USS Lagarto (SS-371)

USS ''Lagarto'' (SS-371), a , was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the lagarto, a lizard fish.

Construction and commissioning

''Lagarto''′s keel was laid down on 12 January 1944 by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company of Manitowoc, Wisconsin. She was launched on 28 May 1944, sponsored by Emily Taft Douglas, Congresswoman from Illinois, and later United States Senator from Illinois, and commissioned on 14 October 1944 with Commander Frank D. Latta in command. Latta was a veteran of nine war patrols and holder of the Navy Cross, earned while commanding officer of the submarine .

Operational history

November–December 1944

Floated high and dry in a floating drydock down the Mississippi River, among the islands and channels of which her captain had first "felt the call of the sea" as "a mere youth", ''Lagarto'' departed New Orleans, Louisiana, on 12 November 1944, for Panama, escorted by the submarine chaser . Releasing her escort on 15 November, ''Lagarto'' reported to Commander, Panama Sea Frontier, to begin her shakedown two days later. Captain John G. Johns supervised the boat's training during the period between 20 November and 5 December 1944. Sadly, during that period, on 3 December, Chief Machinist's Mate Pat Cole died of coronary thrombosis while ''Lagarto'' lay at Saboya Anchorage, off Perlas Island, Panama.

Clearing Balboa, Canal Zone, on 9 December 1944, ''Lagarto'' reached Pearl Harbor on Christmas Day 1944. The following day, she commenced a period of training (supervised by Captain Jesse L. Hull for its duration) and a special availability. The latter saw the installation of a second gun and replacement of the 20 mm with two 40 mm mounts, installation of additional topside ready-use lockers, eight topside mounts for .50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns, in addition to other internal work, including the alteration of the small arms magazine to accommodate additional ammunition stowage, bringing the boat's total capacity to 220 rounds. Additionally, a Panama Bay sound test having revealed a "singing" port propeller, that was replaced. The special training and availability period concluded on 23 January 1945.

January – March 1945

''Lagarto'', accompanied by , departed Pearl Harbor on 24 January 1945, escorted initially by . Releasing their escort four and a half hours out, the two boats proceeded in company, conducting dives and drills daily and acting as targets for each other on alternate days. Ultimately, the pair reached the Marianas on 4 February, exchanging recognition signals with friendly planes as they neared Saipan. Escorted in by the infantry landing craft on 5 February, ''Lagarto'' moored in a nest alongside as she lay alongside in Tanapag Harbor. ''Haddock'' moored outboard.

Tragedy struck the next day, however, when an automobile accident on Saipan resulted in serious injuries to two of ''Lagarto''s more experienced officers: Lieutenant Walter R. Shaw, a "mustang" (commissioned from the enlisted ranks) veteran of three war patrols, and Ensign Allen G. Brewington, who, like Shaw, was a mustang but a veteran of nine patrols, including one in ''Haddock'' for which he had earned the Silver Star. In addition, the mishap incapacitated three of ''Haddock''s officers, including Commander John P. "Beetle" Roach, her skipper and a Naval Academy classmate of ''Lagarto''s commanding officer. Consequently, Lieutenant Robert J. Williams (five war patrols) and Lieutenant, junior grade Walter B. Phelps (four war patrols) arrived by air from Guam, reporting on board ''Lagarto'' late in the forenoon watch on 7 February to replace Shaw and Brewington.

Under way during the first dog watch on 7 February 1945, escorted by the motor minesweeper , "Latta's Lancers" (Task Group 17.13) formed column—''Lagarto'', ''Haddock'', and —and headed for the Bonin Islands to destroy "picket boats" in advance of the carrier strikes planned to be launched by Task Force 38 in mid-month. Releasing ''YMS-426'' at midnight, ''Lagarto'' decoded a dispatch a little over two hours into the mid watch on 8 February, however, communicating the sad tidings that Lieutenant Shaw had died ("His loss was a serious blow to the ''Lagarto''," wrote Captain Willard J. Suits, Commander, Submarine Squadron 22, "and the submarine service.") of the injuries suffered in the automobile accident on the 6th. At noon the same day (8 February), while ''Lagarto'' mourned her loss, Commander Latta informed the " wolfpack" that its being behind schedule would not permit coordinated practice firing.

