November 25, 1942, at 00:07 hours. My boat is a Tambor, homeport Pearl Harbor. Latitude is 149° 50' E
longitude 08°0" N.
With only two torpedoes left, I started my return to homeport. On the navigation map, a shop symbol popped up a few thousand yards from me. Once I plotted the ship's direction, I plotted on an intercept course. After traveling at flank speed for a short time, sonar lines came up on the navigation map. I went to the sonar station to listen to contact. No sound could be heard & the green light at the station never lit up. The sonarman reported "No sound contact!"
The ship was ID as a Split Merchant when we were close enough for visual identification. The target plot shows a speed of 0 knots, 332 degrees! The Split Merchant is now resting on the ocean floor, part of an artificial reef for marine life.
