CONFIDENTIAL
	Incidents No. 6287 and 6304
	ANALYSIS OF COORDINATED ANTISUBMARINE ACTION
	USS HAZELWOOD, USS GEORGE, USS RABY, USS ENGLAND AND USS SPANGLER
	Time 1444 GCT 29 May to 2041 GCT 30 May 1944 Position 0-47N/149-56E Depth of water 1100 fathoms Weather conditions Clear; Sea calm; Wind West, Northwest, Force 2 Sonar conditions Good Contact first made by Radar Range not stated Number of attacks 19
	1.  BRIEF OF NARRATIVE.
	(a)  0144 (Zone minus 11 time) 30 May 1944 HAZELWOOD made radar contact which was first believed to be a rain cloud.  The contact was tracked and at a range of about 7000 yards was evaluated as a surface target.  At 4000 yards radar contact disappeared and HAZELWOOD began a sonar search.  Sonar contact was made and two depth charge attacks followed at 0203 and 0226.
	(b)  At about 0220 GEORGE and RABY operating in the general area under the command of ComCortDiv 39 proceeded to assist with the contact.  As the DE's were closing HAZELWOOD lost contact.  0405 RABY reported a momentary radar contact on a surface target astern of HAZELWOOD.  0430 another momentary radar contact was made which again did not develop into sonar contact.  At this same time ComCortDiv 39 released HAZELWOOD to proceed on duty assigned.  0437 GEORGE proceeded to the point of last sonar contact and began a retiring search.
	(c)  0528 RABY gained sonar contact in a position seven miles to the south of GEORGE and attacked with hedgehog pattern.  She then had recorder casualty and turned contact over to GEORGE who attacked with two hedgehog patterns.  Fathometer readings of 30 and 25 fathoms were obtained on these runs and water noises were heard.
	(d)  0630 GEORGE fired a third hedgehog pattern and obtained a fathometer reading of 26 fathoms on the run.  Three hedgehog detonations occurred on this attack.  Both ships then continued attacking with hedgehog patterns during which time fathometer readings were obtained and submarine was heard to be apparently blowing tanks.  ComCortDiv 39 report stated RABY obtained a hedgehog hit at 0744.  RABY's report stated these attacks were made "without obtaining hits (?)".
	Enclosure (A) to
	CominCh conf ser __02636__
	dated __3 August 1944.__

 

	CONFIDENTIAL
	(e)  At 0835 a plane closed GEORGE and led her to an oil slick approximately 1/2 mile long and 1/4 mile wide in which bubbles and oil were reported rising.  This slick was approximately four miles to the northeast of the position where GEORGE and RABY were attacking.
	(f)  0917 GEORGE who had rejoined RABY regained contact and dropped a 13 charge pattern.  Contact was then lost and not regained until 1034 by GEORGE who was then investigating a reported periscope sighting.  On developing the contact GEORGE had a steering casualty and turned the contact over to RABY who classified it as only possible and did not attack.
	(g)  A large number of doubtful contacts followed which led ComCortDiv 39 to consider the possibility that the target was a reef.  However, the plots on both ships indicated that the contact was maneuvering radically and it wa then decided to hold contact until it maneuvered in a position free of wakes.
	(h)  1337 an approach was began in which the submarine did not appear to be turning away and which was in an area free of wake disturbances.  1346 GEORGE fired a hedgehog pattern which resulted in an undetermined number of hedgehog explosions.
	(i)  Contact was maintained throughout the afternoon and at 1550 GEORGE stopped over the contact and obtained soundings of 35 to 41 fathoms by fathometer and 50 fathoms by hand line.  Considerable water noises described as "bubbling and gurgling" were heard.  Again considering the possibility that the contact might be a reef it was decided to maintain contact until the submarine, if present, would attempt to surface.
	(j)  Prior to dark RABY was directed to maintain contact at a distance of about 100 yards throughout the night.  GEORGE then proceeded to investigate the slick previously reported.  1922 GEORGE now obtained a momentary radar contact five miles to the southwest.  While searching in the vicinity of this contact seven or eight violent underwater explosions in groups of two and three were heard by both ships.  At 1956 RABY had a steering casualty and lost sonar contact.  GEORGE regained contact at 2038 and held it until 0302.
	(k)  0302 31 May, a large submarine was sighted between the two DE's who were then about 400 yards apart.  Before the ships could clear the line of fire the submarine submerged.  GEORGE made sonar contact at 2000 yards range but lost it before an attack could be made.  RABY regained the contact and fired a hedgehog pattern at 0409 with negative results.  A fathometer reading of 33 fathoms was obtained on this attack.  GEORGE then regained and held contact until sunrise.
	(2)
	Enclosure (A) to
	CominCh conf ser __02636__
	dated __3 August 1944.__

 

