In the gray dawn of August 10, 1942, the crew of USS S‑44 settled into battle stations with a strange mix of nerves and purpose. They’d been pushing through the maze of New Britain and New Ireland for weeks, a tangle of islands in the Coral Sea where every rip of current hides a ship or a mine. The day before had passed quietly, submerged, covering New Hanover’s approach. Now, North of Simberi Island, at periscope depth in glassy seas, something unusual appeared.