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Old 11-01-20, 08:18 AM   #86
Texas Red
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Location: Agua Fira, New Mexico
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June 19, 1943
USS Gato SS-212
Pearl Harbor
Capt. Ryan Reynolds

I am surprised that I was able to pull it off, we were fired upon yet we were able to slip away!

We approached the harbor at radar depth since it was too shallow for periscope depth, and at night. The weather was also starting to worsen, a storm was developing. Before surfacing, I brought up the periscope to check for shore batteries. We had left the SJ and SD radars on, so we knew that there were ships in the harbor, we did not need to check there. I saw 2 shore batteries where we were to drop off the agent. I knew there was no way we could surface without being detected, so I ordered general quarters, had the corpsman on stand-by, and left the watch crew below deck. Only me, the XO, the agent, and the war correspondent were to come on the deck.

We surfaced quickly, immediately being sighted by the shore batteries. They fired shells at me, they whizzed past my head making a whistling noise. The agent got off safely, yet I knew his mission would be an utter failure, he would spend the rest of the war in the camps.

We dove to radar depth, I yelled to the helmsman "Get us the blazes out of here!" And we made our escape. Slipping away silently, never being attacked by a warship on our way out.

Our new orders were to patrol the Caroline Islands and engage shipping there. We have patrolled for 10 days now, and we have not sighted a single ship yet.

Signed,
Capt. Ryan Reynolds
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