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IMMEDIATE / /
From: CMDR
Ronny Gundersen
To: Captain Greg Turner III
Cc: ComSubPac
Date: June 20, 1944
Subject: Patrol Report, (Cycle 11 January 2003)
Remarks: 1st War Patrol, USS
Bowfin
Date: June 20, 1944 Patrol
Area: Formosa (F-1)
Sub: SS-287, USS Bowfin Class: BALAO
Crew: Green Status:
Operational
Hull Damage: N/A System
Damage: N/A
Total Patrol Time: 18 Days Repair
Time: N/A
Fuel Used: N/A Realism Rating: 115%
Ships Sunk: 4 Tonnage:
65,270
/ 21,735
Warships: 1 Merchants:
3
Pilots Saved: 0 Photo
Recons: 0
Weather: Partly cloudy Seas: Calm
Patrol Mileage: N/A
Ordnance Remaining: 4 - Torpedo’s, 95 – Deck Gun Rounds.
(Medals Awarded – None)
1) 19 June 44 06:32 22-17N, 120-45E (BB/CV) ISE 35,800 SUNK
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2) 20 June 44 09:40 25-48N, 120-00E Standard Merchant 6,700 SUNK
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3) 20 June 44 09:42 25-48N, 120-00E Standard Merchant 10,950 SUNK
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4) 21 June 44 11:59 22-35N, 119-58E Tanker 11,820 SUNK
Total: 65,270 Raw / 21,735 Adjusted
Damage Sustained:
1. Stern Dive Planes - Moderate damage
2. DC Motor 1 - Moderate damage
3. Aft Engine Room - Moderate leak
4. Engine 1 - Moderate damage
5. Aft Battery Room - Minor leak
6. Radio Room - Moderate leak
Aircraft Encountered:
0
Aircraft Shot Down:
0
Depth Charges:
131
Commander's Comments:
June 2, 1944 Leaving Midway June 4 1944, heading for
Formosa with 7 Mk14, 17 Mk18-1 and 95 gun shells.
June 16, 1944 01:05 We have
arrived Formosa in the northeast corner of F-4. Weather is clear and the sea is
calm.
June 18, 1944 12:32 We arrive
our assigned patrol area F1. The weather is now partly cloudy and the sea is
calm. We are now actively searching for enemy shipping in the area.
23:18 Surface contact
detected by radar bearing 291'R 31,700
yds away. There are three dots on the radar display, one big and two small. I
guess one or two of the small dots are escorts.
23:55 A FUBUKI DD comes into
view at 3,300 yds. They did not detect us. Then we spot the big dot. It's a
MYOKO CA heading 181'T at 29.5 kts. Distance to target is 3,275 yds. We change
speed and heading to intercept the cruiser. I order a dive to periscope depth
(PD) for a submerged attack. A few minutes later I realize it's a no go. At the
last moment they zig away from us and are out of range. We continue our patrol
as normal.
June 19, 1944 06:26 Sonar
reports two hi-speed screws bearing 111'R. Seconds later it's three. At PD I
can see it's a BB group. 1 ISE BB/CV and 1 unidentified BB and two unidentified
CA's, escorted by 5 DD's (1 MUTSUKI, 1 FUBUKI, 1 KAGERO identified). They are
just outside our range, about 4,000 yds away. No.....wait, they're turning
again.....towards us! Some of the escorts are disturbingly close. All fwd
torpedo’s armed, depth set to 15 ft. At 1,000 yds all fwd torpedo’s are fired.
All torpedo’s hit, but the BB/CV is only set on fire and slowed down. We
started to turn our aft towards the BB/CV just after we fired the fwd torpedo’s, and we are now lining up to fire
our aft torpedo’s. I order to fire all aft
torpedo’s at her. Torpedo 7,8 and 9 hits and the BB/CV start to sink
rapidly. Torpedo 10 misses since there are no longer any target present. I
order to dive to 300 ft as fast as possible to escape the escorts. At 320 ft
there is only a minor thermal layer to hide under, so we continue our dive. We
stop at 422 ft. Only weak layers, so a silent escape will be difficult. Depth
charges (DC) are exploding everywhere
around us.
