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USS Triton (SS-201)

On 16 February, 1943, TRITON began her sixth and final war patrol, hoping to destroy enemy shipping between the Shortland Basin and Rabaul. Ten days later, she reported that she had seen smoke on the 22d and that the Japanese had installed radar at Buka. On 6 March, the submarine attacked a convoy of five destroyer escorted ships, sinking the cargo ship KIRIHA MARU and damaging another freighter. One of her torpedoes made a circular run, and TRITON crash-dived to evade it. She attacked another convoy on the night of 8 March and claimed that five of the eight torpedoes she had fired scored hits. She could not observe the results or make a follow-up attack because gunfire from the escorts forced her down. On 11 March, TRITON reported that she was chasing two convoys, each made up of five or more ships. She was informed that submarine TRIGGER (SS-237) was operating in an adjoining area and ordered to stay south of the equator. On the 13th, TRITON was warned that three enemy destroyers in her area were either looking for a convoy or were hunting American submarines. On 15 March, TRIGGER reported that she had attacked a convoy and had been depth charged. Even though attacks on her ceased, she could still hear distant depth charging for about an hour. No further messages from TRITON were ever received. Post-war examination of Japanese records revealed that on 15 March 1943, three Japanese destroyers attacked a submarine a little northwest of TRITON's assigned area and subsequently observed an oil slick, debris, and items with American markings. On 10 April 1943, TRITON was reported overdue from patrol and presumed lost.

F2 Ralph E. Aldrich

EM3 Thomas E Ashton Jr.

EMC William E Ballou

S1 Frank K Barnes

TMC Edward J Barton

F1 Louis D Basso

F2 Raymond Booth

FCC William L Booth

EM2 Stephen S Boyd

MoMM1 Werner L Bruderer

F1 Arlyn Bush

SC2 Frederic H Christy

S1 Virgil C Clement

MoMM1 Henry P Coley

S1 Jack W Cooper

CSC Clarence Cotton

LT J.R Crutchfield

OC3 John D Dabney

EM1 Leonard D Dotson

LT(XO) John H Eichmann

MoMM1 Joseph Fedorchak

EM3 Hoyt S Fields

TM2 Ray D Fielitz

TM3 George Ford

TM3 Donald R George

PhM1 Bert J Grooms

S1 Donald E Hale

MoMMC Donovan G Hall

S1 Robert L Harbold

S1 Floyd R Harmon

TM1 Martin L Herstich Jr.

EM3 Lee H Hobbs

GM3 Jesse T Hogg Jr.

MoMM2 Clyde Holland Jr.

MoMMC Donald E Holquist

RT1 Gilbert J Howie Jr.

F1 Lymon L Isom

QMC Marsh Jones

MoMM1 Alexander Klekotka Jr.

MoMM1 John P Klimosewski

F1 Charles W Landers

EM1 Walter H Larkins

F3 John W Lawler

MoMM2 Walter E Lines

TM2 Percy E Long

LCDR (CO) George K MacKenzie Jr.

S1 William B. Martin

MA1 Herman T McCalop

S1 Kenneth G McClure

TM1 Lloyd C McKenzie

RM2 Jack Meade

S1 Russell B Nixson

YN2 Russell B Olvey

LTjg C.D O'Sullivan

TM1 Roy O Ottersen

RM3 Robert E Page

LTjg E.S Parks Jr.

F3 Willie L Peeler

MoMM2 John Petrun

RM1 Charles F Poyneer

S1 Burnel C Ross

TM1 Harry R Schlabecker

F2 Leonard M Schneider

MoMMC Edwin J Severance

F2 John F Shannon

F1 Laurence Shepherd

LT Karl E.F Sorensen

EM1 Thomas C Thompson

EM2 Raymond E Trowbridge

LTjg Hugh C Van Roosen

SM2 George Visnich

MoMM1 William A Ward

QM2 Ferguson B White

MoMM2 Donald E Wycoff