Submarines That Sank Themselves

U.S. Submarine Losses Attributed to Circular Run Torpedoes

Sep 5, 2008

When operating correctly, submarine torpedoes are effective offensive weapons; when malfunctioning they can be just as deadly to the firing submarine.

During the course of World War II, U.S. submarines struggled with defective torpedoes. Most of the problems centered on defective exploders which rendered them harmless. However, on at least two occasions torpedoes fired by submarines malfunctioned and circled back on their hosts with devastating results.

On the night of March 26, 1944, the Gato class boat Tullibee was operating in support of carrier air strikes on the Palaus. Her skipper, Charles Brindupke, picked up a seven ship convoy fleeing the strikes and began his approach. Using a rain squall as a screen, he maneuvered on the surface, closing a large transport to 3,000 yards. Brindupke fired two torpedoes at his target.

Waiting out the torpedo run on the bridge was Gunner’s mate C.W. Kuykendall. Suddenly, Tullibee was wracked by a violent explosion. Kuykendall was knocked unconscious and thrown clear of the boat. When he came to in the water Tullibee was gone. He heard voices of other crewmen in the dark but they faded over time. A Japanese patrol boat captured Kuykendall the following morning, Tullibee’s only survivor.

Upon his repatriation, Kuykendahl voiced his conviction that one of Tullibee’s two torpedoes had malfunctioned, circled, and struck the boat. His captors had confirmed the other torpedo had run true and sank Tullibee’s intended target.

Conducting a highly successful patrol in Formosa Strait, USS Tang, under the command of Richard H. O’Kane, attacked a convoy during the evening of October 24, 1944. Attacking on the surface within the escort screen, Tang fired ten torpedoes sinking two large freighters and damaging another. O’Kane bore off to check and reload his bow tubes with Tang’s two remaining torpedoes.

Tang approached the crippled ship and fired both torpedoes, Mark 18 electrics. While the first ran normally, the second broached, turned sharply to the left, and porpoised back towards the boat. O’Kane rang up emergency speed and put the rudder over to clear the area but the torpedo struck her port side near the maneuvering room with a devastating explosion. Tang’s stern quickly sank to the bottom 180 feet below and the bridge watch was swept into the sea.

Inside Tang, survivors of the blast fought to escape. They flooded the bow to level the boat and at least four parties escaped using Momsen lungs. Of all the men that made it off Tang, only eight survived the night including O’Kane. They spent the remainder of the war as POWs.

Other Possible Losses

Additional instances of circular run torpedoes were documented throughout the war. In each case evasive actions were taken and the submarine escaped. However, the circumstances surrounding the loss of many American submarines remain unknown owing to the lack of survivors. The possibility exists that some of them were also victims of their own munition.

The copyright of the article Submarines That Sank Themselves in WW II History is owned by Paul Crozier. Permission to republish Submarines That Sank Themselves in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.