6 Oct 1942

United States
  • After sunset off Cape Sebastian, Oregon, Japanese submarine I-25 made a torpedo attack on the 7,000-ton Richfield Oil tanker SS Larry Doheny en route from Long Beach, California to Portland, Oregon with 66,000 barrels of oil. I-25 fired one torpedo but missed. The submarine surfaced and began a stern chase in the darkness. I-25 briefly lost sight of the darkened ship and when the ship reappeared, I-25 was right on top of the tanker. Another torpedo was fired that ran for only 18 second before exploding against the ship opening a 14-foot hole in the hull. With I-25 so close, the explosion also shook the submarine and showered her decks with fragments. Six men aboard Larry Doheny were killed and a massive fire raged on board. The 40 remaining crew abandoned ship before it sank. I-25 withdrew and headed north. The survivors of Larry Doheny’s crew were rescued the following morning. ww2dbase [Japanese Attacks on the Continental United States | Cape Sebastian, Oregon | DS]

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
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