American Valor Quarterly Issue 10 - Summer 2013 | Page 27

After we waited out the depth charges,
we rose to periscope depth,
surrounded by the enemy ships. The
Skipper picked out a target – the
battleship Kirishima – and said to us,
“Alright, we’re going to make ready
tubes one, two, three and four.”

straight back to the Japanese fleet and
hit their carriers at the perfect
moment, as their planes were refueling
and being re-armed on their decks.
The attack really devastated the
Japanese. McClusky had almost
called off his search for the Japanese
fleet, as his planes were low on fuel,
“Hallelujah!” I thought to myself. I but kept at it until he found the Arashi
was so excited – this was what I had on its way back after engaging the
wanted, to get into the
Navy and see combat!

1,000 and 1,500 yards from a target.
We made it all the way up to about
700 yards away. We were so close the
Captain could read some of the
Japanese insignias on the carrier,
which we thought was the Soryu (some
later research has identified it as
possibly the Kaga).

AMERICAN VALOR QUARTERLY - Spring 2013 - 27

National Archives

The Japanese had four large carriers
at Midway: Akagi, Kaga,
Soryu, and Hiryu. The Soryu
was the fastest carrier in
“Fire one! Fire two!” he
the world at the time of its
ordered. Unfortunately,
launch and became the
nothing happened, and
model for most Japanese
soon a destroyer came
carriers that followed. It
right at us, so we had to
took part in many of the
dive. I thought it was a
earlier Pacific battles,
disaster – we hadn’t sunk
including the attack on
a thing.
Pearl Harbor. You could
see through our periscope
We again sat underwater
that the crew on the carrier
to wait out the attack,
was trying to patch up the
which seemed would
deck and put out flames so
never end. They were
their planes would have a
not going to let us get
place to land. It was pretty
away, and pounded us Torpedoed and mortally damaged Japanese destroyer as seen through the clear that our dive bombers
periscope of either the USS Nautilus or the USS Wahoo, June, 1942.
with depth charges. The
had caused some major
sound was the worst thing I have ever Nautilus. Admiral Nimitz later said damage to them at some point.
heard in my entire life. Fortunately for that McClusky’s decision to keep up
us, they had another mission to get the search decided the fate of our Our Captain ordered three tubes be
on with and they didn’t have much carrier task force and our forces at made ready. We saw that the carrier
time, so we managed to survive the Midway.
had two escort ships, one alongside
attack.
assisting and one off to the rear. It’s
After we returned to periscope depth, remarkable, on a submarine, you can
Unbeknownst to us, this ended up I noticed some smoke on the horizon, hear things from the water that you
being one of the pivotal moments of which I immediately told the wouldn’t expect to be able to hear
the Battle of Midway, and I suppose executive officer about. “You’re without some kind of aid; when we
of the entire war. The Japanese right,” he said, “There is smoke there. let the torpedoes loose, I could hear
destroyer that was counterattacking Let’s investigate this.”
them leave the tubes and move
us with depth charges – the Arashi –
toward the carrier.
was separated from the rest of the As we returned to the surface and
fleet. After they gave up their attack headed toward the smoke, we saw There were explosions along the
on us, they turned to steam back to exactly what we had hoped to find – length of the ship, and it looked like
the fleet as fast as they could. They a Japanese aircraft carrier. Our whatever crew was left began going
were spotted by dive bombers from Captain, Bill Brockman, who would overboard.
the American carrier Enterprise led by become my friend decided to track it,
squadron
commander
Wade and get as close to it as we could. Our Executive Officer was a camera
McClusky, who trailed the Arashi Ideally, a submarine will get between nut and he wanted to find a way to