This presentation lists the special missions conducted by U. S. submarines in the Southwest Pacific Area during World War II. It is a work in progress because I have not completed listing most of the mine laying missions and some of the special missions conducted in southeast Asia and the Netherlands East Indies.
I used each submarine's patrol report to verify the patrol number, the captain's name and rank, the date, location, and details of each mission. As the war progressed, a separate and secret report would be submitted for a special mission, and finding these reports in the microfilms is hit and miss - sometimes they are there; more often they are not. However, most captains would indicate in their patrol report narrative that they were performing a special mission on a specific date. That information together with the daily position coordinates, landmark sightings, and comments in endorsement memoranda make it possible to verify a submarine's location for a special mission. When other sources were used I have disclosed them in footnotes.
I welcome your comments on and contributions to this list. You can contact me at .
Updated Tuesday, 08-May-2012 13:19:57 EDT
Special Missions Conducted in the Southwest Pacific Area During WWII
| Date | Boat / Captain / Patrol No. | Details |
| January 27-28, 1942 | USS Seawolf (SS-197) LCDR F. B. Warder War Patrol No. 3 |
Landed at Corregidor thirty-seven tons of .30-caliber ammunition. Embarked twenty-five Army-Navy pilots, submarine spare parts, and sixteen torpedoes. |
| February 3, 1942 | USS Trout (SS-202) LCDR F. W. Fenno, Jr. War Patrol No. 2 |
Delivered to Corregidor 3,500 rounds of three-inch AA ammunition. Embarked twenty tons of gold, silver, and securities belonging to the Philippine Commonwealth, and to banks, mines, and residents of the islands. This valuable cargo was taken to Pearl Harbor and thence shipped to Washington, D.C. for safekeeping. |
| February 4, 1942 | USS Seadragon (SS-194) LCDR W. D. Ferral War Patrol No. 1 |
Loaded two tons of submarine spare parts, twenty-three torpedoes, nineteen members of a naval radio intelligence unit, an Army major, and two naval officers. She transported her cargo and passengers to Surabaya then steamed south to Fremantle. |
| February 14, 1942 | USS Sargo (SS-188) LCDR T. D. Jacobs War Patrol No. 2 |
Delivered one million rounds (666 cases) of .30-caliber ammunition to Polloc Harbor on Mindanao Island. Embarked twenty-four Army enlisted personnel who were ground crew members of the 14th Bombardment Squadron, at Clark Field, on Luzon Island. She transported these personnel to Surabaya. |
| February 20-24, 1942 | USS Swordfish (SS-193) LCDR C. C. Smith War Patrol No. 2 |
After departing Surabaya on January 16, 1942 and patrolling in the Netherlands East Indies, the Celebes islands, and off Mindoro and Luzon islands, on February 20th Swordfish entered Mariveles Bay and refit with thirteen torpedoes and 44,900 gallons of diesel oil from a fuel barge. She then lay at the bottom until darkness when she surfaced to embark Philippine President Manual L. Quezon, his wife, two daughters, and son; Vice President Osmena; Chief Justice Santos; and Philippine Army officers General Valdes, Colonel Nieto, and chaplain Captain Ortiz. Swordfish then departed via a safety lane through the minefield in the harbor and headed for San Jose on Panay Island, where she arrived on February 22nd, and transferred President Quezon and his party to a motor tender. Swordfish returned to Manila Bay on the night of February 24th where she rendezvoused with a PT boat, steamed through the minefield, and laid to near the turning buoy where she embarked the American High Commissioner to the Philippines, Francis B. Sayre, his wife, and a party of nine people. She was under orders to transport these people to Surabaya, but en route orders were received to sail to Fremantle where she arrived on March 9, 1942. |
| March 15-16, 1942 | USS Permit (SS-178) LT W. G. Chapple War Patrol No. 4 |
On March 13, 1942, the Permit rendezvoused with the damaged motor torpedo boat PT-32 off Tagauayan Island in the Visayas, embarked the PT boat's crew of two officers and thirteen men, and sank the hulk of the PT boat with gunfire after stripping the boat of all useful material. She then kept a prearranged rendezvous with the U. S. Merchant Tanker Ranger off Corregidor on the night of March 15-16, 1942, where she received three torpedoes, eight officers, and thirty-two men. Eight of the crew from PT-32 joined the defenders of Corregidor and Permit gave them her ammunition allowance (several thousand rounds). On March 18, 1942, she sailed for her new base at Fremantle where she arrived on April 7, 1942. |
| April 1-10, 1942 | USS Swordfish (SS-193) LCDR C. C. Smith War Patrol No. 3 |
Swordfish left Fremantle on April 1, 1942, on her third war patrol. Her primary mission was to deliver forty tons of provisions to Corregidor, and to make one shuttle trip from Corregidor to Cebu Island and return to Corregidor with provisions obtained at Cebu. However, Corregidor fell before she could carry out her mission and on April 12th she was ordered to patrol in the vicinity of Ambon Island. |
