USS S-32 (SS-137) - Fifth War Patrol

Fifth War Patrol

Arriving on 23 September, S-32 departed again on 8 October. During a trim dive, a fuel discrepancy, caused by the presence of water in the line during fueling at Dutch Harbor, was discovered. On 12 October, the S-boat ran out of reserve fuel in the number-three main ballast tank. The discrepancy was approximately 9000 gallons, but S-32 continued west, into the Kuril Islands.

On 17 October, she arrived off Paramushiro and, that evening, she took up station off the southeast coast of the island to patrol the entrances to Musashi Wan and Onekotan Strait. On the morning of 18 October, she sighted two ships at anchor in Musashi Wan, and, after a periscope check disclosed no other ships in the area, she began working her way to an attack position west or southwest of the targets. Moving slowly, with short and infrequent periscope exposures, through the calm and poorly charted bay, she went up for a final check at 10:23. While looking, she struck an uncharted sand bar. The S-boat, her tubes ready for firing, angled up 10 degrees. Her depth gauge showed 32 feet (9.8 m). During the next few seconds she slid over the bar, apparently showing periscope shears, bow, and, possibly, the whole bridge structure; then, over the bar, she took a down angle at high speed. At 10:25, she fired. Two torpedoes set at six feet, were sent against each of the targets. On firing the fourth and final "fish", she changed course and maneuvered at high speed toward the open sea. Two explosions were heard as she cleared the immediate area. At 10:45, she came to periscope depth to observe the damage.

One of the targets was afire amidships and had settled somewhat; she was anchored in shallow water and might have been resting on the bottom. The second target was obscured by the first. S-32 went to 80 feet (24 m) and proceeded out of the bay. At 12:05, she resumed her patrol east out of Onekotan Strait. That evening, she turned toward the Aleutians; and, on 27 October, she arrived at Dutch Harbor.

From Dutch Harbor, S-32 returned to San Diego. Overhaul followed her 11 November arrival; and, from 21–25 December, she tested newly installed equipment: a fathometer, radar, and keel-mounted sound gear. From 28 December 1942 to 26 January 1943, she provided services to the West Coast Sound School, and on 6 February, she headed north toward Dutch Harbor.