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IMMEDIATE /
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From: CMDR Greg Turner II / LT. Tom Marshall
To:
ComSubPac
Date: 23 March 1943
Subject: Patrol
Report, USS Gato SS-212 (Cycle 6, August 2002)
Remarks: 3rd War Patrol, USS Gato, SUNK IN ACTION
Date:
23 March, 1942 Patrol
Area: Aleutian Islands (AI-1)
Sub: USS Gato SS-212 Class:
Gato
Crew: Veteran Status: SUNK / RESCUED
Total Patrol Time: 16
Days Repair
Time:
Fuel Used: 57,701 Gallons (44%) Realism Rating: 95%
Ships Sunk:
4 Tonnage: 19,110 / 6,364
Pilots Saved: 0 Photo Recons: 0
Weather: Mostly Cloudy Seas: Moderate
Patrol Mileage: 1,194 Nautical
Miles
Ordnance Remaining: 0 -
MK 14 Torpedos, 0 Deck Gun Rounds.
(Medals
Awarded Bronze Star)
Date Time Location Ship Type Tonnage
Status
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2)
14 March 43 01:15 52-34N
x 173-34E Oil Tanker 8,140 SUNK
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3)
14 March 43 01:23 52-34N
x 173-34E Small Freighter 1,260 SUNK
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4)
14 March 43 01:40 52-34N
x 173-34E Supply 1,570 SUNK
Total: 19,110 Raw /
6,364 Adjusted
Damage Sustained:
Total Pressure Hull Failure, Surfaced and Abandoned
Aircraft Encountered:
2
Aircraft Shot Down:
Depth Charges:
40
- 50
Commander's
Comments:
RMKS/ 1 Departed Pearl Harbor on the afternoon
of 3 March 1943 and set course for our assigned patrol station in the Aleutian
Islands. Estimated travel time is 8 days at standard speed. Held extra drills
to condition the crew and get them back in shape.
RMKS/
2. 10 March 1943 entered the Aleutian Island chain and continued north toward
our Assigned patrol sector. Burned 26,496 gallons of Diesel fuel just getting
on station. Our loud out consist of 24 Mk 14 torpedos and 95 rounds for the
4 Deck Gun. I ran surfaced around the northern tip of Attu to search for IJN
traffic going to and from Kiska and Attu.
RMKS/
3. 10 March 13 June patrolled a wide area covering all northern approaches to
either island without any contacts. Seas moderate with partly cloudy skies,
temperature 34 degrees, wind 20-35 MPH gusting upward of 45 MPH. All topside
hands dressed very heavily to ward off the cold.
RMKS/
4. Monday 14 March 00:40 SJ Radar reported a contact bearing 217` at 13,480 yds.
I was aft in the Aft Torpedo Room when the OOD sounded General Quarters. As I
arrived to assume the Con I saw my XO at the periscope checking the area. No
contacts were sighted so he directed an intercept course then handed over the
Con to me. At 01:40 as I was observing the direction of the radar contact I
sighted a Tanker heading at us. Range was 3,900 yds and the contact was almost
90` to starboard so I crossed their track and setup for a stern shot. After
observing awhile I spotted 3 additional ships bringing the total count to 4
Merchants (2-OT, 1-SF, 1-Sup). At 01:15 I fired 1 torpedo at the lead Tanker
from 860 yds and 1 torpedo at the 2nd Tanker from 1,080 yds both set
for 18 feet. At hitting time sonar reported the 1st torpedo impacted
but was a dud, moments later the 2nd torpedo impacted and the Tanker
exploded with a thunderous roar. I fired a 2nd torpedo at the lead
Tanker from 970 yds and at hitting time a tremendous blast was heard and upon
raising the scope I could see the ship was missing its stern and settling
rapidly. I turned my attention to the
Small Freighter, which had turned to the southwest after the first explosion.
01:18 fired 1 torpedo at this ship from 1,080 yds with a 1-degree port offset
to account for the slight turn it was in. The torpedo wake traveled up to and
passed under the target and was seen heading away on the other side. The depth
setting wasnt rest for this shot and ran to deep. Surfaced at 01:21 and began
pursuing while bringing the deck gun into action. The Freighter sensing its
demise turn toward us to ram. I dove back to periscope depth at 01:23 and after
a fast setup fired a 2nd torpedo at the Freighter from 500 yds. The
ship tried to turn away to port but the torpedo impacted under the bridge
section blowing out its side. I turned north to try and find the Supply ship
and continued to observe the Freighter. It finally rolled over and sank bow
first. I surfaced and put 4 engines online to regain contact on the Supply
ship. Radar vectored me to its general heading and at 01:33 it was spotted
bearing 030` at 3,900 yds heading 025`. At 01:37the 4 gun opened fire from
3,500 yds. Over the next twenty minutes we fired 33 rounds for 24 hits and 9
misses to sink the ship. I ordered a course to clear the area.
RMKS/
5. Wednesday 16 March 1943 17:00 SJ radar reported 5 possible contacts bearing
011` at 12,600 yds. I set an intercept course and was closing on the contacts
when SD radar came alive with 2 air contacts at 8,400 yds. I pulled the plug
and headed for periscope depth. 17:03 as I was arriving at periscope depth I
spotted and identified 1-Mutsuki class DD and a second DD that I didnt
identify. At this time those 2 aircraft headed right for our position. I crash
dived and headed deep. Passing through 105 feet one aircraft dumped 3 depth
charges on the Gato. Reports indicated only minor damage to the Crew Quarters
Hull and Disabled Engine #1. With only this minor damage I decided to again go
shallow to see what was coming my direction. Sonar could hear 6 sets of
high-speed screws all around our position but their course was still south.
