USS Wahoo (SS-238)

USS Wahoo (July 1943)
Overview
Keel laying	June 28, 1941
Launch	February 14, 1942
1. Period of service
Commissioning	May 15, 1942
Whereabouts	Sunk on October 11, 1943 in La-Pérouse-Strasse (80 dead)
Technical specifications
displacement	Surface: 1,525 ts. Submerged: 2,424 ts
length	95.33 m
width	8.30 m
Draft	4.65 m
Diving depth	90 m test depth 140 m maximum depth
crew	80 men (1943)
drive	4 × 990 kW Fairbanks Morse -9- cylinder - Diesel engine 4 × 500 kW GE -electric 2 waves
speed	Surface: 20.25 kn. Submerged: 8.75 kn
Range	11,000 nm at 10 kn 75 days patrol duration Maximum dive time: 48 hours (at 2 kn)
Armament	6 × 533 mm front torpedo tubes 4 × 533 mm rear torpedo tubes 24 torpedoes 1 × 102 mm deck gun (L / 50 Mark 9) 2 × 20 mm anti-aircraft guns 2 × 7.62 mm machine guns

The USS Wahoo (SS-238) was a submarine of the US Navy , which in World War II in the Pacific theater was was used and 1943 sunk. The submarine belonged to the Gato class and was named after the predatory fish Wahoo . The submarine was laid down on June 28, 1941 as the 27th boat of its class at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard ( Vallejo , California ) and was launched on February 14, 1942. The Wahoo finally entered service on May 15, 1942 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Marvin Grenville Kennedy. Under its second and last in command, Dudley Walker Morton, the Wahoo sank at least 19 Japanese ships and numerous lifeboats, killing several hundred people in total. When it was sunk by Japanese planes and anti-submarine ships on October 11, 1943 in La Pérouse Street , all of its 79 crew members, including the commanding officer, died.

First war missions

After the commissioning, the Wahoo first moved to San Francisco , where practice and training trips took place until the beginning of August 1942. Then the submarine ran out to Pearl Harbor , from where the Wahoo left on August 23, 1942 for its first patrol in the direction of the Caroline Islands . This first mission ended again in Pearl Harbor in mid-October. No sinking could be achieved here.

On November 8, 1942, the Wahoo ran out to a second patrol, which led the submarine into the sea area of ​​the Solomon Islands . Lieutenant Commander Kennedy achieved his first success on December 10, 1942 when he was able to torpedo and sink the Japanese coal transporter Kamoi Maru (5355 GRT) in a convoy south of Bougainville , near Buin . Afterwards, the submarine was pursued by a Japanese destroyer with depth charges for almost two hours, so that no further attack on the convoy was possible. The Wahoo suffered no damage and then drove towards the Indispensable Reefs .

During the night of December 14th, the large Japanese submarine I 15 was sighted in Indispensable Street , which was charging its batteries on the surface. Kennedy fired a torpedo at the enemy boat, which was hit and is said to have sunk. However, this sinking is not considered secured. According to Japanese information, I 15 was sunk in Indispensable Street on December 10 by the American minesweeper destroyer (DMS) Southard .

Then the Wahoo was ordered to Australia , where the submarine ended its second mission on December 26th in Brisbane . There, Lieutenant Commander Dudley Walker Morton took over command of the Wahoo on December 31, replacing Kennedy. The reason for the replacement may have been the few successes of Kennedy, who then switched to the surface forces. Morton, on the other hand, was considered aggressive and courageous.

Operations under the command of Dudley Walker Morton

Under Morton's command, the Wahoo ran from Brisbane on January 16, 1943 for her third war patrol. The submarine was primarily intended to scout the area around the Palau Islands. During the approach on January 24, Morton sighted the Japanese destroyer Harusame , which was on a supply trip for Japanese submarines , about eleven nautical miles west of Wewak ( Papua New Guinea ), near the island of Kairiru , and torpedoed it a bitter duel with his last bow torpedo. Previously, the Harusame had already been able to outmaneuver four torpedoes from Wahoo and had approached the submarine up to about 700 m. The destroyer was badly damaged and had to be aground on the coast of Papua New Guinea. However, the ship was recovered by the Japanese in February 1943, brought to Truk and repaired by November 1943.

The burning Japanese destroyer Harusame after being torpedoed

The Buyo Maru case

Only two days later, on January 26, 1943, the Wahoo sighted a small Japanese convoy of three ships about 90 nautical miles north of Wewak in the early midday hours. Morton managed to get the two vans Buyo Maru (5447 BRT) and Fukuei Maru No. 2 (1901 GRT) to be sunk by a total of six torpedo shots. After the sinking of both ships, Morton appeared around 1:15 p.m. and ordered that the 20 or so lifeboats that were at the place where the Buyo Maru sank also be sunk. For over an hour, the Wahoo drove around between the boats and fired at the castaways with the 102 mm deck gun and the 20 mm cannons. It is estimated that around 100 people were killed in this massacre. Of the 1,126 people on board the Buyo Maru , including Indian prisoners of war of the 16th  Punjab Regiment, who were captured by Japan in Singapore in February 1942 , around 850 were killed on the following day by the Japanese cargo ship Choko Maru No. 2 recorded.

