Lieutenant Commander T.E. Dashnow
SubRon 5a.

Cycle 4 patrol Report.

Skipper: LCdr T.E. Dashnow (SS)
Cycle: 4
Subron: 5A
Boat: USS Pompano SS-181
Patrol_zone: Mariana Islands
TDC: Automatic
Realism: 95%
Warships_sunk: 0
Merchants_sunk: 4
Warship_tonnage: 0
Merchant_tonnage: 28,550
JANAC_tonnage: 9,507
Lifeguard_duty: No
Photo_recon: No
SH_awards:
 

Warship_types
N/A

Merchant_types
1 Small Freighter 2 Stand. Merchants 1 Troop Transport

Patrol_narrative
Patrol Report - USS Pompano SS-181, LCdr T.E. Dashnow (SS) Commanding Sept. 3, 1942 - Pearl Harbor - Cycle 4 1/ Initial Attempt at getting underway on our first war patrol was an abysmal failure due to massive breakdown of the ship's H.O.R. main engines. Following return to port on the electric motors, Pompano spent approx. 7 weeks tied to the pier while a multitude of experts attempted to diagnose and solve our propulsion problems. Finally at the suggestion of Chief Motor Machinist Hiles, our engine room crew successfully got the mains back on line and running in a reasonably reliable fashion. Ships force is looking forward to having the Pompano re-engined at the earliest possible opportunity. 2/ Pompano arrived Patrol Zone NM-2, 14:33 2 Nov. 1942, 16-14N 147-33E Commencing patrol. 3/ Ship patrolling in a South-Southeasterly direction from Tinian following the known Japanese convoy route leading towards the Solomons. Following an approximately 20 mile wide zig-zag in an attempt to locate targets. Cruising on the surface at night and at periscope depth during the day, conducting High Periscope searches every 10 minutes. 4/ 19:10 4 Nov. 1942, 12-04N 147-09E - Convoy detected on SJ Radar, Bearing 260, Range 14 Kyds. Rang up a Flank bell, turned to intercept. Made Visual contact with 3 ship convoy. Convoy proceeding in single file, Course 346, Speed 16.2. Convoy consisted of 1 Small Freighter, 1 Armed Merchant Cruiser, and 1 Standard Merchant. Seas are calm, small crescent moon backlighting the Target convinced me to conduct a Surface torpedo attack. My Course 280T Sp. Flank, closed to 3200 yds and fired a spread of 4 fish. 3 at the AMC, 1 at the Standard Merchant. 3 torpedos prematured causing the convoy to scatter. This resulted in the fourth torpedo missing completely. Turned to Port to bring my stern tubes to bear. Fired both stern tubes at the Standard Merchantman just as the lookout sighted the Hatsuharu Class Destroyer charging out of the North with a bone in his teeth. As we were already presenting a minimum profile and heading South away from the DD, we continued South under a flank bell to distance ourselves from the previously undetected escort. During our evasion we noted that our last 2 torpedoes had resulted in another premature and thanks to the target's evasion, another miss. Thank goodness it was darker than a coal miner's back pocket, the escort never spotted us and in the confusion he headed west. We turned East and then came back to a Northerly course in an attempt to reacquire any of the scattered maru's. A quick check of the SJ found a target off our port bow on a Course of 090T, speed 15. Being fresh out of loaded torpedoes we slowed to 1/3rd and continued closing while urging the Fwd Torpedo room crew to get a fish loaded. Target was identified as the Small Freighter. By the time the Fwd Room reported tube 1 reloaded, the tracking team had a 100% solution on the target, which by now was crossing our bow at 800 yds. Fired our 7th shot of the patrol. Observed a beautiful impact directly beneath his stack. Water shot clear over the Main deck railing. Too bad there was no detonation. My crew may be green, but it couldn't have been done better than this attack. To close to knife fighting range, and a perfect 90-degree angle on the bow and then still miss out on the kill is hard to deal with. With the impact of the dud, the maru finally spotted us and turned North to run. Giving the command for Battle Surface we pursued, wondering which would happen first. Sinking this Maru with the deck gun, or the escort finding us. We could still hear the escort pinging off somewhere to our West although he was beyond visual range in the thick darkness. Our Gunnery crew targeted the bridge in an attempt to stop any radio calls for help and then proceeded to pump shell after shell into the waterline of the fleeing Freighter. After 15 or 20 minutes of running gun battle, Freighter experienced a large secondary explosion and sank. We picked up another target on the SJ and turned to intercept. Closed to visual range and discovered that our radar target was the Hatsuharu DD. Turned 180 and evaded on the surface again. Seeing as the DD was no longer sonar searching and had failed to spot us twice now, we suspect that his crew may be greener than ours. Picking a SJ contact that was not at our 180, we turned for another intercept. This target turned out to be the Standard Merchant, which we had already fired on twice. Course 120T, sp. 16. We closed in from the west and at a range of 2100 yds fired tubes 2 & 3. Observed 2 hits and the target went down. Took the opportunity to allow the conning tower and control room crew to have periscope liberty and see our first torpedo "kill". Nice to know they sometimes explode when they're supposed to. Looked for another target on the SJ, only contact was at 280T, Range 10,500 yds. Attempted to intercept under a flank bell but it quickly became apparent that no matter which contact this was, the AMC or the DD, we were looking at a stern chase situation with a faster target. At 20:39, when range to the contact increased to 12,000 yds under a flank bell we broke off pursuit and returned to patrol. 