USS Batfish 'The Batfish Scores'

I'm Rear Admiral Thomas M dicus retired so many people have asked me whether submarines ever fight submarines in this chapter the silent service we're going to take you along to the South China Sea as a passenger in the United States submarine fat fish on a sixth-floor patrol there's nothing like getting the answer firsthand in February 1945 units of the Eighth Army under lieutenant general Hall had landed at son bombers in the Philippines the US forces were at the height of their power the Japanese were on the run with the United States and commanded the sea in the air there was no hope for a Dunkirk type rescue so they tried to save the important ones in a mad scramble some hope to make it by air only to fall victims to the relentless air patrol that blanketed the fields only a short distance to famosa they traveled in anything that would move some didn't get there at sundown on the evening of February 9th 1945 the Japanese submarine high 41 departed from a powering she was loaded with key Air Force personnel that would be needed in the defense of Formosa having finally reached what they thought was a haven of safety they were feeling pretty good just one more hurdle the ufs back a skipper with Lieutenant Commander John K fight from Virginia Beach Virginia the executive officer was lieutenant Clarke case sprinkle from Youngstown Ohio Lieutenant John L from jr. from Drexel Hill Pennsylvania brought the captain a message Japanese apparently intend rescue of important people from the port of a PI by destroyer and submarine take station off that port without delay there will be five submarines north of your intervals on track to Formosa be careful to identify submarine targets before shooting this puts us back in the big league Larry right full rudder all ahead full so I guess nothing will move in or out except at night they'll have to leave news on early in the evening in order to get well clear before daylight ships coming down from Formosa will arrive about dog-ass up you get a little jump at that time by starting off submersion the afternoon that's right so you've got to take a position that'll get him either way and this is it right here 30 miles north of Aparri we should be able to catch him on the service anyway they played we're getting going north to be loaded with Japanese generals beyond going south he'll be loaded with ammunition and supplies remember we knock off a southbound ship and never take anyone north yeah well there it is any questions this spot looks is pretty close to the area where the archer fish is operating captain be straight south what else might get hurt this position has the best chance of paying off and we're not moving out of it because of something that may never happen in the navigator spring just make sure we stay south of his area then take care of himself aye aye sir yeah captain she knows what he wants yeah I hope he's right well this is our sixth patrol when he has been up till now we still have to be careful Larry look I have the best night vision on this ship and both the captain me on the bridge we're not going to shoot our own people Thank You care but guarantee can you give me that they're not gonna shoot at us remember that point has one of the best shooting records in the force I guess I can look it's like our position I know where we are but do they know where they are looks like we're going to have to trust you display let's go get a cup of coffee no you go ahead Larry I wanna take a star sight that's for luck baby hey fellas here comes a spy from the forward torpedo room but you're doing back here lions can't you tell when the man's just slumming slummin eh yeah you don't think I do back here for any other reason do you all right spell it we got work to do okay okay simmer down it's just the sporting proposition my men asked me to make to you it's just this we found some real expensive dogs back in Honolulu and when we get back we want to take them on a full-power run now since we traveled first-class it takes though the type of dough we just don't happen to have if this is another one of your sucker schemes now wait a second are you afraid to make a fair bet all right what is it spilitt I will make a $500 bet we get more hits from the forward torpedo room then you guys get from back here there must be a gimmick in this somewhere you've got twice as many torpedoes as we have yeah that's why we said we'd make twice as many hits look it's an even bet even it's easier for the old man to shoot from forward throw him out now wait a second you haven't heard the whole deal oh now it will make it more than twice as many hits will even throw an introduction into the girl the USO dancers an owner look let's face it the girls aren't any good to us unless we have the dough how many six and are they put together you got a deal but you better deliver we're not gonna see very far tonight yeah pretty dark good for shooting from the surface good for a lot of other things too Larry we're for this cockeyed warm feeling kind of sentimental not I've had it bad all day I thought something was bothering you but he got so worried about plugging one of our own boats maybe I am too worried Larry I'm going to pinch this Wars winding up fast I didn't think we were responsible for some of our own guys getting it contact on the radar how does it look like it's a small ship mr. sprinkle bearing South 11,000 yards after the conning tower gathered to contact our Navy submarine could be small ship bearing South 11,000 yards could be a suffering what's the range or closing sir battle stations as our chance boys after torpedo room and already tried to shoot this by radar Larry I don't think we'll ever see you you're not afraid of a big house no it's coming up from the south none of ours should be down there Marko's target zigzagging at 12 knots base force 3 4 0 make ready the forward torpedo tubes my eyes are they fighting for tubes send up to 6 feet tubes forward I nicknamed the tube standing up to fix feet oh boy this war is commencing to be a pleasure come on snap it up you guys let's go range Twitter's hundred yards can you see yet no use radar bearings and commence firing as soon as ready make