As was later reconstructed, a total of 282 people (195 Indian prisoners of war and 87 Japanese) died when the Buyo Maru was sunk . Around 180 people had already been killed by the torpedo hits, but around 100 other castaways died from the fire from the Wahoo . The war crime of shooting at shipwrecked people and lifeboats was never punished. Morton made no secret of this act and dutifully noted his actions in the Wahoo's log book , which is why it can be assumed that higher authorities also learned about the incident and knew about it. However, Morton was never charged.

Later war missions

Since the Wahoo had fired almost all of the torpedoes, Morton returned to Pearl Harbor on February 7, 1943 , where a formal reception was given to him and the boat.

Fourth patrol

On February 23, the Wahoo left for her fourth patrol, which led the boat into the Yellow Sea . Morton was sunk again several times:

• March 19, 1943: Sinking of the Japanese freighter Zogen Maru (1428 GRT) east of Dairen .
• March 21, 1943: Sinking of the Japanese freighter Hozan Maru (2260 GRT) off the Korean coast.
• March 21, 1943: Sinking of the Japanese freighter Nittsu Maru (2183 GRT).
• March 23, 1943: Sinking of the Japanese freighter Katyosan Maru (2427 GRT).
• March 24, 1943: Sinking of the Japanese passenger cargo ship Teisho Maru (9849 GRT) and the freighter Takaosan Maru (2076 GRT) near Port Arthur .
• March 25, 1943: Sinking of the smaller Japanese coastal freighter Satsuki Maru (830 GRT) near Port Arthur.
• March 29, 1943: Sinking of the Japanese cable layer Yamabato Maru (2256 GRT) south of Kyūshū .

Then the Wahoo ran back to Midway , where the submarine arrived on April 6, 1943. In total, Morton was able to sink eight Japanese merchant ships with over 23,000 GRT on this fourth patrol.

Fifth patrol

After minor repairs and after ammunition and supplies had been replenished, the Midway Wahoo ran out on April 23, 1943 on her fifth patrol. The submarine was supposed to operate primarily in the sea area around the Kuril Islands . During this journey, Morton had four successes:

• May 4, 1943: The Japanese seaplane tender Kamikawa Maru (6863 ts) was torpedoed near Etorofu . The ship escaped damaged, but was finally sunk by the American submarine USS Scamp on May 29, 1943 .
• May 7, 1943: sinking of the Japanese passenger and cargo ship Tamon Maru No. 5 (5260 GRT) ahead of Benten Zaki ( Honshū ).
• May 9, 1943: Sinking of the Japanese freighters Takao Maru (3204 BRT) and Jimmu Maru (1912 BRT) off Kone Zaki (Honshū).

Submerged pennant on the Wahoo tower

Since no other worthwhile targets were found and because the Wahoo now needed an overhaul, Morton returned to Pearl Harbor on May 21, 1943 . There, the Commander in Chief of the US Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC), Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz , came on board and awarded Morton with the Navy Cross . The submarine then moved to California and underwent an extensive eight-week overhaul at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard . At the end of July 1943, the boat was operational again and moved back to Pearl Harbor.

Sixth patrol

The sixth patrol, which had planned operations by the Wahoo in the Sea of ​​Japan , had to be discontinued at the end of August without success, as numerous defects on the new magnetos of the torpedoes occurred on board the submarine . Ten torpedoes fired one after the other turned out to be duds , circular runners or deep runners. Nevertheless, Morton managed to damage four Japanese sampans by artillery fire and to capture a total of six Japanese fishermen whom he brought back from the patrol on board the Wahoo .

The submarine returned to Pearl Harbor and was re-equipped with torpedoes equipped with conventional percussion fuses. The operations were so frustrating for Morton that he angrily noted in the logbook: "! Damn the torpedoes" Compared to his superiors, including the commander of American submarine forces in the Pacific (COMSUBPAC), Rear Admiral Charles A. Lockwood , he brought also expresses this displeasure. The events surrounding the faulty torpedo detonators went down in the history of the American Navy as a so-called torpedo scandal .

