October, 1945. Portland, Oregon. Just weeks after Japan's surrender, USS Hawkbill (SS-366) prepared to do something extraordinary. Before a crowd gathered along the Willamette River, the World War II submarine submerged beneath the muddy waters, leaving behind a blanket of flowers honoring the American submariners who never came home.

For the spectators, it was a remarkable sight. For the sailors aboard Hawkbill, it was something they had done countless times in the dangerous waters of the Pacific.

In this episode of Patrol Reports, historian Dave Bowman explores how the United States Navy began opening the once-secret world of the Silent Service to the American public during the Navy Day celebrations of October 1945.

Through the firsthand account of an Oregon newspaper reporter who accompanied Hawkbill on her historic dive, we experience the sounds, sensations, and remarkable precision of a World War II fleet submarine operating beneath the surface.

Meanwhile, USS Pogy (SS-266), a veteran of ten Pacific war patrols, was preparing to visit New Bedford, Massachusetts, bringing the accomplishments of America's submarine force directly to the people whose support had helped sustain it.

But the story doesn't end with submarines, torpedoes, or wartime achievements.

In Newton, North Carolina, submarine fire controlman Harold McGee was finally returning home after 38 months away. His quiet homecoming aboard the pages of a local newspaper tells another important part of the story of America's victory in the Pacific.

Fifty-two American submarines were lost during World War II. More than 3,500 submariners never returned. Those who survived had helped cripple Japan's maritime lifelines, but most would return quietly to their families and hometowns.

They had done their duty. Now they were coming home.

Join Dave Bowman for this story of courage, remembrance, and the remarkable men of the United States Submarine Force.

Patrol Reports: Stories from the History of the United States Submarine Force is presented by the United States Submarine Veterans, Inc. (USSVI), Bremerton Base.

Learn more at GertrudeCheck.org.

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How did two American submarines help open the Battle of Leyte Gulf and strike a devastating blow against the Imperial Japanese Navy?

On October 21, 1944, as American forces fought to liberate the Philippines, USS Darter (SS-227) was patrolling the dangerous waters near Palawan Passage. Commander David H. McClintock knew that Japan's powerful surface fleet would soon respond to the invasion of Leyte. His mission was to find it before it could reach the American invasion fleet.

Shortly before midnight, Darter's radar detected three fast-moving Japanese warships. What followed was a dangerous pursuit through reef-filled waters, urgent intelligence reports, and a coordinated submarine operation that would help set the stage for one of World War II's greatest naval battles.

Within forty-eight hours, Darter and USS Dace (SS-247) would deliver devastating attacks against Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita's Center Force, sinking the Japanese heavy cruisers Atago and Maya and crippling Takao.

But Darter's remarkable fourth war patrol would end with the loss of the submarine herself.

In this episode of Patrol Reports, we return to October 21, 1944, to examine the decisions, courage, and submarine tactics that helped shape the opening hours of the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Discover how radar, tactical intelligence, and two determined American submarine crews changed the course of a major naval engagement in the Pacific War.

Patrol Reports tells the stories of the United States Submarine Force, preserving the history of American submarines and the men who served aboard them.

Sponsored by United States Submarine Veterans, Inc. (USSVI), Bremerton Base.

Learn more at https://patrolreports.org

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On October 20, 1943, deep in enemy waters off Japan, USS Tarpon (SS-175) was closing in on one of the Imperial Japanese Navy's most valuable assets: an aircraft carrier.

But this was no chance encounter.

American naval intelligence had intercepted Japanese communications, providing Commander Thomas Lincoln Wogan with information that could place his submarine directly in the carrier's path. It was part of the highly classified ULTRA intelligence effort that was transforming submarine warfare in the Pacific.

Aboard Tarpon, a young Ensign William R. Anderson, destined to become the legendary commanding officer of the nuclear-powered USS Nautilus, helped turn those secret messages into operational intelligence.

Would four American torpedoes be enough to bring down a Japanese aircraft carrier?

In this episode of Patrol Reports: Stories from the History of the United States Submarine Force, discover the extraordinary intelligence operation behind Tarpon's October 20 interception, the challenges of attacking Japanese capital ships, and the determined submarine commander who transformed a hard-luck boat into an aggressive hunter.

It's a story of secret codes, missed opportunities, dangerous encounters, and the changing nature of the Pacific submarine war.

Presented by United States Submarine Veterans, Bremerton Base.

Learn more at patrolreports.org.

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