First War Patrol

BYJ l <;- \ I UNITED STATES ASIATIC FLEET A DDll~SS : ASIATIC STATION IN REPLY REFER TO: ... sualYIARINE DIV:ISION 2o3 viA: ~ A~_ FRANCi sco. cALIF. J017u/ ~s ,Jer ial ( 3 ) 7 u.S. s. PERCH (SSl S) DECLAS SIFIED I ' .I u u I ll:J li u\.1 ~ ~ Lt I\ II_ L • ..JI . u) • I'eriod from December ll , l l.t4l to January 1'7 , 191, ~ . ( 1 ) ~ ~ nrth /'t 3 1i 1 es of fo~ lo ii n~: nrea : ..?ro r:l interrJectio.ll latitude loO---' 1. with 'ieot Lu,·.on Coa .~t ( ~cLlui"Lllde 11° - 45' .u) aJong a liHe 2250 tt·uc i'or Ju ll i.les, the 'co f~ '3 1... i 1 .J e.J one line l •. )5o tl'UG , t~1ence buck to :t_.u z.c n Co s t on line bG[.J?:i .t t~; 075° true. ( 3) ; ... u.., i:e , ile ~ ·, .l. th cunter l . 30 N, ll '1 - 1 6 J, • 0 1'3° true and 123° true (L i' Long 1 un ; ) • \ SJQ~,j,., ( 4 ) ...:; 1r0 u te Dar d. n vi· ... l. ir,upac an citr 1 it o..J , L.~.ak as s tr ~ tr~ it and Jal ihpup~n . .~ •- • .~.~v .... T . ·-· ADDRESS : ASIATIC STATION IN REPLY REFER TO: UNITED STATES ASIATIC FLEET SUBMARINE DIVISIONXKQJ~ 203 VIA! SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. ,Jul?6/Ag uerial ( 3 ) U.S. S. PERCH (SS176) J?J.aH..iL .!..~-{ PAT .t ~lJ L -- I ... ,t about twenty-three hundred 0.11 Dece ther 10 , 194 1 , reported to Cou.11a.nder ~ubmarints , l .S . A.3iJ.tic .~:,leeton boar<:l U . 3 . 5 . Oanopus at Pier one , l1anil a Harbor o 1teceivod oJ:>cl.ers to report to Horth 43 n1i l es of folJ. owinr; area ~ irom intersection latitude 160- 00 ' N. with .lest Luzon Coast (Lonc;itude 1190- 1+5 ' E ) alone a line 2~50 trut' l'or )0 rtiles , thence 83 miles o.long line 1650 true , thence baclc to Luzon Coast on line be· ar~i ng 07 5° true . Decfuaber 11, 1941. At 0012 returned aboard Perch and headed out of ilanil a Bay , maki n6 16 knots on three ma i n engines-Ho . 2 ma i n engine out of commi s sion. .~t 01 5 5 ent e r ed min e field. itt 0223 passed through outer buoys . itt 0300 set cours e 313° . _i,t 0 500 v\i t h dues t e Point bearing 082° true , di s t ant 10 . 1 miles changed course to 344° true . At 0514 vnth Cap ones I sland Li ght (not burning ) bea ring 0050 true , O. istant 7 . $ Niles submer b ed to 95 feet . _\.t 0650 came to peri scope dept h and maintained _pe riscope watch d urinJ; re111ainder of day. l~ othing s i ghted during t he day e x cept a.t 1348 sie;hted one of our patrol pl anes beari ng 2000 true, range about 10 , 000 yards flying on a southeast erly course , During forenoon sea was quite glassy with long easy swells. During l ate after noon sea became fa i rl~r cl-~ o p py . .A.t 1804 surfaced . Aheo.d on one engine , char g ing batteri es on t lle othe r t vvo . After surfacing una ble t o hea r anything on shi p ' s radio on any of the four frequencies l i sted in Cincaf ' s 101247 until l91 3o -~t 1935 entered southern edge of o ur assigned a1·ea. bighted two light s on h ills t o eastTvvard. At '21 30 s i ght ed Hermana .1..1ayor Li ght , burning, b earing north. December 12, 1941. The run during t he night was up and down t he area on 3 ~-4o true a nd reve rse , ar r a ~ 6ed so t hat ' vroul d arr~ve off Port l\lasinloc at daylig ht. At 0505 submerged t o 95 feeto A.fter day light came to peris cope depth and maintained periscope watch d uring remainder of day. At 0840 changed cour se to 105° t r ue headi ng i n towar ds Iv-asi n1oc and conti nued in t o ?.. 4 mi les off shoal vvat e r at which t i me (11 38 ) v1ere able t o see t he church and buil dings of the town of I,iasi nloc. No shi pping sight ed. 1- t 1138 changed course to 190° t r ue , heading down to investigate in t h e vicinity of Iba. At 1545 passed Palaui g Li ght abeam t o port 4 . 2 mi l es • -.. .~.oth ing s i g hted in Iba vici nity. At 1816 s urfaced . Cruised on one mai n engine, char g ed batteries on other two. Unabl e to p ick -1- IN REPLY REFER TO: UNITED STATES ASIATIC FLEET ADDRESS : ASIATIC STATION SUBMARINE DIVISION B~ 2 03 VIA : SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. 