This World War II Submarine Was Destroyed By Its Own Torpedo That Malfunctioned, Sinking It Off The Coast Of China
On October 24, 1944, during World War II, the USS Tang sank off the coast of China. The submarine was destroyed by its own torpedo, which slammed into the port side while launching an attack on a Japanese convoy. A total of 87 men were onboard. Only nine survived the incident.
The USS Tang was commissioned in October 1943 at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard with Lieutenant Commander Richard H. O’Kane at the helm.
The vessel measured about 311 feet long and weighed 1,470 long tons when on the water’s surface. It was even heavier when submerged, at 2,040 long tons.
Tang was decked out with 10 torpedo tubes, cannons, and a deck gun. During the submarine’s 14-month career, it sank 33 enemy ships, rescued 22 Naval aviators, received two Presidential Unit Citations, and carried out five war patrols. Its service came to an end on the fifth patrol.
The boat’s first war patrol began on January 22, 1944, when the Tang was credited with sinking five enemy ships. On the second patrol, the boat rescued 22 downed aviators and returned them to Hawaii.
The third and fourth patrols were some of the most devastating American submarine deployments carried out against the Japanese during World War II. The Tang’s relentless attacks significantly disrupted Japanese supply lines.
On September 24, 1944, the Tang set off on its last patrol. The ship was headed toward the Taiwan Strait, which was a perilous journey at the time because of how heavily guarded it was by the Japanese.
On the evening of October 24, the Tang made contact with a large convoy of enemy ships. The convoy kept close to the China coast between Fuzhou and Xiamen.
Japanese ships fired randomly in the Tang’s direction. Since it was dark, Commanding Officer Richard H. O’Kane decided to attack from the water’s surface.
Sergey – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
The Tang successfully sunk two freighters and a tanker while causing damage to a transport ship. Disaster struck when the submarine launched the final torpedo.
It malfunctioned and circled back to the sub. O’Kane attempted to maneuver the Tang out of the torpedo’s path, but the large ship moved too slowly.
Ultimately, the torpedo struck the sub, triggering a violent explosion that instantly killed almost half of the sailors.
The force of the blast threw O’Kane and several crew members into the water while others were trapped inside the sub. Water flooded three compartments, causing the Tang to sink quickly.
Meanwhile, the Japanese were dropping depth charges on the surface. Amidst the chaos, some of the crew managed to save themselves using Momsen lungs, a device made for emergency submarine escapes. Ultimately, the Tang sank 180 feet.
The nine survivors, including O’Kane, were plucked from the water by a Japanese frigate and taken to Japanese POW camps, where they remained until the end of the war. After the war, O’Kane was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery.
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