12 – 13 February

Entering the assigned patrol area on 11 February 1945, "Latta's Lancers" commenced searching for their quarry. A quarter of an hour into the first dog watch on 12 February, ''Lagarto'' sighted four B-29s; contacting two over her VHF (very high frequency) radio equipment, she "received hedope on hepicket vessels" they sought. ''Haddock'' likewise obtained contact data from the Superfortresses. Thus forewarned, ''Haddock'' obtained the first radar contact an hour before the end of the first watch on 12 February; opening the range, she commenced tracking what proved to be the "guard boats" (converted trawlers) ''No.8 Kotoshiro Maru'' (109 tons) and ''No.3 Showa Maru'' (76 tons), neither vessel under way.

"With excellent SCR (Set, Complete, Radio) communication," Commander Latta "outlined heplan to heother skippers as easily as if we were in the same wardroom". He ordered ''Sennet'' to westward, maintaining contact with her SJ radar, while ''Lagarto'' kept in touch with ''Haddock'' in like fashion. With the coming of the mid watch on 13 February 1945, the Japanese craft still lay-to, "apparently not alerted." Consequently, Latta ordered ''Haddock'' to break contact and his boat formed a line of bearing on ''Sennet''. ''Lagarto'' began opening to westward at 04:15, and at 05:40 began heading in on the surface toward the last known position of ''No.8 Kotoshiro Maru'' and ''No.3 Showa Maru''. With ''Sennet'' on the left flank and ''Haddock'' on the right, and ''Lagarto'' as guide in the center, the boats some apart, Latta planned to close to , then turn right about 50 degrees, to put the seas and wind in a most favorable position and still close the range, allocating ''Sennet'' the picket to the north, ''Haddock'' the one to the south; ''Lagarto'', meanwhile, would direct the fire to whichever vessel "appeared to be offering the most opposition."

At 06:20 on 13 February 1945, ''Lagarto'' manned her battle surface stations, and opened fire with her number one gun 12 minutes later on the clearly unsuspecting enemy that lay "nicely outlined against hered eastern sky" distant. "Japs began jabbering in high gear at 4,475  KCS!" Latta reported subsequently, as one of the guard boats managed to transmit a dispatch as chaos descended suddenly upon her: "Gun attack by submarines in position 30-00N, 136-30E...” ''Lagarto''s photographer seemed elated (in a "happy daze," the commanding officer reported) at the apparently photogenic aspect of the action he was recording, repeating "Oh boy, Oh boy!"

No such elation seized the enemy, however, who determinedly fought back against his heavier adversaries, as the action progressed, with whatever caliber weapon lay at hand. ''No.8 Kotoshiro Maru'' and ''No.3 Showa Maru'' began turning to the northward, returning fire with what appeared to be approximately "40-millimeter size" weapons. ''Lagarto'' recorded "numerous splashes within twenty yards (18 m) of ship..." ''Lagarto'', followed by ''Sennet'' and ''Haddock'', concentrated her fire upon ''No.8 Kotoshiro Maru'', the leading and northerly vessel as she appeared to be laying a smoke screen to obscure her smaller sister; ''Haddock'' silenced the lead boat's forward gun. Inside of ten minutes, the Americans' fire began to tell, as the first quarry began to burn; smoke began obscuring her from view. ''Haddock'', meanwhile, shifted fire to ''No.3 Showa Maru'', noting one particularly defiant Japanese sailor firing back with a rifle, while ''Sennet'', being blanked out by ''Lagarto'', swung left in a full circle and fell in astern of the pack commander's boat, shifting her fire to ''Haddock''s target as well.

