In the annals of American naval history, few stories capture the danger, courage, and ironies of war as vividly as the tale of the USS Sailfish.
War Concept. Military silhouettes fighting scene on war fog sky background, World War Soldiers Silhouettes Below Cloudy Skyline At night. Attack scene. Armored vehicles. Tanks battle
It was during the dark, tumultuous waves of a typhoon on December 4, 1943, that the Sailfish etched its name into the history books, becoming the first American submarine to sink a Japanese aircraft carrier during World War II.
Approximately 250 miles southeast of Tokyo Bay, the Sailfish, under the cover of night and severe weather, launched a daring torpedo attack on the Japanese carrier Chuyo.
Cityscape of Tokyo at night, as seen from the top of one of the highest buildings in Roppongi Hills, with the illuminated Tokyo Tower glowing in the dark. Long exposure.
Using radar to track the target amid the typhoon’s chaos, the Sailfish managed to deliver a fatal blow to the enemy vessel. The crew, flying blind in the stormy darkness, relied heavily on radar blips for targeting.
Bill Dillon, the last surviving crew member of the Sailfish and a radio/radar operator, recalled the incredible feat, stating, “We fired four torpedoes and hit two. And it was unbelievable… we had no idea what it was. And we still got it. Hard to believe you can do something like that.”
Submarine USS Pampanito used in world war 2
This attack, well-documented in historian Stephen L. Moore’s “Strike of the Sailfish,” embodies the epitome of valor and innovation under pressure.
Sailfish fish swimming in ocean
The success of the Sailfish was contrasted with the fate of its sister submarine, the Sculpin, which did not share in its fortunes. Moore’s gripping narrative explores the interconnected sagas of these two vessels, culminating in a tragic twist of fate: the Chuyo was carrying prisoners of war from the Sculpin, unaware of the Sailfish crew at the time of the attack.
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