[AAR] Balao Big-Time

[Rinaldi]

For those who have given this thread some attention, much appreciated. Hope you're silently enjoying. Patrol 2 was short but very sweet. Decided to take a different tack for how to present this one. Thought it appropriate.

Second Patrol

Key Personnel

 

• Irvin T. Ryan, Lieutenant: Executive Officer
• Benjamin R.P. Digby, Lieutenant (jg): Third Officer
• David B. Thompson: Ensign, Control 3
• Theodore "Teddy" Hull - Chief of the Boat
• Ens. Abraham Merton - Conn 1
• Ens. Norvell Zabriskie - Conn 2
• Ens. Glynn N. Reed - Conn 3
• Ens. Roy T. Dare - Watch 1
• Ens. Merril E. Maddison - Watch 2
• Ens. Abraham Bryant - Watch 3
• CPO Morton F. Madley - Torpedo Officer
• CPO Edgar Eli Fenno - Chief Machinist

Note all times are base time. I have artificially brightened a few photos in Photoshop but have tried to keep the feel of just how dark the nights were.

August 21st, 1943

'He ought to get a medal. The ma-'

'He will. I've put him in for one but I haven't submitted it, nor will I just yet.'

'Sir, I - ' CAPT Edmunds, CO SUBRON 4, let out a frustrated breath. 'Look, the man chases a convoy halfway across the Pacific, sinking every merchant, all after risking detection to report the contact. We tell him 'put the tankers to bed' and he does so - and nothing? I know he never reached his patrol grid but frankly sir I don't agree with this, we're punishing a man for putting tonnage on the board. Do we really care where he does it?'

'We needed that boat in the China Sea, Charlie. You know that. We had good intel on a lot of tanker traffic in that area too, and you know the Japs aren't convoying that deep inside 'safe' waters yet. It would have been lower risk for higher reward, no, I can't reward him. The objectives we set aren't suggestions. Don't make that face, I'm not asking you to rip the man's head off, nor will I either. We're just not going to lay out the red carpet. Remind him he is assigned grids for a reason.'

There was a decided air of finality to this statement. COMSUBPAC would broker no further argument. Edmunds didn't like it one bit, it smacked of the type of inflexibility that got good skippers sacked and good boats sunk in the pervious year. It wasn't like Lockwood, either. What could he do, though? There was no point in escalating (who could he escalate to?), and at any rate, he was being reassigned and given a new command. SUBRON 4 wasn't his problem starting August 31st. Even if he did go to bat for Lynch, he wouldn't be around for the pitch. He was no careerist either, but he knew better than to bite the hand that fed him. The aggressive skipper would be recognized for his work, in time, he knew. He just hoped it wouldn't be posthumous.

He sighed, bid the boss farewell and, with one last look at the document in his hand, put it down on the commander's desk. It was an after action report from the Skate, dated August 11th. Like most AARs, it was tersely worded, barely hinting at the real drama. For the two men who had read it, however, both experienced submariners themselves, they knew just how harrowing - and impressive - the actions contained therein truly were:

ATTACK AND CONTACT REPORT SS-305

To: SUBRON 4, COMSUBPAC

Date of Report: AUG 11 43

Date(s) of Action: AUG 8 - 10 43

AUG 8 43

1102H current pos "CORRIDOR II" zone, en route to assigned waypoint ("ABRIDGE" zone). HFDF intel rep contact, CSE NNE, SPD 7 KTs. Moving to intercept.

2212H sonar contact on screw noises, multiple. Reciprocal course SSW bearing. Possible convoy.

2217H SJ contact confirms convoy. SS-305 now at General Quarters.

2253H Watch reports smokestacks on horizon. Visibility currently adequate but lessening. Clouds partial. Wind 7m/s.

2300H contact rep sent SUBRON4. Convoy is 6-8 merchants, 4-6 escorts. Merchants are mix of cargo and small tankers. Orders from COMSUBPAC rec'd stating 'go for tankers.'

2357H First attack. Penetrated convoy screen on surface, on its starboard side. Starboard escort appeared to have doubled back in routine ASW sweep. We took our chance. THREE MK18 torpedoes fired at MOMOYAMA type freighter.

2358H THREE MK23 torpedoes fired at KAGAISAN type cargo.

2359H One impact on each contact reported. Skate attempted to break contact on surface but spotted by convoy search lights. Forced to dive by escorts. First pattern laid estimated at 12+ charges. Hull intact but light damage reported. Several instruments broken or damaged.


AUG 9 43

0000H Depth now 388. Escorts actively pinging. Bulkheads sealed and rigged for depthcharging.