| April 2, 1942 | USS Searaven (SS-196) LT H. Cassedy War Patrol No. 3 |
Searaven embarked 1,500 rounds of three-inch AA ammunition at Fremantle for delivery to besieged forces on Corregidor. However, while en route to the Philippines she was ordered to proceed instead to the vicinity of Timor Island in the Netherlands East Indies. On April 18, 1942, she rescued thirty-two Royal Australian Air Force men from enemy-held Timor, an act for which two of her officers were awarded the Navy Cross. |
| April 5, 1942 | USS Snapper (SS-185) LCDR H. L. Stone War Patrol No. 2 |
Snapper departed Fremantle on March 6, 1942. On March 31st she was ordered to proceed Mactan Island, which is just off Cebu Island. She arrived there on April 5th to unload ammunition and to embark forty tons of food for besieged forces on Corregidor Island. On April 9th she arrived off Corregidor and transferred the food cargo to the rescue vessel Pigeon. She also took aboard seven naval officers and twenty enlisted evacuees from Pigeon. She then skillfully evaded enemy destroyer patrols and made way for the Lombok Strait. On April 23rd she received word that the submarine Searaven was in trouble as a result of damage from a fire. Snapper reversed course in order to rendezvous with the damaged Searaven and take her in tow the next morning. During the day a Navy patrol plane stood watch and circled above the submarines. When the water-soaked manila tow lines parted, Snapper improvised a tow line by use of Searaven's anchor chains. An Australian sloop and two destroyers joined Snapper as escorts that night and when the pelican hooks were carried away, Snapper was relieved of tow duty by the sloop. Snapper arrived at Fremantle on April 25, 1942. |
| April 6, 1942 | USS Seadragon (SS-194) LCDR W. D. Ferral War Patrol No. 2 |
While en route to patrol in the South China Sea Seadragon was ordered to proceed to Cebu Island to load rations for delivery to the starving defenders of Bataan. She reached Cebu on April 3rd and unloaded twelve torpedoes and 250 rounds of three-inch ammunition to make room for thirty-four tons of food. She then steamed for Corregidor, arriving there on April 6th. Her men worked tirelessly, but could only unload seven tons of cargo before the Commandant Sixteenth Naval District ordered her away from the dock. She stood off Corregidor for forty-eight hours, after which time LCDR Ferral was informed that further unloading was not feasible. She took aboard evacuees which included communications officers, eighteen enlisted men, and an Army colonel, then headed south for Fremantle where she arrived on April 26, 1942. |
| April 22, 1942 | USS Sailfish (SS-192) LCDR R. G. Voge War Patrol No. 4 |
Sailfish left Fremantle on April 22, 1942 on her fourth war patrol with orders to attempt delivery of 1,856 rounds of three-inch AA ammunition to Corregidor. On May 6, 1942, the Commander Submarines Asiatic Fleet cancelled the orders because Corregidor had fallen to the Japanese. Sailfish was ordered to patrol off Tarakan Island instead. |
| May 3, 1942 | USS Spearfish (SS-190) LT J. C. Dempsey War Patrol No. 3 |
On May 3, 1942, during her third war patrol (March 27 to May 20, 1942), Spearfish embarked at Corregidor six Army officers, six Navy officers, eleven Army nurses, one Navy nurse, one civilian woman, and two unauthorized stowaways. |
| January 14, 1943 | USS Gudgeon (SS-211) LCDR W. Stovall War Patrol No. 6 |
Gudgeon sailed from Brisbane on December 27, 1942, marking the first official Spyron mission to the Philippines. On board were Major Jesus Villamor, six other Filipinos, and a ton of supplies including weapons, a radio, money, medicines, candy, and cigarettes. Villamor was a distinguished fighter and leader. He had eagerly accepted General MacArthur's offer to lead Operation Planet - the establishment of a Philippines-wide radio, spy, and guerrilla fighter network. Soon numerous other submarines would be available to deliver vitally needed supplies in ever increasing quantities to locations throughout the Philippines and Sulu Archipelago. On the night of January 14, 1943, Gudgeon inserted Villamor and his men and supplies safely and secretly on Negros Island near Cansilan Point. During her return trip to Fremantle, on February 9, 1943, Gudgeon rescued twenty-one Australians, one Englishman, one Portugese, and five Timorese from enemy-occupied Timor. 1 |
| March 5, 1943 | USS Tambor (SS-198) LCDR S. H. Armbruster War Patrol No. 6 |
On February 8, 1943, Tambor departed Fremantle with Spyron operative LCDR Charles "Chick" Parsons and his party, 50,000 rounds of .30-Caliber ammunition, 20,000 rounds of .45-caliber ammunition, and $10,000 in currency on board. On March 5, 1943, Parsons and his party and their cargo were inserted on the south coast of Mindanao Island near Pagadian Bay. |
