War Diary#4
July 4th 1942
It's been up and down...quite literally....for the past while now. We're currently passing by a Japanese held island chain named Palau. It's out of visual range...but the charts say it's there.
There have been so many planes out here lately. It's second nature for the crew to perform a crash dive now. We've done it so much. There have been no hints to any ships passing.
At least we haven't seen any planes at all today. It's almost like the Japs stopped just for the 4th. It's gray, cloudy skies though. That may have something to do with it.
I don't care...this is some well needed rest.
July 5th, 1942
FLASH TRAFFIC 0056
July 5th, 1942
From: SUBPAC N2
To: Forces Afloat
IJN Task Group departed Truk and en route to Rabaul...
Dammit. We passed by Rabaul a long time ago....if only we had that prep time I wanted before the patrol. We'd have left later and probably caught this Task Group on it's way... But we've been long gone from the Rabaul area for a while now.
July 7th 1942
It...is...raining. On the only day I have time for another trip up top...
Great...just great. I was really needing a break for fresh air. We've been out in open ocean for a while. It's almost a straight shot from here to the Patrol Zone. I've been helping out around the boat. Got to know my XO pretty well. His name is Joe Wright. It's pretty much been just a professional relationship up until now. We haven't had much of a chance to become friends yet. He's been on two patrols that were based out of the Philippines. His weren't as long because it didn't take them long to find action in the South China Sea. He's from Chicago, Illinois. He's got a girl back home that he wants to marry when he gets back to the states. I've got one thing he doesn't though...a good dog. Otherwise, he's had a relatively normal life. He excelled in school just as I did. He doesn't seem to have any bad feelings toward me at all even though I basically just came in here and stole his Command right out from under his nose.
I like Joe though. He's a good guy to have around and damn dependable in an emergency situation. I can't tell him that though because he'd get a big head. I'll save it for when I get back to the states and go visit him sometime after the war. I guess I get to spend my free time here writing on my bunk since it's pouring rain outside.
I wish we could send mail back and forth here. I sometimes wonder how home is. The only mail I get here is from SUBPAC. I've made the best of this though. I actually enjoy being out here and sailing the seas in my submarine. Sure beats sitting in a dirty foxhole somewhere on one of these islands with a rifle. They have to put up with the heat AND rain AND Jap troops...and bullets...and bombs.
I just think this is a better life. I'm at home here.
More later.
July 10th 1942
We've reached the patrol zone. Orders say we have to stay on-station for at least 72 hours.
I'm thinking of taking a route through the South China Sea on the way back if we don't get any luck here. The SCS is supposedly full of Japs.
I want to sink a ship as much as the next guy here...but I don't want to do anything that will put my boat at a greater risk than it has to be.
July 13th 1942
We did it! We sank a ship!
There is not a man on my boat right now who is not proud. It felt great.
A watchman reported a visual contact bearing 349
I called the ship to battle stations. This was the real deal.
It was time. We dove to periscope depth and I studied the plot. We would have to get within range.
This old boat also comes with old torpedoes. The maximum range on these babies is around 3500 yards. The data was programmed in and we did the job.
I'm very proud of this boat. I keep saying that and I can't stop.
Right now, we feel like we could take on anything.
We will have to party when we get back to Brisbane. I've decided not to take the route through the South China Sea. We'll just come back the way we came.
I think we may be a little late getting back to port...but this was worth it. After not seeing a hint of anything for weeks and weeks... Our time on-station is about to expire and we'll start heading back home.
July 17th 1942
Wow...this is nerve wracking.
Battery power has been expended. We haven't had enough time for a recharge and radar picks up some Jap planes headed for us.
I ordered a shallow dive...deep enough that they can't see us from the air but shallow enough that we won't have a lot of problems. All we can do now is wait...
July 20th 1942
Sonar picked up a new contact today while dodging planes. I ordered periscope depth and saw a merchant sailing away from us at high speed.
It was a big one but there's no way we'd have been able to catch it in this boat. We have no choice to pass it up. The men are disappointed...but they know this was the right choice. I've found this crew very cooperative and easy to work with.
July 23rd 1942
The gun crew got to go to work today and have some fun.
