Bismarck Sea in WW2 History | World War II Database

22 Nov 1942

Australian New Guinea

In the Bismarck Sea off New Ireland, submarine USS Saury fired four torpedoes at a Japanese merchant ship as a Japanese destroyer bore down on her. The torpedoes did not explode and Saury evaded the depth charge counterattack. ww2dbase [Saury | Bismarck Sea | DS]

26 Nov 1942

Australian New Guinea

In the Bismarck Sea off New Ireland, submarine USS Saury fired three torpedoes at a Japanese anti-submarine vessel. The torpedoes did not explode with at least one torpedo running under the target vessel. ww2dbase [Saury | Bismarck Sea | DS]

27 Nov 1942

Australian New Guinea

Submarine USS Saury suffered a casualty to her No. 1 main engine that, inspection revealed, was beyond repair. Saury continued on using her other three engines. ww2dbase [Saury | Bismarck Sea | DS]

5 Dec 1942

Australian New Guinea

From a position in the Bismarck Sea southwest of Kavieng on New Ireland, submarine USS Saury observed the bombing of the Kavieng airfield by heavy bombers of the USAAF. Saury reported the flames were visible from 70 miles away. ww2dbase [Saury | Bismarck Sea | DS]

8 Dec 1942

Australian New Guinea

Submarine USS Saury departed the Bismarck Sea and started making her way toward Pearl Harbor, Hawai'i, according to orders. ww2dbase [Saury | Bismarck Sea | DS]

16 Jan 1943

Australian New Guinea

Submarine USS Growler torpedoed and sank the 5,857-ton cargo ship Chifuki Maru 11 miles north of Waton Island between New Britain and New Ireland in the Bismarck Islands. Growler then endured an intense depth charge attack. ww2dbase [Growler | Bismarck Sea | DS]

7 Feb 1943

Australian New Guinea

Submarine USS Growler initiated a surface attack on the 900-ton armed stores ship Hayasaki 70 miles northwest of Rabaul. Hayasaki turned toward Growler with intent to ram the sub. The two vessels rammed one another head-on, badly damaging the bows of both. Hayasaki opened fire on Growler’s bridge and conning tower with machine guns, mortally wounding Growler’s captain, Commander Howard W. Gilmore. From the bridge, Gilmore shouted down through Growler’s open hatch, “Take her down!” and the submarine submerged beneath him. The sub was saved but Commander Gilmore was lost. For his actions in saving the boat, Commander Gilmore was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. ww2dbase [Growler | Bismarck Sea | DS]

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis

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