USS Drum (SS-228)

The USS Drum (SS-228) made a remarkable official 13 (thirteen) war patrols in WWII from April 17, 1942 through April 2, 1945, and also had an unofficial 14th (fourteenth) war patrol in WWII from July 21, 1945 through August 30, 1945.

Drum kill flag patch

Acknowledgements:

As you visit each war patrol report, note that there is a button on the upper-right of each report that says "Click here to return to the War Patrols index". If you click on that button, you will be brought back to this page where you can choose another war patrol report to read. At the bottom of each report you will see three navigational links as well: previous patrol, back to the top of the current patrol, or next patrol.

While I have done my best to reproduce these reports by eye, hand, and keyboard, error is possible and likely. In addition, some letters, numbers, sketches, etc. were illegible on my copies of the original reports. Blame the ancient microfiche! Whenever I could not determine a letter or number, you will see a "?" in its place. There are more after-the-fact details written in each patrol, and I am not including that information, at least at this time. I encourage you to attain your own copy of the original war patrol reports if you desire further information.


You can use the custom Google search box below to search the entire Drum228.org website, including all of the war patrol reports.


USS Drum (SS-228) WWII War Patrols
War
Patrol
(link to report)
Dates Departed From/
Arrived At
Commanding
Officer
Successful? Tonnage Sunk
(JANAC)
Ships Sunk
(JANAC)
[Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine - Launched May 12, 1941 / Commissioned Nov. 1, 1941]
One Apr. 17, 1942 -
June 12, 1942
Pearl Harbor, T.H.
Pearl Harbor, T.H.
Lieutenant Commander
Robert H. Rice
Successful 20,644 tons 4
Two July 10, 1942 -
Sept. 2, 1942
Pearl Harbor, T.H.
Midway Atoll
Lieutenant Commander
Robert H. Rice
Not deemed
as successful
0 tons 0
Three Sept. 23, 1942 -
Nov. 8, 1942
Midway Atoll
Pearl Harbor, T.H.
Lieutenant Commander
Robert H. Rice
Successful 13,208 tons 3
Four Nov. 29, 1942 -
Jan. 24, 1943
Pearl Harbor, T.H.
Pearl Harbor, T.H.
Lieutenant Commander
Bernard F. McMahon
Successful 0 tons 0
[Overhaul at Pearl Harbor, Jan. 25 - Mar. 15, 1943]
Five Mar. 24, 1943 -
May 13, 1943
Pearl Harbor, T.H.
Brisbane, AU
Lieutenant Commander
Bernard F. McMahon
Successful 10,189 tons 2
Six June 7, 1943 -
July 26, 1943
Brisbane, AU
Brisbane, AU
Lieutenant Commander
Bernard F. McMahon
Successful 5,087 tons 1
Seven Aug. 16, 1943 -
Oct. 6, 1943
Brisbane, AU
Brisbane, AU
Lieutenant Commander
Bernard F. McMahon
Successful 1,334 tons 1
Eight Nov. 2, 1943 -
Dec. 5, 1943
Brisbane, AU
Pearl Harbor, T.H.
Commander
Delbert F. Williamson
Successful 11,621 tons 1
[Overhaul at Mare Island, Jan. 16 - Mar. 22, 1944]
Nine Apr. 9, 1944 -
May 31, 1944
Pearl Harbor, T.H.
Majuro, Marshall Is.
Commander
Delbert F. Williamson
Not deemed
as successful
0 tons 0
Ten June 24, 1944 -
Aug. 14, 1944
Majuro, Marshall Is.
Pearl Harbor, T.H.
Lieutenant Commander
Maurice H. Rindskopf
Successful 0 tons 0
Eleven Sept. 9, 1944 -
Nov. 8, 1944
Pearl Harbor, T.H.
Majuro, Marshall Is.
Lieutenant Commander
Maurice H. Rindskopf
Successful 18,497 tons 3
Twelve Dec. 7, 1944 -
Jan. 17, 1945
Majuro, Marshall Is.
Apra Harbor, Guam
Lieutenant Commander
Frank M. Eddy
Not deemed
as successful
0 tons 0
Thirteen Feb. 11, 1945 -
Apr. 2, 1945
Apra Harbor, Guam
Pearl Harbor, T.H.
Lieutenant Commander
Frank M. Eddy
Not deemed
as successful
0 tons 0
[Overhaul at Hunters Point, Apr. 11 - June 25, 1945]
Fourteen* July 21, 1945 -
Aug. 30, 1945
Pearl Harbor, T.H.
Pearl Harbor, T.H.
Lieutenant Commander
Frank M. Eddy
Lieutenant Commander
Herbert P. McNeal?
n/a n/a n/a
USS Drum kill flag

* UNOFFICIAL The 14th war patrol was unofficial, as the war ended just days before Drum could reach station at Saipan.

