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Post by crushedhat on Mar 31, 2024 17:44:54 GMT
Oct 1942
The Marines continue to slug it out on land, while the Navy fights several night engagements in the waters around Guadalcanal.
Patrol Assignments: Sardine (rodmod) China Sea – thru Oct 42 Sealion (ChefEd) Solomons – thru Oct 42
In Harbor (Freemantle, Australia): Snapper (silentwolf) Refit – thru Nov 42 Guardfish (arianus) Refit - thru Oct 42
Patrols ending in Oct 42 are due 6 Apr 2024, while those ending in Nov 42 are due 13 Apr 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 Mar 31, 2024 17:58:28 GMT
USS Sealion, SS-195 Salmon Class
September / October 1942 Patrol Station: Solomon Islands
Patrol # for this Commander: 4 Successful Patrol: No Number of Freighters sunk: 0 / 4 Number of Tankers sunk: 0 / 0 Number of Troop Ships Sunk: 0 / 1 Number of Warships Sunk: 0 / 0 Number of Capital Ships sunk: 0 / 0 Tonnage sunk: 0 / 24,100 Refit Time: One ( 1 ) month Award Requests: None
Commander, LCDR Herbert Crabtree Exec, LT Hadden Levay 3rd officer, LT (jg) Abdiel Shoemaker Chief Engineer, LT Morris Decker Pharmacist's Mate, PhM2c Lamar McGuire
Crew Skills: Trained
1 SEP 1942 - Departed Fremantle
1 SEP through 26 SEP No Enemy encountered
27 SEP The seas had been rough for a few days. Radar picked up several surface contacts. On the horizon appeared to be a large freighter with a smaller escort, likely a 3-GO ES escort. We submerged and plotted an intercept course. When in range, we went to periscope depth. The rough seas made it difficult to identify the exact ship, however it appeared to be over 5,000 tons. Three torpedoes were fired at the target. After the torpedoes were fired the periscope lifted above a trough. At that point the red cross of a hospital ship was seen. Too late. The target was hit and sunk. After leaving the vicinity, the attack was reported to Fremantle. We were immediately recalled to port.
28 SEP Through 10 OCT No Enemy Encountered
10 OCT - Arrived Fremantle LCDR Crabtree receives a Letter of Reprimand for sinking a hospital ship.
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rodmod
Submarine Commander
Posts: 33
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Post by rodmod on Mar 31, 2024 22:12:32 GMT
Submarine Name: USS Sardine Patrol: #4 / Sep - Oct 1942 Patrol Assignment: China Sea Successful Patrol: Yes Number of Freighters Sunk: 2 / 7 Number of Tankers Sunk: 0 / 0 Number of Warships Sunk: 0 / 0 Number of Capital Ships Sunk: 0 / 0 Total Tonnage Destroyed: 9,600t / 32,900t
Refit Time: 1 month, ready December 1942.
Award Requests: Battle Star (4), SCPI (4)
Patrol Narrative:
The Battle of Guadalcanal is raging, and while most of Freemantle’s submarines are being sent to support Allied efforts there, Sardine was ordered far afield to the China Sea—likely one of the first US boats to penetrate these waters.
The outbound transit was uneventful, and Sardine arrived at her station as scheduled. September was mostly quiet—IJN ASW activity in the area appeared minimal—but on the morning of 28 September 1942, Tourville came upon a lone freighter. She was soon dispatched by deck gun and three torpedoes.
The patrol continued into October, and on the morning of the 10th the boat encountered another lone, undefended freighter. Without further ado, the maru was sunk with the deck gun. The only other incident of note during the month was a crewman who came down with appendicitis. Luckily, PhM2c Maturin proved up to the task, and the surgery was completed successfully while the boat lay submerged on the bottom. The return transit to Freemantle went smoothly.
Sardine’s pathfinding patrol to the China Sea suggests that the area, though shallow, could be a prime hunting ground if enough boats (with working torpedoes) could be concentrated there. Effective Japanese convoying and ASW measures appear to be currently lacking.
(Freighter of 7,000t sunk by torpedoes and deck gun, freighter of 2,600t sunk by deck gun)
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