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From: LCDR. Matt Schow

To: CMDR. Greg Turner

Cc: ComSubPac

Date: 25 January 1942

Subject: Patrol Report, USS-Gudgeon (March 02 – Patrol # 1)

Remarks: 1st War Patrol, USS Gudgeon

Date: 25 January, 1942 Patrol Area: Palau Islands (PL-1)

Sub: SS-181, USS Gudgeon Class:

Crew: Green Status: Operational

Hull Damage: (0 %) System Damage: (0 %)

Total Patrol Time: Repair Time: 0 Days

Fuel Used: Realism Rating: 95%

Ships Sunk: 1 Tonnage: 8,350 / (2,781)

Pilots Saved: 0 Photo Recons: 0

Weather: Seas:

Patrol Mileage:

Ordnance Remaining: 1 -Mk-14, ? -Deck Gun Rounds

(Medals Awarded - None)

Date Time Location Ship Type(Class) Tonnage Status

1). Jan. 1942 14:05 08-59N, 134-27E Troop Ship 8,750 SUNK

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Total: 8,350 Raw / 2,781 Adjusted

Damage Sustained: NONE

Aircraft Shot Down:

Commander's Comments:
01 January 1942 07:30 Departed Pearl Harbor. Escorted through the safe zone by USS Ward. Fire Control Party worked continuous firing solutions on the USS Ward until the USS Ward was released at 18:30

02 January 1942 11:32 AIRCRAFT 1: Visual sighting of U.S. B-1 BOLO. Plane failed to flash recognition response, dove to 100’. No further contact.

03 January 1942 19:42 Radio malfunction, transmissions not possible.

03 January 1942 24:16 Radio repaired.

05 January 1942 17:31 AIRCRAFT 2: Visual sighting of Kawanishi H6K Mavis. Implemented crash dive to 200 and 90-degree coarse change. No enemy ordinance expended. Due to enemy aircraft threats, from this point on, the daytime Patrol will be conducted at 100’ submergence with periodic submergence to periscope depth for periscope sweeps. Nighttime patrol will be operated on the surface at 2/3 speed.

07 January 1942 03:49 08-24’N, 139-40’E Entered Patrol Zone PL1. Heavy seas and mostly cloudy. Plan to patrol between North extents of the reef and the Port of Koror. This is the shipping lane most probable used to transport supplies and vessels between Palau and Tokyo.

08 January 1942 00:00 08-25’N, 138-28’E. Atmospheric conditions: Heavy seas and overcast. 3.1 Knots. No target contacts.

09 January 1942 00:00 08-23’N, 136-28’E. Atmospheric conditions: Heavy seas and overcast. 3.1 Knots. No target contacts.

10 January 1942 00:00 08-49’N, 136-11’E. Atmospheric conditions: Heavy seas and overcast. 3.1 Knots. No target contacts.

11 January 1942 00:00 09-54’N, 130-54’E. Atmospheric conditions: Heavy seas and mostly cloudy. 3.1 Knots. No target contacts. Will start to patrol at periscope depth on daytime patrol hours to increase chance of sighting a target.

11 January 1942 23:39 09-24’N, 130-35’E. Visual contact SHIP 1 CV AKAGI, SHIP 2 CV Unknown, SHIP 3 DD Unknown, SHIP 4 DD Unknown, and SHIP 5 DD Unknown. Task force speed is 21 knots, course 196 True. Range to task force 4300 yards. Submerged to periscope depth and worked into firing position 1500 yards ahead and starboard of SHIP 1. Fired 6 forward torpedoes set at 30’. Offsets were 0, 0, 1P, 1S, 0, 0. Torpedoes two and five detonated prematurely. The escorts spotted torpedo 1 and they started echo ranging. Crash dive to 250’. No torpedoes were heard or visually seen to detonate despite an excellent TDC solution. CV may have had time to initiate aggressive maneuvers to avoid the torpedo spread. Escorts dropped 2 distant depth charges, no damage. Submerged to 300 depth. Escorts dropped 1 additional depth charge, no damage. Escorts continued ASW for 35 minutes then abruptly stopped and cleared the area. The crew and the CO were extremely disappointed in the lost opportunity. Surfaced and attempted to radio contact report, however, the radio malfunctioned again.

12 January 1942 00:00 09-23’N, 136-35’E. Atmospheric conditions: Heavy seas and mostly cloudy. 3.1 Knots.

12 January 1942 08:14 Surfaced to transmit CV contact report on newly repaired radio. AIRCRAFT 3: Visual sighting of Mitsubishi A6M Zero. Implemented crash dive to 200 and 90-degree coarse change. Three enemy ordinances expended without damage, possibly by multiple aircraft. Made sonar contact with Surface patrol consisting of at least 4 escorts SHIPS 6 – 9. Lost contact with patrol at 09:03. Decided to patrol West of the island chain due to an alerted enemy East of the chain. 13 January 1942 00:00 09-44’N, 136-01’E. Atmospheric conditions: Moderate seas and mostly cloudy.

