// IMMEDIATE //
From: LCDR Ronny Gundersen (USS Bonita SS-165)
To: ComSubRon 4A
Cc: ComSubPac
Date: January 8, 1942
Subject: Patrol Report (March 02, - Patrol # 1)
Remarks: 1st War Patrol, USS Bonita
Date: January 7, 1942 Patrol
Area: Palau Islands (PI-2)
Sub: SS-165, USS Bonita Class:
Barracuda
Crew: Green Status:
Operational
Hull Damage: None (0%) System
Damage: None (0%)
Total Patrol Time: 4.16 Days Repair
Time: 0 Days
Fuel Used: 7717 gallons (7%) Realism
Rating: 100%
Ships Sunk: 3 Tonnage:
45,610 / (15,188)
Pilots Saved: 0 Photo
Recons: 0
Weather: Partly Cloudy Seas: Moderate
Ordnance Remaining: 3 - Mk.10's, 64 - Deck Gun Rounds
(Medals Awarded:
Silver Star)
DATE TIME
LOCATION SHIP TYPE
(CLASS) TONNAGE(JANAC) STATUS
1). 04 Jan. 1942 01:02 8-20N, 135-46E Standard Merchant (MR) 10,950
(3,646) SUNK
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2). 04 Jan. 1942 01:36 8-16N, 135-54E Standard Merchant (MR) 14,660
(4,882) SUNK
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3). 05 Jan. 1942 18:16 8-01N, 135-36E Escort Carrier (TAIYO) 20,000
(6,660) SUNK
Total: 45,610 Raw / 15,188
Adjusted
Damage Sustained: NONE
Aircraft Shot Down: NONE
Commanders Comments
Arriving at Palau
Islands, our designated patrol area (PI2). The weather is clear and the sea is
calm. It's a beautiful
full moon night. Loaded with 100 deck gun rounds and 12 Mk. 10 torpedoes
We set course to the
northern part of Babelthuap Island, hoping to catch some of the traffic
heading for the Japanese
port Koror.
Surfaced to recharge
batteries and breathe fresh air. The sea is still calm, but the weather has
changed to partly cloudy.
We are now positioned in the shipping lanes north of Koror.
Lookout reports masts on
the horizon bearing 018'. It appears to be two standard merchants
heading 030'. Estimated
speed of the small convoy is 15 kts. Distance to targets is about
4 miles. Changing course
to 297' to intercept the two merchants.
00:45
Submerges to periscope
depth and orders battle stations. The merchants are now about 2 miles away.
00:50
Fires tube 1 and 2 at the
closest merchant, which is now about 900 yards away. Both torpedoes hit,
But one torpedo fails to
explode on impact. Now the second merchant is straight ahead of us and I
order to fire tube 3 and
4 at the second merchant. This time both torpedoes hit and both explode,
Causing heavy damage and
fire on the merchant. Orders a full rudder turn to fire our aft torpedoes
at the first merchant
that is now trying to escape. The torpedo has damaged her somewhat, because
She is losing speed.
00:54
Fires tube 5 at the
escaping merchant. She still has good speed and she was 1600 yds away when the
tube was fired. This
torpedo will probably miss; therefore I won't spend two torpedoes this way.
We chase after the
merchant that is on fire and badly damaged. I give order to surface so we can
use our deck gun to sink
what is left of her. Seamen Johnson, Sorensen and White are ordered to
prepare and man the deck
gun. While the fore and aft torpedo crew reloads the tubes.
Suddenly we hear a loud
distant BOOM from the aft. Our last torpedo hit the merchant after all.
A closer look at the
merchant reveals that fires are beginning to spread out on her deck and I
can also see some of her
crew falling overboard and into the sea. She's now losing speed rapidly.
Good, I think, then she
won't be able to escape us if we take out the other merchant first.
00:59
I let seaman Johnson fire
at will, and at 2056 yds he fires the first shot at the merchant.
Three minutes later the
merchant sinks due to numerous hits by our deck gun. Excellent shooting
by seaman Johnson, only
four shots missed.
We turn around to 100' to
chase after the last merchant, which is now heading away from us at
10,7 kts. Orders flank
speed to gain on her. The fires on board makes her easy to spot in the
night.
01:29
When the last merchant is
3500 yds away I give seaman Johnson permission to fire at the ship to
try to slow her down
further. Most of the shells hit her and slowly she's loosing speed.
When we're as close as
1400 yds I order 1/3 speed to keep the distance. No deck guns are
spotted on the merchant,
but the crew onboard might have small arms. No need to take un-
necessary risks.
01:36
The merchant is destroyed
by our deck gunfire. Seaman Johnson impresses both me and the rest of
the crew with his
outstanding performance with the deck gun. Crew is released from battle
stations
and we change course to
go back to our patrol route and speeds up to 2/3 speed to recharge the
batteries. With these two
sinkings so early in the patrol the crew is very optimistic and
eager to sink more
Japanese tonnage.