| April 30, 1943 | USS Gudgeon (SS-211) LCDR W. S. Post, Jr. War Patrol No. 8 |
Gudgeon had on board four U. S. Army commandos who had been chosen to carry out a special mission. They were LT Torribo Crespo, SGT Orlando Alfabeto, PVT Ali Lajahasan, and PVT Mangona Lajahasan. Also on board was 6,000 pounds equipment for the commandos. On the night of April 30, 1943, the Gudgeon inserted the four commandos and their supplies safely and secretly ashore near Pucio Point on Panay Island. This was the first delivery of supplies that the resistance movement on Panay, known as the Sixth Military District, would receive from American submarines during the war. Later in this patrol the Gudgeon sank the Japanese trawler Naku Maru in a surface gun action. She picked out of the water three Filipinos who claimed they had been forced on board the ship to work for the sixteen Japanese masters. The Filipinos provided valuable intelligence about the Japanese rule in Manila. 2 |
| May 25, 1943 | USS Tautog (SS-199) LCDR W. B. Sieglaff War Patrol No. 7 |
At Fremantle, Tautog embarked two Muslim hadjis and was directed to land them at Buton Island, in the Java Sea, on the way to her operational area. The two Muslims were working as informants for the Allied Intelligence Bureau's Secret Intelligence Australia (SIA) section. The SIA handlers believed that the respect shown by a Muslim population towards those who had made the pilgrimage to Mecca would give the hadjis greater protection from betrayal. They also felt the hadjis could be a deciding factor in swinging Muslim opinion behind the Allies in Indonesia. The landing was made on May 25, 1943, at 2345 hours. The pair soon vanished and nothing more was ever heard from them. 16 |
| June 12, 1943 | USS Trout (SS-202) LCDR A. H. Clark War Patrol No. 9 |
Landed five men, under the command of Captain John A. Hamner, miscellaneous supplies, 6,000 rounds of .30-caliber ammunition, and 2,000 rounds of .45-caliber ammunition at Pagadian Bay on Mindanao Island. |
| July 1-2, 1943 | USS Gar (SS-206) LCDR P. D. Quirk War Patrol No. 8 |
Landed two Lagarto party Australian commandos on the south coast of Timor Island. The operation had been poorly organized on the Allied Intelligence Bureau end. Gar had to provide the party with medical stores and food from Gar's own supply. The commandos lost three radios in the surf during the landing. The commandos were argumentative and loathe to go ashore. 17 |
| July 9, 1943 | USS Trout (SS-202) LCDR A. H. Clark War Patrol No. 9 |
Evacuated LCDR Chick Parsons and four officers from southern Mindanao Island. During her ninth war patrol, the Trout also made photographic reconnaissance of locations in the Philippines. |
| July 9, 1943 | USS Thresher (SS-200) LCDR H. Hull War Patrol No. 9 |
Landed a four-man commando party, 5,000 pounds of supplies, 20,000 rounds of .30-caliber ammunition, and 20,000 rounds of .45-caliber ammunition at Cansilan Point on Negros Island. Received a suitcase full of intelligence documents from the guerrilla unit on Negros Island. |
| August 23, 1943 | USS Grayling (SS-209) LCDR R. M. Brinker War Patrol No. 8 |
On August 23, 1943, the Grayling delivered supplies and equipment to Filipino guerrilla fighters at Pandan Bay near Pucio Point on Panay Island. Grayling was not heard from after August 19, 1943. Her last confirmed contact was with the guerrilla fighters at Pandan Bay on Panay Island. On September 12, 1943, Commander Task Force 71 requested a radio transmission from Grayling. A response was never received. On September 30, 1943, Grayling was listed as lost in action with all hands due to unknown causes. 3 |
| September 3 & 29, 1943 | USS Bowfin (SS-287) CDR F. C. Lucas, Jr. War Patrol No. 1 |
The Bowfin conducted two special missions during her first war patrol. On September 3, 1943, she delivered supplies and embarked nine persons near Binuni Point on Mindanao Island. The second special mission was conducted on September 29, 1943 when at the same location she "...took aboard nine guerrillas, selected by their superior officers, to be transported to Australia. One of the guerrillas was Edward M. Kuder, a well-known superintendent of schools on Mindanao. Another was Samuel C. Grashio, a U.S. Army Air Corps fighter pilot prior to his capture on Bataan. Grashio had survived the infamous 'Death March' to be confined in three different Japanese prison camps before finally escaping from the Davao Penal Colony with a group of 10 POWs and two Philippine convicts and then joining the guerrillas." 4 |
| October 6, 1943 | USS Kingfish (SS-234) CDR V. L. Lowrance War Patrol No. 5 |
