 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
Following shakedown out of New London, USS RUNNER (SS-275) departed the east coast in late 1942, and arrived at Pearl Harbor via the Panama Canal on 10 January 1943. Her first patrol, 18 January to 7 March, was conducted in the area between Midway and the Palau Islands. Five Japanese cargo ships were torpedoed on this patrol, but none was confirmed as being sunk. In making the last attack of the patrol on a freighter off Peleliu, she was damaged by a near miss from a bomb dropped from a patrol bomber. The concussion knocked out her sound gear and the power supply for both periscope hoists. RUNNER made her escape by a deep dive, the crew made emergency repairs, and the ship returned to Pearl Harbor for overhaul.
On her second patrol, 1 April to 6 May, RUNNER's primary mission was to lay a minefield off Pedro Blanco Rock. Successful in this mission, RUNNER proceeded to Hainan Straits, off the Chinese mainland. One freighter was torpedoed, and the sound of a ship breaking up was heard over RUNNER's sound gear, but the kill could not be confirmed. The submarine returned to Midway 6 May 1943.
On 28 May 1943 RUNNER left Midway to proceed to 48! -30'N, 154! E and begin her third war patrol. She was to patrol south and west from this spot, until she came into the area south of Hokkaido and east of the northern tip of Honshu, where she was to patrol from about 8 June to 4 July 1943. The submarine was never heard from following her departure from Midway.
She was expected at Midway about 11 July, and not later than 15 July, and should have made a transmission when approximately 500 miles from this base. She was ordered on 11 July to made an immediate transmission, but no reply came. Although a careful lookout was maintained in the hope that RUNNER was safe but without transmission facilities, results were negative. On 20 July RUNNER was reported as presumed lost.
A summary of Japanese antisubmarine attacks received since the close of hostilities contains no mention of an attack which could explain the loss of RUNNER. Thus her loss must be ascribed to an enemy minefield, of which there were at least four in the area to which she was assigned, to an operational casualty, or to an unreported enemy attack. Destruction by a mine is considered the most likely of these possibilities..
RUNNER was awarded one battle star for World War II service.