USS Scamp (SS-277) - Fifth and Sixth War Patrols

Fifth and Sixth War Patrols

She cleared port again on 22 October and began her fifth patrol with a mission in support of the Treasury Island invasion, 28 October to 30 October. From there, she moved to her patrol area, between Kavieng and Truk. On 4 November, she launched three torpedoes at a passenger-cargo ship. One exploded prematurely, but one reached its mark. By the time of the explosion indicating success, Scamp was already in a dive evading a depth charge attacker. Six days later, she disabled the 6481 ton Tokyo Maru; then, after evading the escorts, fired three more torpedoes into the listing target. At about 21:00, the cripple was observed being towed away. It was later learned that Tokyo Maru sank before daybreak. On 12 November, she damaged light cruiser Agano, so severely that the enemy warship remained in repair at Truk until the American strike of 16 February and 17 February 1944. On 18 November, Scamp suffered minor shrapnel damage from two bombs dropped by an enemy float plane. Eight days later, she sailed back into Brisbane.

On 16 December 1943, Scamp left Brisbane and headed back to the Bismarck Archipelago for her sixth war patrol. On the night of 6 January 1944, she missed a small tanker and was boxed in by the sound search of two Japanese destroyers. At 2323, she was able to surface and clear the area while the convoy escorts hunted for her about 8,000 yards (7.3 km) astern. On 14 January, she slipped by two destroyers to launch six torpedoes at Nippon Maru. The 9,975 ton tanker sank as Scamp made her escape. Foiled in an attempt to return to the area, she headed south to act as plane guard north of Lyra Reef for B-24 bombers. On 6 February, she put into Milne Bay, New Guinea, for refit.