The Kingfish performed two special missions during her fifth war patrol. On the night of October 6, 1943, on the east coast of British North Borneo, near Labian Point. The Kingfish's captain chose an area near the Tinagin Besar River in the Lahad Datu area south of Sandakan as the drop-off and landing point for the six Australian Imperial Force Z Special Unit commandos and 3,000 pounds of supplies embarked at Fremantle. The six commandos made it ashore in two canoes with a larger boat to carry their supplies. They would eventually establish observation posts they used to monitor enemy shipping in the vital Sibutu Channel. They would also use their radio to transmit daily intelligence reports to Darwin and organize an intelligence network along Borneo's east coast, from Tarakan to Sandakan. The second special mission involved laying mines in enemy shipping lanes near Cape Pepe, in the Makassar Strait. On October 10, 1943, Kingfish planted eleven Mark 12 mines at 05°-10'S, 119°-20'E. 5 |
| October 20, 1943 | USS Cabrilla (SS-288) CDR D. T. Hammond War Patrol No. 1 |
Picked up four men including Major Jesus Villamor at Dago Point on Negros Island. |
| November 13, 1943 | USS Narwhal (SS-167) LCDR F. D. Latta War Patrol No. 7 |
Delivered forty-six tons of stores and landed two parties, LCDR Chick Parsons in command, at Paluan Bay on Mindanao Island. |
| November 14, 1943 | USS Tuna (SS-203) LCDR A. H. Holtz War Patrol No. 9 |
The Tuna's special mission was twofold. First, she was to transport an AIB intelligence agent to Laut Island off southeastern Borneo and land him near there. Second, she was to reconnoiter the area near Sanbergelap Island to determine if it would be productive for laying a minefield. On the night of November 14, 1943, the AIB agent, Bill Reynolds, chose a location to disembark. That night Tuna flooded down and placed his boat with supplies and him in the water. Tuna then cleared the area. Reynold's mission was to contact Chinese agents operating on Laut Island. In Holtz's report of the operation he said "Mine plants in the passage between Sebuku Island and Sanbergelap Island would seem to offer promise of good results. It is believed that much traffic from the south uses this route to Balikpapan." 15 |
| November 15, 1943 | USS Narwhal (SS-167) LCDR F. D. Latta War Patrol No. 7 |
Delivered forty-six tons of supplies and evacuated thirty-two people including eight women and two children at Nasipit on Mindanao Island. Remarks in Narwhal's patrol report: "The very real need for any kind of stores in guerrilla occupied areas led us to transfer considerably more stores than were actually consigned as cargo. Additional arms and ammunition as well as foodstuffs were transferred to Col. [Wendell] Fertig. On 13 November, Lieut-Comdr. [Charles] Parsons brought aboard copies of the Manila Tribune, just 3 days old. From information received ashore, apparently reliable, the submarine force will be interested to know that the old Sealion is in Dewey Drydock. Her stern is blown off and the interior is being dismantled, apparently for study. Remarks in Narwhal's patrol report regarding the November 15th supply drop: "1746 H - To the tune of 'Anchors Away' played by a uniformed Filipino band, moored starboard side to dock at Nasipit, Mindanao. Began unloading cargo." |
| December 2, 1943 | USS Narwhal (SS-167) LCDR F. D. Latta War Patrol No. 8 |
Delivered ninety tons of ammunition and stores to, and evacuated eight people including LCDR Chick Parsons from, Cabadaran on Mindanao Island. |
| December 5, 1943 | USS Narwhal (SS-167) LCDR F. D. Latta War Patrol No. 8 |
Evacuated three women, four children, and two men from Majacalar Bay on Mindanao Island. |
| January 20, 1944 | USS Tinosa (SS-283) CDR D. F. Weiss War Patrol No. 5 |
Landed six "Operation Python II" commandos and 5,000 pounds of supplies off Turtle Beach near Labian Point at British North Borneo. The six Australian Imperial Force Z Special Unit commandos would reinforce the team landed by the USS Kingfish on October 6, 1943. 6 |
| February 5, 1944 | USS Narwhal (SS-167) LCDR F. D. Latta War Patrol No. 9 |
Delivered forty-five tons of ammunition and stores and evacuated five servicemen and one British subject near Libertad on Panay Island. |
| February 7, 1944 | USS Narwhal (SS-167) LCDR F. D. Latta War Patrol No. 9 |
Delivered forty-five tons of cargo and evacuated twenty-eight men, women, and children near Balatong Point on Negros Island. |
| March 2-3, 1944 | USS Narwhal (SS-167) LCDR F. D. Latta War Patrol No. 10 |
Delivered seventy tons of ammunition and stores to, and took on twenty-eight evacuees from, Agusan River mouth on Mindanao Island. |
| March 5, 1944 | USS Narwhal (SS-167) LCDR F. D. Latta War Patrol No. 10 |
At Tawi-Tawi Island, landed some cargo and embarked eight evacuees, including three "Python" commandos, plus two people who were trapped on the boat when the unloading process was interrupted by Japanese patrol boats. Some badly needed supplies for the Python team and another commando team know as "Suarez" were left strewn in the water. See: http://tiny.cc/qyed3 |
| March 20, 1944 | USS Angler (SS-240) LCDR R. I. Olsen War Patrol No. 2 |
Evacuated fifty-eight persons including women and children from the west coast of Panay Island. |
| March 30, 1944 | USS Bluefish (SS-222) LCDR C. M. Henderson War Patrol No. 4 |
