Encounter In The Chinese Waters
On December 2, 1943, Grayback set sail from Pearl Harbor towards the East China Sea. A total of four Japanese ships were sunk in five days of strikes by the submarine during its ninth mission, which returned to Pearl Harbor. It all started on the night of the 18th and 19th of December when Grayback attacked a cargo convoy with three escorts. Several ships were damaged in a surface attack, including the Gyokurei Maru and Numakaze, which were both sunk. Nine torpedoes struck the Japanese ship in the middle of a convoy two nights later on December 20–21, after a run-around and end-around run. In the initial strike, Grayback sank one cargo ship and wrecked another before diving to avoid depth charges. Later, she destroyed another vessel three hours after the first one was sunk. The following night, Grayback returned home fatigued from an unsuccessful raid that had used up all of her torpedoes. He was awarded another Navy Cross for his actions during the tour of duty.
Encounter In The Chinese Waters
