War Patrol Day 4
12 Dec 1941 00:10
War Patrol Day 4.
Weather remains clear and calm. Conditions are very pleasant up on the bridge, with a gentle breeze out of the north. We are sailing almost directly towards the end of the handle of the Big Dipper - long before I learned stellar navigation at the Naval Academy, my father taught me to recognise the constellations. But there’s no time for stargazing for those on watch.
01:35
19°38’ N, 121°00’ E.
We have turned to our new course, 076°. We dive again in less than half-an-hour.
02:20
We dived to periscope depth at 02:00. Again a clean sweep - no hydrophone contacts. I ordered us back to the surface at 02:15.
03:00
I ordered a reduction in speed to ahead two-thirds, to conserve fuel. We’re close to base, so fuel supply shouldn’t be a problem, if all goes well. But who knows what will happen in the coming days and weeks if the Japanese forces ashore are not stopped. We must remember that their army and navy have over four years of combat experience in China -- no matter what politicians back home might say about them!
04:40
With the sky brightening, lookouts spotted a Japanese destroyer at long range, bearing 315, at 04:34. I ordered a crash dive to 150 ft and crew to battle stations. Hydrophone quickly picked up a second warship contact. It appears they did not spot us - they are continuing on their course of about 135° at high speed.
04:52
I have ordered us to periscope depth and new course 180°. The warships began to manoeuvre soon after crossing our bow.
04:59
Active sonar!
05:01
I have ordered us to 200 ft. We are on silent running. Passing through a thermal layer. Active sonar has stopped, and started again.
05:04
Several depth charges. Manoeuvred into the attack to attempt to evade. Aft dive planes transmission is damaged. Damage control team is on it.
05:08
Active sonar from two vessels. Close! Evading!
05:12
Multiple depth charges; multiple systems damaged! But no flooding.
05:15
Sonar is off line, so we’re deaf to what the enemy is doing! But the aft dive transmission is repaired.
05:16
Active sonar!
05:18
Multiple systems damaged from close depth charging. Some flooding in engine room and forward torpedo room.
05:23
I have ordered a new depth of 240 ft. Hopefully this will reduce the severity of the battering we are taking from depth charges …
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Okay, this was a brutally short war patrol! When I ordered the final dive to 240 ft, the boat just kept on going -- both dive plane transmissions were damaged! Blowing ballast helped for only so long. Not much I could do.
This is the second time I've been detected (passively?) by enemy destroyers that seemed to be far enough away not to have picked us up, or where we were far enough aft to be out of their hydrophone arc. But, no, they zeroed in on us like a laser. They must have exceptional hearing! lol
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