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Post by crushedhat on Feb 18, 2024 5:07:34 GMT
April 1942
Admiral Yamamoto continues to make good on his promise to the Emperor that he can guarantee victory for six-months to a year as the Japanese continue their relentless advance. However, the Emperor gets a rude awakening when a group of B-25s, led by LCOl Jimmy Doolittle bombs the presumably impregnable Japanese home islands.
Patrol Assignments: Sealion (ChefEd) Java Sea – thru Apr 42 Snapper (silentwolf) China Sea – thru Apr 42
In Harbor (Freemantle, Australia): Sardine (rodmod) refit – thru Apr 42
Patrols ending in Apr 42 are due 24 Feb 2024, unless circumstances force an earlier return. All Boats will end their patrols in Freemantle, Australia. Any Boats more than a month overdue without notifying the admin (crushedhat) will be declared “Lost.”
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Post by ChefEd on Feb 18, 2024 14:56:43 GMT
USS Sealion, SS-195 Salmon Class
March / April 1942 Patrol Station: Java Sea
Patrol # for this Commander: 2 Successful Patrol: Yes Number of Freighters sunk: 1 / 2 Number of Tankers sunk: 0 / 0 Number of Troop Ships Sunk: 1 / 1 Number of Warships Sunk: 0 / 0 Number of Capital Ships sunk: 0 / 0 Tonnage sunk: 13,400 / 14,300 Refit Time: One ( 1 ) month(s) Award Requests: None
Commander, LtCDR Herbert Crabtree Exec, LT Hadden Levay 3rd officer, LT (jg) Abdiel Shoemaker Chief Engineer, LT River Donaldson Pharmacist's Mate, PhM2c Lamar McGuire
Crew Skills: Trained
The USS Sealion and her crew had just completed a four-week refit and replenishment when they started their second war-time patrol. The boat had been handed over to the dock yard for ten days. During that time the crew rotated through short furloughs, to allow them to recoup from their long encapsulation in the Sealion. When not on furlough they were busied in classroom exercises as well as physical training. On the twelfth day of their first stay in Fremantle the crew began their re-personalization of the Sealion. The boat needed a thorough cleaning, as well as painting, and preparation for their next patrol in about two weeks’ time.
The crew of the Sealion, as it was when it landed in Fremantle on the last of January, had been together for at least seven months. In Fremantle they had their first crew change, since mid-1941. The Sealion had been unable to have her new SJ surface RADAR system installation completed, when at Cavite. That installation was now completed in Fremantle. Radarman 2nd Class Erick Wilson was assigned to the Sealion to man the RADAR as well as train other members of the crew in its use and maintenance. Those crewmembers assigned to learn the RADAR system would spend the rest of their non-free time learning just that.
1 MAR 1941 - Departed Fremantle
The Sealion’s route took them north up the west coast of Australia. When opposite Exmouth, Australia, the Sealion turned north easterly toward the Timor Sea. They would round the east coast of Timor, pass through the Banda Sea, then enter into the east end of the Java Sea. The patrol area was limited by the southeast end of Sumatra in the west, Timor in the east, Java in the south, and Borneo in the north. The Sealion’s orders were to search and destroy whatever Japanese shipping they could find.
This was an area familiar to the captain and crew of the Sealion. During the final months and days of peace, the Sealion had made several peace time patrols here, training with either British or Dutch submarines.
1 MAR through 22 MAR No Enemy Encountered
23 MAR 0905HRS Sighted a convoy coming down the Makassar Strait, heading for Java. Two small freighters, Song Giang Maru (1,100T), Plakuyo Maru (1,300T), and a troop ship, Nikki Maru (5,900T), were within range. Fired a full torpedo spread at the troop ship, only one torpedo struck the target. That torpedo detonated and sank the target. We avoided detection by the escort.