On March 30, 1944, the Bluefish surveyed the coast of British North Borneo off Labian Pont via periscope, searching for a signal from Australian Imperial Force Z Special Unit Python commandos so they could be evacuated. "They saw no one, and no one responded to their signal. Only later did they discover that they were given the wrong contact time. In a costly error, headquarters had miscalculated the conversion to local times." A second extraction attempt woud be attempted by CDR C. W. Nimitz, Jr. in USS Haddo on April 10, 1944 (see next entry below). 7 |
| April 10, 1944 | USS Haddo (SS-255) CDR C. W. Nimitz, Jr. War Patrol No. 5 |
"When the Python party arrived at the designated rendezvous on the morning of 10 April, they fell into a Japanese ambush. They managed to escape but were unable to display the signals for the submarine rendezvous. Seeing flashing lights, apparently a normal practice by Japanese in rear areas, the submarine suspected a trap. Six days later the Haddo did exchange signals with shore. When none of the Python men paddled out to the submarine, however, Nimitz again suspected a Japanese trap. What he didn't know was that the Python men had no boats. The fabric of their canoes had literally rotted, and the men were not about to swim through the crocodile and shark infested waters to the submarine. Even with a boat, a crocodile had attacked at least one Z unit team when it attempted to land in Borneo, and two other commandos were suspected of being taken by crocodiles. The night of the rendezvous several twenty-foot sharks were spotted off shore." 8 |
| April 22-23, 1944 | USS Redfin (SS-272) LCDR R. D. King War Patrol No. 2 |
On the night of April 22-23, 1944, Redfin landed four of her crew near Dent Haven, at British North Borneo, in an attempt to evacuate Australian Imperial Force Z Special Unit Python operatives. The crew came under attack by a Japanese patrol and had to withdraw back to the Redfin. The evacuation of the special operatives was accomplished by the USS Harder on June 8, 1944. 9 |
| May 9-11, 1944 | USS Crevalle (SS-291) LCDR F. D. Walker, Jr. War Patrol No. 3 |
Evacuated forty-eight persons including twenty-eight women and children and received intelligence information from Negros Island. |
| May 17-19, 1944 | USS Bonefish (SS-223) LCDR T. W. Hogan War Patrol No. 4 |
Reconnoitered Tawi-Tawi Bay at Tawi-Tawi Island. |
| May 24, 1944 | USS Narwhal (SS-167) LCDR J. C. Titus War Patrol No. 11 |
Landed twenty-two men and twenty-three tons of supplies near Alusan Bay on Samar Island. |
| May 28-29, 1944 | USS Narwhal (SS-167) LCDR J. C. Titus War Patrol No. 11 |
Unsuccessful attempt to make contact with and evacuate personnel at an undisclosed location in the Philippines. |
| June 1, 1944 | USS Narwhal (SS-167) LCDR J. C. Titus War Patrol No. 11 |
Landed sixteen men and twenty-five tons of supplies and evacuated two men near Pagadian Bay on the southwest coast of Mindanao Island. |
| June 5-6, 1944 | USS Nautilus (SS-168) CDR G. A. Sharp War Patrol No. 9 |
Landed one man and ninety-eight tons of cargo at Tucuran on Mindanao Island. |
| June 8, 1944 | USS Redfin (SS-272) LCDR M. H. Austin War Patrol No. 3 |
Landed six Filipinos on Ramos Island. |
| June 8, 1944 | USS Harder (SS-257) CDR S. D. Dealey War Patrol No. 5A |
Evacuated six coast watchers from the northeast coast of British North Borneo, in a joint operation with Australian Imperial Force Z Special Unit operatives. During this patrol the Harder also reconnoitered the Japanese fleet anchorage at Tawi-Tawi Island. Her captain, Sam Dealey, reported sinking four enemy destroyers and damaging or destroying another one. The JANAC and the Alden-McDonald postwar assessments credit the Harder with sinking only three destroyers during her fifth patrol. 10 |
| June 20-21, 1944 | USS Nautilus (SS-168) CDR G. A. Sharp War Patrol No. 10 |
Landed supplies and evacuated personnel in the vicinity of Lipata Point on Panay Island. |
| June 20-21, 1944 | USS Narwhal (SS-167) CDR F. D. Latta War Patrol No. 12 |
Landed four men and supplies and evacuated seventeen people including five women and one German prisoner from Balatong point on Negros Island. |
| July 14, 1944 | USS Nautilus (SS-168) CDR G. A. Sharp War Patrol No. 11 |
Landed four men and cargo near San Roque on Leyte Island for Colonel Ruperto K. Kangleon's guerrilla unit. |
| July 16, 1944 | USS Nautilus (SS-168) CDR G. A. Sharp War Patrol No. 11 |
At Balatong Point on Negros island, received from the local Filippino guerrilla leader one box and two packages of intelligence materials. Landed food, ammunition, and clerical supplies. |
| August 7, 1944 | USS Seawolf (SS-197) LCDR A. M. Bontier War Patrol No. 14 |
Landed six men and ten tons of supplies at Tongehatan Point on Tawi-Tawi Island. |
| August 9, 1944 | USS Seawolf (SS-197) LCDR A. M. Bontier War Patrol No. 14 |
Landed six men and ten tons of supplies at Pirata Head on Palawan Island. |
