The arrival of the carrier group added air power to the hunt with Hogert Bay’s aircraft able to search vast areas of ocean and vector surface ships to submarine contacts.

During the night of May 30th to 31st, Hazelwood gained radar contact on what would prove to be RO105.

The submarine immediately dove and commenced evasive maneuvers that would continue for the next several hours in one of the most prolonged submarine hunts of the war.

RO105’s captain pulled every trick in the book in his desperate fight for survival.

The submarine discharged debris to create false sonar targets, released oil slicks to simulate damage, and executed maneuvers so violent that they pushed the boat’s hull to its structural limits.

The hunt continued through the night with multiple ships taking turns attacking.

Hazelwood gained sonar contact and dropped conventional depth charges.

the explosions sending geysers of water high into the air, but without apparent effect on the submarine.

The depth charges were set for various depths, trying to bracket the submarine, but RO105 managed to avoid lethal damage.

George made several hedgehog attacks and may have scored three hits with one salvo.

Yet, incredibly, the submarine continued maneuvering and fighting.

The hits would have caused damage and casualties aboard RO105, but her crew managed to maintain watertight integrity and continue evading.

Japanese submarines were strongly built with multiple watertight compartments that could allow them to survive significant damage.

As dawn broke on May 31st, Spangler and England joined the attack.

The sunrise revealed a calm sea with an oil slick marking where the submarine had been hit.

But RO105 was still fighting.

Spangler’s hedgehog attack missed when the submarine made a radical turn at the last moment.

At this point, Commander Haynes, still aboard George, transmitted a message that would become part of naval legend.

Oh, hell, go ahead, England.

It was both an acknowledgement of England’s superior success rate and the expression of frustration at the submarine’s stubborn refusal to die.

England’s crew, who had been watching their sister ships attack without success, were eager for their chance.

England’s attack was devastating.

Her crew had been observing RO 105’s evasion patterns all night, and had noticed subtle patterns, a slight hesitation before major turns, a preference for certain depth bands when under attack.

At 0736, the hedgehog salvo triggered a massive underwater explosion that dwarfed even the spectacular destruction of I-16.

Between 6 and 10 projectiles found their mark, and the resulting detonations were followed by secondary explosions as RO 105’s own torpedoes detonated.

The violence of the explosion was extraordinary.

A column of water shot hundreds of feet into the air, and the shock wave could be felt through the hulls of ships miles away.

RO105 was literally blown apart with Captain Kato and all 55 hands killed instantly.

The oil slick that rose to the surface spread for miles, mixed with debris that included recognizable pieces of the submarine’s hull, wooden decking, and personal effects of the crew.

It was a grim reminder of the totality of destruction that modern naval warfare could inflict.

In just 12 days, from May 19th to May 31st, 1944, USS England had sunk six Japanese submarines, a feat unparalleled in the history of anti-ubmarine warfare.

The achievement was all the more remarkable considering that England was not a powerful destroyer but a modest destroyer escort and that she was just 5 months out of the shipyard on her first war patrol.

The statistics spoke for themselves.

Of the seven submarines assigned to the NA line, six had been destroyed with five of them falling to England’s hedgehog.

only RO109 had escaped and she would meet her fate less than a year later off Okinawa.

The impact of England’s success rippled far beyond the immediate tactical victory.

Upon learning of the achievement, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Ernest J.

King sent a message that carried the weight of a promise.

There’ll always be an England in the United States Navy.

The message was both a recognition of the ship’s unprecedented achievement and a tribute to Enen John C.

England, whose heroic sacrifice at Pearl Harbor had inspired the crew.

The crew of England was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, one of only three destroyer escort crews in World War II to receive this honor.

The citation read in part, “For extraordinary heroism in action against enemy Japanese submarines in the Pacific War area from May 19th to 31st, 1944.

The USS England’s brilliant performance in this vital mission contributed materially to the successful operations of our forces and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

” Lieutenant Commander Pendleton received the Navy Cross for his leadership during the submarine killing spree.

Though many historians have noted that his executive officer, Lieutenant John A.

Williamson, deserved equal credit for the ship’s remarkable tactical proficiency.

Williamson had been the one conducting endless drills, refining attack procedures, and maintaining the crew’s edge during long months of routine patrols.

His contribution to England’s success would be recognized when he later assumed command of the ship.

The strategic implications were even more significant than the Navy leadership initially realized.

The loss of the NA line submarines initially convinced Japanese naval commanders that a large American force had passed through the area on route to the Western Carolines or Western New Guinea rather than the actual target, the Marana Islands.

This misinterpretation caused Admiral Toyota to delay and misdirect the execution of Operation Ago.

Japanese fleet units wasted precious fuel moving to the wrong positions.

And by the time they realized their error and repositioned to defend the Maranas, it was too late.

The American invasion of Saipan began on June 15th, 1944, catching the Japanese fleet out of position.

The resulting battle of the Philippine Sea fought on June 19th to 20th, 1944 saw the destruction of Japanese naval aviation as an effective force.

In what American pilots called the Mariana’s Turkey shoot, over 400 Japanese aircraft were shot down against minimal American losses.

Three Japanese carriers were sunk and the myth of Japanese naval aviation superiority was permanently shattered.

The loss of the Maranas also brought American B29 bombers within range of the Japanese home islands, sealing Japan’s fate.

Although the US Navy attempted to keep England’s success secret to protect the source of the intelligence that had made it possible, Japanese naval intelligence correctly deduced that the loss of the submarines was due to American radio intelligence.

Internal Japanese reports acknowledged that their codes had been compromised.

Yet incredibly they persisted in believing that their main naval codes remained secure.

This denial would cost them dearly in the remaining year of the war as American codereakers continued to read Japanese messages and direct American forces to intercept Japanese ships and submarines.

The story of USS England ultimately transcends its specific historical moment to become something universal.

A testament to human ingenuity, courage, and determination in the face of mortal danger.

It reminds us that in the darkest hours of conflict, when nations clash and the fate of millions hangs in the balance, ordinary people can rise to meet extraordinary challenges and in doing so write their names indelibly in the annals of history.

The crew of USS England did exactly that in May 1944, and their achievement will be remembered as long as naval history is studied and tales of courage at sea are told.

 

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