14 January 1942 00:00 09-43’N, 133-38’E. Atmospheric conditions: Heavy seas and mostly cloudy.

14 January 1942 12:58 08-58’N, 134-22’E. SONAR contact followed by visual contact of unescorted merchant convoy at 13:09. SHIP 10 3100-Ton Standard Merchant AK unidentified, SHIP 11 14280-Ton Standard Merchant AK Paris Maru SHIP 12 8350-Ton Troop Transport AP Shatoa Maru, SHIP 13 6500-Ton Troop Transport AP unidentified. Task force speed is 9 knots, course 310 True. Range to task force 8200 yards. At periscope depth worked into firing position 1100 yards ahead and starboard of SHIP 12. Fired 2 forward torpedoes set at 30’. Offsets were 0, 0, Torpedo two detonated prematurely. Immediately fired #3 forward torpedo to compensate for premature detonation at a depth of 32’, 0 offset, and range 800 yards. No hits were visually seen or recorded on SONAR. Fired #4 and #5 forward torpedo set at 32’ and 750 yards. Offsets were 0, 0, Torpedo #4 detonated prematurely. Immediately fired #6 forward torpedo to compensate for premature detonation at a depth of 32’ and 700 yards. No hits were visually seen or recorded on SONAR. Hard starboard rudder to bring after torpedoes to bear on scattering AK’s. Fired #7 and #8 after torpedoes set at 20’ and 27’ at a range of 1500 yards one each on SHIP 10 and SHIP 11 respectively. Due to target maneuvering, both were off vector and missed. SHIP 13 started to circle to meet with the two AK’s and came into allowable gyro for a shot from the after torpedoes. Fired #9 and #10 after torpedoes set at 27’ and 32’ at a range of 1300 yards at SHIP 13. No hits were visually seen or recorded on SONAR. Decided to submerge to 100’, reload torpedoes and track SHIP 12 by sonar as it got separated from the bulk of the convoy.

14 January 1942 14:05 08-59’N, 134-27’E. SONAR continued contact followed by visual contact of SHIP 12 after tubes 1 and 7 were reloaded and sub returned to periscope depth. Fired #1 forward torpedo set at 32’ at a range of 400 yards at SHIP 12. No hits were visually seen or recorded on SONAR. Fired #1 after torpedo set at 20’ at a range of 580 yards at SHIP 12. Depth setting was not changed from the previous setup on the AK’s. One hit, SHIP 12 broke in two and was visually verified sunk within 10 minutes. Additionally, SONAR confirmed metal crushing noise. Left the area and reloaded the rest of the torpedoes at 100’ of depth.

15 January 1942 00:00 08-36’N, 134-43’E. Atmospheric conditions: Heavy seas and overcast.

15 January 1942 21:32 09-27’N, 133-52’E. Visual contact SHIP 14 CA Mogami Class, SHIP 15 CA Unknown, SHIP 16 DD Asashio Class, SHIP 17 DD Unknown, and SHIP 18 DD Unknown. Task force speed is 24 knots, course 165 True. Range to task force 3700 yards. Submerged to periscope depth and worked into firing position 700 yards ahead and starboard of SHIP 14. Fired 1 forward torpedo set at 30’. Offset was 0. Fired 3 after torpedoes set at 30’. Offset was 0, 0, 1P. Torpedo #1 detonated prematurely. The escorts started echo ranging. Crash dive to 300’. No torpedoes were heard or visually seen to detonate despite an excellent TDC solution. CA may have had time to initiate aggressive maneuvers to avoid the torpedo spread due to premature detonation. Escorts dropped 2 distant depth charges, no damage. Escorts continued ASW for 15 minutes then abruptly stopped and cleared the area. Decided to keep last forward torpedo for inspection at Pearl Harbor to look into the premature detonation issue. Sent contact report at 22:49

25 January 1942 08:30 Arrived SUB-BASE Pearl Harbor.

Statistics Ordnance: 23 Torpedoes Fired, 1 hit, 5 premature detonations. 130 Rounds of 50 cal. Used on AIRCRAFT 3 40 Rounds of 20 mm used on AIRCRAFT 3 Zero 3” gun cartridges used

Statistics Medial: No injuries

Statistics Fuel: 32,160 gallons used.

Refit request: Leaky #1 periscope packing, rebuild radio transmitter, and install crows nest forward of periscope shears.

Crewmen lost to transfer:

XO LT. Jim Jackworthy LT (JG) Greg Worth LT (JG) Gene Simon QM3c Abe Gelpling MoMM 3c Robert Brooks MoMM 2c James Sanfil EM 3c Joe Barns EM 2c Kolb Anderson RM 2c Matt Yoeshime TM 2c Bob Apadaka TM 2c Paul Mcartney

LCDR. Matt Schow

CO: USS Gudgeon, SS-211

U.S. Navy

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