by several submarines operating USS Parche slides down the ways at as one unit. An additional Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. advantage lay in the fact that this method would weaken anti- submarine measures on the part of convoy escorts. If an attack by several submarines was known or suspected, the Japanese might less apt to detach escorts from the WOLFPACK! convoy. In theory, this would On 17 June 1944, a submarine wolfpack departed permit repeated attacks by the same submarine. Midway Island for a patrol assignment southwest of Many naval officers, however, found the coordinated wolfpack Formosa in the South China Sea. The mission deployment more would settle a submarine doctrine cumbersome and favored independent action on controversy once and for all — whether the part of each submarine. But, as wolfpacks were an advantage over lone the enemy was submarine patrols forced to resort to larger and more BY A.B. FEUER heavily escorted was assigned a designated area of area and permitting effective convoys, the odds 60-square-miles. This perimeter concentration of attack forces. n 17 June 1944, a submarine once and for all against the “lone wolf” was further subdivided to give wolfpack departed Midway — whether were drastically each submarine a section 20- by ENEMY SIGHTED! OIsland for a patrol assignment wolfpacks were an increased. A single 60-miles in extent, ensuring On 24 June, the Parche was southwest of Formosa in the South advantage over lone submarine might be able to complete coverage of the allotted running on the surface south of China Sea. submarine patrols. accomplish one submerged patrol Formosa. At 0543, lookouts sighted The wolfpack was under the In early 1944, a decision was daylight attack, and possibly two a small Japanese patrol vessel of leadership of Cmdr. L.S. Parks and made by Adm. Charles Lockwood successful night sorties, whereas about 300-tons. It appeared to be a the was designated “Parks’ Pirates.” to send wolfpacks deep into enemy the advantages of several new ship with a steel hull and long submarine’s four-inch deck The submarines in the group were waters. The size of Japanese coordinated assaults on a confused bow, similar to net tenders. The craft cannon. The Parche opened slow the USS Hammerhead (SS-364), convoys traversing the South and disorganized enemy flotilla had a modern pilothouse, rounded in and deliberate fire at a range of USS Steelhead (SS-280), and the China Sea had been increasing. were obvious: There was also the front with ports instead of windows. 3600-yards. The third round USS Parche (SS-384). This action not only reduced the benefit of mutual assistance in The vessel was armed with struck the pilothouse, bringing This mission was only the number of sailings, but made drawing convoy escorts away machine guns. down the patrol boat’s antenna second war patrol for the Parche; efforts to locate the convoys more from a submarine that was Commander Ramage and mast. The Japanese ship and her skipper, Cmdr. Lawson P. vital than ever. under attack and forced to immediately sounded began to maneuver radically at top Ramage, was about to settle a It was argued that the task dive deep. battle stations, and the speed, but another four-inch shell submarine doctrine controversy could be better accomplished Each three-boat wolfpack gunners dashed to man jammed her rudder hard left.

USS Parche (SS-384) between patrols.

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