	CONFIDENTIAL
	(l)  0550 ENGLAND and SPANGLER joined and were ordered to stand by at about 5000 yards.  0649 GEORGE attacked with a hedgehog pattern.  0659 RABY attacked.  0713 SPANGLER attacked.  0735 ENGLAND fired a hedgehog pattern which resulted in from six to ten hedgehog detonations 9.2 seconds after the projectiles hit the water.  Five minutes and 43 seconds later a tremendous underwater explosion occurred.  About two hours later oil began to rise within 500 yards of the position of ENGLAND's attack.  Soon after debris appeared.  The following debris was recovered:
	Oil samples.
	Several pieces of smoothly finished wood.
	2 or 3 small pieces of wood painted red (one covered with a substance that appeared to be candle tallow).
	3 cork stoppers, 1 with a label bearing Japanese characters.
	Several pieces of deck planking, 1 piece about 10 feet long marked with several Japanese characters.
	6 pieces of painted soft wood.
	1 bar of soap.
	Several pieces of cork.
	1 piece of split reed containing a powder.
	There were several pieces of deck planking that were not recovered.  The area was littered with granulated cork.
	(m)  While RABY, SPANGLER and ENGLAND were conducting their attacks GEORGE proceeded to investigate a large oil slick reported to the northwest.  This slick was between four and five miles northwest of the position where the attacks were occurring.  This second slick was described as two miles long and 1/2 mile wide with oil still rising.
	(n)  ComCortDiv 39 report states that both slicks were investigated at 1500 and it was noted each had "its own source of rising oil".
	2.  EVALUATION OF TARGET.
	(a)  Submarine (s).
	3.  EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE.
	(a)  Contained in narrative.
	(3)
	Enclosure (A) to
	CominCh conf ser __02636__
	dated __3 August 1944.__

 

	CONFIDENTIAL
	4.  ANALYSIS OF ATTACKS.
	Reports submitted by ComCortDiv 39, ENGLAND and SPANGLER were comprehensive.  However, due the the incomplete reports submitted by HAZELWOOD, GEORGE and RABY this action can not be fully reconstructed.  The recorder traces submitted by GEORGE and RABY are badly faded and cannot be associated with particular attacks.  A resume of attacks reported follows:
	Time Ship Type Attack Fathometer Reading Remarks 0203 HAZELWOOD DC - - Recorder trace and DRT chart indicate sub turns inside of HAZELWOOD 0226 HAZELWOOD DC - - - - 0532 RABY No data submitted.  Attack reported by ComCortDiv 39 0610 GEORGE HH 30 Water noises heard on approach.  Doppler low. 0620 GEORGE HH 25 - - 0630* GEORGE HH 28 Target fish-tailing during approach.  3 or more HH detonations about 15 seconds after firing. 0639 GEORGE HH - - Slight target movement. 0703 GEORGE HH - - - - 0714 RABY HH - - Attack followed by dry run on which a fathometer reading of 35 fathoms was obtained and the sound of blowing tanks was heard. 0726 RABY HH - - No reason was given for using a stop watch to determine time to fire. 0744* RABY HH - - ConCortDiv 39 reported on HH detonation.  Not confirmed by RABY's report. 0940 GEORGE DC Medium pattern - - - - 1244 RABY HH - - - -
	(4)
	Enclosure (A) to
	CominCh conf ser __02636__
	dated __3 August 1944.__

 

	CONFIDENTIAL
	1346 GEORGE HH 31 At least 3 underwater detonations. 0409/31 RABY HH 35 - - 0649 GEORGE HH 30 - - 0659 RABY HH 32 - - 0715 SPANGLER HH - - The approach was well conducted.  It was assumed that about 400 yards (when one cut on steadied) that the sub turned bow.  However, the decrease in range rate indicated sub turned away. 0775 ENGLAND HH - - Analysis of excellent report submitted indicates an accurate attack was made.
	The significant features about these attacks are the hedgehog detonations following two attacks made by GEORGE at 0630 and at 1346; the doubtful hedgehog explosion following RABY's attack at 0744; the fathometer readings obtained; the hedgehog attack made by ENGLAND which resulted in underwater explosions with oil and debris coming to the surface; the 7 or 8 heavy explosions which occurred at 1950 and the two oil slicks separated by about four miles, in which it was reported oil continued to rise several hours.
	While the reported positions of the attacks and the track charts cannot be reconciled, it appears quite possible from ComCortDiv 39 report that all of these attacks could have been delivered on one submarine.
	The 7 or 8 unexplained explosions which were reported at 1950 strongly suggest the possibility that the submarine fired a large spread of torpedoes.  Just before these explosions occurred GEORGE obtained a momentary radar contact and the explosions occurred in groups of two and three.
	The position of the second oil slick was reported in the approximate position of the HAZELWOOD's last contact.  While two oil slicks four miles apart in which oil continued to rise several hours after the attacks strongly suggests two submarines may have been involved, it is considered the evidence is not conclusive.
	(5)
	Enclosure (A) to
	CominCh conf ser __02636__
	dated __3 August 1944.__