The Sinking of the Junyo Maru
From the Submarine Commander's Report
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Extracts from Submarine H.M.S. TRADEWIND's Report of Patrol from 8th September to 4th October, 1944.
(Lieutenant Commander S.L.C. Maydon, D.S.O., R.N., reporting.)
- 8 September 1944
- H.M.S. Tradewind leaves Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) for patrol along the west
and south coast of Sumatra (Indonesia).
- 14 September 1944
- Nearing Padang (west coast of Sumatra).
- 17 September 1944
-
1219 hours - Estimated position 3 degs. 37 min. S., 101 degs, 56 mins, E.
- 1831 hours - Surfaced, course 270 degs. Cmdr Maydon having earlier established that the High Power
periscope was defective, now ascertains the radar is defective. It was decided
to patrol one more day between Benkulen and Padang (west coast of Sumatra).
-
18 September 1944
-
1430 hours - Estimated position (by soundings) 2 degs. 49 min. S., 101 degs. 12 mins.
E. Altered course 145 degs.
- 1516 hours - Lieutenant P.C. Daley, Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, the Officer
of the Watch, sights, through the lower persicope, a plume of smoke at a
distance of 13,500 yards. Cmdr Maydon verifies the sighting and alters course
and proceeds mostly at full speed towards target on courses between 190 and 225 degrees.
- 1545 hours - Target was seen to be escorted by two M.L.'s. Their H.E. and
later asdic transmissions were reported by asdic. The target
(now known to be the JUNYO MARU) was an old-fashioned
merchant vessel of 4 to 5 thousand tons, of the three island type, two masts,
single, tall thin funnel and counter-stern. She was about two-thirds loaded.
- 1548 hours - Cmdr Maydon decides to turn onto a 40-degree Track Angle
(course 200 degs,; at that time he was steering 225 degs.) and had just
started to turn when the target obligingly zigzagged back to her original course of 295 degs.,
putting the Tradewind almost on a 95-degree track.
- 1551 hours - Four torpedoes were fired (from distance estimated at 1750 metres) at 15
second intervals. One minute thirty seconds and one minute forty-five
seconds later two explosions were clearly heard. Between six and nine minutes later
three depth charges were dropped. By this time the Tradewind was deep and
retiring on a course of 270 degs.
- 1613 hours - On a bearing of 120 degs., loud crackling noises were heard by asdic -
probably the target breaking up. There was no further counter-attack.
The lack of the H.P. periscope provided Maydon with no opportunity
to see how heavily armed the escorts were and the presence of aircrafts. There was also speculation
that the depth charges were infact bombs dropped from the air.
- 1701 hours - HMS Tradewind was back at periscope depth and one M.L.
escort only was in sight at a distance of three miles.
- 1709 hours - Altered course to 180 degs. and reloaded Nos. 2, 3 and 4 tubes.
- 1938 hours - Surfaced in position 3 degs. 0 mins. S., 101
degs. 9 mins. E. Proceeded to the South East. Very heavy rain during the night.
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