| Sailor Steve |
07-18-11 01:00 PM |
Not u-boats in the Atlantic, but here is the account by USS Whale of the difficulty of sinking some ships.
Quote:
Fired three torpedoes. Three hits. One hit aft of his stack, the second blew wreckage up through forward hold and the third
hit aft. Target started turning toward us. Swung hard right and set up for a stern shot.
Fired single stern shot at range of 600 yards. Hit aft. This was a good hit, stopping the target cold. The target was
sinking by the stern, taking considerable port list. Took pictures, firmly convinced this was the graveyard of another
Japanese ship. Many of the crew had an opportunity to view the sinking ship through the periscope.
Having worked up to windward to observe target better, was astonished to find the fire under control and the list
corrected. Water was being pumped over the side through portable hoses. Fired another torpedo from the stern tube, but this
missed. Target was dead in the water, shooting wildly with deck guns.
Crew and passengers abandoned ship, although gun crew remained at posts. Target settled about ten feet overall and then
maintained its depth. Closed and fired sixth torpedo from bow tubes. This hit aft of superstructure depth.
Target still floating. Fired seventh torpedo from bow tubes. This hit with terrific concussion, but did not change trim or draft appreciably.
Fired eighth torpedo from stern tubes. This was heard to hit, but very little concussion was felt.
Getting dark. Target sinking slowly on an even keel, but still looks salvageable. There was no sign of life aboard,
although it was believed gun crews had not yet abandoned ship. Wishing to dispose of it before arrival of planes or rescue
ships, fired ninth torpedo. This hit right under stack and the explosion ripped away both sides of vessel about ten feet
below the main deck.
Target now settled more rapidly, the main deck being a few feet from wash condition at last observation. This vessel
had absorbed seven and possibly eight torpedo hits. The cargo must have been of such nature as to prevent her from sinking
more rapidly. Target was identified as the Heiyou Maru, 9,815 tons.
On retiring we found ourselves in the midst of eight boats full of survivors, approximately fifty men to each boat.
These men were dressed in both white and blue uniforms. One boat was passed close aboard, and survivors made ready to hit
the periscope with their oars.
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On the other hand is the story of a Japanese merchant that was sunk...by a dud!
Quote:
0540.
3rd. March, 1943.
From: Muroran, southern Hokkaido Island.
To: Shimizu, Shizuoka Prefecture.
No. 2303B.
Hokuto Maru, Bansei Maru, Kotai Maru, Sumida Maru, Taisei Maru (5).
auxiliary gunboat No. 2 Hiyoshi Maru (1).
At 0630 on the 4th. of March while at position 39.33N 142.07E, in the Todosaki Sea, Iwate Prefecture Hokuto Maru, a 2267 ton ship owned by the Nippon Yusen Kaisha Line was attacked by the U.S.S. Permit. Three torpedo tracks were seen, one struck the ship on the port side in the forward part of No. 1 hold area, it proved to be a dud. The following two missiles were avoided.
In fact Permit had fired three torpedoes and claimed damage on the target by one of them.
Immediately afterward a periscope was seen 250 meters of the port bow of Hokuto Maru, it was presumed that the enemy submarine was trying to get between the columns to conduct a second attack for shortly after it was seen on the surface.
The maru tried to ram the intruder but the move had to be aborted as she was likely to collide with the nearby Sumida Maru, so at 0637 Hokuto Maru resumed her position, by then the enemy had submerged.
Permit fired two torpedoes in a second attack about this time but made no claim for a sinking or damage.
At 0640 it was realized that the Hokuto Maru was taking in considerable water at the point of the dud torpedo impact, so attempts were made to stem the flow, also she headed towards the coast. By now she was down by the bow and it became vital to press onward, however at 0643 the engines came to a stop, a few minutes later abandon ship was ordered and her crew transferred to the No. 2 Hiyoshi Maru. Hokuto Maru continued to slowly sink, finally at 0712 her stern rose up vertically and under she went.
At the time she was carrying 2080 tons of coal.
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