SANK SUBMARINE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 32, Issue 3291, 21 July 1943, Page 3

SANK SUBMARINE

N.Z. BOMBER’S SUCCESS ON PATROL OVER PACIFIC COUSIN OF A TURUA FARMER [By Robin Miller, N.Z.E.F. Official War Correspondent, Guadalcanal’.] A feat described by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, as one which would give encouragement to New Zealand airmen is the subject of this story of the first Japanese submarine positively destroyed by the R.N.Z.A.F. in the Solomons. The bomber pilot, Sgt.-Pilot Colin S. Marceau of Mt. Eden, Auckland, a cousin of Mr C. V. Marceau, of Turua, has just been commissioned as a pilot-officer but news of his promotion had not then reached him. He has since been awarded the D.F.C. for this exploit, the story of which has just been released. A brief message in code crackled out of a stomy sky into the radio out of a stormy sky into the radio Air Force on Guadalcanal* bringing stirring news from a Lockheed Hudson bomber, flying far out over Japanese dominated waters. Its four words were “Sighted sub. Sank same.”

They were words made famous months before by an American flyer in another part of the Pacific. The five New Zealanders in the late afternoon of this particular day reached the furthest point of their patrol. A wireless operator-gunner from Te Kawa sat in the cockpit alongside Sgt.-Pilot Marceau who was the Hudson’s captain while another Auckland sergeant stood watch in the astro hatch behind them. The Te Kawa gunner was the first to sight the Japanese submarine which appeared as something big and dark then on the surface about three miles on the south side. It looked big enough to be a ship and he switched on his telephone mouthpiece and said so. All eyes turned towards it and there was instant action. Rain Squall as . Screen As Marceau at the controls began the approach the crew saw the enemy submarine clearly silhouetted in the fading light. It lay fully surfaced and stationary on the fringe of a rain squall that dropped from a low cloud. The captain decided to use that squall as a cover for a low level attack. He gathered speed in a shallow dive and plunged into a wall of rain.

When the Hudson broke out of the squall it was on top of the submarine. On the conning tower, which bore the Red Rising Sun insignia on a white background three Japanese sailors in white rolled necked jumpers stared up m wonder. By the time the submarine began to move the Hudson was turning into the attack position with her bomb doors open and switches set for a spaced salvo of depth-charges and bombs. The enemy attempted a desperate crash dive but only the bows were under the water when the bomber pilot pressed the switch which released the high explosives.

In his compartment in the bottom of the nose of the plane the navigator, a flying-officer from Te Awamutu and the only commissioned officer on board stared tensely below. , Almost before the charges had hit his voice came back a shout of joy, “You’ve got it.” The score was one near-miss and two apparently direct hits, one in front of the conning tower and the second behind it. Back in his turret the Patea rear gunner saw the submarine halfsubmerged with its screws still turning. Then as it took the last explosion a huge mushroom of oil and water gushed 30ft. into the air and the submarine disappeared. A patch of oil spread quickly over half an acre and pieces of what looked like wreckage, bobbed up in the middle of it. Sergeant Marceau grinned and handed the wireless-operator a message for the base. “Sighted sub. Sank same.”

Theii‘ jubilation temporarily exhausted the New Zealanders settled down to the arduous flight back to Guadalcanal - . It was* growing dark and they flew through rain and thun-der-storms all the way. As the Hudson pitched into the storms a routine message was flashed to it from the radio room on Guadalcanal - . Immediately after it came two words, strictly off the record: “Good show.”

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