07:50 We're hit by DCs. I
immediately order to take her up to 250 ft to ease the load on the pumps. In
the aft torpedo room our stern dive planes are moderately damaged. In the motor
room DC Motor 1 is moderately damaged. In the Aft Engine room the hull is
damaged and a moderate leak is under repair there. In the Fwd Engine room
engine 1 is moderately damaged. There is also a minor leak in the Aft Battery
room. At last there is a moderate leak in the Radio room. A little later there
is a minor flooding in the Aft Engine room. It's a miracle that none of the
crew was seriously wounded during the hit. All hands are focusing on repairing
the damages.
08:22 The leaking in the Aft
Battery room is repaired and the crew have control over the other two leaks.
I've received word that the Radio room soon will be dry again. That's nice for
the radio operator I guess.
08:54 My crew got rid of the
leaks in the Aft Engine room. That was the last leak.
09:41 The last of the escorts
left the area and give up the chase. Hurrah! I must admit that we were very lucky to be hit by just two or three of
the DCs. After all, the japs dropped a total of 131 DCs on us. Some of the crew
have problems with their nerves after this show, so we're taking it easy for
the rest of the day. I hope that will help them a bit, because tonight we're
hunting again.
20:45 All damages are now
repaired. And it's night. And we're once again prowling for enemy shipping. The
sea is calm and the weather is partly cloudy.
June 20, 1944 08:46 Convoy
detected by radar bearing 295'R. We speed up to come into a good attack
position.
09:36 Got visual on the
convoy. 5 AMC, 2 Std. Merchants, 3 Tankers, 2 Supply ships and probably 1 escort (seen on radar). The two Std.
Merchants are closest to us and they're our targets. Torpedo depth is set to 14
ft. The convoy is heading 021'T at 15 kts. Now we got a visual on the escort,
it's a Type D patrol craft. A minute later I order to fire four Mk18-1
torpedo’s at the Std. Merchant #1 and 2 Mk14 at the Std. Merchant #2. Torpedo’s
1-4 hit and the Std. Merchant #1 starts sinking. Std. Merchant #2 is also hit
by both the Mk14's but she still floats. Firing torpedo 10 (Mk14) at her and
the Std. Merchant #2 also sinks. Now the are within firing range and torpedo 9
is fired at a nearby Tanker. Torpedo depth is set to 10 ft. That torpedo hit
the wreck of the second Std. Merchant and all the Tankers are out of range
before we can fire another torpedo. The escort is closing in and starts
pinging, so I guess the party is over and dive to 160 ft heading away from the
convoy and escort.
11:01 We escaped unharmed and
continued patrol.
23:34 Convoy detected by
radar again. Distance is 29,710 yds bearing 310'R. We change speed and heading to intercept. By the radar it looks
like the convoy is escorted by at least 4 escorts.
June 21, 1944 00:49 The first
spotted escort is a FUBUKI DD. Going to radar depth (RD).
00:51 Now I realize the
convoy has changed course and are heading away from us. With the FUBUKI
circling so close to us, we can't speed up to change position. This one slips
away.
10:48 Radar detects a new
convoy bearing 257'R at 33,660 yds. Look like a small convoy with three
escorts.
11:37 The convoy consist of 2
Tankers, 1 AMC, 2 Small Freighters and 1 Large Freighter. Two of the escorts
look like Patrol Crafts (PC) and one as a DD. The DD is a KAGERO class, and the
two PCs are Type Ds
11:58 We're still 2,500 yds
away from the closest Tanker, but it seems this is the closest we'll get, so I
order to fire two Mk14s at the Tanker. Then we turn around to get some space
between the escorts and us. The first torpedo is a dud and alarms the escorts.
The second hit and in an enormous explosion the Tanker begins to sink.
13:19 We've escaped the
escorts and continue our patrol at radar depth. Nothing further was heard from
CMDR Gundersen II or the Bowfin until its return to port due to a Radio problem.
CMDR
Ronny Gundersen II
CO: USS
Bowfin, SS-287
SubRon
4A
U.S.
Navy
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