Third, Fourth and Fifth War Patrols
Flounder cleared Brisbane on her third war patrol 1 August 1944, and after calling at Manus on 8 and 9 August, sailed on to serve as lifeguard during strikes on the Philippine Islands. Once more, during the portion of her patrol devoted to aggressive patrol, she found few contacts, and was able to make only one attack. The intended target, a small escort, dodged her torpedoes, and drove her deep with depth charges. Flounder took on provisions and fuel at Mios Woendi, New Guinea, from 28 August to 1 September, then completed her patrol in Davao Gulf, returning to Brisbane on 4 October.
On her fourth war patrol, for which she sailed on 27 October 1944, Flounder patrolled the South China Sea with two other submarines. North of Lombok Strait on 10 November Flounder sighted what was first thought to be a small sailboat. Closer inspection revealed the target to be the conning tower of a submarine, and Flounder went to battle stations submerged. She sent four torpedoes away, observing one hit and feeling another as the target submarine exploded and was enveloped by smoke and flame. Coming back to periscope depth a half hour later, Flounder found nothing in sight. She had sunk one of the German submarines operating in the Far East, U-537.
An attack by Flounder's group on a convoy off Palawan on 21 November 1944 sank a freighter, but other contacts were few, and the sub returned to Fremantle to refit between 13 December and 7 January 1945. Underway for her fifth war patrol, Flounder had to return to Fremantle from 12 to 14 January to repair her fathometer, then sailed to lead a three-submarine coordinated attack group in the South China Sea. On 12 and 13 February, her group made a determined chase after a Japanese task force, but was unable to close these fast targets. A more obliging target came her way on 22 February, when she launched four torpedoes at a patrol boat. Two of these, however, ran erratically, and only Flounder’s skillful maneuvering saved her from being hit by her own torpedoes. More trouble arrived three days later, when in a freak accident, she and Hoe (SS-258) brushed each other 66 feet (20 m) beneath the surface. Only a slight leak developed, which was quickly brought under control.
Read more about this topic: USS Flounder (SS-251)
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