Seventh patrol

On September 9, 1943, the Pearl Harbor Wahoo ran out on its seventh patrol. The company's destination was again the Sea of ​​Japan. When approaching, the submarine chose the route across the Kuriles and the Sea of ​​Okhotsk . Again, Morton was sunk several times:

• September 21, 1943: Sinking of the Japanese fishing ship Hokusei Maru (1394 GRT) west of the Kuril Islands.
• September 25, 1943: sinking of the Japanese auxiliary cannon boat Taiko Maru (2958 GRT) near Tsugaru Street .
• September 29, 1943: sinking of the Japanese freighter Masaki Maru No. 2 (1238 GRT) about 125 nautical miles east of Hŭngnam .
• October 5, 1943: sinking of the Japanese troop transport Konron Maru (7908 GRT) in Koreastrasse .
• October 6, 1943: sinking of the Japanese army transporter Kanko Maru (1283 GRT) northeast of Koreastrasse.
• October 9, 1943: Sinking of the Japanese army transporter Hankow Maru (2995 GRT) off the Oga Peninsula .

These were also the last successes of the Wahoo . A total of 20 Japanese merchant and auxiliary ships with over 60,000 GRT fell victim to the submarine during seven patrols.

Downfall of the Wahoo

While attempting to navigate the La Pérouse Strait in an easterly direction, the Wahoo was noticed by a Japanese artillery observer ashore on the morning of October 11, 1943, around 8:30 a.m., whereupon the commander of a nearby coastal battery called in Aichi-E13A -U fighter plane called up. Meanwhile, coastal guns had opened fire on the Wahoo . Because of the bombardment, the submarine finally had to submerge. The Japanese anti-submarine defenses in the street were on heightened alert as the American submarine Sawfish had run through the narrowness only two days earlier and alerted the search forces. The Sawfish had escaped, severely damaged.

In memory of those who fell aboard the Wahoo , US Navy officers present a wreath to the sea on La Pérouse Street (photo taken July 2007)

In the next few hours after the Wahoo descended , between about 9:20 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., the Japanese submarine hunters who had rushed up occupied Ch-15 and Ch-43 , the auxiliary minesweeper Wa-18 and three Aichi-E13A -Wasserflugzeuge the suspected position of the submarine with numerous depth charges . A floating oil film could be observed. It is now considered very likely that the Wahoo was sunk by these attacks. Morton and all 79 crew members went down with the submarine.

Whereabouts

After the submarine did not return from its mission, it was deleted from the naval register on December 6, 1943 and was considered missing. For over 60 years there has been no certainty about the fate of the Wahoo and their crew. It was only in July 2006 that a Russian diving team found the wreck of the submarine in La Pérouse Strait, near the position that the Japanese had given as the suspected sinking site. In October 2006, the United States Navy confirmed that it was the remains of the Wahoo . The submarine lies on a level keel in about 65 m water depth and is today declared a war grave .

Awards

For missions in World War II, the Wahoo was awarded six Battle Stars . In addition, the submarine was given a Presidential Unit Citation on the occasion of the third patrol.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Imperial Submarines. In: combinedfleet.com. Retrieved January 24, 2017 . 
2. ↑ Tony Bridgeland: Waves of hate. Naval atrocities of the Second World War. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis 2002, p. 115f.
3. ↑ Killing of castaways. In: wlb-stuttgart.de. www.wlb-stuttgart.de, accessed on January 24, 2017 . 
4. ↑ Joel I. Holwitt: Execute against Japan: The US decision to conduct unrestricted submarine warfare. Texas University Press, Austin 1999, p. 171.
5. ^ Theodore Roscoe, Richard G. Voge: United States submarine operations in World War II. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis 1950, p. 239.
6. ^ Submarine Photo Index. In: archive.org. October 10, 2008, archived from the original on October 10, 2008 ; accessed on January 24, 2017 . 
7. ↑ Japanese Subchasers. In: combinedfleet.com. Retrieved January 24, 2017 . 

literature

• Tony Bridgeland: Waves of hate. Naval atrocities of the Second World War. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis 2002.
• Joel I. Holwitt: Execute against Japan: The US decision to conduct unrestricted submarine warfare . Texas University Press, Austin 1999.
• Franz Kurowski: war under water. Dortmund-Oespel 1978, new edition 1999.
• Peter Padfield: The Submarine War 1939-1945. Original edition: War beneath the Sea , London 1995.
• Léonce Peillard : History of the Submarine War 1939–1945. Original edition: Histoire Generale de la Guerre Sousmarine 1939–1945. Paris 1970.
• Theodore Roscoe, Richard G. Voge: United States submarine operations in World War II. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis 1950.
• Forest J. Sterling: Wake of the Wahoo. The heroic story of America's most daring WWII submarine, USS Wahoo. RA Cline Publishing, Riverside 1999.

Web links

Commons : USS Wahoo (SS-238)  - Collection of images, videos, and audio files

• The USS Wahoo at uboat.net (English).
• USS Wahoo in the Submarine Photo Archive from NavSource Online .
• General information on the Gato class .
• USS Wahoo , website .
• Pictures of the wreck of the USS Wahoo .