As ''No.3 Showa Maru'' began to burn, however, the smoke cleared away from the larger guard boat, revealing her still under way and full of fight. ''Sennet'' "commenced hot pursuit" of ''No.8 Kotoshiro Maru''. ''Lagarto'' likewise closed the range with the larger patrol vessel, opening up with her 40-millimeter guns at ; by 06:45, ''No.8 Kotoshiro Maru'' guns had fallen silent and she wallowed in the sea, burning fiercely, while ''No.3 Showa Maru'' likewise lay in extremis. ''Haddock'', having expended the last of her ammunition, headed for the latter, lying riddled and burning, to finish her off, but ''No.3 Showa Maru'' sank before the submariners could man her 40-millimeter guns. ''Haddock'' circled the wreckage several times "to see if we could pick up any Japs or material but neither could be found." ''Sennet'' neared ''No.8 Kotoshiro Maru''s side "to see if anything worth salvaging was left", but apparently found it "too hot" and pulled clear. Latta ordered her to sink the wreck. ''Sennet'' hastened ''No.8 Kotoshiro Maru''s demise with "a couple rounds of 5" from close range."

"Latta's Lancers" having summarily disposed of the two guard boats (there were no survivors from either Japanese vessel) with no loss to themselves, ''Lagarto'', ''Haddock'', and ''Sennet'' formed a scouting line and continued their search. A little less than four hours later, a lookout in ''Lagarto'' spotted a patrolling "Betty" ( Mitsubishi G4M Type 0 land attack plane) crossing astern, heading for ''Haddock''; ''Lagarto'' submerged; ''Haddock'' spotted the Betty and did likewise; both boats logged the presence of explosions that, fortunately, caused no damage.

During the first dog watch on 13 February 1945, a lookout in ''Haddock'', despite poor visibility conditions, spotted two more guard boats lying-to about distant. Sending a contact report to her two pack-mates, Haddock maintained contact as the day went on. ''Lagarto'' exchanged calls with ''Sennet'' on the SJ, and ordered that boat to close ''Haddock''. "Our choice of direction is biased", Latta later explained, "neither boat 'Lagarto'' nor ''Sennet''having a sight in two days". At 22:49 ''Lagarto'' contacted ''Haddock'' by the SJ. "When within range of good SCR communication uch as had facilitated the destruction of ''No.8 Kotoshiro Maru'' and ''No.3 Showa Maru'' attaoutlined to both skippers a plan previously proposed by Commander eorge E.Porter r., ''Sennet'' commanding officer. Since ''Haddock'' had expended the last of her ammunition in the engagement with the two pickets that morning, Latta ordered her to maintain contact while ''Lagarto'' and ''Sennet'' opened to the westward as before. Those two boats would strike at dawn with gunfire and ''Haddock'' would make a close range submerged torpedo attack. Ironically, ''Haddock'' skipper, Commander William H. Brockman, Jr., had arrived at the same solution independently.

14 February

''Lagarto'' began her easterly approach for the attack at 05:50 on 14 February 1945. "No likelihood of bright eastern sky today", her commanding officer later recounted, "all heavy gray overcast and seas less favorable to gun firing." Going to "battle surface" 15 minutes later, ''Lagarto'' opened fire on the right-hand vessel at , swinging to the right to bring both of her mounts to bear, "cold seas washing over hegun crews." The Japanese fought back more spiritedly than the day before. "Return fire heavier than yesterday", Latta noted in his patrol report, "but targets slower getting under way." ''Sennet'' reported numerous holes in her superstructure and one man wounded from the "extremely accurate" fire, but ''Lagarto'' emerged from the encounter unscathed. ''Haddock'' fired one torpedo at at one of the guard boats, but missed. ''Lagarto'' and ''Sennet'', having expended the last of their ammunition, broke off the action by 07:00 and stood away from the scene of the action, leaving behind one guard boat, ''No.3 Kanno Maru'' (98 tons), damaged.

