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From:
LCDR. James D. Cox II
To:
CMDR. Greg Turner III
Cc:
ComSubPac
Date:
21 July, 1943
Subject:
Patrol Report, USS Sea Dragon, SS-194 (September 01 - Cycle VII)
Remarks:
1st War Patrol, USS Sea Dragon
Date: 21 July, 1943 Patrol
Area: Mariana's Islands, (NM-2)
Sub: SS-194, USS SeaDragon Class: Sargo
Crew: Green Status:
Operational
Hull Damage:
(0%) System
Damage: (0%)
Ships Sunk: 8 Tonnage:
77,531 / 25,818
Pilots Saved: 0 Photo
Recons: 0
Ordnance Remaining: 0-Mk-14's,
17-Deck Gun Rounds
(Medals
Awarded - Silver Star, Bronze Star, Unit Citation)
Date Time Location Ship Type Tonnage
Status
1)
10 July 43 10:06
12-01N, 147-01E Oil Tanker 12,033 SUNK
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2)
10 July 43 10:06 12-01N, 147-01E Oil Tanker
12,033 SUNK
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3)
10 July 43 10:00? 12-01N, 147-01E Zero Fighter Shot Down
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4)
11 July 43 10:13 12-02N, 147-01E (CL) NAKA 5,595 SUNK
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5)
11 July 43 22:22 12-04N, 146-59E (CL) NAGARA 5,570
SUNK
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6)
11 July 43 22:22
12-04N, 146-59E (CL) NAGARA 5,570 SUNK
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7)
12 July 43 15:06
12-16N, 146-55E Armed Merchant 11,140 SUNK
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8)
12 July 43 15:07 12-23N, 146-51E Oil Tanker 11,390 SUNK
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9)
12 July 43 15:09 12-23N, 146-50E
Std
Merchant 14,200 SUNK
Total: 77,531 Raw /
25,818 Adjusted
Damage Sustained: NONE
Commander's Comments:
Arrived on Station ( Saturday ) 10 July, 1943 at
04:00 hrs.; The sun
was rising in the East, as the Sea Dragon was heading North, Northwest @ a
heading of 340 degree's. Lookout's on
the Sea Dragon are looking sharp for any Japanese's shipping. When at about
09:30 hrs., SJ radar came up with a small convoy on a course of 360 degree's @
9 kts.. Turned the Sea Dragon around too attack the convoy, when SD radar, and
lookout's picked up a lone aircraft. Moved in on the surface to get in front of
the convoy, when the aircraft came in for the kill on the Sea Dragon, about
7,500 yds. from the convoy. But, the anti-aircraft gun was man'd, and they had
him in there sight's. The Zero came over, dropping 2 bomb's, that fell to the
sea with no harm to the Sea Dragon. As he pasted over head the gun crew's got
him, with two men wounded in the pass.
The
convoy ( 2-Oil Tanker's ) at this time was heading 270 degree's @ 12 kts., But,
I don't think the two Oil Tanker's new where to run to, As the sun was to there
back's, and did not see the Sea Dragon headed to full speed to run them down.
The gun crew openned up on the Oil Tanker's just to slow them down so the Sea
Dragon could put some fish ( Torpedo's ) in her target's to finnish them off. (
about 6,000 yds. away! ) At a range of 4,500 yds. the order was givin to go to
periscope depth when the two oiler's were at a speed of 4 to 5 kts..
Set
torpedo's to 21 ft. & fired 2 each at the oil tanker's. Heard
4-explosion's. Looked out the periscope to see 2-Oil Tanker's going down in
flame's. ( One by the bow, the other stren first. ) As I could see a few Jap's
in the water, I left them to fend for them-self as the Sea Dragon headed 180
degree's @ standard speed. 16-torpedo's left, 74-Deck rds. left, 6-rds.
missed, 15-hit.
(
Monday ) 11 July, 1943, 09:45 hrs.; SJ radar
picked up a Light Cruiser Force, of 1-NAKA Class
light cruiser, and 1 Destroyer Escort, Heading 340 degree's @ 21 kts., Went to
periscope depth, and headed in for the attack @ 180 degree's. Was able to get
within 2,500 yds. of the NAKA cruiser, Setup
4-torpedo's at a depth of 11 ft., and fired all four at the NAKA
cruiser, 3 hit's in her, she went to the bottom, as she rolled over to port. 1
torpedo permatured about 200-300 yds. from the target, but it was too late for
the NAKA to get out of the way of the other three.
