USS S-31 (SS-136) - First Four War Patrols

First Four War Patrols

By the end of June, S-31 was en route to Alaska; and, on 7 July, she departed the submarine base at Dutch Harbor for her first patrol on the edge of the northern Pacific. Moving west from Unalaska, she reconnoitered the Adak area, then shifted north to her patrol area in the Bering Sea just north of the Aleutian chain. On 19 July, she was ordered further west; and, on 30 July, she took station to the east of Kiska to intercept enemy ships moving toward an Allied force scheduled to bombard that enemy-held island. The bombardment took place on 7 August. The following evening, S-31 cleared for Dutch Harbor. On 10 August, 60 nautical miles (111 km) out of Dutch Harbor, a Mark X emergency identification flare exploded, causing serious chest injuries to the commanding officer and underscoring the needs for pharmacist's mates on S-boats and for better communications between Dutch Harbor and ships operating in the northern Pacific. Use of the Mark X flare had been ordered discontinued on 13 July.

During her patrol, she had also encountered other problems common to all S-boats operating in the area: loose superstructure plates, the lack of a fathometer and radar, inadequate interior hull insulation, and poor operating weather.

Sporadic communication, which resulted in two attacks by American patrol planes, and inclement weather provided the greatest hazards to her fourth patrol, conducted between 26 August and 28 September in support of the occupation of Adak. For most of the period, she was buffeted by turbulent seas. Occasionally, she encountered only choppy conditions. On 30 August, chlorine gas was formed by water driven by a 40-knot (46 mph; 74 km/h) wind when it entered her forward battery compartment. The poisonous gas was soon detected and eliminated.