| August 27, 1944 | USS Stingray (SS-186) CDR O. J. Earle War Patrol No. 12 |
Landed fifteen people and six tons of supplies on the northwest coast of Luzon Island. |
| August 30, 1944 | USS Narwhal (SS-167) CDR J. C. Titus War Patrol No. 13 |
Landed twenty men and ten tons of supplies on the east coast of Luzon Island. |
| August 31, 1944 | USS Redfin (SS-272) CDR M. H. Austin War Patrol No. 4 |
On August 19, 1944, the Redfin planted mines off Datu Point in western Borneo. On August 23, 1944, she was instructed to proceed to a point in the Sulu Sea to await further orders. After her arrival there, she was ordered to make contact with coast watchers on Palawan Island in order to coordinate the rescue of stranded American personnel. On August 31, 1944, at Ipolote Bay, near Brooke's Point, on the eastern coast of Palawan Island, the Redfin supplied guerrilla fighters with the ship's small arms ammunition and other supplies, and evacuated seventeen people including eight survivors of the USS Flier (SS-250). She transported the evacuees to Darwin, where she reloaded and refit, and continued her fourth patrol by performing lifeguard duty off Balikpapan on the eastern coast of Borneo and searching for enemy shipping in the Flores Sea. 11 Also see: http://tiny.cc/m4ipa |
| September 1, 1944 | USS Narwhal (SS-167) CDR J. C. Titus War Patrol No. 13 |
Landed twenty men and ten tons of supplies on the east coast of Luzon Island. |
| September 22, 1944 | USS Narwhal (SS-167) CDR J. C. Titus War Patrol No. 14 |
Landed forty-five men and thirty-five tons of cargo on the southwest coast of Mindanao Island. |
| September 25, 1944 | USS Nautilus (SS-168) CDR G.A. Sharp War Patrol No. 12 |
Landed sixty-five tons of cargo, twenty drums of gasoline, and two drums of oil on the southeast coast of Cebu Island. The Nautilus grounded and had to jettison much fuel and ammunition in order to get underway. |
| September 27, 1944 | USS Narwhal (SS-167) CDR J. C. Titus War Patrol No. 14 |
Landed three men and twenty tons of cargo on the north coast of Mindanao Island. |
| September 27, 1944 | USS Stingray (SS-186) CDR S. C. Loomis War Patrol No. 14 |
Landed thirty-five tons of cargo on the east coast of Luzon Island. |
| September 29, 1944 | USS Narwhal (SS-167) CDR J. C. Titus War Patrol No. 14 |
Evacuated eighty-one POW survivors and one medical doctor from Mindanao Island. The POWs were survivors of the Japanese ship Shinyo Maru which was torpedoed by the USS Paddle (SS-263) on September 7, 1944. |
| September 30, 1944 | USS Nautilus (SS-168) CDR G. A. Sharp War Patrol No. 12 |
Landed forty tons of cargo and evacuated forty-seven men, women, and children near Libertad on Panay Island. Diving time took seven minutes, thirty seconds. |
| September 30, 1944 | USS Stingray (SS-186) CDR S. C. Loomis War Patrol No. 14 |
Landed three Army officers and their suplies on the east coast of Samar Island. |
| October 3, 1944 | USS Seawolf (SS-197) CDR A. M. Bontier War Patrol No. 15 |
On September 21, 1944, Seawolf left Brisbane on her second Spyron mission. She arrived at the Manus Island submarine base on September 29, 1944, where she embarked a seventeen-man Army reconnaissance party and ten tons of supplies. After topping off her fuel, she sailed the same day to land them on Samar Island in the Philippines. On October 3, 1944, she was sunk by destroyer escort USS Rowell (DE-403) while she was running submerged in a safety lane in which U. S. surface forces were prohibted from attacking any submarine unless it was positively identified as an enemy. She was lost with all hands, including the Army reconnaissance party. See: http://tiny.cc/byfka |
| October 17, 1944 | USS Narwhal (SS-167) CDR W. G. Holman War Patrol No. 15 |
Landed eleven tons of cargo on the northwest coast of Tawi-Tawi Island. |
| October 19, 1944 | USS Narwhal (SS-167) CDR W. G. Holman War Patrol No. 15 |
Landed thirty-seven men and sixty tons of cargo on, and evacuated twenty women and children, six prospective mess boys, and one steward's mate from, the northwest coast of Negros Island. |
| October 23-24, 1944 | USS Nautilus (SS-168) CDR G. A. Sharp War Patrol No. 13 |
Landed twelve men and twenty tons of cargo on the east coast of Luzon Island. |
| October 25, 1944 | USS Nautilus (SS-168) CDR G. A. Sharp War Patrol No. 13 |
Discharged cargo in Dibut Bay on the east coast of Luzon Island. |
| October 31, 1944 | USS Nautilus (SS-168) CDR G. A. Sharp War Patrol No. 13 |
Conducted demolition mission on the USS Darter. Just after midnight on the night of October 24–25, 1944, the Darter had grounded on Bombay Shoal, west of Palawan Island. She was scuttled and her crew safely evacuated by the USS Dace (SS-247). Nautilus fired eighty-eight rounds and scored fifty-five hits on Darter with her six-inch (150 mm) guns. Nautilus's report states, "It is doubtful that any equipment in DARTER at 1130 this date would be of any value to Japan - except as scrap. Estimated draft of DARTER - 4 feet." See: http://tiny.cc/hh73d |
