Birth:
12 June 1915
Death:
17 June 1999
Veteran of:
World War II
Branch of Service: US Navy Reserves
Rank: Unknown
Occupational Specialty: MOMM1
Dates of Service: Unknown
Unit: USS Sailfish (SS-192)
Locations: Pacific Theater of Operations
Training: Unknown
Awards & Medals: Unknown
Unit Information:
Tenth patrol: November 1943 – January 1944
After refit at Pearl Harbor, she departed (under the command of Robert E. McC. Ward, Class of 1935), with newly rejuvenated spirits, on 17 November for her 10th patrol, which took her south of Honshū. Along the way, she suffered a “hot run” in tube eight (aft), and (after the skipper himself went over the side to inspect the damage) ejected the torpedo; the tube remained out of commission for the duration of the patrol.
After refueling at Midway, she was alerted by ULTRA of a fast convoy of Japanese ships before she arrived on station. About 240 mi (390 km) southeast of Yokosuka, on the night of 3 December, she made radar contact at 9,000 yd (8,200 m). The group consisted of the Japanese aircraft carrier Chuyo, a cruiser, and two destroyers. Despite high seas whipped up by typhoon winds, Sailfish maneuvered into firing position shortly after midnight on 3–4 December, dived to radar depth (just the radar aerial exposed), and fired four bow torpedoes at the carrier, at a range of 2,100 yd (1,900 m), scoring two hits. She went deep to escape the escorting destroyers, which dropped 21 depth charges (only two close), reloaded, and at 02:00, surfaced to resume the pursuit. She found a mass of radar contacts, and a slow-moving target, impossible to identify in the miserable visibility. As dawn neared, she fired another spread of three bow “fish” from 3,100 yd (2,800 m), scoring two more hits on the stricken carrier. Diving to elude the Japanese counter-attack, which was hampered by the raging seas, Sailfish came to periscope depth, and at 07:58 saw the carrier lying dead in the water, listing to port and down by the stern. Preparations to abandon ship were in progress.
Later in the morning, Sailfish fired another spread of three torpedoes, from only 1,700 yd (1,600 m), scoring two final hits. Loud internal explosions and breaking-up noises were heard while the submarine dived to escape a depth charge attack. Abruptly, a cruiser appeared and, fearing that she would broach the surface, Sailfish went to 90 ft (27 m), losing a chance at this new target. Shortly afterwards, the carrier Chuyo (20,000 long tons (20,000 t)) went to the bottom, the first aircraft carrier sunk by an American submarine in the war, and the only major Japanese warship sunk by enemy action in 1943. In an ironic twist, Chuyo was carrying American prisoners of war from Sculpin, the same boat that had helped locate and rescue Sailfish — then Squalus — over four years before. Twenty of the 21 US crew members from Sculpin were killed. None, however, were of the original rescue crew. 1,250 Japanese were also killed.
After escaping a strafing attack by a Japanese fighter on 7 December, she made contact and commenced tracking two cargo ships with two escorts on the morning of 13 December, south of Kyūshū. That night, she fired a spread of four torpedoes at the two freighters. Two solid explosions were heard, including an internal secondary explosion. Sailfish heard Totai Maru (3,000 long tons (3,000 t)) break up and sink as the destroyers made a vigorous but inaccurate depth charge attack. When Sailfish caught up with the other freighter she was dead in the water, but covered by a screen of five destroyers. Rather than face suicidal odds, the submarine quietly left the area. On the night of 20 December, she intercepted an enemy hospital ship, which she left unmolested.
On 21 December, in the approach to Bungo Suido, Sailfish intercepted six large freighters escorted by three destroyers. With five torpedoes left, she fired a spread of three stern tubes, scoring two hits on the largest target. Diving to escape the approaching destroyers, the submarine detected breaking-up noises as Uyo Maru (6,400 long tons (6,500 t)) went to the bottom; destroyers counterattacked with 31 depth charges, “some very close”. Sailfish terminated her tenth patrol at Pearl Harbor on 5 January 1944. She claimed three ships for 35,729 long tons (36,302 t), plus damage to one for 7,000 long tons (7,100 t), believed to be the most successful patrol by tonnage to date; postwar, it was reduced to two ships and (less the Uyo Maru) 29,571 long tons (30,046 t).
PID: KHDG-HQ8
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Relation: 7th cousin
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