Turned the Sea Dragon to 135 degree's as she head to 250 ft. . The 1 destroyer
came in to find us, But it was to late as the Sea Dragon passed the thermo
layer at 200 ft. 12-torpedo's left.
(
Monday Night ) 11 July, 1943, 21:45 hrs.; SJ radar picked up
a Task Force of 2-Light Cruiser's ( NAGARA
Class ), 5-Destroyer's heading 350 degree's @ 22 kts., Moved the Sea Dragon in
for the attack on the surface. The light cruiser force turned to a heading of
45 degree's, right in the path of the Sea Dragon. At that time we went to
periscope depth, & 1/3 speed, and moved in slowly, as we turned to a
heading of 190 degree's. The Sea Dragon changed it's depth to a 100 ft. as one
of the DD's was heading for the Sea Dragon, The DD went right over us, as we
moved back to periscope depth ( 65 ft. ), the destroyer kept going with no sign's
of what was about to happen to his group that he and the other's were
escorting.
At
about 3,500 yds. or a little less, the ( NAGARA
class ) CL's turned sharply to a heading of 000 degree's. Setup 6 torpedo's at
a depth of 11 ft., an cut loose with all 6 torpedo's ( 3-torpedo's each ) at
the NAGARA light cruiser's, as the full side of the
cruiser's came into view. Heard 6 hit's as the Sea Dragon was heading for 250
ft., At 200 ft. we crossed the thermo layer again as the escort's lost us. The
Sea Dragon made good her get'ta way, as two more light cruiser's went to the
bottom. 6-torpedo's left.
(
Tuesday ) 12 July, 1943, 13:30 hrs.; SJ radar picked up
a fast moving convoy of 3 ship's. A few
minute's before that, SD radar picked up 1 Aircraft heading 325 degree's. At
first we did nothing, Just to see what the SJ radar had for us. When we seen
that the group was heading on a course of 355 degree's, speed of 14 kts., the
Sea Dragon moved in for the attack. as the aircraft moved on a heading of 260
degree's, heading away from the Sea Dragon. We got in front of the convoy at
about 9,000 to 10,000 yds. from the convoy. Went to periscope depth ( 65 ft. )
at that time and waited for them to come up in the trap. At 14:00 hrs. the
convoy turned to a course of 315 degree's. The Sea Dragon turned to course 270
degree's, speed full when the convoy turned again to a course of 45 degree's
same speed of 14 kts.
Turned
the Sea Dragon to a course of 225 degree's. Setup 2 torpedo's for 21 ft. for the Oil Tanker, 2 torpedo's
for 20 ft. for the Armed Merchant Cruiser, and 2 torpedo's for 23 ft. for the
Standard Merchant. Fired at the Oil Tanker first, Then the Standard Merchant
second, and the Armed Merchant Cruiser last. Getting hit on all 3 target's only
to slow them down to 6 to 10 kts.. At this time the aircraft came in to have a
look see at the explosion point for a long time as the convoy was making it's
escape, with the Sea Dragon on there tail. Looked out the periscope to find the
aircraft, that was flying home to it's base at Guam as it was starting to get a
little dark.
At
about 10,000 yds. from the explosion point of the torpedo's. The Sea Dragon
surfaced to have the deck-gun's put them on the bottom, and the crew did.
We
watched as the gun crew sank the Armed Merchant Cruiser first with 19 rds., 3 rds. missed
as she rolled over on the port side, and sank.
Second came the Oil Tanker
with 21 rds., 4 rds. missed, In all the
shooting, The Oil Tanker was in flame's from bow to stren as she blow a part,
putting flaming oil on the surface of the water. The men in the water were
fighting the flame's, as the fire burned them alive. Third came the Standard Merchant with 20
rds., 5 rds. missed, As we had to move in on her at a range of
5,000 yds., She never had a change as the gun crew put round after round in
her. She was a floating wreck that sank to the bottom, with a lot of her crew
dead in the water, and on her deck. 0-torpedo's left. 2
Deck rds. left.
Hit's:...................19
Prematured:......01
Returned............00
Torpedo's..........20
Rds. Missed:......18
Rds. Hit:.............75
Returned............02
Deck Rds............95
LCDR. James D. Cox II
CO: USS Sea Dragon, SS-194
U.S. Navy
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