[DeePsix501]

Patrol Report: 13 April 1942 – 25 May 1942
USS Triton (SS-201)

Objective: USS Triton is to depart Pearl Harbor on 13 April for 125E 30N, in the East China Sea and attack merchant shipping in the area.

13 April 1942- After a month of R and R and a handful of weeks training new crew members and sea trials we are ready to head out to sea again. The USS Triton departs on her third war patrol at roughly 0800. The crew is eager to get back to the fight and I can see that they are defiantly refreshed from their month off in Hawaii. The relief crew did a good job repairing and replacing damaged and old machinery whilst in port. The Triton is ready for war.



18 April 1942- Storms pick up about a day out of pearl. Seas get rough and a haze/fog reduces visibility to nil as we head to Midway to top off our tank.

22 April 1942- Visibility returns. Seas are still a little rough and clouds hand low. Hot weather takes its toll on the watch crew. Continue heading west towards East China Sea.



23 April 1942 – Contact made with an enemy convoy. We rush ahead of their position whilst keeping COMSUBPAC informed to their position. Once ahead we close position. We make visual contact at about 1445. We dive but the seas are so rough we have to struggle with broaching and visibility through our periscope. We still manage to keep a fix on two heavy freighters towards the front of the convoy. After struggling with maintaining a visual, we line up 2 salvos of three torpedoes at each lead freighter. Our position is such that if we miss there is a chance that the torpedoes may hit overlapping targets. We fire spread and dive deep under the convoy. At 1535 sonar detects a torpedo detonation. As we try to determine which torpedoes are duds and which missed, sonar hears secondary explosions and bulk heads collapsing on the merchant sound contact. We gently slide up to Periscope to see burning oil on the surface of the convoy. Must have hit the large freighter and it succumbed to its wounds. We dive deep and clear the area.



26 April 1942- Another contact with a convoy bearing 270 heading straight towards us. We work out a search pattern and lay in wait for the approaching convoy at around 2240. Unlike our last attack, the seas have calmed somewhat, and this convoy has more escorts. We carefully try to identify the ships in the fading light and set up a three tube salvo on one of the closest lead freighters – a small old split superstructure freighter. We run the math on the second salvo to be fired at the large freighter just behind it. At 23:00 we fire the first salvo at the medium split and prepare to fire tubes 2, 4, and 6 at the large freighter behind it. As the third fish leaves the tube, Sonar man Eddie Dempsey reports that one fish is turning way off course while I’m scanning to convoy with my periscope. After a few seconds he determines the torpedo is running a circular course and coming around our starboard side. To compound the matters, I can see the steam whistles blowing on the freighters and the signal lamps on the DD’s blinking. The nearest DD has alter course right for us and the lead DD is turning hard to port to come at us. I order a crash dive and rig for depth charge. Sonar tracks the foul torpedo as it passes about 100 yards to our stern about 50 feet above us. I settle us down at 200 feet and turn hard to port to move away from the convoy. DD’s screw passes over head with a zum-zum, zum-zum noise. First depth charges drop on us are distant. The DD that passes over us drops a few charges that rattle the boat. A locker falls open and its contents spill out in the crew’s quarters. Crew reports only minimal damage - a few leaks and pipes that need to be retightened. While we are being depth charged two torpedoes explode, sinking a large freighter. As we shift away the DD’s grow distant to our stern. I am still near the convoy. I come up to periscope depth and fire all my rear tubes at the convoy. I watch as first we hit a small composite freighter and are forced to dive by the DD’s that return. We return to 250 feet and clear the area while DD’s try to bracket us.



27 April 1942- Slip through island chain south of Japan. Now in East China Sea. At 23:00 we spot two fishing sampans along the shore of an island, heading towards mainland Japan. I sound Battle Stations surface and we surprise the coastal fishing boats. Not knowing if they are pickets or just fishing boats, we light up the two wooden ships with 20mm AA gun fire and our deck gun. Within a few minutes they both sink.



1 May 1942- We come across a medium size convoy, but we are in a bad position. We rush to make intercept and work out a firing solution. We make visual contact early morning at 0350 thanks to full moon. While we set up the forward tubes, a DD spots our periscope – Probably due to the moonlight and the calm seas. The DD rushes us and we have to crash dive. Again we endure depth charges. Main pumps loose pressure and damage control party moves to fix. I take her town to 275 feet, 25 feet below our test depth and move forward at a slow rpm at around two knots. We clear the area; our only reward is survival to fight again.



3 May 1942- Aircraft begin patrolling over our area; they know we are in this sector. We remain submerged during daylight. No contacts.

6 May 1942- While recharging batteries we spot a small coastal freighter making its way south. We surprise it and sink it with surface fire. Crew is elated to be on surface physically shooting the Japanese rather than waiting and listening in the boat.



7 May 1942- Fuel is running low so plot return course. Staying submerged during day and traveling slowly at night to conserve fuel.

10 May 1942- Large two engine coastal plane spots our sub traveling at night on the surface. We crash dive narrowly avoiding two bombs that fall off to our starboard side. We zig-zag to throw off search planes that patrol the area.

11-15 May 1942- Air patrols slow progress back to Midway Islands. Usual amounts of warship activity. Maybe they are massing for something…

20 May 1942- Refit at Midway from the submarine tender Sperry. Once ready we set out for Pearl Harbor at sunset.




25 May 1942- We dock at Pearl, Pier 3 at about 12:00. Admiral Lockwood greets the Triton as she pulls in. We learned a vital lesson on this patrol- Avoid attacking in rough seas. I discuss with Admiral Lockwood about my displacement with Mk14 Torpedoes and their horrible failure rate. Hopefully this problem will be remedied.