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A16-3
Serial 02
CONFIDENTIAL

U.S.S. STURGEON (SS 187)

c/o Fleet Post Office
San Francisco, California

December 16, 1941

From: The Commanding Officer
To : The Commander in Chief, United States Fleet
Via : The Commander Submarine Flotilla 22
The Commander Submarine Squadron 20
The Commander Submarine Force Pacific Fleet
The Commander in Chief U.S. Pacific Fleet

Subject: U.S.S. STURGEON (SS 187), Report of War Patrol #1.

Enclosure: (A) Subject Report.
(B) Track charts. (ComSubPac only)

1. Enclosure (A), covering the first war patrol of this vessel conducted in the LINGAYEN GULF, and west of VIGAN, north of APARRI and Southern FORMOSA, during the period December 8, 1941 to December 16, 1941, is forwarded herewith.

M. VINTHER

CONFIDENTIAL

U.S.S. STURGEON

(A) PROLOGUE

After operations out of PEARL HARBOUR we left for the PHILLIPINE ISLANDS, MARIVELES BAY on November 10 1941, where we arrived on December 2 1941, trained for 5 days.

(B) NARRATIVE

Dec 8-9

Left MARIVELES BAY at 1600 hours on the 8th and proceeded to the LINGAYEN GULF at one engine speed.

ATTACK #1

Arrived at LINGAYEN GULF at Dec 9 0140 hours. Patrolled for about an hour and got visual contact with 3 fishing boats in a convoy headed NORTH out of the gulf. They were approached and boarded. Handguns were found aboard and the crews were ordered to go into rescue boats and the 3 fishing boats were sunk by machinegun and deck gun fire at POS 16°24N 120°08E. All three boats were of the BONITO class like the SHOWA MARU and approximately Tonnage of 100 (gross). Type shown on page 141 in ONI-208-J Supplement No. 2

At 1000 hours we left the LINGAYEN GULF and proceeded on one engine speed to our next assigned patrol area outside the town of VIGAN, where we arrived at 1400 hours.

ATTACK #2

At 0055 we received counter orders sending us on patrol outside the town of APARRI south of the LUZON STRAIT.
At 0134 our watch spotted multiple ships. It appeared to be a convoy consisting of approximately 14 destroyers and a bunch of cargo/passenger ships. We had the chance to send a radio report as it appeared to be an invasion force heading 290°T for the LUNGAYEN GULF or VIGAN. We managed to line up for a salvo of 4 torpedoes from a range of 2000 yards on a troop carrier of the HORAI MARU class. Due to the very large concentration and proximity of destroyers we had to dive immediately after the last torpedo was out of the tubes. At least one of the Destroyers/Subchasers was at that point using active sound location. Sonar heard at least one torpedo detonation and ship braking up sounds from POS 17°45N 120°12E.

We escaped to the opposite side of the convoy and from there we shot 4 torpedoes on a light cruiser of the MAKA class. Two were seen going in front of the target, one impacted without detonating and one passed straight under the 2nd funnel from the front. DAMIT!
But to our luck the torpedo that passed under the MAKA cruiser detonated under a large subchaser on the other side. It sank immediately in POS 17°44N 120°13E.

Now we had 10-11 Subchasers and Destroyers around us but at 180 ft. we found a gradient layer and slipped through towards North. At 0340 we were able to surface and get off a contact report. We were told to brake contact and head for APARRI. Course were set on 021°T for APARRI

Dec 10

At 1529 we were about 20nm North-West of APARRI on course 125°T. At 1611 our watch crew spotted a massive convoy consisting of more then 14 smokestacks in one line. They were flanked by smaller thinner stacks, witnessing of Escort presence. We continued to shadow the convoy and got off a contact report of the convoy heading 305°T at 8.5 knots making the convoy pass through LUZON STRAIT at 2010 base time. We planned for an ambush at 18°42´N 121°17´E

ATTACK #3

1425 3 bow torpedoes were shot from 800 yards at the HORAI MARU passenger carrier. First shot was observed hit under the aft mast, second under the fore mast, while the last hit under the fore most stack. We dove and made an evasive 90° right turn. Ship braking up sounds was heard clearly as we were passing close to the spot HORAI MARU had ended up after our hits. P.O.1st Rodgers from the engine room swore that he heard scrapings along our hull as HORAI MARU sank on POS 18°41N 121°16E. It may have been a loose wire that slid down our hull!

