The sub that killed itself: USS Tang’s last terrible moments near Taiwan

USS Tang’s Fatal Torpedo Mishap Near Taiwan

The USS Tang was America’s top WWII submarine until a cruel twist of fate. Under Commander Richard O’Kane, Tang sank 33 Japanese ships in just ten months of 1944.

Then, on October 25, Tang fired at an enemy transport near Taiwan. But the torpedo curved back and hit its own ship.

Only nine men made it out of the sinking sub. The crew spent months in brutal Japanese prison camps until the war ended.

Now, at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, you can step into their shoes through the Final Mission exhibit that brings this tragic submarine tale to life.

Commander O’Kane Took The Helm Of A Brand-New Sub

USS Tang hit the water in August 1943 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in California.

Commander Richard O’Kane jumped at the chance to lead this new Balao-class submarine after serving as second-in-command on the famous USS Wahoo.

The Navy chose O’Kane because he already knew how to hunt Japanese ships from his time with Commander Dudley “Mush” Morton, who taught him to attack aggressively.

O’Kane brought this fighting spirit to Tang as he and his crew headed to the Pacific.

Tang Became The Top-Scoring American Sub In Just Five Patrols

From January to October 1944, Tang cut through Japanese shipping during five deadly war patrols. The submarine sank 33 enemy ships totaling 116,454 tons of war supplies and troops.

No other American submarine matched this record in such a short time. The Navy gave Tang two Presidential Unit Citations for her amazing performance.

O’Kane pushed his crew hard, often coming to the surface after attacks to take photos of sinking ships, a risky move that proved Tang’s kills.

The Crew Pulled 22 Downed Pilots From The Ocean

Tang took breaks from hunting ships to save American lives.

The submarine watched over areas near the Japanese stronghold of Truk, where American carrier planes bombed enemy bases.

The crew rescued 22 Navy pilots from the water during these missions, often while Japanese forces looked for the same downed flyers.

Submarine crews hated sitting still in enemy waters, but Tang’s sailors risked their lives to help fellow servicemen get home.

The Final Mission Started With Remarkable Success

Tang left Pearl Harbor for her fifth patrol in September 1944, heading for the dangerous Taiwan Strait. O’Kane knew Japanese convoys had to pass through this narrow channel to supply their forces.

By October 24, Tang had already fired 23 of her 24 torpedoes with deadly results. That night, lookouts spotted another Japanese convoy in the dark.

With just one torpedo left, O’Kane moved in for a perfect shot at a large transport ship.

The Last Torpedo Launch Happened At 2:30 In The Morning

In the early hours of October 25, Tang closed in on her final target. The submarine fired her last torpedo at a Japanese transport at exactly 2:30 a.m. The Mark 18 electric torpedo shot from the tube toward the enemy ship.

Unlike older models that left visible trails in the water, this electric torpedo ran silent and hidden, giving Japanese ships no warning. The crew started getting ready to leave after this final shot.

The Torpedo Made A Deadly U-Turn Back To Tang

Something went badly wrong with the Mark 18 torpedo moments after launch. The weapon suddenly broke the surface and began turning in a wide circle.

The shocked crew watched as their own torpedo headed straight back toward them. O’Kane yelled orders to turn the submarine away from the coming weapon.

The helmsman spun the wheel hard, but Tang couldn’t move fast enough. Only 20 seconds passed between the torpedo’s launch and its return.

The Explosion Threw Nine Men Into The Sea

The torpedo hit Tang’s side near the back torpedo room with a huge blast. Water rushed in as the submarine quickly sank in 180 feet of water.

The explosion threw nine men from the bridge into the sea, including Commander O’Kane.

Inside the sinking vessel, 30 surviving crew members fought rising water to reach the front torpedo room, the only part not yet flooded.

As Tang settled on the bottom, these men faced a tough choice: stay trapped or try a risky escape.

Sailors Used Special Breathing Gear To Escape The Sunken Sub

Thirteen trapped men tried escaping using Momsen lung breathing devices. These rubber bags with mouthpieces let submariners breathe while swimming up from a sunken vessel.

The Tang crew marks the only known combat use of this gear in World War II.

The men flooded their compartment, opened the hatch against the crushing pressure, and swam upward one by one.

Only five of these brave sailors reached the surface alive, joining the nine bridge survivors floating in the cold water.

Japanese Ships Picked Up The Survivors For Brutal Interrogation

Japanese ships spotted the Tang survivors floating in the water and pulled them aboard. The enemy sailors beat the Americans right after rescue, angry about the Japanese ships Tang had just sunk.

Guards took the survivors to Ofuna naval center for rough questioning about American submarine tactics. Later, the Japanese moved them to Omori POW camp near Tokyo.

At both places, Tang’s men faced regular beatings, tiny food rations, and cruel treatment from guards who hated submariners.

The Men Survived On Starvation Rations Until War’s End

Life in Japanese camps pushed Tang’s survivors close to death. O’Kane’s weight dropped to under 100 pounds from the tiny meals and harsh conditions.

The men suffered from diseases, infected wounds, and the constant threat of being killed. They kept each other alive by sharing what little food they could get.

Their ordeal lasted until August 1945, when American forces took over Japan after the atomic bombings. Medical teams found the Tang survivors among the weakest of all rescued prisoners.

O’Kane Received America’s Highest Military Honor

President Harry Truman presented Commander Richard O’Kane with the Medal of Honor in 1946 for his extraordinary leadership during Tang’s final battles.

The citation praised his “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity” in attacking enemy ships despite grave dangers. The award recognized not just the final patrol but O’Kane’s entire record of aggressive submarine warfare.

Though Tang went down with 78 men, her combat achievements stand unmatched in American submarine history. O’Kane later wrote his memoir “Clear the Bridge!” to make sure people remembered the sacrifice of his lost crew.

Visiting USS Tang, New Orleans

The USS Tang Experience at 945 Magazine Street puts you in the shoes of a real submarine crew member during World War II. You’ll get a watch bill card assigning you to a specific station aboard the sub.

General admission costs $26-$36 and includes the Tang experience, which runs every hour from 11:15 AM to 4:15 PM for about 15 minutes with 27 people per session. Buy tickets ahead of time since spots fill up quickly.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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