Murky Waters
Grayback’s third and fourth patrol missions, which took her to the South China Sea and the St. George’s Passage, respectively, were impeded by strong moonlight, shallow and dangerous water, and enemy patrol boats, respectively. Despite these dangers, she was able to sink numerous freighters and a submarine of the enemy. The presence of Grayback and her sister ships in these waters, as well as the threat they posed to shipping and the number of enemy escorts they entangled, all played a role in the successful conclusion of the Guadalcanal campaign, which was America’s first offensive campaign in the Pacific war, in December 1942. It was on December 7, 1942, that her sixth tour of duty started, and it was a resounding success.
Murky Waters
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