The 31 Japanese depth charges that couldn’t sink USS Drum in 1942

USS Drum’s 16-Hour Depth Charge Survival Ordeal

The USS Drum sailed from Pearl Harbor in April 1942 with 72 sailors, many just teens with no combat know-how. On May 2, they struck gold, sinking the Japanese seaplane tender Mizuho with two well-placed torpedoes.

But then, hell broke loose. Japanese destroyers hunted them down, forcing the sub to dive deep.

For 16 brutal hours, 31 depth charges rocked the steel hull as the crew sat in silence, sure each blast might be their last. Yet they lived, rose to the surface, and went on to sink three more ships on that same patrol.

Today, this same submarine sits at Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile, where you can walk the very decks where young sailors once faced death and won.

America’s First Gato-Class Sub Headed Into Battle

USS Drum left Pearl Harbor on April 14, 1942, with 72 men on board and a risky mission ahead.

Built at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and put into service on November 1, 1941, this sub became the first Gato-class submarine to fight in World War II. Lieutenant Commander Robert H.

Rice led his crew toward Japan’s coast near Nagoya after their first mission to Corregidor got canceled. The sub carried the Navy’s hopes as it headed into enemy waters just months after Pearl Harbor.

Teenage Sailors Faced Their First Combat Test

Most of Drum’s crew were new recruits with no combat experience. Many weren’t even 20 years old yet.

These young sailors spent their trip to Japan running drills, practicing emergency steps, and learning to work together. On May 1, 1942, they reached their patrol area 40 miles southeast of Nagoya entrance.

The full moon in the clear sky made it easy to spot targets but hard to hide from Japanese patrols.

Midnight Brought Their First Enemy Ship

The crew spotted a medium-sized ship around midnight on May 1.

Through the periscope, they saw it was the Japanese seaplane tender Mizuho, a 9,000-ton ship that could carry 24 planes. This was a valuable target that helped Japan’s air operations.

Captain Rice moved Drum carefully, getting closer for an attack. By 0002 hours on May 2, the sub was ready at 1,200 yards range, torpedoes armed and crew tense.

Two Torpedoes Struck Their Mark

Drum fired two torpedoes at Mizuho with a 5-second gap between them. The crew heard a big blast 35 seconds later, confirming at least one hit.

The Japanese ship tilted to port as water rushed in through the damaged hull. But their joy ended when lookouts spotted an enemy destroyer racing toward them.

The hunter became the hunted in seconds as Japanese forces realized one of their ships was under attack.

Rice Fired A Desperate Shot At The Charging Destroyer

The enemy destroyer came fast, forcing Rice to order an emergency dive to 100 feet. As Drum went under, the captain took a quick "snap shot" at the coming ship from 1,000 yards.

The torpedo missed the fast-moving target as the sub raced for depth.

During the rushed dive, the periscope hoisting ring got stuck, leaving them partly blind at the worst time. The crew braced as they heard the destroyer’s propellers churning above them.

Japanese Forces Trapped Drum Underwater

At 0010 hours, Drum carefully rose to periscope depth and found the destroyer waiting 1,500 yards behind them. Rice fired three more torpedoes at the still ship, but equipment problems sent all three off target.

By 0155 hours, with Japanese forces gathering above, Rice decided their only option was to leave the area while staying underwater. The sub went deeper as enemy ships began a search pattern above them.

Depth Charges Rained Down For Hours

The first depth charge blew up at 0200 hours on May 2, sending shocks through Drum’s hull. What followed was a 16-hour nightmare as Japanese destroyers and patrol boats hunted the sub.

The enemy dropped 31 depth charges in total, each blast threatening to crack the hull.

Poor sound conditions from particles in the water made finding each other hard for both sides, a small bit of luck that kept Drum alive.

The Crew Endured In Terrified Silence

For 16 long hours, Drum’s sailors stayed completely quiet underwater while blasts shook their vessel. The depth charges got closer as Japanese forces improved their search pattern.

Silent sonic ships moved above, giving no warning before sudden blasts broke the quiet.

The young, new crew waited it out in the tight sub, listening to death knocking on their hull and wondering if each breath might be their last.

Twenty-Two Hours Passed Without Surfacing

Drum stayed underwater for 22 hours while enemy ships patrolled above. The air system worked hard with CO2-absorbing chemicals and oxygen to keep the crew breathing.

Battery power drained steadily as they waited in near-darkness, listening to enemy propellers overhead. Finally, at 1800 hours, the depth charge attacks stopped.

The Japanese seemed to give up their search, but Rice waited carefully before making his next move.

The Submarine Finally Broke The Surface

At 2230 hours on May 2, Drum carefully surfaced after checking no enemy ships were nearby. The sub headed south while charging its low batteries.

The tired crew finally got some rest after their scary ordeal. On May 3, sailors fixed the remaining torpedoes while Rice figured out their position.

Fresh air filled their lungs for the first time in nearly a day as they got ready to continue their mission in enemy waters.

Drum’s First Kill Began A Legendary Career

The seaplane tender Mizuho capsized and sank at 04:16 hours on May 2, taking 101 Japanese sailors down with it. This victory marked Drum’s first combat success and eliminated a valuable enemy aviation support vessel.

The submarine continued its patrol, sinking three additional cargo ships before returning to Pearl Harbor on June 12, 1942.

The crew earned their Submarine Combat Patrol insignia for sinking four enemy vessels totaling 24,000 tons.

Today, USS Drum rests at USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile, Alabama, preserving the story of these brave sailors.

Visiting USS Drum (submarine), Alabama

You can explore USS Drum at 2703 Battleship Parkway in Mobile, where this submarine survived the harrowing 16-hour depth charge attack after sinking Japanese seaplane tender Mizuho in 1942.

Admission costs $15 for adults, $13 for seniors 55+, and $6 for kids 6-11, plus $4 parking. The park opens daily 8am to 5pm except Christmas.

Take self-guided tours through America’s oldest submarine on public display and grab tour pamphlets from the gift shop.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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