Originally Posted by c13Garrison
22 January 1942
Lt.Cmdr. Gael Glenn, USS Narwhal
Departed Pearl afternoon of 12/7 with orders to park off of Tokyo Bay and conduct unrestricted anti-shipping operations. Arrived in theater Christmas day.
Stayed on station for roughly 108 hours, no contacts reported excepting for a distant warship contact that disappeared, likely the furthermost edge of the Tokyo Bay patrol screen. Elected to enter Tokyo Bay seeking targets.
On entry must have been spotted by shore observers, sonar contact had 1 slow target approaching then joined by a fast contact approaching. Set torpedoes shallow, but upon sighting targets were a Small Subchaser and a Minelayer. Not deeming these torpedo worthy we went deep to 200' and continued in at 1-2 knots. Subchaser passed directly overhead without detecting us. We continued on for about 6000 yards, then surfaced to press further in. Unsighted shore batteries soon opened fire, roughly 1/2 way through the neck of the passage. Before we could dive the forward 6" mount was hit, destroying it. Seamen 3rd Class Vincent Fitzpatrick and Dilbert Rosencrans were killed, 3 others wounded. Slight damage to hull. We continued in submerged at Slow Ahead for about 2 hours.
On entering the Bay we stopped 1000 yards WNW north of the first Yokohama lighthouse, steering SSE. No sonar contacts were reported.
Periscope revealed 2 Heavy Cruisers lying at anchor to the west, a Fuso class battleship alongside dock in the harbor, and a light carrier 1200 yards astern of us. Only active contacts were distant and placid, so we commenced an attack.
T1 Fuso 20feet Magnetic; Premature
T2 Fuso 20feet Magnetic; Keel Impact
T3 Fuso 20feet Magnetic; Keel Impact
T4 Fuso 20feet Magnetic; Keel Impact
Target began a noticeable list within 5 minutes, within 15 it had rolled past 60*. By action's end the starboard edge of her conning tower was touching the water, total list about 85*. No fire, conclude sunk by flooding.
T5 & 6 Taiyo 20feet Magnetic; Deeprun
T7 & 8 Taiyo 12feet Magnetic; Keel Impact
T9 Furutaka HC 12feet Magnetic; Premature
T10 F Heavy Cr 12feet Magnetic; Deeprun
T11 & 12 Taiyo 8feet Magnetic; Keel Impact
Carrier, only marginally settling on an even keel from first 2 hits, immediately suffered large explosion from shot 12, explosions then began stem to stern, planes parked on deck being tossed about and overboard by the blasts. Settled on an even keel within 15 minutes. Sunk by Magazine/AvGas fire & flooding.
T13 & 14 Furutaka 12feet Magnetic; Premature/Deeprun
T15 & 16 Furutaka 12feet Magnetic; Premature
T17 & 18 Takao 8feet; KeelKill/Keel
First torpedo detonated under forward magazines, igniting them and destroying the ship. Second torpedo detonated under engine spaces but was insult to injury. Sunk by catastrophic magazine explosion.
T19 Furutaka 8feet Magnetic; Deeprun
T20 Furutaka 3feet Magnetic; Premature
Observations.
Furutaka Class target aside, 9 of 12 torpedoes fired hit, doing great damage. All 8 fired at Furutaka failed or ran deep. Great damage was caused, but taken as a whole more than 50% failed. The Mk14 is an excellent torpedo, but something with the Furutaka's harbourage was clearly in play. Perhaps the Japanese have some kind of active electromagnetic torpedo defense installed on Furutaka?
Return trip conducted survey of Johnston & Christmas Islands, report clear.
GG
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