USS Lagarto (SS-371)

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USS Lagarto (SS-371)
USS Lagarto (SS-371)
Overview
Keel laying January 12, 1944
Launch May 28, 1944
1. Period of service flag
period of service

October 14, 1944–3. May 1945

Whereabouts sunk
Technical specifications
displacement

1526 ts surfaced
2424 ts surfaced
length

95.0 meters

width

8.3 meters

Draft

4.6 meters

Diving depth 120 meters
crew

6 officers, 60 NCOs and men

drive

4 × 1350 PS diesel engines
4 × electric motors
(total 2740 PS)

speed

Surfaced 20.25 knots surfaced
8.75 knots

Range

11,000  nautical miles at 10 knots

The USS Lagarto (SS-371) was a submarine of the Balao-class submarine of the United States Navy . It was used against Japan in the Pacific during World War II and was lost on May 3, 1945. The wreck was only discovered in 2005.

history

The diesel-electric powered submarine was laid down at the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company in early 1944 and launched after four and a half months. It was baptized by Emily Taft Douglas , an Illinois congressman . The boat was put into service on October 14, 1944.

After commissioning, the Lagarto drove to the Panama Canal and finally to Pearl Harbor on December 9 , where modifications to the weapons and the starboard propeller were made, which lasted until January 23, 1945. On January 24th, the boat finally left port with the USS Haddock (SS-231) . The two submarines reached Tanapag Harbor on Saipan on February 5 . On February 7, the two boats cast off with the USS Sennet (SS-408) and headed for the Ogasawara Islands , where Japanese watch boats were to be destroyed to enable an attack on the islands. The Lagarto was delayed en route and could not take part in the coordinated attack.

On February 13 at 6:20 a.m., the Lagarto opened fire on several Japanese boats with its guns. Within about 30 minutes, the three submarines sank the No.8 Kotoshiro Maru and the No.3 Showa Maru , two guard boats that were converted trawlers . In the evening the haddock discovered two more Japanese boats. The attack the next day failed due to running out of ammunition, only the No.3 Kanno Maru was damaged.

On February 24, the Lagarto discovered a submarine off Okino Shima that was believed to be a Ro-class unit and fired four torpedoes on the boat at 11:08 a.m. The sound of an explosion was intercepted and later a radio message from the target: attack in position 32-41 N., 132-36 E. Damage sustained ... A few minutes later a noise was recorded that sounded like a breaking hull. The submarine was later identified as I-371 . In the further course of the patrol, the Lagarto discovered and reported further watch boats. On March 7th, she changed territories with the haddock .

On March 13, the Lagarto left its patrol area to the Subic Bay naval base in the Philippines, where ammunition and torpedoes were to be reloaded. On the way, the Lagarto met the Haddock , where they discovered a Japanese submarine, which they escaped. The boat reached the base on March 20.

On April 12th, the boat left Subic Bay and went on patrol in the Gulf of Thailand . The escort submarine USS Baya (SS-318) discovered four contacts on May 2. The Lagarto had also caught the convoy. The Baya shot down four torpedoes, but the two submarines were driven away by strong gunfire from the Japanese. The next day the two commanders of the American submarines met. They wanted to attempt another attack on the convoy, this time submerged. At 3:00 p.m., the Baya sent the first contact report to the Lagarto . After no response had been received at 11:47 p.m., the Baya's commander decided to carry out the attack alone, again unsuccessfully. No more contact was received from the Lagarto .

The submarine was declared "overdue, presumably lost" on August 10 and was struck off the register on September 1, 1945. Investigations after the end of the war showed that the Lagarto was probably sunk by the miner Hatsutaka , who reported on May 3, at the position 7 ° 55 '  N , 102 ° 0'  E, Coordinates: 7 ° 55 '0 "  N , 102 ° 0 ′ 0 ″  O To have thrown depth charges at a submerged target at a depth of 30 fathoms (approx. 55 meters).

Discovery of the wreck

Plaque attached to the wreck

In May 2005, wreck divers from England discovered a wreck in the region in question in the Gulf of Thailand. The divers discovered a crack on the port bow of the well-preserved wreck, which indicates a depth charge. Likewise, the muzzle flap of a torpedo tube was open and the tube itself empty, which indicates that the Lagarto had shot a torpedo.

In June 2006, the US Navy sent the salvage ship USS Salvor to the site. Dives were conducted for six days that clearly showed that it was a Balao- class boat . The writing Manitowoc , the shipyard of Lagarto, was found on a propeller .

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