American World War II Submarine Operations

Possible Controversy Over the Fate of USS Triton (SS 201)

Posted Thursday October 19th, 2006

Most published sources about the USS Triton (SS 201) World War 2 era American submarine indicate she was sunk by enemy destroyers on March 15, 1943. All 74 crew members were lost.

An Australian Web site suggests the Triton may have been sunk by accident by friendly fire while she was coming into New Wharf Farm. The Web site supports this theory with some interesting sources. What impact, if any, these sources will have on official reports about Triton's fate remains to be seen.

For now one thing is certain: Triton's 74 crew members are on Eternal Patrol.

The following commentary is from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, (1981) Vol. 7, pp.296-297.

On 16 February, TRITON began her sixth and final war patrol, hoping to destroy enemy shipping between the Shortland Basin and Rabaul. Ten days later, she reported that she had seen smoke on the 22d and that the Japanese had installed radar at Buka. On 6 March, the submarine attacked a convoy of five destroyer escorted ships, sinking the cargo ship KIRIHA MARU and damaging another freighter. One of her torpedoes made a circular run, and TRITON crash-dived to evade it. She attacked another convoy on the night of 8 March and claimed that five of the eight torpedoes she had fired scored hits. She could not observe the results or make a follow-up attack because gunfire from the escorts forced her down. On 11 March, TRITON reported that she was chasing two convoys, each made up of five or more ships. She was informed that submarine TRIGGER (SS-237) was operating in an adjoining area and ordered to stay south of the equator. On the 13th, TRITON was warned that three enemy destroyers in her area were either looking for a convoy or were hunting American submarines.

On 15 March, TRIGGER reported that she had attacked a convoy and had been depth charged. Even though attacks on her ceased, she could still hear distant depth charging for about an hour. No further messages from TRITON were ever received. Post-war examination of Japanese records revealed that on 15 March 1943, three Japanese destroyers attacked a submarine a little northwest of TRITON's assigned area and subsequently observed an oil slick, debris, and items with American markings. On 10 April 1943, TRITON was reported overdue from patrol and presumed lost.

Information available after the war shows that TRITON was, without a doubt, sunk by the enemy destroyers of which she was given information on 13 March. Enemy reports show that these ships made an attack on 15 March. Their position was slightly north and west of TRITON's area, but she undoubtedly left her area to attack the destroyers or the convoy they were escorting. The report of the attack by the destroyers leaves little doubt as to whether a kill was made, since they saw "a great quantity of oil, pieces of wood, corks and manufactured goods bearing the mark 'Made in U.S.A'." In addition, TRIGGER, in whose area this attack occurred, reported that on 15 March she made two attacks on a convoy of five freighters with two escorts. At this time she was depth charged, but not seriously, and she heard distant depth charging for an hour after the escorts had stopped attacking her. Since she was only about ten miles from the reported Japanese attack cited above, it is presumed that she heard the attack which sank TRITON. Apparently by this time the destroyers had joined their convoy.