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EddieLyons · 03-02-22, 05:48 PM

United States Navy
Commander Submarines, Pacific

Lieutenant Commander Straw Kalling,

You have been approved for the command of USS S-31 (SS-136), a S-18 class submarine assigned to the Asiatic Fleet.

Report for duty at Cavite Naval Base, Manila, Philippines, no later than December 8, 1941.

#####

United States Navy
Commander Submarines, Asiatic Fleet

Operational Order, December 8 1941

TO: Straw Kalling, USS S-31 (SS-136)
DEPART ON: December 9, 1941

Proceed to area Vineyard and conduct anti shipping operations within the designated area near the Celebes Sea for 5 days.

OBJECTIVE: Patrol area Vineyard within the designated area near the Celebes Sea for 5 days.

#####

Aboard USS S-31 (SS-136)

9 Dec 1941 13:02 - Cavite Naval Base
War patrol Day 1.
Ordered cast off from the tender, and ahead one third, set course to 270°. Departing on a war patrol in response to the Japanese attack. I have a crew of 54: five officers and 49 men, comprising four CPO, two PO1, eight PO2, six PO3, six S1c, and 23 S3c.
There’s a band on the nearby quay, but I don’t know who they’re playing for. It can’t be us -- they’re facing the wrong way!

13:10
My nav officer will guide us out of Manila Bay. I haven’t sailed with him before, but he’s familiar with these waters. Especially the placement of the minefields at the entrance to the bay, off Corregidor. I’ve been briefed that they were deployed back in July, after Japan occupied southern French Indochina. Along with Hainan, the Paracels and the Spratleys, that gives them the potential to dominate the South China Sea. Much too close to our base for comfort. And now they’ve launched a major offensive!

13:12
Ahead two thirds.

14:20
Ahead standard. Our course is 235°.

14:44
We have sighted four PTBs ahead of us, crossing our bows. These guys are small and fast! I wouldn’t like to be on the receiving end of a salvo of their torpedoes -- they’re so hard to see until the last minute they could launch a devastating attack before you could bring guns to bear on them!

14:50
The PTBs have changed course, and are bearing away towards Corregidor.

16:03
We are in the channel between the minefields off Corregidor. I can see mines in the water to starboard, but not to port. My NO assures me they are there! I have also seen smoke rising in the channel between Corregidor and the Bataan Peninsula. That’s the heading the PTBs were on when we saw them over an hour ago. I hope none of them hit a mine! I know the PTBs were deployed here a couple of months ago. Surely they would have been briefed about the minefields? We have only six of them, so we need every single one intact!

16:08
We’ve made our final turn, on course at 242°, to pass between the minefields. Second watch is now on duty.
Corregidor is an impressive bastion -- surely the IJN wouldn’t be foolish enough to try a naval assault here?

17:00
We are through the channel between the minefields and exiting Manila Bay. Still on course 242°, ahead standard.

17:42
We have come to new course 237°, ahead standard. I aim to skirt to NW of Lubang before turning SSE to pass through Mindoro Strait. We should make our turn in about four hours.

18:10
We have received Fox Traffic from COMSUBPAC: LARGE CONVOYS OF TRANSPORTS HAVE DEPARTS (sic) SOUTHERN FORMOSA LAST SEEN ON SOUTHERLY COURSE X UNITS IN AREA SHOULD INTERDICT X
This is contrary to the orders from COMSUBAF that I sailed with just a few hours ago, to patrol south of Mindanao. Because of the enemy presence in the vicinity, I am observing strict radio silence. So, because it will take over three days to reach our patrol zone, I am making an executive decision to attempt to interdict, as COMSUBPAC says. I have informed my XO, and I am ordering an immediate change of course. We can always head down the east side of the Philippines afterwards to reach our patrol zone, admittedly some days later than intended!

18:15
We have changed course to 270°. We will turn northwards in a little over three hours. My NO has plotted a course to 120°E, 20° N. It will take us less than two days to get there, if we remain on the surface -- which I intend to do to expedite our passage, as long as we don’t encounter the enemy, especially air patrols. I just wish we could have been fitted with one of the SD radars that became available in recent months!

21:40
We have come about to 345°, ahead standard. Weather is clear with a 10 kt wind out of the north.