We came up on a wounded merchant sailing all alone. It was evening and we were close enough so I decided to finish it off with the deck gun.
We went on over and the men on the gun crew performed well.
The shots went out over and over until there was a big explosion...one of the most impressive I've seen in my life...and the ship sank by the stern.
Looks like the crew of the S-47 score another one for Uncle Sam
There were some poor men in the boat. We were so far from land there was no way they'd survive. I can't do a thing about it.
July 26th 1942
We're low on fuel. We're close to home...almost to the turn to take us down past the Solomons into the Coral Sea.
We can do this. The crew will perform I know....but the equipment can't fail us here. If we run out of fuel out here, I can't even imagine how bad it would be.
It's time to conserve fuel. We're going to be late getting back but at least this ol' piece of crap will get us home.
I had a chance to talk to Dave again today. He invited me to play a game of hearts with some of the Enlisted men. He didn't tell me they were good! They completely swept me and then turned to each other like cannibals who have run out of normal people to eat. Even though we're in enemy waters, it's nice to relieve stress with some of the men.
From what I hear, I'm quite popular with the men. Joe tells me that the men who have been on patrols before haven't had a skipper quite like me. He says it in a good way. Overall, I'm happy with this patrol. We aren't home yet and it felt good and clean. The more experienced men on the boat have said similar things. My navigator told me today that if we had taken the route through the South China Sea, we would've run out of fuel for sure. I will say that's a bit of a close call. I was really close to sending us that way.
I'm glad I didn't.
August 2nd 1942
Close call today with some Jap planes. Now that I look back, we should've been more careful. Some Jap planes suddenly popped up on radar at very close range. About that time, the watch spotted two G4M bombers coming right for us. I ordered a dive and cleared the area as I've done with every plane all the way from the Solomons past Palau to Luzon. Jap Patrols are making life very monotonous. And of course, there's always something that needs fixing on this old pig.
I know I've got a lot to learn yet...but I don't feel nervous anymore. I don't have any fears of the unknown because I've been there. I just don't want to experience depth charges. Or any other form of Anti-Submarine Warfare.
There's been times where the planes almost get the best of us and they've even fired at us a couple times in the past few days.
My crew is relaxing a little bit because we're so close to home. I was saying for days that we still need to be alert. That we still aren't out of the woods yet.
We can still die this close to home. I was actually right in the middle of telling the sonarman this when the radarman reported the G4M's.
Sonar was getting lazy and goofing off at his post.
S-47 dodging Jap planes
August 6th 1942
We're out of enemy waters and into the buffer zone between the two...if you could classify that.
I have more time to think now that we're not constantly on edge like we were at Luzon. I just remembered my birthday is coming up on the 10th. I almost forgot my birthday...How bad is that? Thoughts of home are starting to come back and news will be nice. All the men are very eager to get back to port.
You know what the best part is? We'll get to put the ol' broomstick up. I'm very excited to show it off.
Also, the fishing is pretty good here. I've allowed a small fishing detail so we can get some variety in the food we eat. I'm sick of the same old crap every day.
But for now, I have to take all those thoughts of the past and future and put them in a box and lock them away. I have to get all these boys home.
August 11th 1942
Hell of a birthday present...reaching the continental shelf of Australia (Author's Note I'm not sure what it's actually called for Australia...but I'll just call it this) We're within 100 nautical miles of Australia.
Sea is a bit rougher than it was when we left...
.....but I allowed the men to celebrate. They fired off the deck gun in a late 4th of July celebration and we enjoyed music on the gramophone all day. The men are very happy to be coming home at last.
Some...like me...are having trouble accepting that it's over. Our first patrol is over. I've been shut up in a floating steel tube for 2 months on this day. I'm ready to stand on dry land...but it seems so far away even though we're so close.
I feel as if this patrol was too easy or we were very lucky. I think it's a little bit of both...but I'm just happy to get back. Maybe we'll get some time off in the States. Dave wants to get back home. He talks about it all the time. And Joe really wants to get married as soon as he can.
Me...I just want to see my family. Of course, that includes my beagle Sam.
If they don't ship us back, I'll find something to do around here.
Some friendly sights coming into the area as we head on towards Brisbane. There was an Aussie ship headin' the other way today
Have some business to attend to. Write more later.