0111H Escorts cease attack. Estimate 36 charges dropped over this period of time. SS-305 avoided further serious damage through bow-on manoeuvres, radical depth and speed changes and silent running. Attempted to maintain course of 25(T) to shadow convoy when not under attack. Successfully maintained contact. Wind now 12 m/s with full clouds. Thunder audible on surface.

0200H Convoy course now 230, maintaining previous speed. Shadowing at distance of 5-8nm. Reload still in progress on two fore tubes but will be in position to attack again shortly, slowly overtaking convoy.

0219H Watch reports signal lamps visible off port bow. Emissions control ordered; SJ no longer needed to stalk. CO of opinion Escorts lack VHF communications.

0251H Second attack, made in three salvoes. Unable to penetrate screen this time, initial spread fired at 8200y range, relying on pre-plotted radar data. Second spread fired at 4800y range, relying on TBT and optical data. Attack made decks awash on surface. SS-305 'raked' convoy with fire, turning right standard rudder between attacks.

• TWO MK 14s fired at damaged MOMOYAMA.
  
• TWO MK 14s fired at damaged KASAGISAN
  
• TWO MK14s fired at unidentified merchant.

0253H MOMOYAMA hit amidships. Escorts begin search, SS-305 avoids searchlights.

0255H KASAGISAN hit twice. Secondaries set ship on fire and illuminate area. Escort seen heading towards us at high speed, forcing us to 160ft.

0257H Sonar rep two more impacts. Indications confused. Course now 280 and rigged for silent running. Attempting to unmask stern tubes.

0302H Sonar rep clearer now. Multiple sounds of contacts breaking up, hull popping noises. Escorts appear to not have fix on position. Telegraph currently reads 'Ahead Slow.' No longer rigged for silent running.

0313H Sonar contact lost on convoy. Periscope sweep re-establishes visiual on escorts moving away. Damaged merchant seen to be left behind with heavy list and decks awash. Appears to be MOMOYAMA type. Unknown if same or different contact. Sunk at 0324H by TWO MK14s in stern salvo. [Click here for video]

0559H GQ Cancelled. SS-305 grateful to Japanese hosts for quiet second reception. Emissions control cancelled. SJ maintaining contact on Convoy 5nm. Will stalk and let distance open during daylight hours. Matching last reported speed of convoy. Organized rest needed.

1040H Convoy zig-zagging has ended with radical course change now 278(T). Maintaining contact.

2059H Contact course now 330, speed estimate 5.5kts. CO and officers agree to wait further before attack. 'End run' will begin in approx 1-2 hours. Intention is to attack with a 15 AOB to present narrow aspect and make it easier to rake convoy with fire. Weather has calmed but swell remain high. Wind 9 m/s, overcast skies.

AUG 10 '43

0000H Now at General Quarters

0017H Decks awash. Lookouts below. SS-305 making turns for 2 knots. Intention is to penetrate screen again on starboard side, taking advantage of escort falling back on a sweep to rear.

0049H Third attack. Torpedo fired at KASAGISAN type. Appeared to miss.

0051H TWO MK18s fired at HARUNA type tanker. Impact seen less than minute later. Dive ordered. Active pinging faintly heard but stops quickly.

0057H Depth is 300. 9 charges dropped. 5 explode very shallow, latter 4 badly rock boat. SS-305 is able to slip away after this first run.

0103H Now at periscope depth. 12 charges heard to go off in distance, starboard side as we rise. Attempting to unmask stern tubes.

0112H Fourth attack. TWO MK14s fired at a second HARUNA type tanker. Forced to dive by escorts shortly after. Sonar reports loud explosions, followed by active, rapid pinging. Pinging subsides as we come to 225ft.

0119H Attempt to make course 287. Escorts detect us as a result, heavily pinged from two different sources for short time before we reverse course. No charges dropped.

0127H Course now 281, depth is 381. Have escaped attack once again. Shadowing convoy. Heavy patterns of unknown quantity heard exploding astern through hull.

0210H No longer silent running. Reloads of Tubes 7-8 ordered. Now making turns for 5 knots.

0239H Surfaced. SJ reports gap in port-side screen of convoy, with a contact to rear still, certainly the missing escort.

0340H Port-side escort remains out of position and we are moving into attack once again. Intention is to close to point blank range due to lack of ammo and attack submerged with stern tubes.

0422H Fifth attack. TWO MK 14s fired at a KASIGISAN type. Impacts less than thirty seconds later, ship observed sinking rapidly through periscope. Left-rudder ordered.

0425H ONE MK14 fired at HARUNA type.

0427H Impact observed through periscope. Secondaries break her hull and she is seen to be sinking. [Click here for video from the periscope]

0432H ONE MK14 fired at second HARUNA type. Impact shortly thereafter. A thunderclap explosion followed - tankers not evidently in ballast. Target rapidly sinks. Depth ordered to 400 and boat is rigged for silent running. Course set to take us through and under the convoy's last track.

