Just after midnight on October 23rd, the Darter located the rear destroyer escorts of the entire Japanese fleet bound for Leyte. #dartermonth2022
Official USS Darter War Patrol Log
Monday, 23 Oct. ’44.
0016 H Radar contact 131 degrees T, operator says “probably rain.”
0017 H By megaphone to DACE: “We have radar contact. Let’s go”
0020 H Bearing changed to left. Operator says it is ships. Both subs closing at full power. Come to normal approach course, 040 degrees T. Targets headed up to PALAWAN PASSAGE.
Between now and dawn sent out 3 contact reports to CTF-71, giving final estimate that ships were a task force of 11 heavy ships. This based on their high speed and long radar ranges obtained (34,000 yards maximum); also many sweeping radars were detected. Tracking party said that gaining attack position was hopeless due to high target speed (initial estimate 22 knots) Blew negative, safety, ran #10 blow every 30 minutes. Managed to average about 19 knots. Estimates of enemy speed began to drop until finally it was 15 knots. We had them now! Enemy course 39 degrees. DARTER was to attack left flank column first, at dawn, with DACE about 5 miles up the track in position to attack starboard column. Did not attack in darkness, as it was considered vital to see and identify the force which was probably on its way to interfere with the Leyte landing. It was felt that there could be no radical dawn zig due to size of force and narrowness of PALAWAN PASSAGE. Targets did not zig during night.
0425 H 20,000 yards dead ahead of port column of heavy ships. Slowed to 15 knots. Biggest pip in port column was last ship. Picked it as target.
0452 H Manned battle stations.
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