03-02-22, 05:48 PM	#38
EddieLyons Watch Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 28 Downloads: 72 Uploads: 0	War Patrol Day 1 United States Navy Commander Submarines, Pacific Lieutenant Commander Straw Kalling, You have been approved for the command of USS S-31 (SS-136), a S-18 class submarine assigned to the Asiatic Fleet. Report for duty at Cavite Naval Base, Manila, Philippines, no later than December 8, 1941. ##### United States Navy Commander Submarines, Asiatic Fleet Operational Order, December 8 1941 TO: Straw Kalling, USS S-31 (SS-136) DEPART ON: December 9, 1941 Proceed to area Vineyard and conduct anti shipping operations within the designated area near the Celebes Sea for 5 days. OBJECTIVE: Patrol area Vineyard within the designated area near the Celebes Sea for 5 days. ##### Aboard USS S-31 (SS-136) 9 Dec 1941 13:02 - Cavite Naval Base War patrol Day 1. Ordered cast off from the tender, and ahead one third, set course to 270°. Departing on a war patrol in response to the Japanese attack. I have a crew of 54: five officers and 49 men, comprising four CPO, two PO1, eight PO2, six PO3, six S1c, and 23 S3c. There’s a band on the nearby quay, but I don’t know who they’re playing for. It can’t be us -- they’re facing the wrong way! 13:10 My nav officer will guide us out of Manila Bay. I haven’t sailed with him before, but he’s familiar with these waters. Especially the placement of the minefields at the entrance to the bay, off Corregidor. I’ve been briefed that they were deployed back in July, after Japan occupied southern French Indochina. Along with Hainan, the Paracels and the Spratleys, that gives them the potential to dominate the South China Sea. Much too close to our base for comfort. And now they’ve launched a major offensive! 13:12 Ahead two thirds. 14:20 Ahead standard. Our course is 235°. 14:44 We have sighted four PTBs ahead of us, crossing our bows. These guys are small and fast! I wouldn’t like to be on the receiving end of a salvo of their torpedoes -- they’re so hard to see until the last minute they could launch a devastating attack before you could bring guns to bear on them! 14:50 The PTBs have changed course, and are bearing away towards Corregidor. 16:03 We are in the channel between the minefields off Corregidor. I can see mines in the water to starboard, but not to port. My NO assures me they are there! I have also seen smoke rising in the channel between Corregidor and the Bataan Peninsula. That’s the heading the PTBs were on when we saw them over an hour ago. I hope none of them hit a mine! I know the PTBs were deployed here a couple of months ago. Surely they would have been briefed about the minefields? We have only six of them, so we need every single one intact! 16:08 We’ve made our final turn, on course at 242°, to pass between the minefields. Second watch is now on duty. Corregidor is an impressive bastion -- surely the IJN wouldn’t be foolish enough to try a naval assault here? 17:00 We are through the channel between the minefields and exiting Manila Bay. Still on course 242°, ahead standard. 17:42 We have come to new course 237°, ahead standard. I aim to skirt to NW of Lubang before turning SSE to pass through Mindoro Strait. We should make our turn in about four hours. 18:10 We have received Fox Traffic from COMSUBPAC: LARGE CONVOYS OF TRANSPORTS HAVE DEPARTS (sic) SOUTHERN FORMOSA LAST SEEN ON SOUTHERLY COURSE X UNITS IN AREA SHOULD INTERDICT X This is contrary to the orders from COMSUBAF that I sailed with just a few hours ago, to patrol south of Mindanao. Because of the enemy presence in the vicinity, I am observing strict radio silence. So, because it will take over three days to reach our patrol zone, I am making an executive decision to attempt to interdict, as COMSUBPAC says. I have informed my XO, and I am ordering an immediate change of course. We can always head down the east side of the Philippines afterwards to reach our patrol zone, admittedly some days later than intended! 18:15 We have changed course to 270°. We will turn northwards in a little over three hours. My NO has plotted a course to 120°E, 20° N. It will take us less than two days to get there, if we remain on the surface -- which I intend to do to expedite our passage, as long as we don’t encounter the enemy, especially air patrols. I just wish we could have been fitted with one of the SD radars that became available in recent months! 21:40 We have come about to 345°, ahead standard. Weather is clear with a 10 kt wind out of the north.