064 - Threats Down Under

The Sinking and Rescue of Fuel Tanker Erimo

Throughout the month of February, the crew of American Submarine S-39 found itself patrolling the waters surrounding French Indochina, New Guinea, and Australia. The underwater boats (or U-Boats, as they were often called) were playing the role of “Coastwatcher”, monitor ring enemy movements under stealthy conditions and reporting the details back to ABDA command.

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Sometimes, however, an opportunity would present itself so that the submarines could strike. Such was the case on March 4^th, when she spotted a Japanese Fuel Tanker transiting north through the Sunda Strait. Fuel Tankers were the mobile supply line of the Carrier Fleets, able to refuel ships while out at sea.

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The S-39 launched a volley of 4 torpedoes at the large tanker, striking its hull with three. As the skipper of the S-39 confirmed the sinking of the Tanker Erimo, he ordered the submarine to submerge beneath the waves and cruise to depths to avoid Japanese Destroyer counter attacks.

Meanwhile, the crew of the Erimo had been ordered to abandon ship. The Light Cruiser Yura, which had been involved in the search for the submarine, was commanded to take on rescue operations for the Tanker.

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Three days earlier, the Light Cruiser Yura had encountered a similar attack from a Dutch Submarine K-XIV, which launched only two torpedoes due to the size and strength of the Japanese escort fleet. In that battle, the Yura and her counterparts made six coordinated attacks on the Dutch submarine, dropping a total of 25 depth charges. However, like so many counter attacks on U-Boats in both the Pacific and Atlantic, none scored a hit and that submarine also sped away to safety.

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