The Way it Was!

Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 15:27:26 EDT

This being the week when we are celebrating 100 years of the U.S. Navy Submarine Force, I thought it fitting to tell you a sea story. The following is taken from the 3rd war patrol of USS BANG (SS385), 27 August to 29 September 1944.

Six days out of Midway, enroute to our patrol area (NE of Formosa and southern part of Nansei Shoto) we passed through a large cyclonic disturbance while running on the surface. On Sept 4th, about 3:00 pm a large wave broke over the bridge. We shipped a great deal of salt water down the conning tower hatch and main induction, resulting in the following damage: flooded out: #2 air compressor motor; crankcases of both H.P. air compressors; main engine cooling motors in both engine rooms; No.1 &2 distiller motors and distiller feed pump; auxiliary generator, rudder angle indicator in conning tower, drain pump, and main power switch to surface search radar. There was more damage. The wave also flooded the officer of the deck (your present correspondent).

On September 9th we made our first contact. At 2:30 pm we commenced a submerged approach from about 10,000 yards. At 4:16 we commenced firing at a tanker and a cargo ship. 4 hits heard and seen by C.O.. I'll let the Captain tell you what happened next:

"After seeing the hit in the AO (tanker), I swung around and saw that the leading escort was heading toward me - order 400 feet. Received the first pattern of depth charges while passing 350 feet, all above. Running at 450 feet at 2/3 speed under a 17 degree negative gradient. Both escorts were on us, alternating runs. During the next hour and a half, they dropped about 70 depth charges, many of them very close. They were not pinging, but were listening and using hedge-hogs, sono-bombs, or something else between the depth charge runs. All kinds of minor explosions that sounded quite close were heard. These were predominated by salvos of 16 to 20 double sounds; as pop-pop, 2 second interval, pop-pop, etc. At times they seemed to completely surround us. After about an hour and a half of this, I thought we had lost them, as the only thing we could hear was slow light screws that sounded quite a distance astern. Twenty minutes of quiet and we were beginning to feel relieved, when JP (a sonar) reported light screws dead ahead and getting louder. I ordered right full rudder and we had swung through about 30 degrees, when we heard the escorts screws through the hull, passing right over us.

It was so long after he had passed that I thought we were safe - then, as the saying goes, All Hell Broke Loose! 16 depth charges about one second apart, above very slightly and to port very slightly. We were at 450 feet when they started, but the bow was knocked down and we were at 580 feet, making standard speed with a 10 degree up angle before we caught the boat. A large shower of water poured down from the conning tower lower hatch from the bilges, due to the down angle. I was trying to get up through it to see if the cause of the water leak could be repaired or whether the conning tower would have to be abandoned, when I heard a definite thump on the hull, followed by a tremendous explosion. I believe this was a depth charge that bounced off our side. Lights were knocked out, the starboard sound head and JP were knocked out, all sea valves had been (knocked) open, oxygen and acetylene flask valves opened. Fuel filling and transfer valves opened, causing some fuel oil to shift from all normal tanks to No. 4 fuel ballast tank.

This was a close one, but we were very thankful that it was evidently the last of their depth charges. There were no more attacks, although we were certainly more noisy than we had been, what with all kinds of superstructure noises, air noises and pumps running.

At 8:55 pm surfaced. All clear. We found that the glass in the bridge gyro repeater was shattered, the TBT (Target Bearing Transmitter) shattered, the forward end of the periscope shears dished in, gun sights and rudder angle indicator shattered, breech cover of the 4" gun split open, lookout platform stanchions broken loose, and all deck lockers loose. Repaired all major damage except SJ (radar) lobe switching which was out for the remainder of the patrol, the starboard sound head out of commission, and two air bottles that had to be bled down and secured."

A lot of us thought it was "quitting time" but not our Captain. On 12 September at 10:22 pm we finally arrived at our assigned patrol area. On 19 September at 6:15 am we made a radar contact at 30,000 yards. At 9:15 am we fired four bow tubes at a cargo ship and four stern tubes at another cargo ship. Captain saw 2 hits on each target. We heard one breaking up and the other moving very slowly. Again from the Captain:

"Very deliberate depth charging began 4 minutes after firing. Three escorts were detailed to the job. They boxed us in and let us have about 80 charges, in patterns of 3, 6 or 9, during the next 5 hours. We were running silent at 450 feet under a 24 degree negative gradient. It was disconcerting to find they could stay on us under those conditions. Two escorts would ping while the other made the run. Most of the charge sounded directly above us, but I doubt if they were set deeper than 300 feet.. We finally pulled out from between them ---.."

At 8:50 pm we surfaced, all clear. (Just another long day at the office!)

On 20 and 21 September we made another attack - this one at night on the surface. We fired 10 torpedoes and hit 3 targets. Sunk two and damaged a third. The escorts thought we were on other side of the convoy so we did not receive a counter attack. With no more torpedoes, we set course for home. For this short 33 day patrol we were given credit for 5 ships sunk and 2 ships damaged. The Captain received a Navy Cross.

So, Happy Birthday to the U.S. Navy's Submarine Force! With love and warm

wishes to all. Jim