Daily Event for May 28


May 28 saw the final departure of 2 US submarines in World War 2. In 1943 the USS Runner SS-275 departed
from Midway Island on her third patrol with 78 men on board. Her patrol would have taken her to the coast of
Honshu, Japan and she was expected to return to Midway between July 11-15. After leaving Midway the boat was never heard from again. Records captured after the war have shed no light on what happened to her either. There was no record of an attack made by the Japanese against a target that could have been the Runner, it is therefore thought she was lost to a mine. It is also possible she was lost to a mechanical malfunction. The sad loss of this boat came only two days shy of her birthday, she was launched May 30, 1942.

In 1944 the USS Golet SS-361 met the same fate. In a carbon copy of the Runner, Golet departed Midway for
Honshu, Japan and was never heard from again, with her were lost 82 men. However, Japanese records show
one attack which might explain the loss of the Golet. The attack was made on June 14 and must be looked at
with a bit of suspicion. The only identification was made by the Japanese attackers and it is only their account
of seeing cork and heavy oil that we have to ID the boat. It must be noted that Golet was sent a signal on
July 9, 1944 which required an acknowledgement for which there was no response from Golet. This was 5 days
before the Japanese claimed sinking a US submarine. As of today there is no confirmation on what happened to
either of the lost boats or the 160 US sailors who gave their lives on them.

© 2006 Michael W. Pocock
MaritimeQuest.com


USS Runner SS-275

 

USS Golet SS-361



2005 Daily Event