Deadly Patrol
Imagine reporting for duty as the chief engineering officer onboard the USS S-34 submarine just days after Pearl Harbor—the executive officer's privacy curtain in the control room snaps shut behind you and it is suddenly revealed that the US fleet has been lost, that no one knows the current position of the enemy's fleet, and that further attacks are eminent.
Commander Wogon embarks the USS S-34 following the directive to find and engage the enemy in battle. The submarine is fully loaded with explosive torpedoes.
Much of what happened onboard World War II submarines has remained silent—until the publication of Deadly Patrol—Tales of Life Aboard World War II Pacific Submarines.
In 1945 the Commander-In-Chief of the U.S. Fleet commissioned a collection of combat narratives for the purpose of developing commissioned officers.
Ships commanding officers had the discrestion to selectively advance accounts of incidents, and the published accounts were expectedly—vetted for things like piracy and mutiny.
The wikipedia page for the SS-34, a World War I era K-class submarine covers events accurately, yet key moments addressing desperate events are undeveloped and missing. A newly published submarine officer memoir shines new light on actual submarine war patrols events...
On June 17, 1942 we were six miles off the Semichey Islands enroute to Attu Island when we sighted a Japanese heavy cruiser. We only had one good look at him other than the initial contact. We could not close the range to less than 6,000 yards. He was identified as a Kinugasa-class heavy cruiser. During the day we closed in on Attu Isand and at night we retired to the northwest in order to charge the batteries. On June the 20th, 1942 at 0709 hours we sighted an enemy destroyer close to the beach ranging 12,000 yards. We submerged and commenced approaching. I was the Officer of the Deck and the Quartermaster thought he saw something close to Attu against the background of the island. It looked like the top of a ship, and word was passed for the Captain to come to the bridge. Lieutenant Wogan came up and said, "Take her down, Tommy. Dive, dive." The Klaxon rang twice.
Submerged we took battle stations. My battle station was the diving officer. The approach party, the Captain, the Exec, and other officers all gathered in the control room along with the Bow and Stern planesmen and manifold people. The Japanese destroyer was at the entrance to Sarana Bay on Attu. As we closed to 6,000 yards the destroyer was identified as a Shinomeclass. It was patrolling the entrance to the harbor.
As the range closed again, the Captain saw a tanker fueling a destroyer inside Sarana Bay. The Captain and Exec had a conference deciding whether to shoot the patrolling destroyer or to go into the bay and target the tanker and destroyer. I was in favor of shooting the destroyer but I did not say anything. The Captain decided to go for the tanker and destroyer inside of the bay. The captain became rather excited and jumpy at this time. When looking through the periscope I remember he said, "Mike, Mike, take a look. I think he's coming right at us." Mike was much calmer and very quiet, when he looked through the scope he said, "Oh no, Captain, he's still going away." Consequently, we entered Sarana Bay past the patrolling destroyer and prepared to attack the tanker.
While making the approach on the tanker at 1350 a terrible noise and grinding sound shook the ship, we didn't know what it was. The Captain stuck up the periscope and said, "I can see our screws coming out of the water." Our sub was stranded and stuck. He folded up the periscope and said, This is it boys."
Official.DustinBaly.com
5842 Mott Street
San Diego, CA 92122
Climb down the hatch into World War II submarines to discover harrowing and previously unpublished accounts of heroism, incompetence, mechanical failure, piracy, and mutiny that meant life and death during war patrols across the Pacific Ocean.
Before Trader Vic's, there was Hinky Dinks in Emeryville, California.
Captain Wogan orders Quentin Thomson a Fog Cutter at the legendary epicenter of Tiki Bars—Hinky Dinks after a foggy coast shakedown cruise from San Diego.
Decompressing from the trama of narrow escape from a depth charge bombardment, the crew stays at the Royal Hawiaan Hotel and has a party where things get out of hand as sailors re-unite with strong alcohol.
A young Quentin Thomson assembles an ELTO Outboard Motor in Lake Charles, Lousiana. Quentin's parents had owned the steamboat Borealis Rex.
Try One Call Submarine Command for a personal submarine command experience.
