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From:
CMDR. Greg Turner
To:
ComSubPac
Date:
24 March 1942
Subject: Patrol
Report, USS Permit (May 02 Patrol # 3)
Remarks:
3rd War Patrol, USS Permit, SUNK IN
ACTION
Date: Patrol Area: Philippines
(PH- 5-9)
Sub: SS-178, USS Permit Class: P
Crew: Veteran Status: SUNK
Hull Damage:
TOTAL System Damage: TOTAL
Total Patrol Time: 1
Day Repair Time: Lost
at Sea
Fuel Used: Unknown Realism Rating: 95%
Ships Sunk: 0 Tonnage: 0
Pilots Saved: 0 Photo Recons: 0
Weather: Partly Cloudy Seas: Moderate
Patrol Mileage: 199 Nautical Miles
Ordnance Remaining: 16 -
Mk-14, 95 -Deck Gun Rounds
(Medals
Awarded None)
Date Time
Location Ship
Type(Class) Tonnage Status
ZERO
Total: 0
Damage Sustained:
1. Both Periscopes
Destroyed,
3. Aft Torpedo Room Hull
Heavy Flooding
4. DC Motor 1 Moderate
Damage
5. Conning Tower Hull
Moderate Flooding
6. Steering Gear
Moderate Damage Reduced Steering
7. Crew Mess Hull
Moderate Flooding
8. SD Radar Moderate
Damage Inoperable
9. Crew Mess Hull
Moderate Damage
10. SD Radar Moderate Damage
11. Radio Room Hull
Moderate
12. Forward Torpedo Room
Hull Minor Damage
13. Crew Quarters Hull
Heavy Damage
Aircraft Shot Down:
2
Commander's
Comments:
RMKS/ 1. Departed Fremantle 4
June 1942 enroute to Patrol PH 5-9 in the Philippines. Had on board 16 Mk-14
torpedos.
RMKS/ 2. Entered the northern
most PZ of PH-9 about midday 13 June 1942. Weather was Mostly Cloudy with
Moderate seas.
RMKS/ 3. 10:10 SD radar
reported an air contact closing from 16,000 yds. At the same time lookouts made
a visual sighting on 1-Nagara class Light Cruiser bearing 180` at 16,300 yds
heading 220` for the Philippine Islands. I cleared the bridge and dove as the
aircraft was still not visible in the clouds. After dropping into the Conning
Tower I ordered a course of 280` to try and gain firing position on the CL. A
quick sweep showed 2 aircraft emerging out of the clouds due north of us. They
apparently saw us going under because they came right for us. I lowered the
scope and ordered a crash dive while securing the watertight doors. As we
passed through 80 feet 2 Bombs hit right above us causing Moderate Damage to DC
Motor 1 and Minor Damage to the Officers Quarters Pressure Hull. With active
sonar pinging me I turned south to clear the area.
RMKS/ 4. At 10:40 just when I
thought we were slipping away active sonar again hit the boat. The ensuing
Depth Charge attack inflicted severe damage through out the boat.
Damage included.
Both Periscopes Destroyed,
Aft Torpedo Room Hull Heavy Flooding
DC Motor 1 Moderate Damage
Conning Tower Hull Moderate Flooding
Steering Gear Moderate Damage Reduced Steering
Crew Mess Hull Moderate Flooding
SD Radar Moderate Damage Inoperable
Active sonar continued to find the Permit and
depth charges kept raining down. I
turned the Permit toward a small island about 35 miles to our southwest to try
and get into shallow water due to our flooding.
RMKS/ 5. At 11:15 I nearly
lost the boat when flooding suddenly started taking us down. I caught the
decent at 299 feet amidst some might unnerving creaking and groaning from the
bulkheads. I headed for periscope depth
with the intention of surfacing and giving battle to try and save my boat and
crew. All depth control was being done with engines and dive planes only.
Passing through 85 feet we heard an aircraft over fly us but no bombs fell. At
this shallower depth the flooding eased and I elected to try and stay submerged
as long as possible. For the next 10 minutes our depth ranged from 50 to 100
feet with flooding becoming worse in the aft compartments. At 11:34 I received a little encouraging
news from my XO that the Hull breach in the Crew Mess Hull had been sealed.
After a moments relief things turned for the worse. At 11:37 depth control was
lost and in an attempt to over correct our decent we broached and surfaced. I
decided since we would be pinpointed and due to flooding to run on the surface.
We went to Flank speed and I had the Anti-Aircraft guns manned. One Yagumo
class Destroyer was spotted astern at 7,600 yds moving away from us. No
aircraft were spotted and news reached me that the leak in the Conning tower
was sealed.
RMKS/ 6. Just as I began to
think we would slip clear 2 aircraft were spotted coming from astern. The AA
guns opened up on the aircraft at maximum range in hopes of turning them back.
At 11:43 both aircraft strafed us but didnt have any bombs to drop. I suspect
they were the original aircraft that hit us. The fire from the aircraft caused
minor leaking in the Control Room and Crew Quarters thus adding to our
flooding. As the aircraft turned in for a second strafing run the 20MM gun
began hitting the lead plane hard. It suddenly turned away then dove into the
sea about 400 yds off our starboard front quarter. The second aircraft made it through to inflict more damage to our
pressure hull. The Radio room was holed as was the Mess hall. As the second
aircraft was pulling away the 20MM gun got the range and tore off its right
wing at the root. It spiraled into the ocean several hundred yds astern. The
Destroyer had turned toward us at the onset of the air attacks and was
slowly beginning to close the gap. At
11:48 a 3rd aircraft was spotted
and delivered more damage from a strafing run. The Forward Torpedo Room
was holed and both the Conning Tower and Radio Room received more damage. This aircraft only made one run as our
gunfire damaged it and it stayed outside of our guns range. At 11:50 we lost
sight on this aircraft. I hope it crashed !!!
RMKS/ 7. With the Destroyer
now at 7,000 yds astern I was expecting them to open fire at any moment. At
11:59 we were only about 19 Nautical miles from the shallow water I desperately
was seeking. Suddenly a lookout reported the Destroyers speed was falling off.
I estimated its speed fell to about 7-8 kts and we began pulling away. As fast
as it slowed it sped back up to about 17 kts and started closing on us again.
At 12:06 a 4th aircraft was spotted coming in from astern for an
attack. All aircraft have come from the ocean side not the landside so I
suspect there was a Carrier nearby. This aircraft came through all our gunfire
and dropped a bomb right near our stern causing Severe damage. The Crew
Quarters were flooding heavily. At this time the aircraft turned back and on
this strafing run our first and last casualties were incurred. We lost diving
control and the USS Permit went down for the last time. All hands were lost.
CMDR. Greg Turner
CO: USS Permit, SS-178
ComSubRon 4A
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