20 February

Detaching ''Sennet'' to proceed to her assigned patrol area and ''Haddock'' to hers, ''Lagarto'' proceeded to carry out the remainder of her patrol. Outside aircraft sightings on 17, 19 February and 20 February, it seemed devoid of contacts until the forenoon watch on 24 February 1945 off Okino Shima. Identifying a " RO-class submarine" at 10:58, ''Lagarto'' maneuvered into position and launched four torpedoes at 11:18; she logged the sound of what appeared to be an explosion on the target, and a second explosion that seemed to reflect the impact of the torpedo with an underwater cliff. Her quarry got off a report: "Torpedo attack in position 32-41N., 132-36E. Damage sustained..." The target's screws appeared to stop shortly after the explosion, followed less than ten minutes later by a "heavy underwater explosion like collapsed hull..." The identity of ''Lagarto'' victim appears to have been the Japanese submarine ''I-371'' (Lieutenant Kamijukoku Yasuo), that had departed Truk for Yokosuka on 31 January 1945. However, the credit of the 880-ton merchantman ''Tatsumomo Maru'' to ''Lagarto'' seems questionable in view of ''Lagarto'' only carrying out one attack on one target, reported as a submarine, in excellent visibility conditions. Sweeping the area with her periscope soon thereafter, ''Lagarto'' saw only empty ocean. Later that day, she heard "distant, heavy depth charge explosions", prompting Latta to write: "Hope ''Haddock'' is not paying for our attack..."

''Lagarto'' submerged to conduct a patrol of Van Diemen Strait the following day, 25 February 1945, and the heavy seas encountered rendered control difficult; she encountered 8–10-degree rolls at depths of between periscope observations. She conducted a submerged patrol off Bungo Suido the next day, sighting a veritable parade of guard boats similar to those encountered and destroyed less than a fortnight before. She photographed the nearest one (2,500 yards) and later, "nothing following these lads", secured from battle stations. On the 27th, she encountered what she reported as a midget submarine without success. Ultimately, a few more fruitless days passed, after which she exchanged patrol areas with ''Haddock'' on 7 March.

13 March

Ultimately departing her patrol area on 13 March 1945, bound for Subic Bay and a refit, ''Lagarto'' shaped course for a rendezvous with ''Haddock'' the following morning. At 06:12 on 14 March, ''Lagarto'' sighted a submarine through her high periscope, and began calling ''Haddock'' on the SCR. At 06:48, however, ''Lagarto'' sighted another submarine on an opposite bearing. "One of them", Latta later recounted, "is probably enemy—but which?"

Establishing voice communication with ''Haddock'' at 07:03 identified her as the first contact, so ''Lagarto'' advised her sister boat of the second—obviously enemy—contact. Hobbled by her number two main engine being temporarily out of commission, ''Lagarto'' ("''Haddock'' has four engines to our three", Latta lamented) directed ''Haddock'' to make an end-around and then attack once she had achieved a favorable position to do so. Tracking the enemy all morning allowed ''Lagarto'' to improve the bearing, identifying her as an " I-class submarine." Decreasing the range, both American boats gained on the enemy, but "''Haddock'' found a few more turns and began to pull ahead rapidly." Latta wished Commander Brockman luck. Ultimately, however, the Japanese boat frustrated the Americans' designs, submerging and escaping both. "After final talk with Comdr. Brockman and mutual well-wishing", Latta wrote subsequently, " 'Lagarto''took departure and set course for previously assigned route to Subic Bay."

''Lagarto'' joined her escort, an hour into the morning watch on 20 March 1945, and after anchoring for a sound test in Subic Bay, moored alongside the submarine tender to commence a refit. She returned from patrol "clean and shipshape with a minimum number of material defects."

April – May 1945

''Lagarto'' departed Subic Bay on 12 April 1945, bound for the South China Sea, and received orders on 27 April to patrol the outer waters of the Gulf of Siam. A little under an hour into the forenoon watch on 2 May, exchanged calls with ''Lagarto'' by SJ radar. Later, an hour into the afternoon watch on 2 May, ''Baya'' sighted a Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer and contacted him by VHF. While "he had no dope for us", ''Baya'' skipper wrote later, the submarine informed the aviators of the proximity of ''Lagarto'' and . At 20:55, ''Baya'' again exchanged calls with ''Lagarto''; less than an hour later, she slowed to take soundings, recording seven fathoms. She changed course to parallel the coast.

