Stories From the US Submarine Force
1942
On the morning of May 27, 1944, a rare and potentially deadly incident unfolded beneath the waves of the Pacific Ocean, involving two U.S. submarines, the USS Lapon (SS-260) and the USS Raton (SS-270). Both submarines were known for their successful patrols, hunting enemy vessels that threatened the war effort. What happened that day, however, is an example of the unpredictable nature of submarine warfare—an accidental incident of friendly fire that could have ended in disaster but instead ended in a miracle.
Continue reading “A Near Not-Miss”
In the dark, moonlit hours of May 10, 1944, the Pacific Ocean off the northwestern coast of Luzon was alive with danger. Beneath the gently rolling swells, the steel predator USS Cod (SS-224), a fleet submarine of the Gato-class, stalked its prey—a leviathan of a convoy moving southwesterly, heavily guarded by Japanese destroyers, torpedo boats, and patrol planes. What followed was a daring submerged engagement worthy of any tale from Theodore Roscoe’s annals of undersea valor: an audacious attack on a 30-ship convoy that left fire on the sea and silence below.
Continue reading “USS Cod’s Torpedo Ballet: The Action of May 10, 1944”
Patrol Reports 