Lance, I noticed under one of the subs you said they spoted the Yamato on a war patrol, well the Batfish spotter the Yamato on her first war patrol with Capt. Merril. However Merril did not want to pursue because he believed he saw a radar mast on the Yamato, and did not want those 18 inch guns to bear down on them. "The morning of January 13 [1944]... The radio shack had received a message from Pacific Command, informing them that the ULTRA code breakers had picked up and translated a message confirming that Yamato...would be passing through Batfish's patrol are" From "In The course Of Duty" By: Don Keith
Patrol Log record from 14 January 1944 and 15 January 1944:
"1746(I) Surfaced and commenced surface patrol. Obtained good navigational fix. Sky was clear, sea slightly choppy, and when moon rose at 2042 visibility was excellent. A perfect night for a submerged periscope attack.
2332(I) SJ contact bearing 130° T, range 25,850 yds. Very large pip. (Ship contact #14.)
2333(I) Manned battle stations and changed course toward target. No apparent change in bearing, although range was closing, so secured SJ radar to avoid detection. Sighted high upperworks and mast of large ship hull down on horizon. From what could be seen the target appeared to be a battleship.
2336(I) Submerged and commenced approach. While diving took one last quick sweep with radar which gave a range of about 21,000 yards. Did not attempt to use radar again.
2342(I) Picked up heavy screws on JP-1 at about 18,000 yards.
2348(I) Periscope bearing indicated a radical change of course to the right, away from us. Sound bearings were obtained continuously using JP-1 although we were never able to pick up the target with supersonic gear. Altered course to close target's probable track as much as possible, using a bearing plot with an assumed speed of 18 knots. Target zigging radically to the eastward of us and working around to the northward.
15 January 1944
Making approach on battleship at periscope depth in bright moonlight.
0020(I) It appeared that we were not going to be able to close the target much unless he took a zig back to his left so set all torpedoes for low power shots with depth setting of 22 feet.
0021(I) Sound picked up light, high-speed screws blending in with the heavy screws of the target. Minimum range attained was between 11,000 and 12,000 yards before target drew off to northward. Sound tracking indicated target zigged back to the left after his range had opened up to about 16,000 yards, but by this time he was by us and he was too fast for a surface chase.
0048(I) Lost sound contact with target.
0120(I) Surfaced. Nothing in sight nor on the radar.
0125(I) Secured from battle stations and commenced surface patrol to the eastward. Either we were unlucky enough to get in the middle of a long, looping zig to the eastward or else the target picked us up by radar about the same time we did him and purposely ran out around us. The conditions were perfect to carry out the approach as planed, putting the target between us and the moon, avoiding radar detection, etc., but the breaks just weren't with us. Our principle weakness was our lack of ranges, as the telemeter scale could not be seen and at over ten thousand yards the target appeared as just a very large grey mass. I earnestly believe a zig to the left would have put him in a beautiful position for a successful attack. My best estimate of the target is that it was a battleship screened by at least two destroyers which stayed in close to him and did not use echo-ranging."
