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III. APPROACH and ATTACK. |
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(a) Immediately upon sighting, Lt.(jg) STEARNS signaled to Lt.(jg) JOHNSON to make a strafing run. Lt.(jg) JOHNSON dove directly at U/B’s stern and strafed from 3000 feet on down to about 15 feet above the water going over U/B from stern to bow. Lt.(jg) STEARNS followed to attack simultaneously going in over U/B just after Lt.(jg) JOHNSON finished first run. His attack course was 3370 T. (or 0450 relative to U/B). During run Lt.(jg) STEARNS strafed U/B with .30 caliber cowl gun until about 100 feet off the water. Wheels were lowered in attack to cut speed, then raised again. When 100 feet over water, Lt.(jg) STEARNS leveled off for an instant then dove and released bombs in salvo in shallow dive. Bombs dropped in pairs straddling U/B about amidships. U/B was at conning tower depth in a dive at the explosion of the depth charges. It continued to dive, but resurfaced almost at once at the perimeter of the depth charge slick, heading 2200 (or 900 relative to its original course) at a very slow speed trailing oil. At this time the U/B’s decks were just awash. It traveled this way for about 75 yards then sank to about 25 feet, but the water was so clear that the U/B could still be seen – trailing oil and air bubbles. Just before it settled below the water Lt.(jg) JOHNSON got in another strafing attack. |
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About five minutes after Lt.(jg) STEARNS attacked, Lt.(jg) W.S. FOWLER, USNR, in TBF and Lt.(jg) TENNANT, USNR, arrived on the scene (1350). Lt.(jg) FOWLER immediately attacked the U/B dropping 4 D/Cs in train just as U/B was breaking water to resurface the second time. (This was the third attack Lt.(jg) FOWLER had made on an enemy U/B since June 4th). Lt.(jg) FOWLER with Lt.(jg) TENNANT as VF escort had seen Lt.(jg) STEARNS attack and flew over to relieve him. |
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U/B stayed on the surface and Lt.(jg) TENNANT strafed it twice, and then circled and strafed only when men in the conning tower tried to man the guns. Each time Lt.(jg) TENNANT saw someone going to a gun he would strafe, and they would run below, or over to the other side of the conning tower. Finally Lt.(jg) FOWLER got on one side, and Lt.(jg) TENNENT got on the other, and chased the men back and forth across the top of the U/B as they sought cover on the opposite side of the conning tower from which a plane was approaching. Gunner TUCKER’s fire from TBF turret was very accurate. |
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During this time Lt.(jg) JOHNSON made several strafing attacks, and several of them were made with Lt.(jg) TENNANT; both planes converging on the U/B at once from opposite sides. During this time no one on the U/B could man a gun. They didn’t jump overboard, but merely donned life jackets. |
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Lt.(jg) JOHNSON returned to base about 1400 as he was out of ammunition. |
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Lt.(jg) H. E. FRYATT, USNR, arrived on scene about 1405. Lt.(jg) TENNANT made another run and then Lt.(jg) FRYATT made his depth charge attack dropping two D/C’s which straddled the U/B at the conning tower. The U/B then listed to starboard and started sinking slowly by the stern. Lt.(jg) FRYATT started to make another run to drop his remaining two depth charges, but there were so many planes in the air, that he could not make another run. By the time he could get into position to drop again, people were beginning to jump overboard and the U/B’s stern was so low in the water that he didn’t think it necessary to drop. Lt.(jg) TENNANT made a strafing run to clear the decks for Lt,(jg) FRYATT, and as Lt.(jg) FRYATT did not follow him in, he made another run, during which run his guns jammed and he could not fire them again. |
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At 1408 Lt.(jg) W. F. CHAMBERLAIN, USNR, with Lt. R. S. ROGERS, USN, as VF escort arrived from the ship from where they had been sent to relieve on the attack. When they arrived they saw smoke or spray rising from the U/B. Lt. Rogers made one run and then Lt.(jg) CHAMBERLAIN dove to attack – dropping two D/C’s which exploded directly under the U/B’s conning tower. He then made a sharp left turn and dove to drop his remaining two D/C’s. During this run the U/B got off a few bursts of AA fire. Lt.(jg) CHAMBERLAIN continued on in to attack and dropped the remaining two D/C’s which also exploded directly under the U/B. This time the U/B blew up, sending large pieces of metal and debris high in the air. |
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Ensign S. E. Doty, USNR, and Lt.(jg) E. S. HEIM, USNR, as fighter escort were also sent to the scene from the ship and arrive at 1409. Lt.(jg) HEIM had time to make one strafing run as Lt.(jg) CHAMBERLAIN made his second attack. He was forced to cease firing on the way in to let Lt.(jg) CHAMBERLAIN finish his run; and resumed as Lt.(jg) CHAMBERLAIN passed beyond the U/B as it blew up. |
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There was nothing left for Ensign DOTY to drop his charges on. It is not surprising after having been hit with 16 325 lb. D/C’s 4410 rounds of .50 caliber and 800 rounds of .30 caliber ammunition. |
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There were many survivors and dead men in the water after the spray subsided and Lt(jg) FRYATT threw his rubber boat over to them. The men seemed very pleased at this and were seen to clasp both hands over their heads and wave their thanks! |
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All officers on board were killed in the conning tower at the time of the attack, four dead were left in the water, and 17 men were picked up by the U.S.S. OSMON INGRAM. One man later died on board. |
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The U/B is believed to have been the 118 No. M47787 which was in Germany in Mar. and sailed later from Bordeaux, France. |
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