Arrived at periscope depth at 17:10 and a fast sweep showed three DDs astern
in line and two DDs ahead on my quarters. Also spotted 2 masts in the distance
heading my direction but never had time to identify before active sonar hit us.
All the escorts began dropping depth charges and I dove deep to evade the
escorts. I passed our safe test depth and finally found a good thermal layer
below 353 feet. On a course of 300 degrees we were pulling free of the escorts
when damage control reported flooding in the Aft Battery Room. The flooding in
the Crew Quarters had increased dramatically with our depth and was running
into the Battery Compartment. My XO reported that the flooding was increasing
and Chlorine Gas was rapidly building up. I had little choice but to decrease
our depth to reduce the flooding. As soon as I passed above the thermal layer
the escorts made sonar contact on us. My XO then reported that the Gas build up
was critical and if we didnt surface we would either suffer an explosion or
die from gas poisoning. Sonar reported that the 3 DDs astern were closing my
position fast along with the 2 DDs ahead. I mustered the crew to stations in
preparation for abandoning the ship upon surfacing if I could not evade the
escorts. All torpedos were set for 3-foot depth and the deck gun crew was
standing by to man the 4 gun. At 17:50 as we passed through periscope depth I
spotted one DD about 640 yds bearing 040` and a second bearing 000` at 500 yds
heading my direction. As we broke the surface enemy shells began impacting the
Gato at once. With no time to check astern before the periscope was destroyed I
gave the order to fire all bow tubes at the two DDs hoping and praying for a
lucky hit. Just as the Diesels came on line the whole boat shuddered from
multiple impacts to the stern, which destroyed the engines and left us dead in
the water. The deck gun was destroyed and several members of the gun crew were
killed.
XO
Marshall makes completion of this report.
RMKS/
6. As I was topside directing where to fire the stern tubes a shell exploded in
the Conning Tower. Seeing there was no hope in staying afloat I (XO) passed the
word to abandon the ship. Men began pouring out the Bridge hatch and the
forward and aft escape hatches. By now the Gato was so holed by shellfire that
she up ended and sank stern first as crewmen were still exiting the boat. I was
washed off the bridge and observed several members of the Gato being shot in
the water as the Japs passed by at high speed without slowing. As I watched the
DDs disappear to the north I gathered the remaining cold survivors together
and prayed for rescue. A few of the more injured crewmen died after a few
minutes due their injuries and the cold. As I began to loose hope and strength
a fishing boat appeared out of nowhere and began pulling survivors of the USS
Gato aboard. Although heavily over loaded all survivors were taken aboard but
sadly the remains of our dead comrades were left behind. After a long voyage
we all were landed at Little Sitka
Island then transferred by fishing boat to Adak Alaska where we eventually were
picked up for our journey home.
CASUALTY REPORT FOR USS GATO.
K = Killed, R = Rescued, M / /PD = Missing /
Presumed Dead
26 Killed 23- Rescued 12 Missing /
Presumed Dead
1. CMDR Turner II M /
PD 32.
QM2c Kline M / PD
2. LT Marshall R 33.
MoMM1c R
3. LT Alderman K 34.
EM3c Landreth K
4. LT (jg) Alford R 35.
TM3c Lewis K
5.LT (jg) Allen M / PD 36.
FCS3c Manning R
6. LT (jg) Blair R 37.
RM1c McKnight M / PD
7. QM3c Blevins K 38.
MoMM3c Morris K
8. SC2c Billings R 39.
MoMM1c Nester K
9. RM2c Berrier K 40.
S1c Oliver R
10. EM1c Bobbitt R 41.
FCS1c Osborne K
11. QM2c Bomberger M / PD 42.
Ck3c Parks K
12. S1c Clark R 43.
QM2c Parnell M / PD
13. StM2c Cloud R 44.
S1c Quinn M / PD
14. MoMM2c Coffey R 45. MoMM3c Radcliff
R
15. CPhM Coner K 46.
EM2c Raynor R
16. MoMM2c Dalton K 47.
TM1c Rector K
17.MoMM2c Davis K 48.
MoMM2c Sapp K
18. Bkr3c Dickerson M / PD 49.
S1c Shaeffer K
19. S1c Dinwiddie R 50.
S1c Sellers R
20. S1c Dixon K 51.
S1c Setlif K
21. TM2c Eckel K 52.
F1c Towe R
22. QM1c Eller K 53.
F2c Trimble M / PD
23. CMoMM Edmond M / PD 54.
Y1c Truitt R
24. MoMM1c Fackelman R 55.
S2c Underwood R
25. Stm2c Fairfull K 56.
S3c Utt K
26. TM3c Farris R 57.
CMoMM Vaughan K
27. CY Gallimore M / PD 58.
GM1c Viars K
28. Rt2c Gamble R 59.
MoMM2c Watkins K
29. F1c Hall K 60.
TM1c Webb K
30. Y2c Jones R 61.
S1c Young R
31. GM2c Kirk M / PD
CMDR Greg Turner II LT. Tom
Marshall
CO: USS Gato, SS-212 XO: USS Gato SS-212
ComSubRon 4A
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