To : CO SubRon 3A & ComSubPac
From : Rank & Name Cdr Harvey barker
CO USS Sand Lance (SS-381)
Subject : Patrol report cycle: 13
SubRon 3A
PZ: Southern Japan P.Sector: All
TDC: Automatic
Realism : Realism 100%
Crew experience: Elite
Number of Warships sunk: 0
Number of Merchants sunk: 11
Warships tonnage: 0
Merchant tonnage: 80670
Total tonnage: 80670
Total Janac tonnage: 56469
Date/Time Location Description Tonnage
Types of Warships sunk :
Types of Merchants sunk:
09 0852 DEC 1944 Pos:33-16N 135-57E Converted Factory Ship 4110
09 0854 DEC 1944 Pos:33-16N 135-57E Standard Merchant 14420
09 1750 DEC 1944 Pos:33-12N 135-9E Troop Transport 3130
10 0001 DEC 1944 Pos:33-8N 134-31E Oil Tanker 5910
10 1610 DEC 1944 Pos:32-3N 132-1E Supply Ship 3120
10 1610 DEC 1944 Pos:32-3N 132-1E Small Freighter 2040
10 2136 DEC 1944 Pos:32-11N 132-40E Oil Tanker 12570
10 2137 DEC 1944 Pos:32-11N 132-40E Troop Transport 9880
11 0641 DEC 1944 Pos:32-53N 134-18E Oil Tanker 8480
12 0055 DEC 1944 Pos:33-46N 137-6E Oil Tanker 6260
12 0205 DEC 1944 Pos:33-36N 137-7E Oil Tanker 10750
Patrol Narrative: We set off from our home port on the 4th December 1944, Bound for Southern Japan all sectors, which was our brief. After a shake down and the testing of our systems, we arrived in the Southern Japan home waters on the 8th December at 20:54hrs position 33-00N, 137-14E. We made for the East/West shipping routes off Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu Islands.
Our Fist radar contact was at 06:30hrs 9th December, off Honshu Island of a convoy on an easterly course and a visual at 07:53hrs, and at 08:09hrs, 6 Marus in 3 columns with 3 escorts. We Fired 2 torpedoes each, at a troop transport and a standard merchant which did not sink either. We sent one more each and sank the converted factory ship at 08:52hrs. We sent another torpedo into the standard merchant, which sank it at 08:54hrs. Both sank at position 33-16N, 135-57E. The 2 escorts pinged us noisily as we crash dived. Fortunately we hit a thermal layer at 150ft so we rounded out at 350 ft and raced away at flank speed. We finally lost the escorts at 10:11hrs later in the day.
We proceeded on our patrol until we had a radar contact at 14:51hrs later that day, south of Suido and visual at 17:35hrs of 2 marus in line with 4 escorts. We lined up and sank a troop transport with 2 torpedoes at 17:50hrs position 33-12N, 135-09E. The 4 escorts were upon us as we raced for the depths. After a number of evasive maneuvers we finally lost the 4 escorts at 20:05hrs.
Later at 22:42hrs we had a radar contact of a convoy heading for Suido Kii, and a sonar contact at 23:42hrsl. We had a visual at midnight of 8 marus in 3 columns with 3 escorts. We lined up for an attack on an oil tanker and sank her with 2 torpedoes at 00:01Hrs 10th December 1944 position 33-08N, 134-31E. We plummeted to 350ft, which was now below the now familiar thermal barrier, at flank speed, but the escorts were soon lost at 00:10hrs.
10th December we continued our patrol on the same routes. We had a radar contact at 15:10hrs while travelling south of Kyushu Island, and a surface contact at 15:15hrs of 2 marus inline with 2 escorts. We lined up for an attack on a supply ship and a small freighter. We sank both ships with 2 torpedoes each at 16:10hrs 10th December position 32-03N, 132-01E. We snuck under the thermal layer and hi tailed it out of there at 350ft. The escorts were soon baying at our heels. We finally lost them at 17:16hrs the same day.
At 19:57hrs that day we had a radar contact whilst travelling east below Shikoku Island and a visual of a large convoy of 8 marus in 4columns with 3 escorts at 21:35hrs. We singled out a tanker and a troop transport and sank them both with 2 torpedoes each at 21:36hrs and 21:37hrs respectively on 10th December position 32-11N, 132-40E. We hid under the thermal barrier as the 3 escorts tried estimate where we were. Later we lost the 3 escorts at 22:31hrs.
We now had 5 stern torpedoes left. We still hope to sink 3 more ships with them, so we set off for our next target. It was now the 11th December and we had a radar contact at 05:48hrs exiting from Kii Suido. We had sonar contact at 06:32hrs of 3 escorts. We went 100ft in silent running, as we had to do a stern attack. The number of escorts increased to 5, with the addition of a destroyer. This we believed was going to be difficult and we hoped the thermal layer would be there for us when we needed it. We came to periscope depth at 06:41hrs and had a visual of 3 marus in line with 5 escorts and a destroyer. We fired 2 of the torpedoes at an oil tanker and sank her at 06:41hrs 11 December position 32-53N, 134-18E. We headed for the depths in all haste, as we knew the escorts would soon be on to us. Thankfully the thermal layer was there and after a number of tense moments we finally lost the escorts at 08:20 hrs.
We surface and continued our patrol when we had a large radar contact at 23:44hrs at the eastern end of our patrolling shipping route. We had a sonar contact at 00:39hrs the next day. We submerge to 100 ft to carry out a stern attack if a suitable target was sighted. We came to periscope depth and had a visual of 6 marus in 2 columns at 00:56hrs. The column nearest had 2 Tankers so we fired 2 torpedoes at the first and the remaining one at the second. As we were on the blind side from the 2 escorts we were able to observe the hits. The first tanker sank at 00:55hrs 12th December position 33-46N, 137-06E. The second tanker was on fire as we crash- dived to 350ft. We thought we would follow the course of the stricken ship, which was making 4.5Knts. We still had the protection of the thermal layer.
We occasionally went to silent to keep tabs on the course the tanker was taking. After a while, the 2 escorts gave up, allowing us to surface and turn our attention to the burning ship. We finally caught up with her and sank her with the deck gun at 02:05hrs 12th December position 33-36N, 137-07E.
Having expended our torpedoes, we made for home, congratulating the men for their excellent teamwork in making this, a truly successful outcome to this patrol.
Rank & Name Cdr Harvey barker
CO USS Sand Lance