The Drum sank an official JANAC total of 80,580 tons (15 ships) of Japanese shipping, or an estimated wartime total of 118,000 tons (19 ships) of Japanese shipping. The crew even claimed to have sunk 27 vessels - you can see 26 of these claimed kills represented on their "kill flag" on your right. It was normal of estimated wartime totals to be greater than the JANAC confirmed totals as numerous times the submarines could not stay and confirm the sinking of their targets. Regardless, the USS Drum ranks within the top 10 (eighth highest) of all American submarines in terms of total tonnage sunk during WWII, and she is only one of two submarines in this top 10 list that still remains today as a museum.

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USS Drum (SS-228) WWII Attack Summary
War
Patrol
Date
of Attack
Type
of Attack
Vessel
Name
Vessel
Type
Tonnage
(JANAC)
Tonnage
(Alden)
Sunk?
(JANAC)
Sunk?
(Alden)
Damaged?
(Alden)
One 2 May
1942
Night
Surface
Visual
Mizuho IJN
Seaplane Tender
9,000 10,930 Yes Yes -
9 May
1942
Day
Underwater
Periscope
(Unknown)
Maru
Cargo
Cargo
4,000 est. 4,000 est. Yes No Possible
13 May
1942
Day
Underwater
Periscope
Shonan
Maru
Cargo
Cargo
5,264 5,356 Yes Yes -
25 May
1942
Day
Underwater
Periscope
Kitakata
Maru
Cargo
Cargo
2,380 2,380 Yes Yes -
Three 8 Oct.
1942
Day
Underwater
Periscope
Hague
Maru
Cargo
Passenger/Cargo
5,641 5,641 Yes Yes -
9 Oct.
1942
Day
Underwater
Periscope
Hachimanzan
Maru
Cargo
Cargo
2,461 2,461 Yes Yes -
20 Oct.
1942
Day
Underwater
Periscope
Ryunan
Maru
Cargo
Cargo
5,106 5,106 Yes Yes -
Four 12 Dec.
1942
Day
Underwater
Periscope
Ryuho IJN
Light Aircraft Carrier
- 13,360 No No Confirmed
Five 9 Apr.
1943
Day
Underwater
Periscope
Yuzan (Oyama)
Maru
Cargo
Cargo
3,809 3,809 Yes Yes -
10 Apr.
1943
Night
Surface
Radar
Akagisan
Maru
Cargo
Passenger/Cargo
4,634 4,634 No No Confirmed
18 Apr.
1943
Day
Underwater
Periscope
Nisshun
Maru
Cargo
Cargo
6,380 6,380 Yes Yes -
Six 17 June
1943
Day
Underwater
Periscope
Myoko
Maru
Cargo
Passenger/Cargo
5,087 5,086 Yes Yes -
Seven 28 Aug.
1943
Night
Surface
Radar
Yamagiri
Maru
Cargo
Passenger/Cargo
6,438 6,438 No No Confirmed
8 Sept.
1943
Day
Underwater
Periscope
Hakutetsu
Maru #13
Cargo
Cargo
1,334 1,334 Yes Yes -
Eight 17 Nov.
1943
Day
Underwater
Periscope
Hie
Maru
IJN
Submarine Tender
11,621 11,621 Yes Yes -
Eleven 24 Oct.
1944
Day
Underwater
Periscope
Shikisan
Maru
Cargo
Passenger/Cargo
4,725 4,725 Yes Yes -
26 Oct.
1944
Night
Surface
Radar
Taisho
Maru
Cargo
Cargo
6,886 6,886 Yes Yes -
26 Oct.
1944
Night
Surface
Radar
Aoki
Maru
Cargo
Cargo
3,710 3,710 No No Light
Possible
26 Oct.
1944
Day
Underwater
Periscope
Taihaku
Maru
Cargo
Cargo
6,886 6,886 Yes Yes -
26 Oct.
1944
Day
Underwater
Periscope
Tatsurra
Maru
Cargo
Cargo
- 6,420 No No Possible

References:
HyperWar: Japanese Naval and Merchant Shipping Losses During World War II
Alden, John D. United States Submarine Attacks During World War II: Including Allied Submarine Attacks in the Pacific (Naval Institute Press, 1989)


Drum war patrol chart

This page last updated 3/9/2015
DRUM228.ORG created 10/3/2008
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