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USS Tang (SS-306)

 

 

On the morning of 24 October 1944, TANG began patrolling at periscope level.  She surfaced at dark and headed for Turnabout Island.  On approaching the island, the submarine's surface search radar showed so many blips that it was almost useless.  TANG soon identified a large convoy which contained tankers with planes on their decks and transports with crated planes stacked on their bows and sterns.  As the submarine tracked the Japanese ships along the coast, the enemy escorts became suspicious, and the escort commander began signaling with a large searchlight.  This illuminated the convoy, and TANG chose a large three-deck transport as her first target, a smaller transport as the second, and a large tanker as the third.  Their ranges varied from 900 to 1,400 yards.  After firing two torpedoes at each target, the submarine paralleled the convoy to choose its next victims.  She launched stern torpedoes at another transport and tanker aft.  As TANG poured on full speed to escape the gunfire directed at her, a destroyer passed around the stern of the transport and headed for the submarine.  The tanker blew up, and a hit was seen on the transport.  A few seconds later, the destroyer blew up, either from intercepting TANG's third torpedo or from shell fire of two escorts closing on the beam.  Only the transport remained afloat, and it was dead in the water.  The submarine cleared to 10,000 yards, rechecked the last two torpedoes which had been loaded in the bow tubes; and returned to finish off the transport.  The 23d torpedo was fired at 900 yards and was observed running hot and straight.  The last torpedo was fired.  It broached and curved to the left in a circular run.  TANG fishtailed under emergency power to clear the turning circle of the torpedo, but it struck her abreast the after torpedo room approximately 20 seconds after it was fired.  TANG sank by the stern.  Those who escaped the submarine were greeted in the morning with the bow of the transport sticking straight out of the water.  Nine survivors, including the commanding officer, were picked up the next morning by a Japanese destroyer escort.  They spent the remainder of the war in prison camps.

 

SM3 John G Accardy

SM2 Ralph F Adams

MoMM2 Dwayne D Allen

TM3 Philip E Anderson

RM2 Charles L Andriolo

F1 Homer  Anthony

TMC William F Ballinger

S1 Edwin C Bauer

LT E.H Beaumont

RM1 Edwin F. Bergman

TM3 Frederick N Bisogno

TM3 Wilfred J Boucher

S1 Bernard V Bresette

EM2 John Bush

S1 Benjamin  Chiavetta

S1 Walter J. Clark

EM3 Robert J Coffin

EMC James H Culp

EM2 Arthur J. Darienzo

MoMMC Marvin V DeLapp

MoMM1 William E Dorsey

LT(jg) F.M. EnosJr.

F1 Lawrence H Ericksen

YN3 Daniel C Fellicetty

EM2 Bruce H Finckbone

TM1 John W Fluker

TM1 John M Foster

TM2 William C Galloway

F1 Thomas E Gentle

EM3 George J GorabJr.

S1 Osmer D Gregg

S1 Howard W Hainline

MoMM2 Frank G Harms

MoMM3 Glen O Haws

F1 John F Henry

LT(jg) J.H Heubeck

MoMMC Albert L. HudsonJr.

S2 Homer W Ijames

MoMM2 Stewart S Imwald

S1 Donald M Jenkins

QMC Sidney W Jones

MoMM3 Louis C Kaiser

EM1 John T Kanagy

S1 John T Kassube

SC3 John A Key

FC3 Ralph B Knapp

LT(jg) Richard J Kroth

EM1 LeRoy R Lane

PhMC Paul L Larson

RM3 Robert P Lee

RM3 Lindley H Llewellyn

F1 Charles W London

EM1 Chester  Loveless

MoMM1 Ellroy  Lytton

MoMM2 Robert V McMorrow

F1 John J McNabb

CSC John J Parker

B.C Pearce

ENS Rubin M RaifordCK3

F1 F.J Reabuck

GM3 Darrell D Rector

F1 Ernest  Reinhardt

SC3 James D Roberts

MoMM2 George L RobertsonJr.

QM3 Seymour G Smith

LT(XO) F.H Springer

F1 Edward F Stepien

EM3 Fred L SundayJr.

COX Paul B Vaughn

TM3 Charles W Wadsworth

SM1 Howard M Walker

TMC Leland S Weekley

QM3 Robert E Welch

GM1 James M White

YN2 Walter H Williams

LT(jg) P.T Wines

LT(jg) George  Wukovich

MoMM1 George  Zofcin