| November 2, 1944 | USS Ray (SS-271) CDR W. T. Kinsella War Patrol No. 6 |
Landed three men and two tons of cargo on, and evacuated two aviators and three escaped POWs from, the west coast of Mindanao Island. |
| November 3, 1944 | USS Cero (SS-225) CDR E. F. Dissette War Patrol No. 6 |
Landed sixteen men and seventeen tons of cargo at, and evacuated two Navy officers, one Army Private, and one twelve-year-old boy from, the Massanga River on the east coast of Luzon Island. |
| November 18, 1944 | USS Blackfin (SS-322) CDR G. H. Laird, Jr. War Patrol No. 1 |
Picked up intelligence documents from the northern coast of Mindoro Island. |
| November 20, 1944 | USS Gar (SS-206) LCDR M. Ferrara War Patrol No. 14 |
Landed five tons of supplies on the north coast of Mindoro Island. |
| November 23, 1944 | USS Gar (SS-206) LCDR M. Ferrara War Patrol No. 14 |
Landed sixteen men and twenty-five tons of supplies at Santiago Cove on the west coast of Luzon Island. Also picked up documents. |
| December 2, 1944 | USS Gunnel (SS-253) CDR G. E. O'Neill, Jr. War Patrol No. 7 |
Evacuated eleven friendly aviators from Palawan Island. Also supplied guerrilla fighters with arms, ammunition, food, and medical supplies. |
| December 3-30, 1944 | USS Baya (SS-318) CDR A. H. Holtz War Patrol No. 2 |
Reconnoitered for the enemy fleet during the occupation of Mindoro Island by American forces from December 14-25, 1944. |
| December 5, 1944 | USS Hake (SS-256) LCDR F. E. Hayler War Patrol No. 7 |
Landed supplies, arms, and ammunition at, and evacuated nineteen persons including aviators from, Libertad on Panay Island. |
| December 11, 1944 | USS Gar (SS-206) LCDR M. Ferrara War Patrol No. 15 |
Landed thirty-five tons of supplies on the west coast of Luzon Island near Durigaos Inlet. Picked up one Navy officer and documents. |
| December 12, 1944 to January 8, 1945 |
USS Cobia (SS-245) CDR A. L. Becker War Patrol No. 3 |
Performed reconnaissance duty off Balabac Strait and in the area south of "Dangerous Ground." The area known as "Dangerous Ground" is so-called because "...hundreds of rocks and shoals are scattered about in that portion of the South China Sea, many named for ships that left their bones on them." 12 It is where the USS Darter ran aground on Bombay Shoal. |
| January 1, 1945 | USS Stingray (SS-186) CDR H. F. Stoner War Patrol No. 15 |
Landed twenty-seven tons of cargo at Tongehatan Point on Tawi-Tawi Island. |
| January 20, 1945 | USS Nautilus (SS-168) LCDR W. Michael War Patrol No. 14 |
Delivered forty-five tons of supplies to the east coast of Mindanao Island. |
| January 28, 1945 | USS Tuna (SS-203) LCDR E. F. Steffanides, Jr. War Patrol No. 13 |
In coordination with the Allied Intelligence Bureau (AIB), Tuna embarked a party of seven Australian commandos (three officers and four enlisted men), under the command of Major F. G. L. Chester, and about 4,000 pounds of stores and equipment. They were to be landed on the northwest coast of Borneo at Bisa Island or at Agal Bay if an alternative site was needed. Their objectives were to establish a base on the east coast of British North Borneo; to develop an intelligence network comprised of native human assets; to obtain information on the enemy POW camp at Sandakan and on a high priority AIB-target at Kundat; and to recruit and organize an armed resistance force drawn from the local population. These objectives had been amended to apply to commando efforts in northeast Borneo, as well. Periscope reconnaissance of shoreline activity was conducted. In view of the substantial enemy activity in the northwest area Major Chester considered a landing not feasible. Tuna then cleared the area. At 2142 hours on January 30, 1945, the party was transferred to the USS Bream (SS-243) and Tuna proceeded to her assigned patrol area. Bream carried the party to Onslow, W. A., where they disembarked. Bream took on fuel at Onslow and then sailed to Fremantle. 13 |
| March 3, 1945 | USS Tuna (SS-203) LCDR E. F. Steffanides, Jr. War Patrol No. 13 |
On February 23, 1945, Tuna moored alongside the boom jetty at Port Darwin to refit for the second part of her thirteenth war patrol. She fueled to capacity and took on 6,000 pounds of provisions. She also embarked the seven Australian commandos she had transferred to the USS Bream on January 30, 1945 (see the preceeding entry above). On this leg of her double-barreled patrol she would land them on the northeast coast of Borneo. Tuna left Darwin on February 24, 1945 and had an uneventful voyage to the disembarkation point off Labuk Bay. After dark on March 3, 1945, the seven-men in their rubber boat towing two folboats laden with supplies were launched. Four days later wireless teleradio communication was established between the commandos and Australia. 13 |
| March 20-22, 1945 | USS Perch (SS-313) LCDR B. C. Hills War Patrol No. 5 |
