The Incredible Career of the USS Tang

The USS Tang was one of the most devastating submarines of World War II.  During the war, it was credited with sinking 31 ships, totaling approximately 227,800 tons.  Because of his sub’s crew’s effectiveness, Commander R.H. O’Kane, captain of the Tang, was awarded the Medal of Honor.  The vessel itself earned the Presidential Unit Citation twice.

That’s all quite impressive, but there’s something else the USS Tang did that no other ship managed to do during the entirety of WWII.

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The Tang was on her fifth patrol when she discovered a convoy of Japanese vessels in the Formosa Straits, between China and Taiwan.  The sub’s crew engaged in a fierce fight, although badly outnumbered.

Three large, enemy tankers were loaded to capacity with war planes, munitions, and supplies, and they were being escorted by many destroyers.  Without wasting time, the Tang’s crew leaped into action, and managed to sink two tankers and prepared to attack the third, even as the destroyers attacked the sub with all weapons blazing.  The Tang fired a torpedo aimed at the third tanker but instead managed to sink a destroyer at the same time.

That’s one submarine sinking three tankers and a destroyer in quick succession. 

Pretty impressive, but the Tang wasn’t done yet.

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Rather than staying near the surface which would give the enemy time to locate them, Commander O’Kane ordered her to dive and assess the situation.  The crew realized that the destroyers could not locate their vessel and that the third tanker was badly damaged, but still floating.  The American submarine still had two torpedoes and made the decision to resurface and finish off the last tanker. 

The crew fired their remaining two torpedoes and both proved devastating.  One struck the damaged tanker.  The other, however, did much worse.

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The Tang’s final torpedo malfunctioned and its guidance system went haywire.  The torpedo began to cut a wide arc and circled back to hit the Tang dead-on.  The submarine began to sink.

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The Tang’s crew needed to abandon ship but were prevented to by a Japanese ship which circled above, dropping depth charges before joining the other escort ships in trying to save their own sailors.

Commander O’Kane ordered his crew to destroy all the printed materials they had aboard in case the enemy later sent divers down to see what they could recover.  Only after destroying all their important papers did the Tang’s crewmen abandon ship.  To do this, some of the men used a previously unproven (in emergency use) device called a Momsen (for inventor Charles B. “Swede” Momsen) lung.  Another first for the crew, they were the only American vessel to ever utilize the Momsen lung.

The USS Tang sank to the bottom.

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Once on the surface, the survivors were picked up by one of the Japanese ships.  The Japanese crewmen, understandably upset, attacked the Americans, beating them mercilessly.

Commander O’Kane later said, “When we realized that our clubbings and kickings were being administered by the burned, mutilated survivors of our own handiwork, we found we could take it with less prejudice.”

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A total of 78 men aboard the sub lost their lives.  There were only nine survivors of the Tang’s crew.  They were sent to a Japanese prisoner of war camp at Afuna for the remainder of World War II.  Only once they were released did the American public find out about the incredible, final adventure of the USS Tang.

Of all the amazing things that the Tang was able to accomplish, and all the damage its crew did to the Japanese fleet, she is most well remembered for one incredible thing. 

She has been called the most successful American submarine of the Second World War, but the USS Tang is best remembered as the only American submarine that somehow managed to sink…herself.

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