Hull Number: SS-201
Last Captain: LCDR G. K. MacKenzie Jr
Date Lost: 15 March 1943
Location: North of the Admiralty Islands
Fatalities: 74
Cause: Likely ASW forces
Construction
Triton was a Tambor class submarine completed by Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine in August of 1940.
Loss Narrative
Triton began her sixth patrol on 16 February 1943 under her new skipper. On 7 March, she attacked a convoy in USS Trigger’s (SS-237) assigned area. She claimed two freighters sunk but then had to go deep to evade a circular run of one of her own torpedoes.
She received credit for one of the freighters. Triton reported on 11 March that she spotted two columns of smoke from five or more ships plus escorts and was chasing. This was the last message from Triton.
On 13 March, Triton was alerted to three enemy destroyers that were operating in her area. She was ordered to a new area and told to disregard assigned areas when chasing targets. She was to avoid other submarines since there were other American boats in adjoining areas. Triton did not acknowledge or report her new location. It seems most likely that Triton was sunk by the three destroyers about which she was warned.
She received credit for one of the freighters. Triton reported on 11 March that she spotted two columns of smoke from five or more ships plus escorts and was chasing. This was the last message from Triton.
On 13 March, Triton was alerted to three enemy destroyers that were operating in her area. She was ordered to a new area and told to disregard assigned areas when chasing targets. She was to avoid other submarines since there were other American boats in adjoining areas. Triton did not acknowledge or report her new location. It seems most likely that Triton was sunk by the three destroyers about which she was warned.
Prior History
Until she was lost, Triton was perhaps the most effective boat in the Pacific Theater. On her second patrol, she sank two ships. On her third patrol, she began by sinking a trawler with her guns. She followed that by sinking three marus, two sampans (with guns) and then sinking the Japanese submarine IJN I-64 with a single torpedo. The Japanese would renumber that submarine to I-164, not knowing it had already been sunk. On her fourth patrol, she celebrated Independence Day, 1942, by sinking a Japanese destroyer.
On her fifth patrol, after an overhaul, she was given one of the early assignments of rescue duty for aviators whose planes may have been damaged during attacks on Japanese bases.
In this instance it was in support of an attack on Wake Island. These assignments were known to submariners as “lifeguard duty.” After that she sank a water carrier and a cargo ship. Unreliable and malfunctioning torpedoes prevented any further success on this patrol
Triton was lost on her sixth war patrol. JANAC credited her with 11 sinkings for 31,788 tons total for her WW2 service.
On her fifth patrol, after an overhaul, she was given one of the early assignments of rescue duty for aviators whose planes may have been damaged during attacks on Japanese bases.
In this instance it was in support of an attack on Wake Island. These assignments were known to submariners as “lifeguard duty.” After that she sank a water carrier and a cargo ship. Unreliable and malfunctioning torpedoes prevented any further success on this patrol
Triton was lost on her sixth war patrol. JANAC credited her with 11 sinkings for 31,788 tons total for her WW2 service.
Submarine Photo
