[AJ94CAP]

I've been away from this forum for quite some time. It's good to be back on deck.

Name: John Calvert Gates
Date: 6-3-1942
Submarine: S-18
Base: Dutch Harbor

S-18 cast off out of Dutch Harbor on the morning of Wednesday, June 6, 1942. The weather was fine for sailing and S-18 made 10 knots to patrol the waters around Attu Islandin the Aluetian chain. The crew were untested but eager for contact with the Japs. There were some doubts about if the enemy would make any appearances, but soon the crew of S-18 would get more than they bargained for. After a little over a week of patrol, in the straight between Attu and Attuga, S-18's sonar man picked up screws making the distinct high pitch whine of a Japanese warship. Captain Gates lined up the old sugar boat for an attack. The warship was sailing alone on calm seas in broad daylight. S-18 inched closer and closer to the lone warship at a depth of 160 feet. At the last moment, S-18 was taken to periscope depth and 3 tubes were opened. With the periscope piercing through the calm sea, Captain Gates had to be quick and accurate. It was a Fubuki class destroyer. He made his measurements twice and decided on a firing solution. Soon after, just as the destroyer passed by the bow at less than 1000 yards, Captain Gates fired three of his old Mk. 10 torpedoes at the doomed ship. They all swam away from S-18 with a tremendous hiss. The seconds ticked away. Soon, an explosion rang out. Secondary explosions followed. Then, a second hit directly under the bridge. The destroyer was blown in half and the two pieces bobbed like corks as black smoke billowed from the fires. S-18, after a brief moment of celebration and relief, dove back down to the depths to evade any other ships that may now be out for blood.

During the rest of the patrol, more destroyers were located by radar and sonar but Captain Gates had become more cautious after one depth charged the sub to no succes. After that incident, the crew of S-18 waited for perfect opportunities in which they would clearly have the upper hand. That perfect chance came as S-18 made its way back to Dutch. On the return trip, roughly 1000 nm west of the harbor, the sonar man called out the screws of three destroyers. They were going fast and headed right down S-18's throat. Three destroyers were headed straight for S-18. The Captain, with little other choices, ordered the sub to be positioned closer to the destroyers, bow to bow. Suddenly, the ominous pings of the enemy sonar could be heard throughout the sub. It was now or never. The Captain fired a salvo of four Mk. 10s before ordering a steep dive to safety. One torp found its mark on the starboard bow of one of the destroyers. It sunk in quick order after an enormous fireball engulfed the stricken warship. A second Mk. 10 hit another destroyer right on the nose. The ship's bow lowered into the water, but the Jap crew managed to keep her afloat.

With S-18 running on fumes, Captain Gates ordered her back to Dutch. She finally made it back on July 13, after 40 days at sea. The crew came back optimistic, having just sunk two enemy warships. But Captain Gates knew better. He knew that S-18 had just played a very dangerous game. If only the destroyer's depth charges had found their mark, S-18's first patrol would have ended at the bottom of the sea rather than Dutch. That was a thought which kept him up at night for some time. But no rest for the wicked - S-18 was ordered back out within a matter of weeks. Captain Gates, now a combat veteran, peered toward the western horizon with caution in his eyes. S-18, he knew, would be playing the game again in due time.