00176/J\.8 U.S. S. PERCH (SS176) derial ( 3 ) P J.iJHCli ,/JAR Pil.rrH.OL- - I ( COl'Jl riliDlflD ) :.. tfll AS SIF IED , A--Narrative. (Continued ). up 1\fPO on any frequency. Determined fault to be in our receiver. Started r epa j_rs. Opened out to seaward in area durine; ni ght c- December 13, 1941 . During t he morning watch, having compl eted repairs to radio receiver r eceived parts of two messages f rom NPO . At 0506 di\ ad to 95 feet . At 0628 came to peri s cope depth. '.t 1350 lost power \ on Ho o 2 peri scope . Di scovered full ground in lower limit S\¥i tell . Jent t o 95 feet . At 1515 " pPi.r s compl eted to pe riscope. J.t 1520 cam e to peri s cope deptho J.t 1814 surfaced. Crui sed on one main engi ne , cb.ar ged batteries on other t wo. Hepai rs to No . 2 mai n engi ne s till not comp l eted. Almost impossibl e to vro r k on it during dives , due to exhau.~cion of men . Best machi nist ' s mat 6s wo rk at ni ght and are making pro g- ress , but it i s sl ow w-ork . Picked up 1\fPO immediatel y after s urfacing. Sight ed two o.c thrae light s on shore. Han to westvvard across southern end of' area and then to northward. Decertlber 14, l 94lo .dan durinc; t he ni g ht so as to arrive vicini ty of Port liasi nloc by sunriseo .At 0508 dived to 95 feet. At 0630 came to peri s cope depth and maintained peri scope watch during remainder of day. Nothi ng s i ghted a t Port l.Iasi nloc. Headed up off Her mana I~Iayer. At 1102 He rmana l\·1r.yor .Llght bore north, 10. 5 raile s o During t he afternoon sighted smoke from two f ires on shore aast of Her mana l,Iaynr, vvhi ch l ooked lik~ br ush f ire s o At 1811 surfaced ahead on one n~in engine, charging batt eries on other two o De cember 15 , 16,17 , 1Y41. No thing of i nterest to r ep ort. Dived each day a t begi nning of morning t wilight and s urfaced aft er dark. 1iai nt ained peris cope watch during daylight hourso December 18 , 1941 • • At 1920 decoded Comsubsaf 181033 shi fting Perch area to southwe st coast of Formosa to Pescadores channel. At 1923 put second engine on line , 650 h1 each, started for new statjon. (At 1949 NFQ r ecei pted for n1y acknowledgement of Comsubsaf 181033. ) - 2- IN REPLY REFER TO: UNITED STATES ASIATIC FLEET ADD RESS: ASIATIC S'rATION dJ1?6/S8 SUBMARINE DIVISION 203 VlA: !:) AN FRANCiSCO, CAL1F. 8er ial ( 3 ) U. S. S. PERCH (SS176) PErlCli .f J:~ "PATJ:tOL-- I ( COl JTINUI!;D ) ~-- Narrative (Continued) . At 2130 passed out of Perch area at longitude 119- 25 and set course north. At 2205 put third engine on l ine carrying 650 Ktl . each. boder ate head sea, Speed by pit log 14. 6 knots . Luter i n evening s eas became heavi er and speed dropped to 13. 8 knots by p it log . December 19 , 1941 . -'-t 0521 dived to 95 feet . At Ob30 cwne Lo peri scope depth and ruaintained periscope watch duri ng r emainder oi' da y. .d.t 1808 sur faced. "'i.head on two engines at 650 lJV. each, tl·ird engine on battery char Ge . Obtained star f ix. Re ceived Cor,lsubsaf 19103 6 directinG 3tur6eon depart areu Saturday n i ght . I expect t o arrive i n 11y new· area about 2300 C..ao' ne - 8 ) Saturday night . December 20 , 1941 • .\. t 0250 r Pn• i r H to No . 2 mai n engine comp l eted ~ Ran i t· f or sl o1·t periods for test . Engine seems to be all ris ht, but 'Will require easy workine in with careful wa tching. At 0420 si ghted steady white 1i ~ht 1 Je · t rin~ 0700 true on horizon . Believed to be snall : ishin::; crafto Be\....ring drew t o rie:;ht . Seas qu i te heavyo Dec ided t o hold cour se and keep heading for nevv area. ..1.t 0528 dived to 95 feet . d.t 0630 car1e to periscope depth, and ma i ntained periscope watch until 1143 at which ti1ue seas had become so heavy that it was impossibl e to ma i ntai n peri scope depth at les s t han standard speed and even t hen waves were so hi gh that range of .

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