0626H GQ cancelled. No counterattack sustained. Crew now at limit of endurance. Ship to remain at 160 for several hours of needed rest. Ammunition depleted.

Summary

Estimated tonnage at 25, 000. Six merchants, varying types sunk. 24 Torpedoes fired for 13 apparent impacts. Course now set for Midway

LT CDR E. P LYNCH
CO SS-305
SUBRON 4

COMSUBPAC couldn't help but skim through the report again. Only a handful of skippers were repeating these kind of feats. Every merchant in the convoy...if it was accurate - he was assured that Intel would be able to confirm by monitoring radio traffic - then it was a serious blow to the Japanese attempt to keep their war machine fuelled and oiled, quite literally. Out of all proportion to the actual tonnage, sinking oilers and tankers had been a vital operational goal he had put to all his subordinates.

Skate had only put into Pearl earlier that afternoon. He was thinking it may be appropriate to make himself a fly on the wall for Lynch's in person report. The skipper had provided hand drawn diagrams of his attacks in the report and he wanted to chime in with a few questions of his own...

To be continued...

[Rinaldi]

Sorry for the delay, been a very busy week or so! Let's revisit the 2nd patrol and debrief:

Administrative Matters

• Seaman 1st Class Mason S. Lincoln (Conn Watch 2) is awarded the Navy Commendation Medal
  
• Seaman 1st Class Otis Henry E. Jenkins (Engines 3) awarded the Asiatic-Campaign Medal
  
• Petty Officer 1st Class Marshall White (Aft Torp 2) awarded a bronze star to his
• Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal.
  
• Skate had its SJ set replaced with an improved SJ-1 radar set

Edmunds gave me some limp-wristed lecture about the importance of reaching our patrol zones and I can tell his heart wasn't in it. I'd do it again; the tonnage will be sunk wherever I found it unless I am expressly told to avoid engagement. The men heard no such reservations from command and I didn't share it with them, so as far as they were concerned the patrol was an unmitigated success. They giddily painted kill flags on our conning tower and added it to the Squadron's kill board.

Patrol Summary

965 Renown earned.

9 officers, 63 ratings - ALL OK

Merchants sunk: 6

Warships sunk: 0

Total Gross Tonnage: 20, 331

09 August '43 0255h, 141'03E", 28'19N" - Kasagisan MARU 2433t
09 August '43 0302h, 141'03E", 28'19N" - Hakusika MARU 8197t
09 August '43 0324h, 141'03E", 28'20N" - Momoyama MARU 4084t
10 August '43 0423h, 139'55E", 29'40N" - Kasagisan MARU 2433t
10 August '43 0427h, 139'55E", 29'40N" - Haruna MARU 1617t
10 August '43 0432h, 139'55E", 29'40N" - Haruna MARU 1567t

Torpedoes fired: 24

Torpedo impacts: 13

Torpedo misses: 11
Duds: 0
Gun expenditure: 0

While the enlisted men went off to celebrate and rest, all the leading officers had a sober (don't worry, we hit the Royal Hawaiian hard this time too, we just got the order right side around this time) talk in the Skate's ward room. Again, while accuracy was satisfactory, there was room for improvement. We talked at length about the final attack on the convoy, how easily we picked off targets at point-blank range whilst submerged.

The ability for a submarine to live up to its name and submerge is obviously one of its greatest assets, and there was a clamour to make all attacks submerged henceforth - how quickly the depth charging is forgotten. I ultimately disagreed: so long as Japanese sensors remain so far behind our own there is no reason to put ourselves low and slow at night, we're more vulnerable if anything. We are giving the two sensors they have that don't care what the visibility is outside a chance to detect us. We get our targets with the spreads and continue to rely on the luxury of agility and stealth that only a surface attack can provide. Though I will risk submerged attacks at point blank range when the situation warrants it.

Ultimately:

• Our surface approaches were much improved, or the Japanese escorts didn't eat their carrots. We were never spotted before an attack and got to choose how and when to dive. Definitely, a large part of this success comes down to our excellent radar team and the ability to detect emerging gaps in the screen.
  
• The idea of fish-tailing, that is, using the rudder to comb our way down or up a convoy as we attack is one worth continuing. A few more drills and scratch pad practice is going to be needed to game out how to make the torpedoes hit seconds, rather than minutes apart, but the concept was proven. I made a mistake of shooting the closest target first, rather than shooting far and moving in - the thought totally slipped my mind in the heat of the moment.

I'm still waiting on our next orders but I have a feeling we're going to be short in our stay at Pearl once more.

To be continued...