1944.E2.80.9345 USS Torsk

sail , boat s mascot emblem

on 13 august, patrolled off ando saki and, after sighting number of fishing boats during morning, sighted small freighter, kaiho maru, promptly sank. later same day, made unsuccessful attack on cargo ship entered wakasa wan; dodged through 75-boat fishing fleet, , outdistanced maru s escort.

off amarubi saki on morning of 14 august, torsk sighted medium cargo ship , took chase. 745-ton kaibokan-class patrol escort vessel accompanied freighter seaward, presenting submarine tempting target. @ 1035, freighter , escort approached kasumi ko, torsk launched 1 of new experimental mark 28 torpedoes @ escorting ship kaibokan 13. minutes later, fish found mark; explosion bent stern of frigate 30-degree angle, , shortly thereafter target sank. freighter entered harbor half hour later, torsk attempted sink unsuccessful, possibly because torpedoes struck undetected reefs near mouth of harbor.

around noon, frigate appeared, apparently reinforcement had been called in. continuing aggressive action, torsk fired mark 28 torpedo @ frigate had detected submarine s presence. commander lewellen initiated deep submergence procedures , ordered crew rig silent running. after tense 5 minutes, reached 400 feet (120 m) , there launched torpedo, time new acoustic mark 27. immediately, loud explosion announced first torpedo had found mark, , minute later second explosion sounded, followed strong breaking noises-the vessel kaibokan 47. secret new torpedoes had proven worth in battle , torsk credited, not 2 enemy warships, sinking last japanese warship sunk in world war ii. held down enemy planes , patrol vessels, submarine remained submerged more 7 hours. then, surfaced , headed noto peninsula.

on 15 august, following 4 highly successful days of aggressive patrolling, torsk received word of cessation of hostilities. continued patrol in sea of japan, conducting visual , photo surveillance , destroying floating mines. on 31 august, thought torpedo wake sighted, indicator not had heard news of war s ending.

the submarine set course mariana islands on 1 september, passed through tsushima straits on 3 september, , arrived @ guam on 9 september, completing second war patrol.