1120HRS Followed the convoy. Three freighters were within range, Taiun Maru #1 (2,200T), Shinpen Maru (900T), and Asuka Maru (7,500T). From medium range, submerged, fired a full four torpedo spread at the Shinpen. Two of the torpedoes struck the target, and both detonated, causing severe damage. We again evaded the enemy escort.
1420HRS When we returned to periscope depth, the wounded ship was limping along with an escort. Fired three more torpedoes to finish the job, all struck the target, only one detonated. That single torpedo was enough to finally sink the target. This time we did not escape the escort. The enemy’s attack, however, caused no damage. We slipped away after the enemy’s first attack.
24 MAR through 19 APR No Enemy Encountered With the numerous reports of enemy invasion forces in the area, it was frustrating to see empty seas for three weeks.
20 APR East of Surabaya, at the juncture of the Java Sea, the Flores Sea, and the Makassar Strait, in rough seas, a large wave swamped the boat. Chief Engineer Donaldson was injured when he slipped in the wash that came in through the hatch and fell against a bulkhead. Pharmacist’s Mate McGuire reported several cracked ribs. LT Donaldson has been confined to his bunk, despite his protestations.
21 APR through 29 APR No Enemy Encountered
30 APR - Arrived Fremantle
LT Donaldson is expected to return to full duty 1 AUG 42.
The injured LT Donaldson was replaced as Chief Engineering Officer by LT Morris “Deck” Decker. LT Decker had been assigned to the USS Sea Tiger, which had been damaged and scuttled at Cavite on Dec 8, 1941, then came to Fremantle as ballast on one of the other boats which had so quickly departed Manila in those early days.
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Post by silentwolf on Feb 20, 2024 4:54:02 GMT
USS Snapper Porpoise class 1 Battle Stars
LCDR Sam Anderson SCPI(1)
Patrol: #2/ Mar 1942 - Apr 1942 Patrol Assignment: China Sea Successful Patrol: Yes Number of Freighters Sunk: 1 / 2 Number of Tankers Sunk: 0 / 0 Number of Warships Sunk: 0 / 0 Number of Capital Ships Sunk: 0 / 0 Total Tonnage Destroyed: 6,900t / 7,800t
Refit Time: 2 months (Inoperable Diesel 2, Radio, Hydrophones, Fwd Torp Doors Odd, & SD Radar), Ready July 1942.
Award Requests: Battle Star (2) SCPI (2) Purple Heart for XO John Scott (LW) Purple Heart for crew member (KIA)
"The shallow waters of the china sea proved to be treacherous, indeed....
Our first night on station, we encountered a japanese convoy..
I made a surface attack, targeting two freighters... I sent eight fish their way, from both the forward and aft tubes...
Both targets were hit.... one went down... the other...somehow.... remained afloat....
Burning oil illuminated the night....
For us.... the next few hours would be pure hell....
The first round of depth charges jarred the boat, but we incurred no damage... My attempt of evasion was successful...
The second round of ash cans came in closer... The boat began to take on water... The flooding was quickly stopped...
The escort was all over us...I could not shake them...
Soon, another volley came, and knocked out Electric # 2 and the hydrophones...
There was more flooding, but again, it was stopped....
Evasive maneuvers where extremely ineffective with one motor down... Another round of depth charges made its way down and beat the hell out of us....
The SD radar was knocked out, Diesel # 2 was damaged...
Even worse, a crew member was KIA and XO John Scott was wounded during all of the chaos....
I was beginning to feel desperate...
From the aft torpedo doors, We jettisoned our fallen crew member along with some oil and various objects in an attempt to convince the hunting escort that we had been sunk.... This technique failed.....
We were pummeled with yet another round... This time we lost our radio and the ability to use the (odd) forward torpedo doors...
The situation was dire...
And then...some miracle....
Silence....
The escorts had left....
We later surfaced and made all possible repairs... With many systems offline, I chose to make turns for Australia...."
- LCDR Sam Anderson, USN
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