The weather is unchanged,
but the sea is now moderate. After being surfaced for several hours,
the lookout reports
visual contact bearing 114'. The contact turns out to be a Yagumo class
Destroyer. It's 5,6 miles
away and has a speed of about 18 kts, circling in a search pattern.
Shortly after a new ship
is visible. It's a standard merchant at 7,8 miles, traveling at 9 kts
heading at 144'. We
change course to close in for an attack on the merchant ship. Two minutes
later another two ships
appear. One more standard merchant and a supply ship. And at the end
another escort becomes
visible. It's a Fubuki class destroyer. I order periscope depth to avoid
early detection by the
escorts. My primary target, the closest standard merchant is now 5 miles
away.
01:21
At periscope depth, with
periscope down, we can hear one of the escorts closing in on us. Dives
to 90 ft to avoid
collision. A few seconds later the sound of the escort fades away.
After a couple of minutes
we once again enter periscope depth to re-check on our targets, but
must dive again for
before I can use the periscope because one of the escorts is very close
again. Probably right on
top of us. That escort ruined my perfect 90' angle attack on the merchant.
01:31
Periscope up. My
calculations were horribly wrong or the convoy changed course. Anyhow the
convoy
has passed BEHIND us by 2
miles and more, and with both escorts circling our periscope, I decide
to go deep and run silent
in case some of them spotted the periscope. No pinging from the escorts
though. After five
minutes or so the sound of the escorts fade away. Guess they never did see us.
Orders periscope depth
again, but no convoy in sight. All I can see is the destroyers at 3,2 miles.
We'll stay submerged
until the destroyers are out of sight.
02:02
On the surface again.
Continuing our patrol.
09:32
Sonar reports low-speed
screws bearing 060' relative. Changing course towards the contact and
rises to periscope depth
to investigate.
The contact turns out to
be a Kongo class Battleship at 8,7 miles and a Myoko class Heavy Cruiser
at about 9,8 miles. Their
speed is about 23,3 kts with a heading of 307'. We have no chance to
intercept them, and
staying this close to the surface during daytime makes it easy for planes to
spot us. We dive to 160
ft. and continue our patrol.
11:40
Sonar reports two new
low-speed screws bearing 037' relative. Rising to periscope depth to
look closer at the
contacts. No visual contacts yet. Dives to 160 ft. and continues towards the
contacts.
12:07
Rising to periscope depth
again to check for visual contacts. Convoy spotted at a distance,
consisting of several
standard merchants and troop ships. Could not get a better look at the
merchants because one of
the two spotted escorts was only about 2000 yds away and was coming
towards us at high speed.
I ordered a dive to 190 ft. and gave up the chase. Too risky to attack
that convoy in full
daylight since they were far away and planes are likely to patrol this area.
After some time the sound
of the convoy disappeared to the NNE.
18:00
On our way to surface the
sonar suddenly reports hi-speed screws bearing 013' relative. A few
seconds later two
low-speed screws can also be heard. At periscope depth I can identify one Myoko
Heavy Cruiser, one Taiyo
Escort Carrier and 2 Destroyers. One of the Shiratsuyu class and the other
unidentified. My primary
target, the Carrier, is now about 4 miles away and has a speed about 17
Kts. 15 minutes later we
are in firing position and I order to fire tube 1 to 4 at the Carrier which
now is 1400 yards away.
When all torpedoes are fired and running fine I order a crash dive to
225 ft. and changes
course to SW. About 30 seconds later we can hear four loud explosions. We can
also hear the hull of the
Carrier breaking up. She sinks rapidly. At 225 ft. we rig for silent
running to avoid
detection by the searching escorts.
18:20
The Heavy Cruiser
disappears on our sonar to the west. Everyone on the boat is absolutely quiet,
just listening to the ice
cold sonar pinging from the escorts. It seems like the escorts hasn't
found us yet. After a
while we speed up to 1/3 ahead and set the course away from the escorts.
18:49
The pinging from the
escorts slowly fades away and finally is gone for good. Rises to periscope
depth to take a look
around. There are no signs of the escorts when we surface. The weather is
Partly cloudy and the sea
is moderate. With only three torpedoes in the aft torpedo room left, I
decide to head home to
port. The crew is quite happy about my decision. Maybe the recent episode
with the escorts involved
had something to do with their happiness about going home again.
Tuesday, January 6, 18:18
On the surface again
after being submerged all day. No changes in the weather or the sea state.
Nothing special to
report.
Leaving Palau Islands and
head back to Pearl Harbor. All crewmembers have performed outstanding
on this patrol.
LCDR Ronny Gundersen
CO: USS Bonita, SS-165
U.S. Navy
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