LOMBOK

If you look at a map of the Java Sea, you will find the islands of Bali and Lombok near the eastern end of the sea.  The narrow body of water between them is Lombok Strait which provides the only practical way submarines could leave the sea to go down to Australia.  With this knowledge, the Japanese placed an eight- inch rifle on the coastal slope of Lombok, a classical volcano-shaped island.  It is a deep channel with a fast current, so fast submarines could not negotiate it submerged, but must make a high speed run for it in darkness.

Toward the end of a very long patrol under a new skipper, Charlie Putnam, we spent several days in the Java Sea without enemy contact.  It came time to go to Australia, Perth to be precise.  We chose a night with little or no moon and positioned the SEALION to enter the Strait about midnight.  My watch began just before midnight with Dan Brooks in the conning tower manning the radar.  We had previously lost a submarine to enemy action in the Strait, so all hands were nervous about the transit.

It was a dark, tropical night with warm breezes and we put on all the speed we could and headed south.  It wasn't long before a very small picket vessel spotted us and turned on his light and began firing a small machine gun.  We returned fire with a 20 mm which discouraged him and he turned off the light.  The eight-inch crew was alerted and after a few minutes began firing.  The flash from that rifle was enormous and lighted the bridge for a second or two so one could have read a newspaper.  Then came the interminable wait for the projectile.  Dan got the splash on radar and reported we had been missed aft by "a mile."

The captain had been on the bridge since before my watch began, but the Navy discipline gives the con to the officer of the deck, me in this instance, unless the captain takes command by saying something like "I've got it" or "I'll take the con." Charlie did not take the con, but yelled down to the helmsman to come right which headed us toward Bali and away from the rifle.  The helmsman assumed the captain had taken the con and obeyed his command.  The Japanese continued firing about every five minutes and, I’m happy to report, kept missing.

The quartermaster on my watch was Ed Thornton who had terrific night vision and he soon advised me he could see the surf on the beach of Bali.  We were soon to be aground if we continued on the westerly course.  I didn't fancy being a POW and still being formally in command I told the helmsman to come left to south and Charlie made no move to the contrary.  The Japanese fired two or three more rounds and quit.  

Soon we could feel the long slow swell of the Indian Ocean in contrast to the flat water of the Strait and it was a beautiful feeling.  The Southern Cross was shining in the sky dead ahead and liberty in Perth was next!  I'm not sure Charlie and I made eye contact after that night and I was set ashore when we got to Perth.