky as was several of my men that a PBY was nearby and saw what was happening. They came in at great risk and picked up me and 11 other men and took us out of hams way. As of now I am still trying to determine the whereabouts of my missing crew. I have hope they were picked up by other vessels or even the japs. The crew done a great job keeping the boat operational as long as they did. I respectively request a new sub command to avenge my fallen comrades.
LCDR Greg Turner
(USS Tarpon SS-175)
/SENDS/