The objective of this special mission was to assist the Allied Intelligence Bureau and the Australian Special Reconaissance Department (SRD) in executing Operation Robin. The Australian Imperial Force (AIF) planned to attack the Balikpapan-Samarinda area in Borneo in July 1945. They needed detailed information on enemy defenses, ground topography, native attitudes, and Japanese movements around the target area. Perch would assist by transporting an eleven-man intelligence gathering team comprised of personnel from the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, AIF, and the Netherlands East Indies Army to the vicinity of the Markham River delta, and disembark and land them and their supplies there. On March 10, 1945, Perch embarked the eleven-man team, three tons of stores, including heavy lead acid batteries and a massive steam generator for charging use with the teleradio. Perch departed Fremantle on March 12, 1945. The next day a conference was held aboard Perch at Exmouth Gulf to outline in detail the plans for carrying out the special mission. On March 15th Perch stood out of Exmouth Gulf and was en route to the Markham River delta. On March 20th Perch dove thirty miles off the landing location to approach it undetected. That night she flooded down and disembarked two folboats, each carrying two men, and ensured they were en route to the landing area. Perch then moved seaward. The next night Perch approached the planned point to rendezvous with one of the returning folboats, but it never showed up and there was no radio communication with either party ashore. Perch stood out to sea. The next night Perch again approached the coast undetected. Soon they spotted what they thought was a small patrol boat 9,000 yards distant and closing rapidly. The ship's track would cut off Perch's route to the open sea, so the captain ordered battle stations surface and destroyed the vessel by gunfire. The light from the flames disclosed it was a small coastal tanker rather than a patrol boat. The remaining commandos aboard decided to disembark in spite of the probability of the vicinity being alerted. They used a secondary landing point, about nine miles south of Point Timbangongot. Perch then sent a dispatch to Fremantle saying the mission was completed and they were clearing the area. 14 |
| April 16-18, 1945 | USS Rock (SS-274) CDR R. A. Keating, Jr. War Patrol No. 6 |
On April 16, 1945, with USS Tigrone (SS-419), bombarded Pratas Island. On April 18, 1945, the pair bombarded the towns of Mahato and Basco on Batan Island. The results of the first bombardment were not observed. The second bombardment was very effective. |
| April 16-18, 1945 | USS Tigrone (SS-419) CDR H. Cassedy War Patrol No. 1 |
On April 16, 1945, with USS Rock (SS-274), bombarded Pratas Island. On April 18, 1945, the pair bombarded the towns of Mahato and Basco on Batan Island. The results of the first bombardment were not observed. The second bombardment was very effective. |
| May 29, 1945 | USS Bluegill (SS-242) CDR E. L. Barr, Jr. War Patrol No. 6 |
The Japanese occupied Pratas Island during World War II and used it as a weather station and listening outpost. On the night of May 28-29, 1945, Bluegill landed a party of twelve U. S. Navy personnel on the island. They demolished the weather and radio station and raised the American flag over the island. The island was found to be uninhabited. The Japanese had apparently left it two weeks earlier. The day before the landing the Bluegill had bombarded the island, using a Navy flying boat as a spotter. |
1. Jones, David and Peter Noonan, U. S. Subs Down Under: Brisbane, 1942-1945, p. 213-214.
2. Ostlund, Mike, Find 'Em, Chase 'Em, Sink 'Em: The Mysterious Loss of the WWII Submarine USS Gudgeon, p. 225-257.
3. Roscoe, Theodore, United States Submarine Operations in World War II, p. 273.
4. USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, "USS Bowfin (SS-287) - Patrol 1." Published online at http://www.bowfin.org/submarine/36/123-patrol-1 (accessed on July 24, 2011).
5. Sturma, Michael, Death at a Distance: The Loss of the Legendary USS Harder, p. 75-76.
6. Ibid., p. 77.
7. Ibid., p. 80.
8. Ibid., p. 80-81.
9. Ibid., p. 81.
10. Ibid., p. 105-112.
11. Campbell, Douglas A., Eight Survived: The Harrowing Story of the USS Flier and the Only Downed World War II Submariners to Survive and Evade Capture, p. 230-242.
12. Lockwood, Charles A., Sink 'Em All, p. 214.
13. My thanks to my friend from Down Under Bill Robb for telling me about the Tuna's special misson and sending me some very useful information on it.
14. Powell, Alan, War by Stealth: Australians and the Allied Intelligence Bureau 1942-1945, p. 308-309; Submarine war patrol reports on CD, USS Perch (SS-313), Report of Special Mission Performed during Fifth War Patrol.
15. Silver, Lynette Ramsay, Deadly Secrets: The Singapore Raids 1942-45, p. 222-223; Submarine war patrol reports on CD, USS Tuna (SS-203), Report of Special Mission to East Coast of Pulu Laut Island.
16. Powell, Alan, War by Stealth: Australians and the Allied Intelligence Bureau 1942-1945, p. 154-155.
17. Ibid, p. 133.
