Hull Number: SS-314
Last Captain: CDR Edward Blakely
Date Lost: 24 October 1944
Location: Luzon Strait
Fatalities: 87
Cause: ASW depth charges
Construction
Shark II was a Balao class submarine completed by the Electric Boat Company at Groton, CT in February of 1944.
Loss Narrative
Shark II left Pearl Harbor on 23 September and began her third patrol on 2 October 1944 from Saipan in the Mariannas. CDR Blakely was the senior officer in a wolfpack that included USS Blackfish (SS-221) and USS Seadragon (SS-194). On 24 October, Shark II radioed Seadragon that she had found a lone freighter and was going to attack. That was the last heard from Shark II.
Wikipedia states that Shark II sank the Arisan Maru, a Japanese prison ship with 1,800 American prisoners aboard. The loss of American lives was reported to be the greatest loss in a single sinking during the war. The ship carried no special markings so submarines would not have known there were prisoners aboard. It was reported that the Arisan Maru split in two after being hit by a torpedo aft of amidships. However, JANAC did not credit Shark for sinking that transport. The book “U. S. Submarine Losses, World War II” does credit Shark II with the sinking, but “The Last Patrol” does not. (Refer to the “Bibliography” section of this document.)
Japanese records indicate that a submarine was sunk by depth charges from a destroyer at that location. Although other submarines were attacked in that area at about that time, none mentioned this particular attack. Therefore, this is thought to be the end of Shark II.
Wikipedia states that Shark II sank the Arisan Maru, a Japanese prison ship with 1,800 American prisoners aboard. The loss of American lives was reported to be the greatest loss in a single sinking during the war. The ship carried no special markings so submarines would not have known there were prisoners aboard. It was reported that the Arisan Maru split in two after being hit by a torpedo aft of amidships. However, JANAC did not credit Shark for sinking that transport. The book “U. S. Submarine Losses, World War II” does credit Shark II with the sinking, but “The Last Patrol” does not. (Refer to the “Bibliography” section of this document.)
Japanese records indicate that a submarine was sunk by depth charges from a destroyer at that location. Although other submarines were attacked in that area at about that time, none mentioned this particular attack. Therefore, this is thought to be the end of Shark II.
Prior History
Shark II’s first patrol was very successful. She left Midway as part of a wolfpack on 16 May 1944. Between 2 and 5 June, Shark sank four ships, often hitting her targets with all of the torpedoes fired at them. The patrol ended at Midway on 17 June 1944.
Her second patrol began on 10 July 1944 from Midway. Her assigned area was around the Volcano and Bonin Islands. Shark II claimed damage to two ships, but this was not confirmed. She went on to provide lifeguard duty services around Iwo Jima. On 4 August, she rescued two aviators from a torpedo bomber off the carrier USS Lexington (CV-16.) The patrol ended at Midway on 19 August with Shark II continuing on to Pearl Harbor, arriving there on 29 August.
Shark II was lost on her third war patrol. JANAC credited her with four sinkings for 21,672 tons total for her WW2 service.
Her second patrol began on 10 July 1944 from Midway. Her assigned area was around the Volcano and Bonin Islands. Shark II claimed damage to two ships, but this was not confirmed. She went on to provide lifeguard duty services around Iwo Jima. On 4 August, she rescued two aviators from a torpedo bomber off the carrier USS Lexington (CV-16.) The patrol ended at Midway on 19 August with Shark II continuing on to Pearl Harbor, arriving there on 29 August.
Shark II was lost on her third war patrol. JANAC credited her with four sinkings for 21,672 tons total for her WW2 service.
Submarine Photo
