April 11/12 1943.
TMO 100 realism. no external cam. No map contacts.
Departed Brisbane April 6. Dropped off an Australian coastwatcher on Bougainville on April 10. Heading for assigned area SE of Palau in the Palau-Rabaul shipping lanes.
Evening of April 11 2300 SJ contact at 6 NM 50 NM NE of Manus Island . Although en route to my area, sent contact report and decided to attack. Reply from command said to target escorts. Dark evening so closed in on surface on the minesweeper type escorting 4 merchants. Fired 3 torpedoes from 2800 yards. Two prematurely exploded 50 yards from target. Alerting target but it was too late, the third hit but no explosion. DUD! Turned to starboard to speed away saw a perfect setup on a SEITO MARU (5151 tons) tanker. Escort fired star shells but seemed to not know where was exactly, but was turning towards direction in which torpedo came from. Target had slowed speed and was zigging also fired deck gun and machine guns in my direction. Fired 3 torpedoes from bow and turned away dodging. Two prematurely exploded but one hit. Tanker must have been loaded with fuel as a massive explosion followed by large secondary explosions with large fireball erupted. SEITO MARU sunk 0019 12 April 1943 0 53 N 146 49 E.
Sped away on surface escort pursued but eventually turned away. Proceeded on to assigned patrol area.
1300 while on surface SJ made contact at 7 NM. Overcast skies medium fog approached on surface at GQ. At 1000 yards a freighter could be made out in fog and we were directly in his path. Ordered hard port rudder to get off his track and dive. At periscope depth identified a KASIGASAN MARU freighter. Fired one torpedo from stern tube. Torpedo impacted, ship broke in two and sunk. Surfaced continued on to patrol area.
April 14 1943, still en route to patrol area.
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