Page 3 - gudgeon1949

GUDGEON (SS211)

A
rmed with the pride borne of her suc-
cesses on eleven previous war patrols,
GUDGEON, under Lt. Cdr. R. A.
Bonm, sailed from Pearl Harbor on 4 April
1944 to conduct her twelfth patrol in an
open · sea area in the northern Marianas.
She left Johnston Island on 7 April 1944,
after having topped off with fuel, and was
never heard from again.
Originally scheduled to leave her area on
16 May, she was ordered on 11 May to
depart her area in time to take station for
a special assignment. An acknowledgement
for this message was required and when
none was received, it was asked for again
on 12 May. On 14 May, her special assign-
ment was given to another submarine, and
GUDGEON was told to return to Midway.
She should have arrived at Midway about
23 May but failed to do so and on 7 June R. A. Bonin
she was reported as presumed lost.

GUDGEON~s area was the space from
17°N to 21 °N, and 143°E to 147°E but if any known attack on a U.S. submarine near
she arrived earlier than 22 April 194.i, she this time, but it is felt that the possible
was to patrol the rectanfd<' from 21 °N to errors in assuming that this attack
24°N, 143°E to 147°E until that time. Using sank GUDGEON are too great to list as
normal cruising speed, she would have ar- anything but a possibility.
rived in the area assigned about 16 April.
Assuming that nothing irregular happened On 12 May 1944, a number of submarines
enroute, she might be expected to have been patroling the Marianas reported that the
in the northern area from 16-22 April. On enemy engaged in intensive anti-submarine
18 April, enemy planes claimed that they tactics in about 15°-l6'N, 145°-30'E. Early
dropped bombs on a submarine. "The first in the afternoon, SANDLANCE ~tes,
bomb hit a bow, the second bomb direct on "while patrolling off Saipan looking for con-
bridge. The center of the submarine burst voy, we heard about forty depth charges
open and oil pillars rose." The position eight to ten miles away." Later SAND-
given for this attack is 166 miles bearing LANCE received three bombs and twenty-
13°T from "Yuoh" Island. No island ap- one depth ch:irges herself. SILVERSIDES
proaching the spelling or sound of this word heard both the first attack and the attack
can be found in the Pacific, and it is assum- made on SANDLANCE. TUNNY heard
ed that a mistake has been made either by depth charging . during the afternoon. No
the Japanese or in translation of the pos- submarine returning from the area reported
ition. If the island referred to could be having been attacked on 12 May except
Maug, the position given would be in the SANDLANCE. Japanese data for the at-
middle of the area in which GUDGEON tack gives little information save that it
should have been at the time specified. The war made-__hy planes in cooperation with
attack described cannot be correlated with ships. With 's'o--many submarines in the
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