War Patrol Report (Page 12)
| CONFIDENTIAL | |
| Subject: | U.S.S. BERGALL -- Report of FIRST War Patrol |
| ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 0325 (H) | Closed to attack. Targets still unseen, course 240°T., speed 13 knots, range 10,000 yards. P.P.I. showed two large ships roughly in column with one escort ahead and one astern of the formation. |
| 0328 (H) | Range 8,000 yards began to see two large ships, looked like small carriers. Decided to set depth 10 feet and to fire three at each ship. Remembered then that this pitometer log had been acting up and that our speed solution might not be accurate so decided to fire six at the biggest one, spread to give four hits. |
| We had commenced our approach from a position 10,000 yards bearing 50° relative from the leading target. He now changed course away to 205° forcing us to accept a large track. | |
| At 5,000 yards picked up second ship in the T.B.T. Could not be sure whether ships were small carriers or large tankers in ballast. Decided 10 foot depth setting safe in either case. | |
| At 4,000 yards could make out superstructure forward and aft. Nothing amidships seen. Target almost half filled field of glasses. Could see escort astern of target. | |
| 0336 (H) | Commenced firing six torpedoes forward. Range 3,500 yards. Target half filled field. 43 seconds later fired sixth torpedo. Turned right with full rudder. Range now 3,000 yards; target could be seen well enough to make out following points: |
| (a) He filled over half of binocular field. (about 550 feet long.) | |
| (b) He had a silhouette very similar to HYOKUYO MARU, (Page 293, ONI-208-J). | |
| - 12 - |
Back to the SS 320 home page