At 2002 we were still being massively depth charged. A surface force consisting of approximately 4-5 vessels of subchaser/destroyer types were hunting us with active sonar. 6 minute later the depth charging seemed to move further away from us, letting us slip away towards North North-East. With now 4 torpedoes left in the bow tubes and 2 in the stearn tubes we headed for APARRI on course 125°T

At 2030 we could still hear faint distant depth charging. So either they were still hunting for us or they had found another unfortunate submarine. Suddenly our boat was shaken by a very near salvo, followed by near salvos again at 2034 and 2036. But whom ever the delivery guy was he gave up and left at high speed. The whole depth charging had in total taken 6 hours!! Non of the personel of my boat had ever experienced anything like this.

Dec 10-12

2144 we surfaced and ran at full speed towards APARRI. We arrived at APARRI patrol zone at 2300 hours and stayed there until the early morning hours on the 11th. At 0631 our SD showed a contact at long range. We rigged the boat and dove to 100 ft. Suddenly the Sturgeon was shook violently by two near explosions. Later inspection showed that the explosions had been close enough to destroy our sight on the deck gun. Lieutenant P.T. Lester had it fixed in no time with his crew. At 0815 new orders came in. We were now ordered to patrol the southern FORMOSA area for at least 12 hours.

So course were set North. At 1016 after an hours tracking we counted 6 contacts moving North to North-West. One of the ships were ID’ed as a NAKA class Cruiser with its 4 distinctive funnels. 10 minutes after a subchaser had apparently turned around and was now at a range of about 6000 yards. It started to open up with its deck guns. We crash dived too 200 ft. on flank speed. At the same time I ordered full rudder left and got the subchaser on our right beam. We kept flank speed until CPO D.L. Coleman reported that Sonar had him on a range of about 3000 yards. Then we turned 70 degrees back towards North and rigged for silent running. Apparently that did offset him as he started his search 1500 yards East of our position.

At 1407 we surfaced and ran at Standard up towards FORMOSA. We had to dive a couple of times due to SD contacts, this time treating them with more respect.

Dec 12-13

At this crystal clear December morning we again had a SD contact on bearing 157° long range. There was no visual contact ever established with this contact.

On the 13th a Merchant was spotted at 2150 hours. It was established to be sailing on course 345°T and was a Mast Funnel Mast type with a composite superstructure. Possibly a HEITO MARU class freighter.

ATTACK #4

We moved into a position ahead of the freighter and lined up for bow shots from 1200 yards. However we had underestimated the speed, so the two torpedoes almost missed. The first one hitting the rudder, lifting the stern up about 15 feet before it settled down. I was a little worried if the second torpedo would run under the freighter as the stern were up in the air. But the freighter came down and the second torpedo exploded right behind the aft mast. In two minutes the freighter was submerged from the stern to the superstructure and all forward momentum had stopped. There was no doubt in my mind – she was going down, and she was going down fast !

All hands in the conning tower had a look at hear and agreed that it was the HEITO MARU. It sank in 7 minutes from the last impact on POS 21°57N 120°12E.

We surfaced and got off a status report. We were told to come back to CAVITE and thus sat the course to 180°T on standard speed.

Dec 14-16

We had a very pleasant transit to CAVITE, where we docked at 0550 on the 16th of December 1941.

SUNK

Number - Type - Class - When - Tons

3 - Fishing Boat - BONIN class - ATTACK #1 - 106

1 - Passenger Liner - HORAI MARU class - ATTACK #2 - 9276

1 - Subchaser - TYPE No. 13 class - ATTACK #2 - 438

1 - Passenger Liner - HORAI MARU class - ATTACK #3 - 9269

1 - Freighter - HEITO MARU class - ATTACK #4 - 4518

Total ships and tonnage

7 - 23819