Eastern Connecticut news., 1946-09-02

This was the first time the DACE
 had ever surfaced and fired her guns at an enemy ship.
 The DACE finally left the area on the ninth of June and headed into the Sea of Okhotsk.
 The early morning of June 10th, a large freighter and small tank
 CT were sighted about eight miles
 ahead. The DACE went ahead full speed in order to run around the ships and get ahead of them At one time the fog cleared up enough to show a large destroyer escort only six miles away. For a couple of minutes the personnel on the bridge watched this Japan csc warship, then the fog obscured
 her again.
 An hour later another escort was seen for . few minutes, then dis
 appeared. The convoy now con-
 sisted of two rather potent escorts, one freighter and small tanker.
 At about noon all hands had lunch, then the sub waited dead
 ahead of the convoy. In half 1 hour the first escort came into
 sight and the DACE submerged.
 Silently the DACE slipped un-
 seen under the water between the
 two escorts. The freighter was
 dead ahead and coming towards her bows on. The DACE maneu-
 vered out of the way, and with the
 freighter only 380 yards away, she
 fired. Almost instantly the first
 torpedo hit the freighter with
 tremendous explosion amidships.
 Quickly more torpedoes were
 fired at the smaller tanker but
 none hit The Captain took quick
 look at the escorts through the
 periscope and discovered one of
 them coming straight for the sub-
 marine. Quickly another torpedo
 DACE dived deep. Just before the
 periscope was lowered a quick
 glance at the freighter proved that
 the first torpedo had done it's job lWell. As she dived to deeper
 depths the noise of the freighter
 breaking up on her way towards
 the bottom was clearly audible
 through the hull.
 A couple Of minutes of silence
 passed, then four depth charges
 shook the boat. Someone re- marked If you think that was : loud wait until you hear the next ones. The breaking up noises from . the freighter continued. The es- cort could be heard coming back for another run. A quick set-up was made and another torpedo was fired.
 Shortly afterwards an explosion that sounded like a torpedo hit, rumbled through the boat. In , quick succession 19 more explo- sions went off overhead. Five . minutes of silence passed. Twelve depth charges exploded close by l and shook the ship slightly. For the next few hours the DACE silently eased away from
 the searching escorts, one of which : was probably badly damaged. Fi- , nally late that afternoon after four | hours of freezing quiet the DACE l came close to the surface for a periscope look - all clear. The
 heaters were turned on and every 1 one restored circulation in their , numb limbs by stamping their feet 7 and drinking hot coffee. After dark, the DACE surfaced
 in very rough seas. She went back t to the scene of the action but could
 locate no Wreckage. She then headed for the area of Kita Uruppu , Channel.
 ] June 11-16 the DACE patrollcd ;. back and forth in the channel. Some days were exceptionally clear and the snow-capped peaks 3 of Shimishura Take lowered high l over her Other days were foggy 3 and bleak.
 On the 18th, the DACE joined : company with the CABEZON, the } USS APOGON and the USS MAN. l IA. The four subs made 8 wide P patrol sweep up the eastern side of the Kuriles. During this sweep ? the first plane for this patrol was { contacted-no bombs.
 7 On the 17th, the pack received orders to search for the crew of . a U. S. Army plane which had l loaoy1 fnroaI Lovyyo V,oor Aroidn Tn