2 May

''Baya'' SJ picked up four contacts at at 21:55 on 2 May 1945; her battle stations tracking party took their places. At 22:10, ''Baya'' sent a contact report to ''Lagarto''. Latta responded at 22:45 that his boat was in contact with a convoy, tracking it on a base course of 310° (T), speed nine knots (17 km/h), running along the 5 to 7 fathom curve (10 m). There was one large ship, one medium, and two escorts, both of which appeared to be equipped with 10-centimeter radar. Beneath a clear, dark, sky, ''Baya'' began her attack at through the flat sea, from off the convoy's starboard bow, setting her torpedoes to run at four feet. Soon she began encountering SJ and 10-centimeter radar interference "all around the dial". Two additional contacts materialized—one turned out to be a large three-masted junk, the other proved to be ''Lagarto''. ''Baya'', however, soon had her hands full; as her commanding officer later reported: "Jap gunnery poor but plenty of it. Tracers passing down both sides of the periscope shears and overhead..." Both escort vessels—one of which ''Baya'' identified as a " ''Shiretaka''-type minelayer"—gave a good account of themselves; at 23:33, ''Baya'' informed ''Lagarto'' "that we had been driven off by gunfire." ''Baya'' skipper later ruminated: "It is nothing short of a miracle that we came through so much gun fire without a single hit." "We were in a continuous hail of lead, fire, and steel and sustained not a scratch."

3 May

The dogged defenders, who skillfully utilized searchlights and withering gunfire of calibers from to 25-millimeter, elicited grudging admiration of the American submariners. During the mid watch on 3 May 1945, ''Baya'' rendezvoused with ''Lagarto'' and their captains discussed plans. The latter's proposed to dive on the convoy's track to make contact at 14:00, in the middle of the afternoon watch; ''Baya'' would be 10 to further along the track, "if no contact was made we 'Baya''were to intercept at 20:00 at convoy’s possible 21:30 position." That having been arranged, the boats set course for their arranged stations.

At 15:00 on 3 May 1945, ''Baya'' sent the first "of numerous contact reports to ''Lagarto''." By 23:47, "having sent ''Lagarto'' contact reports almost half hourly with no receipt", ''Baya'' decided to go it alone. Again, however, the Japanese escorts drove off ''Baya'' when she attacked during the mid watch on 4 May, again saving their charges from destruction.

Post-war examination of Japanese records revealed the most likely reason for ''Lagarto'' silence. One of the two escorts, the minelayer , made an attack on 3 May against a submerged submarine in of water at .

Announced as "overdue from patrol and presumed lost" on 10 August 1945, ''Lagarto'' was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 September 1945.

Discovery of wreck, 2005–2006

In May 2005, a group of private deep-sea divers, led by British wreck diver Jamie MacLeod, discovered the wreck in of water in the Gulf of Thailand. The wreck is mostly intact and sitting upright on the ocean floor. During the dive, a large rupture was discovered on the port bow area, suggesting a depth charge as the catalyst to her sinking. Also observed during the dive was an open torpedo tube door, with an empty torpedo tube behind it, suggesting the possibility that ''Lagarto'' fired off a torpedo shortly before her sinking.

In June 2006, Navy divers from surveyed and photographed the wreck for six days. More evidence was seen that this is ''Lagarto''. Twin 5-inch gun mounts were seen on the forward and rear parts of the ship. "Manitowoc" was seen on the propellers providing a connection to the Manitowoc, Wisconsin shipyard. The pictures were sent back to naval archeologists for further review. After viewing the evidence provided by the ''Salvor'' divers, it was confirmed that this was indeed ''Lagarto''.

Awards

''Lagarto'' received one battle star for World War II service.

See also

* List of submarines of the United States Navy

References

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External links

*
Wisconsin Maritime MuseumUSS Lagarto.org

M/V ''Trident'': The Thailand Technical Diving outfit that discovered the USS ''Lagarto''
*
diving on the wreckDivehappy.com: Diving On The USS ''Lagarto'' – a first person account with photosDivehappy.com: Return To The USS ''Lagarto'' July 2008 – a first person account with photos of a guardianship dive on the ''Lagarto''Eurotek interview
with wreck diver Richie Kohler on dives to the USS ''Lagarto''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lagarto (SS-371)
Balao-class submarines
World War II submarines of the United States
Lost submarines of the United States
Shipwrecks in the Gulf of Thailand
Ships built in Manitowoc, Wisconsin
1944 ships
World War II shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean
Maritime incidents in May 1945
Submarines lost with all hands
Submarines sunk by Japanese warships