those bearings good yes sir also we could shoot any time or with tubes ready stand by fire there we go movies electric torpedoes there's no way to follow and you see them yet no right full rudder all ahead full torpedo should be hitting ow I musta missed him captain yeah we'll try again we know the four tubes we know the more tubes Larry will move into where we can see him he's still going ahead it's those week with fish he didn't see them it's a submarine it's not as if it I can't tell you I see it it's enemy high class boat hey growing from the red and you damn you he's gone all ahead full and we can find a prisoner all stop a single survivor yes you went down too fast and it only took one hit now this room looks pretty sharp we keep everything in good shape mr. prom doesn't do much good um why not captain doesn't shoot from back here doesn't he know he can depend on this room stare he does the SS ute the best way he can getting so on having morale problems was from like that sir maybe you could ask the old man I mean the captain to shoot from F next time will you sir sure and you'll do it if you can thanks mr. pump the batfish continued on its mission and the men who are about to go topside were adapting for ninth nation well you know none of your bunkin stamina I told you to get some rest what's the point of lying down that cloud covers prevented by getting star sights again you know it's hard not trying to get to sleep wondering if the archer fish knows where she is but I'm not sure where we are either did you try checking it with the depth of water as shown on the chart yeah I've been doing that but the bottom so regular you can't light it for sure well we've been lying to the current in here I don't see how it can be far off I'm sure we're somewhere in our assigned area right now but if this weather keeps up all I can say is you better take a good look at that target before you shoot captain of the bridge battle stations torpedo I can't see it yet but radar says it looks just like the last one which way is he moving he's coming up from the south he's not far away make many old torpedo tubes or with tubes or any tubes app I here's where we get even boys make them ready there she is good position for the story to stand by the stone tubes stand by the stern tubes I told you mr. Brown would let us down maybe don't take maybe they'll turn he's turning he's turning Betty bybel forward to and the first one did get her in fact she thanks so fast at the second talk Peter passed right over her plunging Hall she was a Japanese submarine ro 112 two enemy submarines in less than 48 hours this was a record spirit and the bat fish was soaring and they weren't finished yet at 1:55 in the morning of February 13th they made another radar contact but this one had them worried it was coming from the north spring are you sure we're in our own area no I'm not it's been too overcast for store sites and this could be the archerfish we can't get sites you can't either I hope we don't have to shoot until we can get a good look yeah I went doing it I hope he doesn't let us have it and sure is dark under this overcast we're going to be lucky to see this guy at all look since we've got two hits we'll give you four to one for another hundred tie you win we'll take it knock off the chatter on this circuit bearing zero one two range three five double oh if the dog pointed right at him spring make ready to forward tubes forward tubes again the fifth disappearing it's gone we lost the pet he must have died couldn't see his kid II know we must have some radar it could be the archer fish whoever it is he could be making an approach eyes secure the forward tubes and their securing the forward tubes we've still got a jazz right full rudder all ahead one-third right full rudder all ahead one-third Road Tyler to keep well ahead of him you can't hurt us that way and we'll see what happens we'll have moonlight on a half hour sounds like employing their ballast tanks radar contact there he is there the red fella [ __ ] die die a secured Ruff's will run a study on course zero nine zero left full rudder steady on course zero nine zero make ready the forward torpedo tubes up scope ah did it the forward tubes again japanese ro class he's singing he's going astern of us make ready the stern tubes on the devil make many distinct tubes Cosmo stern - sorry [ __ ] fire you 808 2848 68 80 and 9 I guess that'll teach you not to bet so much money yeah my boys liar on a bad spot captain there's no point for us ever going ashore now you might just as well start right out another patrol when are we starting home sir we got a dispatch from the force commander than well ago lots of congratulations and orders to leave at sunset tonight message my relief vote we are entering your area tonight suggest you study silhouettes of us submarines and do not shoot repeat do not shoot I'll be back in a moment with our special guest this patrol of the bat fish hung up a record that has never been equaled by another submarine of any nationality three submarines in roughly seventy six hours is truly remarkable now I want you to meet the fighting executive officer the bat fish mr. Clark case sprinkle sprinkle you tell us about the last submarine you sank the post-war record shows that it was the RO one thirteen and it was loaded with ammunition for their forces on Luzon she went up with quite a roar you must have had some anxious moments until you identified her as Japanese we sure did but all of our submarines were very careful on that point there wasn't a single case of one boat shooting another in the whole war keeping one's own forces apart is one of the fine arts of warfare but no system can substitute for the care and sound judgment you demonstrated I know I express the feelings of our audience when I say congratulations to you and define ship's company with a BAC fish on a truly remarkable performance thank you I hope you will be with us when the silent service brings you another thrilling submarine patrol Oh Oh Oh

Channel: Richard Damm

Views: 67,114

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Id: VlkcIuXiblk

Length: 26min 2sec (1562 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 06 2014