5/ 03:30 5 Nov. 1942, 12-16N 147-04E - Convoy detected on SJ, Bearing 085T, Range 10 Kyds Closed under a Flank bell to visual range. Identified 5 ships in the convoy, 1 Standard Merchant, 1 Armed Merchant Cruiser, and 2 Troop Transports all heavily loaded, Escorted by 1 Hatsuharu Class DD. Course 171, Speed 11.5 Kts. Appear to be on course for the Solomons. Oh, what I wouldn't do to have those torpedoes that were wasted yesterday. Wasted on what were probably empty ships heading North when today we have loaded targets heading South. As the escort is currently patrolling on our side of the convoy and there's still almost 2 hours till dawn. I've decided to withdraw and attempt an "end around" and see if we can't ambush those 2 troop transports at dawn. 6/ 05:12 5 Nov. 1942 - Approx. 30 minutes before dawn, we are laying in wait directly ahead of the convoy at 200 ft. Sonar has a solid fix on 2 sets of slow speed screws coming right down our throats. The plan is to wait till the escort passes overhead and then come to PD. The 2 transports are bringing up the rear of a staggered 2 by 2 convoy formation with the escort alternating between sides and always changing sides ahead of the lead ships. If I time this right I should be able to come up broadside to the 2 transports and attack one with my Fwd tubes and the other with my Stern tubes. 05:25 - Sonar reports contacts are drifting to port. The convoy may have zigged during our "end around" and may be passing to the West of us. Abandoning the plan, we come to Periscope Depth. Bad luck, the lead elements are about to pass due West of us, the escort is currently on our side of the formation and the 2 transports are lined up where the nearest is completely blocking the farthest from us. Turning 090T, we ring up a full bell attempting to close the distance before the transports pass the point of closest approach and this turns into a stern chase. Hate to be eating up the batteries this fast, with dawn just moments away, we're going to need them. No losing this DD in the dark on the surface. 05:35 - Fired 4 Fwd tubes at the near transpoort, Range 4,000 Yds. 7 Second separation between torpedoes. First torpedo prematured, convoy starts to scatter, transport turns toward us, as does the DD, taking her deep. We didn't hear any explosions from our other three torpedoes, believed they all missed due to target evasion. Came North, Depth 200 Ft. From the sounds I believe we passed under the transport, which may have confused the Escort. Took several Depth Charges from the DD, none very close. Continued evasion. Maintaining minimum aspect to the escort, using DC attacks to sprint and drift away from the Destroyer. After a while, escort quit pinging and we came up to PD. Following a clear 360-periscope search, we proceeded to Radar Depth to conduct a SJ search. Picked up a contact on last known bearing of the escort, appears to be moving away. Also found contact East of us, moved to intercept. Came to surface, running under Standard bell, one engine on line, one on battery charge. Visibility extremely good this morning. Lookouts spotted target at 11 Kyds, identified as one of the Troop Transports. Maybe our luck hasn't run out yet. But neither has the Nips, they spot us and turn to run. Ringing up a Flank bell we try an "Up the Kilt" shot with our last Fwd torpedo... another premature. There's no way we can catch this transport and get a shot with our 2 remaining stern torpedoes so I call "Battle Surface". Let's see if we can sink something as big as a troop transport with a 3" gun. Gun Crew commences fire at 4,000 yds. Gunfight continues as we slowly close to under 1,800 yds. Finally ship settles and sinks. Thank goodness for our Gunnery crew. As we turn away from our target, lookouts report smoke on the horizon. Expecting the worst, we turn to close anyway. All hands are surprised to discover this newest target is the standard merchant steaming along like he owns the pacific. I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but where are the Japanese escorts? Don't these guys have radios? Going to "Battle Surface" one more time. Hope we can slow him down some where we can use our last two torpedoes. We're low on deck gun ammo. Closing to 4,000 yds, we commence fire. Target running, Pompano gunning. As we close to under 1,000 yds, target starboard turns towards us. I must assume that he intends to ram, but he turns so slow. At 800 yds, we turn to port and fire our last two torpedoes as the stern tubes come to bear. At this range it's hard to miss. 1 hit, 1 dud. Target immediately starts to break up. Conduct SJ search, no contacts. No Torpedoes, 6 rounds of Gun Ammo left. Seems like time to head for the barn. Returning to Base. Estimated Size of Targets Sm. Freighter - Convoy 1 2,210 Tons Standard Merchant - Convoy 1 10,260 Tons Troop Transport - Convoy 2 8,140 Tons Standard Merchant - Convoy 2 7,940 Tons Pompano Sends
 
 
 
 
 
 

Ultima actualización:  09-07-2002                                       Return