American World War II Submarine Operations

USS Lagarto (SS-371) Web Site Honors Crew Members On Eternal Patrol

Posted Wednesday October 18th, 2006

The USS Largarto Web Site is a sublime memorial to her 86 crew members. Today we know they are together on Eternal Patrol.

The USS Lagarto (SS-371) sailed from Pearl Harbor on February 7 1945 for her first war patrol in the Nansei Shoto chain as part of an anti-picket-boat sweep made by submarines to aid Admiral Halsey's Task Force 38 in getting carrier planes to Japan undetected. In a joint attack on February 13, 1945 with American submarines USS Haddock (SS-231) and USS Sennet (SS-408), she engaged four heavily armed picket boats in a gun battle, sank two, and damaged the others. On February 24, 1945, Lagarto sank the small freighter Tatsumono Maru off Bungo Suido and not long afterward she torpedoed and sank IJN submarine I-371 in a day periscope attack. Lagarto shared credit for the results with the other American submarines. She arrived at Subic Bay, Philippine Islands, on March 20, 1945.

Lagarto departed Subic Bay on April 12, 1945, for her second patrol in the South China Sea and was later directed to the outer part of Siam Gulf, where the USS Baya (SS-318) joined her on May 2, 1945, and exchanged calls with her by SJ radar. Later that day Baya sent Lagarto a contact report on a convoy consisting of one tanker, one auxiliary and two destroyers. Lagarto later reported being in contact with the convoy, and began positioning for an attack with Baya. That night Baya attempted an attack, but was driven off by enemy escorts equipped with radar. Early on the morning of May 3, 1945, Lagarto and Baya met to discuss attack plans. Baya attempted a midnight attack, but was again driven off by the alert IJN escorts. On May 4, 1945, Baya tried to contact Lagarto but received no reply.

Japanese postwar records indicate that during the night of May 3-4, 1945, the mine layer Hatsutaka attacked a U.S. submarine in that location, and it was presumed that Lagarto perished in battle with all hands. In May of 2005, a British diving team found what they believed to be the Lagarto about 200 feet below the surface in the Gulf of Thailand. According to reports from the divers, a torpedo door was open and the torpedo was missing, an indication that USS Lagarto "went down fighting."

In May 2006, divers from the Navy's Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit One identified twin 5-inch gun mounts on the deck of the submarine - a feature thought to be unique to the Lagarto. They also found serial numbers and the word "Manitowoc" on the submarine's propeller. Divers said the ship sat upright on the ocean floor and that its hull seemed mostly intact, although damaged. One torpedo door remained open - an indication the ship had just fired. On their last dive, a plaque commemorating the lives and service of the Lagarto's 86 crew members was placed on the submarine by the Navy divers.

USS Largarto (SS-371) Web Site
Navy’s Dive on the Wreck