10-24-1944 - Darter Tries to Break Free

Darter on Bombay Shoal
October 24, 1944
Approximately 1:00am Pacific Time

Captain McClintock quickly weighed the options in his head. If they stayed there helpless on the reef, they were goners for sure. If a plane came along and dropped a bomb or strafed the boat, they'd be history. If they continued to signal for help, the Japs might intercept the message and bring the entire fleet down on their heads. If the Dace was still in the area, there might be a possibility of rescue. But could a submarine designed to accommodate eighty men hold double that? For weeks at a time? If they wanted to affect a rescue, they'd better do it before daylight. It seemed better than his best alternative, which was to abandon ship and jump into the water with life vests.

High tide was in just an hour or so. Should everyone stay with the stricken vessel and try to free her? Just how bad was the damage? Could damage to the outer hull and ballast tanks cause her to sink beyond any chance of rescue? Should they scuttle the ship and abandon it; take their chances on the high sea without any lifeboats? They only had one rubber boat, it held two men and no more. So many questions.

McClintock had made up his mind. They had to try to free Darter from the shoal with the coming high tide; failing that, they would have no choice but to scuttle her. But before doing so, they would have to render the sub so incapable of operation that nothing on board the ship would be of any use to the enemy if she were captured. They could rig up the explosive charges; they could light a fire below decks and burn the whole thing up from the inside out. They could disassemble the secret equipment and toss the parts overboard. Or maybe Dace could finish her off with her four-inch deck gun, or a few well- aimed torpedoes. Whatever they chose, time was running out. He was determined not to abandon ship and place the crew in danger until all other possible options had been exhausted.

The Dace had been contacted and confirmed on radar. She was 11,000 yards and closing on them. So if they had to abandon Darter and scuttle her, the crew would be recovered.

A good four or five hours remained until dawn; the darkness was still concealing their vulnerable sub from unwelcome eyes.

At 0146 hours, high tide commenced. The crew began a desperate attempt to free the mired submarine. The diesel engines would not start; the intakes were clogged with rock and bits of coral. The captain ordered reverse full on batteries. He ordered all the men to run to the back of the ship, to try and tip her off the reef. Then he had everyone run towards the fore torpedo room and back again, while the electric motors were tried in forward and reverse at full power. After three minutes of trying to see-saw the sub off the rocks, it had still not budged an inch.

With his careful supervision, the crew then set to work trying to lighten the ship any way they could.

The men's orders were to toss everything they couldn't carry with them overboard. Classified electronic gear, toolboxes, soup cans, meat, dry goods... anything not bolted down and on fire. They raided the galley first. Then the crew sleeping areas and officer's quarters.

The men hastily gathered whatever they could carry, and in their rush they left many things behind they would grow to regret later. Some sailors left loads of money from gambling winnings and their paychecks aboard the ship, and did not realize it until later. One man had two wallets; he grabbed the empty one by mistake and left six hundred dollars in cash behind. Some of the sailors, when they ran out of life preservers, began tying knots in their extra pairs of pants for use as flotation. It was a hopeless formality, with the shark-infested and freezing waters they wouldn't stand much of a chance. (Miracle in the Pacific)

 

The garbage that was piling up in the trash compactor was emptied. The ballast tanks were blown and drained away. Everything that could fit in the torpedo tubes was flushed out. Commissary Officer Skorupsky had on board a wardrobe of fine tailored dress suits, which he pulled off the hangers and tossed into a duffel bag to be passed up the ladder out the hatch. The men on deck said “Sure, we can take those,” took the bag and immediately heaved it overboard, then asked if he had any more. He gave up a few more cases of belongings and these too went over the side. Then the man came up and said “Hey, where are all my clothes?” The men pointed at the water, and he looked down and saw the fins of sharks swimming around. Then they pointed to the ship's one tiny rubber boat. He understood and kept his mouth shut from then on. (Cruisers or Breakfast)

 

The food and meat being thrown overboard attracted sharks to the floating wreckage. The officers on deck warned the men to stay out of the water, as those above prayed silently for signs of their sister sub, supposedly come to rescue them. To some of these men it appeared they were finally free as water was seen rushing past the sides of the ship, but these were only currents spinning the propellers.

At 0230 hours, the last attempt to free her was ceased. The electric motors were shut down for the last time, the fuel and lube oil tanks were emptied and the batteries were drained.

Darter was dead, but at least her crew was still alive.